STUDY VII. 133 



errors of every kind. Truth never fhcvvs her face 

 before tyrants ; and every man who difputes would 

 be a tyrant if he could. The light of truth has no 

 refemblance to the fatal corufcations of the thun- 

 der, produced by the clafhing of the elements, but 

 to the brightnefs of the Sun, which is perfeâily 

 pure only when Heaven is without a cloud. 



I fhall not follow our youth into the World, 

 where the greateft merit of ancient times could be 

 of no manner of fervice to him. What fliould he 

 make of his magnanimous republican fentiments 

 under a defpotifm ; and of thofe of difinterefted- 

 nefs in a country where every thing is bought and 

 fold ? What ufe could he make even of the im- 

 pafTible philofophy of a Diogenes^ in cities where 

 beggars are taken up, and fent to the houfe of 

 corredion ? Youth would be fufficiently unhappy, 

 even fuppofing it to have preferved only that fear 

 of blame, and that defire of commendation, under 

 which it's fludies were conduced. Influenced 

 from firft to laft by the opinion of another, and 

 having in itfelf no fteady principle, the fillieft of 

 women will rule over him with more unbounded 

 empire than his profeffbr. But, let us fay what 

 we will, the colleges will be always full. All I 

 pretend to plead for is, that children (liouldbe de- 

 livered, at lead, from that tedious apprenticed! ip 

 to mifery, by which they are depraved, at the 



K 3 happieft 



