STUDY XIV. 309 



feau, and others, have fucceeded only by deviating 

 from the track which their models purfued, and 

 frequently by purf^jing the diredly oppofite path. 

 Thus it was that Defcartes attacked and fubverted 

 the philofophy of Arijiotle : you would be tempted 

 to fay, that Eloquence and the Sciences are com- 

 pletely out of the province of our Gothic Infti- 

 tutions. 



I acknowledge, at the fame time, that it is a for- 

 tunate circumftance for many children, who have 

 wicked parents, that there are colleges ; they are 

 lefs miferable there than in the father's houfe. The 

 faults of matters, being expofed to view, are in 

 part repreffed by the fear of public cenfure ; but 

 it is not fo, as to ihofe of their parents. For ex- 

 ample, the pride of a man of letters is loquacious, 

 and fometimes inftruélive ; that of an ecclefiaftic 

 is clothed with diffimulation, but flattering; that 

 of a man of family is lofty, but frank; that of a 

 clown is infolent, but natural : but the pride of a 

 warm trad efman is fullen and ftupid; it is pride 

 at it's eafe, pride in a night-gown. As the cit is 

 never contradiâied, except it be by his wife, they 

 unite their efforts to render their children un- 

 happy, without fo much as fufpeéting that they do 

 fo. Is it credible that, in a fociety, the men of 

 which all moralifts allow to be corrupted, in which 

 the citizens maintain their ground only by the ter- 



X 3 ror 



