342- STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Î would alwaj's endeavour, in the courfe of this 

 education, to make the exercifes of the body go 

 hand in hand with thofe of the mind. Accord- 

 ingl3% while they were acquiring the knowledge of 

 the ufeful arts, I would have them taught Latin. I 

 would not teach it them metaphyfically and gram- 

 matically, as in our colleges, and which is forgot- 

 ten much fafler than it was attained, but they 

 fliould learn it pradically. Thus it is that the Po- 

 lilh peafantry acquire it, who fpeak it fluently all 

 their life-time, though they have never been at 

 college. They fpeak it in a very intelligible man- 

 ner, as I know by experience, having travelled 

 through their Country. The ufe of that language 

 has been, I imagine, propagated among them, by 

 certain exiles from ancient Rome, perhaps Ovid, 

 who was fent into banifhment among the Sarma- 

 tians, their Anceftors, and for the memory of 

 which Poet they flill preferve the higheft venera- 

 tion. It is nor, fay our Liierati, the Latin of 

 Cicero. But what is that to the purpofe ? It is not 

 becaufe thefe peafants have not a competent know- 

 ledge of the Latin tongue, that they are incapable 

 of Ipeaking the language of Cicero; but becaufe, 

 being ilaves, they do not underftand the language 

 of liberty. Our French pcafants would not com- 

 prehend the beft tranflations which could be made 

 of that Author, v/ere they the production even of 

 the Univerllty. But a Savage of Canada would 



take 



