jg4 Iinprovemenit 



accompanied with a translation? In the 

 Ibrnier case, it might be alleged, with 

 some appearance of reason, that a boy 

 is disconraged by having to recur to his 

 dictionary lor c\ cry word: but, when a 

 lad enters upon such an author as Vrrgil, 

 lie ought to be acquainted with most of 

 the common words in the lahguage, and 

 Lave less occasion to refer to his dic- 

 tionary. Here then I thhik it is lair to 

 infer, that the master is either culpably 

 jiegligent, or ignorant of what he pro- 

 fesses to teach. A lad who had been 

 some time at a school where classical 

 learning was professed to be tauglit, and 

 had gone through several books of 

 Virgil, was quite put to a stand when 

 required to construe a single line of easy 

 ialin: if I had been before surprised at 

 ■what I had heard of his rapid progress, 

 jou may he sure I was now much more 

 surprised at his present incapacity: but 

 my wonder ceased, when I found that 

 lie had read Virgil with a Iranslation; 

 and I was convinced that he would not 

 run on classic ground, till he had iibe- 

 raled himself from his leadhigrstri'igs. 

 Jilvcu in learning Greek, 1 think it 

 would he better for boys not to be ac- 

 customed to the use of Latin imer]>re- 

 talions, (notwithstanding the ])ompou3 

 assurance J once received from one of 

 tliese classical teachers, " that there is 

 no learning Greek without thc-in:") there 

 is, I acknowledge, something to be said 

 for them, when we consider how im- 

 perfect the common Icn icons are ; but 

 1 think it would be belter for « lad m 

 any difticulty of this kind, to apply for 

 explanation to his in;;tructor; who, if 

 he were e(iual to his ofiiec, would he 

 more likely to diiect him aright, by 

 pointing out the root and inflexions of 

 the word, than the interpretation. I 

 'think we need not be surprised at tJie 

 practice or extent of what I have en- 

 deavoured to expose, when we look at 

 the number of hoardini-;-sehools that 

 have staj-tcd up of lute years; hence we 

 jnay reasonably infer, tiiat many send 

 their children to tiiem who have not had 

 a good education theniEetves, and are 

 consequently ill qualified to judge of 

 jtheir children's progress, or their teach- 

 ers' abilities: how else are we to account 

 for the prosperous state of some of the 

 school-keeping gentry, who advertise, 

 as taught in their academies, a list of 

 items so long and sounding, as to im- 

 press the illiterate with wonder and ad- 

 miration, whilst the faith of sensible 

 persons is staggered at Uic vasluess of 

 tbeu- pretcusjoiis ? 



in Steam-boafs: [Aug. J, 



I avail myself of this opportunity of 

 expressing a wish, that the public will 

 encourage the editor of those cheap and 

 useful Latin vvorks, so well adapted for 

 schools, that have bceu printed at the 

 press of A.J. Valpy, to extend his la- 

 bors to the publication of similar works 

 in the Greek language. L. S. 



P. S. I was surprised to tind an error 

 in punctuation in the common editions of 

 Virgil, not corrected in the edition pub- 

 lished by Valpy. Tlie passage is the fol- 

 lowing, from the fourth book of the yEueis, 

 usually pointed thus : — 

 Vivite felices, quibus est fortuna peracta 

 Jam sua. 



Here sua by an ungrainniatical constmc- 

 tion, acquires the sense of vestra, as the 

 aiilhor ot the Latin Primer justly observes ; 

 whereas rivite is intended to be used in 

 the same manner as in the eighth Eclogue, 

 Vivite, si/lva. It should stand thus : — 

 Vivite. FeUces ([uibus est fortuua peracta 

 Jam sua. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



AMONG the various improvements 

 now making in the construction 

 of steanir-hoatt, the following may be 

 suggested. 



Let the steam-engine and fuel h© 

 placed in a small compact vessel, built 

 on jiurposc to contain nothing else, ex- 

 eopt accommodation for two men ; and 

 Ijt the goods and passengers he placed 

 in another vessel, which is to he dragged 

 by tbo stcam-boaf. The advantages of 

 tliis method are obvious. 



1st. Danger to the passengers from 

 the biustiug of the boiler. Sec. is pre- 

 vented. 



2d. It will iomcdy the loss and in- 

 convenience of the engine shaking the 

 vessel ; especially if large ; from this 

 cause, tlic stcam-boals, according to pre- 

 sent construction, will not last above 

 ilirce years. It will also remedy the dis- 

 agroeahie heat of tlie furnace and noise 

 of the cnguie. 



3d. 'i"he engine, Sec. at present occn- 

 pios the i)rineipal or most useful part of 

 the vessel, on its removal the vessel can 

 take more passengers or goods. 



4tii. If the vessel contaiuaig the pas- 

 sengers or goods, be of the usual or old 

 construction, and provided witli rigging 

 and sails, and linds that she can go 

 faster (with a favourable wind) with 

 sails than being dragged, let her throw 

 off the steam tower or draggers, which 

 may follow, and take up the vessel if 

 wind and tide iuik. lu case of a storm 



or 



