1825.] 
and, like them, marry cottagers. From 
the first day of their entering their new 
residence, the different effect of early 
impressions will be manifested ; the air 
and style of their dwelling will bespeak 
the order of their minds; those who, 
im their better days, found them their 
equals, find them so still; there exists 
the same method, the same taste, the 
same expression of character, the same 
views of propriety, the same sense of 
honour; they have lost nothing by ser- 
vitude, the others have gained nothing ; 
both return to, and act upon, their first 
impressions. Should these facts appear 
to be confined to too low a class of so- 
ciety, let me ask by what means Greece 
and Rome attained their eminence ? 
Thev had not the influence of a religion 
intellectual and holy; they had not the 
same facilities of education; yet their 
histories alone are read as inspiring 
sentiments of patriotism and mental 
dignity. Rome rose, in 700 years, from 
barbarism to her meridian splendour. 
Greece rose more slowly. But Europe, 
at the present day, with every advan- 
tage of accumulated knowledge, and 
with the aid of the printing press, is un- 
equal to them. I ask for the cause ? 
Have we not neglected the first move- 
ments of the mind? They inspired 
their children with a thirst for honour- 
able distinction, which increased with 
their growth; we depend on the cor- 
rections of a school, and then the hour 
is past to form more than half charac- 
ters. I ask again, what gave the an- 
cients their decision of character? ft 
was not their religion—for it was with- 
out precept. It was not envy, or am- 
bition, or imitation—for all around them 
were barbarians. It was not a know- 
ledge of letters and the arts—for they, 
in a great measure, created them. It 
was not their laws—for they did not 
comprehend the subject. What then 
was it? TJ answer, it was the force and 
permanency of early impressions — it 
was theinfluence of the nursery. The 
Roman matrons gave to Rome her em- 
pire: they formed and unfolded the 
minds of their children; the first ray 
that reached them emanated from the 
mother, and bore her character; the 
germ grows up in its own likeness, the 
acorn produces the oak. From this 
brilliant picture we must turn the eye 
to contemplate one of an opposite cha- 
racter, but which strongly illustrates the 
force of first impressions—I mean in- 
dulged children. Those who are brought 
Influence of Early Impressions on the Future Character. 
803 
up by good-tempered persons are affable, 
prepossessing and courteous; others, 
less favourably cireumstanced, are more 
grossly vicious; but both are useless 
and degraded members of society. . In- 
stinct uncontrouled, undirected, has 
governed their infancy: and, now, it 
governs the man; selfishness, insensi- 
bility and indolence constitute their 
character ; education gives them a po- 
lish, but it does not correct their dis- 
position, which was irrevocably fixed 
before education was commenced. I 
pity such chilcren, and I lament that 
they are so numerous: a spoiled child 
is a destroyed man. Were there no 
other example, I would bring forward 
this unhappy class of our fellow crea- 
tures, and challenge the ablest rea- 
soner to overthrow the principles ad- 
vanced: their lamentable case sets the 
question of the influence of early im- 
pressions on the minds of the children 
of civilized parents entirely at rest. 
Another influence that operates in 
the formation of character is hereditary 
disposition. This part of the constitu- 
tion of man is common to the savage 
and the civilized: in both ranks, the 
temper, the talents and the figure are 
generally admitted to be by descent. 
But I go farther, and contend that in- 
dividuals and communities are physi- 
cally qualified for the station in which 
they are born, and which they occupy: 
in other words, that they possess a con- 
stitutional aptitude, an organization, 
which favours certain dispositions of 
the mind. The wealthy inhabitants of 
St. Petersburg are as well supplied with 
schoolmasters as those of London; and 
their early impressions. may be as well 
directed; but the disposition and cha- 
racter of the Russian is very unlike that 
of the Londoner. Admitting that the > 
circumstances of their lives are the 
same, their hereditary dispositions pro- 
duce two distinct characters. The 
children of Foundling Hospitals are re- > 
ported to rise into respectability more 
frequently than those of Blue Coat 
Schools, although their advantages have . 
not been greater. If this be the case, 
it must be occasioned by a difference in © 
their descent. 
But the express idea I wish to con- 
vey, will be more clearly understood by 
an appeal to analogy. All animals are 
capable of being domesticated: and, 
when this has been accomplished, the - 
race remains so. The mere circum- 
stance of domestication supposes a phy- 
sical 
