580 Echard’s Contempt of Clergy. (Dec. 
successful. Well adapted for vulgar comedy, it reads as if we listened 
to a professional droll ; and Echard’s principal work, “On the Grounds 
and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy,” is scarcely any thing else 
but a grave banter upon the style of education, and the manner of preach- 
ing prevalent among some divines of his time. The conception is 
Lucian’s, and is, ina great measure, founded upon the celebrated trea~ 
tise on the art of writing history by the wit of Samosata. Echard 
avows his strong predilection for the “ prodigious Lucian,” and also for 
the great “Don of Mancha,” and had certainly studied the latter in the 
then popular translation of Don Quixote. 
The book is hardly known now to general readers ; but it made no 
small noise in its day. Echard, who wrote anonymously, in his preface dis- 
claimed being a clergyman—we suppose suspecting that his performance 
would not be generally palatable among his clerical brethren. The pre- 
face itself is only remarkable for the following passage :—“I am not,” 
says he, “ I’ll assure you, any of those occasional writers, that, missing 
preferment in the University, presently write you their new way of edu- 
cation ; or, being a little tormented with an ill-chosen wife, set forth 
the doctrine of divorce to be truly evangelical.” This alludes to Milton ; 
and so slightingly did his contemporaries speak of our great poet! And 
the book which contains this sneer was published in 1670—three years 
after the publication of Paradise Lost! We do not remember that any 
of the biographers or critics of Milton have taken notice of the passage. 
Echard enters into his subject at once, and takes it for granted, without 
scruple, that the contempt entertained for the clergy was a thing so noto- 
rious that it needed ne proof. His business was only how to account 
for the existence of this universally-admitted fact ; and he begins with 
the beginning. He seeks its first cause in the education which they 
received—finding the greatest fault with the system of confining youth 
to a Latin and Greek education. Since Echard’s time, this most verata 
questio has been examined over and over, and it would be useless 
to repeat his arguments here. He is for giving them a more practical 
education :-— 
“Or suppose, they were taught (as they might much easier be than what 
is commonly offered to them) the principles of Arithmetick, Geometry, and 
such alluring parts of learning: as these things undoubtedly would be much 
more useful, so much more delightful to them, than to be tormented with a 
tedious story how Phaeton broke his neck; or how many nuts and apples 
Tytirus had for his supper. For most certainly youths, if handsomly dealt 
with, are much inclinable to Emulation, and to a very useful system of Glory ; 
and more especially if it be the reward of Knowledge ; and therefore if such 
things were carefully and discreetly propounded to them, wherein they might 
not only earnestly contend amongst themselves, but might also see how far 
they outskill the rest of the world ; a Lad hereby would think himself high 
and mighty, and would certainly take great delight in contemning the next 
unlearned Mortal he meets withal. But if instead hereof, you diet him with 
nothing but Rules and Exceptions; with tiresome repetitions of Amo’s and 
turlw’s; setting a day also apart to recite verbatim all the burdensome Task of 
the foregoing week (which I am confident is usually as dreadful as an old 
Parliament Fast) we must needs believe that such a one, thus managed, will 
scarce think to prove immortal by such performances and accomplishments 
as these. You know very well, Si7, that Lads in the general, have but a kind 
of ugly and odd conception of Learning ; and look upon it as such a starving 
thing, and unnecessary perfection (especially as it is usually dispens’d out 
unto them) that Nine-pins and Span-counter are judged much more heavenly ~ 
oe 
