Dr. Barnes on Public md Private Education. 9 



regions, the hope of this ought not to be allowed 

 much weight. And faifl will, I perfuade myfelf, 

 bear wltnefs to very few inftances of this kind; too 

 few, to give any great degree of force to this 



argunnent. 



IV. SELF-GOVERNMENT. 



By this term is meant, " The habit whicfi, 

 the friends of public education fay, a boy early 

 forms, in a large fchool, of conducing himfelf, 

 of managing his own concerns, and of preparing 

 himfelf for a fteady, independent, manly line 

 of adion in future life. Such a fchool they de- 

 fcribe as, " a miniature of the great world." 

 And in this microcofm a boy is inured, to make 

 his own way, to ftand upon his own merit, to 

 exert his own underftanding and addrefs, to 

 maintain his own caufe and his own confe- 

 quence, to fight his own battle, to vindicate his 

 own wrong, and to depend upon his own con- 

 duct and charadler, for the behaviour he meets 

 with. In this fociety, it is faid, all diftindions 

 are levelled. The fon of a nobleman appears 

 as an eaual to the fon of a peafant. Infignifi- 

 cance, ill- temper, folly felfifhnefs, together 

 with the common vices of children (the feeds 

 of fimilar and ftronger vices in men) are dif- 

 countenanced and difcouraged, when they are 

 fure to meet with contempt and hatred. And 

 here, thofe public fpirited and nrianly virtues 

 grow bed, which only can fecure the general 

 honour and approbation." 



It 



