Ext enfwn of Lileral Education inMancheJler. 19 



Without throwing the mod diftant refledlion 

 upon that plan of clafTical education, which ge- 

 nerally, and, in my idea, very properly obtains 

 at our common fchools, no one will imagine, 

 that the knowledge there acquired is lufficient 

 to improve and adorn the mind, in all its future 

 ilages. Such knowledge muft be fcanty, and 

 undigefted. There will be feme (hining parti- 

 cles, probably mixed with a large quantity of 

 alloy. Language is merely the fcafFolding of 

 fcience. The flireds and fragments of fenti- 

 ment, which a boy picks up, in conning over 

 the Latin and Greek authors, are not furely 

 deferving of the name, of regular and fyftematic 

 fcience. And yet, without fomething of fyftem 

 and regularity, ideas float in the head in un- 

 formed maflcs, without method, or arrangement. 



The boy, who excels in one branch, the know- 

 ledge of languages, may appear manly. The 

 man, who has gained no more, muft appear a 

 boy. He that does not add general fcience to 

 profedional knowledge, is a mere pedant. And 

 he who has not looked abroad from the Greek and 

 Roman clalTics into the other branches of a po- 

 lifhed and extenfive education, knows but little 

 of what is either mod truly ornamental or ufe- 

 fnl. But WHERE fhall that higher and more 

 finifhcd knowledge be obtained .? 



Here a boy muft ftop rtiort — When, from 

 names and words, he (hould rife to things, he 



C 2 is 



