INTRODUCTORY [Chap. 



which brings to my recollection, that, when I was 

 in the army, in New Brunswick, I was acquainted 

 with a Serjeant, who was a young man, and 

 who, as well as myself, was a great reader ; but 

 he was smitten with astronomy, and wanted me 

 to pay attention to some of the discoveries he had 

 made. " I tell you what," said I, " I do not 

 " care what they are doing up there; their orders, 

 " whether general, garrison, or regimental, can 

 " never affect me : study you, if you please, what 

 " they are about, I will confine my studies to 

 " things which pass upon the earth." In our 

 schools, nay, in our universities, every thing is 

 taught, but that which is the most useful and 

 honourable of all ; namely, the means of raising 

 food, drink, and clothing, and materials for build- 

 ings ; without which, and with tiie want of any 

 one of which, mankind must cease to exist; and 

 without the whole of which in tolerable per- 

 fection and abundance, no nation can be either 

 great or happy. We have lectures upon every 

 thing but agriculture : Doctor Birkbeck treats 

 us to a theory of the winds ; another takes 

 infinite pains to explain how the air is pumped 

 out of the body of a rat ; there are a great num- 

 ber of lecturers to teach us how the veins and the 

 intestines are formed, and how they ought to be 

 emptied ; but not a soul to tell us the best way of 

 filling them. Commissioners of Scotch herrings 



