A Defence of LEARNING and the ARTS, 
against some Charges of Rousszav. In-two 
Essays. By the Rev. G. Waker, F. Raa 
ESSAY, I. 
(READ Nov. 15, 1799.) 
That learning is not the parent of politeness, nor 
chargeable with the duplicity fraud and vice, which 
he supposes to be Mer attendants. 
I: isa failing, and not of common minds alone, 
who surrender themselves to the impression of 
the moment, but also of men, from whom a more 
just appreciation of the past and the present 
might be expected, to indulge to a spirit of discon- 
tent whenever they speak of their own times; 
and with a kind of holy veneration to fix their 
eye on those days of old, wherein, as they sup_ 
pose, ingenuous virtue and sincere enjoyment 
were alone tobe found. This failing, for a fail- 
ing assuredly it is, has its origin in human nature, 
and even in the best dispositions of human na- 
ture. Candour forgets the bad, but piously 
remembers the good, of what is gone. The 
failings of the dead are buried with them, while | 
