370 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



publications, nevv'spapers, and political pamph- 

 lets ; to form some general acquaintance with 

 the laws of their countr}-, the proceedings of the 

 courts of justice, of the general assembly of the 

 state, and of the Congress, &c. Such a kind of 

 education is common and universal in every 

 part of the state : And nothing would be more 

 dishonorable to the parents, or to the children, 

 than to be without it. One of the first things 

 the new settlers attend to, is to procure a school- 

 master to instruct their children in the arts of 

 reading, writing, and arithmetic : And where 

 they are not able to procure or to hire an in- 

 structor, the parents attend to it themselves. 

 No greater misfortune could attend a child, than 

 to arrive at manhood unable to read, write, and 

 keep small accounts : He is viewed as unfit for 

 the common business of the towns and planta- 

 tions, and in a state greatly inferior to his neigh- 

 bors. Every consideration joins to prevent so 

 degraded and mortifying a state, by giving to 

 every one the customary education, and advan- 

 tages. This custom was derived from the peo- 

 ple of New England ; and has acquired greater 

 force in the new settlements, where the people 

 are apprehensive their children will have less 

 advantages, and of consequence, .not appear 

 equal to the children in the older towns. No 

 custom was ever better adapted to private, or 

 public: good. Such kind of education and 

 knowlediije, is of more advantage to mankind,- 

 than all the speculations, disputes, and distinc- 

 tions, thiit metaphysics, logic, and scholastic 

 theology, have ever produced. In the plain 

 common good sense, promoted by the one, 



