398 HISTORY OF 



letters soonest learned are those which are most 

 easily formed ; thus A and B require an obvious 

 disposition of the organs, and their pronunciation 

 is consequently soon attained. Z and R, which 

 require a more complicated position, are learned 

 with greater difficulty. And this may, perhaps, 

 be the reason why the children in some countries 

 speak sooner than in others ; for the letters most- 

 ly occurring in the language of one country being 

 such as are of easy pronunciation, that language is 

 of course more easily attained. In this manner 

 the children of the Italians are said to speak 

 sooner than those of the Germans ; the language 

 of the one being smooth and open ; that of the 

 other crowded with consonants, and extremely 

 guttural. 



But be this as it will, in all countries children 

 are found able to express the greatest part of their 

 wants by the time they arrive at two years old ; 

 and from the moment the necessity of learning 

 new words ceases, they relax their industry. It 

 is then that the mind, like the body, seems every 

 year to make slow advances ; and in order to 

 spur up attention, many systems of education 

 have been contrived. 



Almost every philosopher who has written on 

 the education of children, has been willing to 

 point out a method of his own, chiefly professing 

 to advance the health and improve the intellects 

 at the same time. These are usually found to 

 begin with rinding nothing right in the common 

 practice, and by urging a total reformation. In 

 consequence of this, nothing can be more wild or 



