302 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



indeed been honored by some greater men in our age than 

 critics are usually thought. 



For the doctrine of school-learning, it were the shortest 

 way to refer it to the Jesuits, who, in point of usefulness, 

 have herein excelled; yet we will lay down a few admoni 

 tions about it. We highly approve the education of youth 

 in colleges, and not wholly in private houses or schools. 9 

 For in colleges, there is not only a greater emulation of the 

 youth among their equals, but the teachers have a venerable 

 aspect and gravity, which greatly conduces toward insinu 

 ating a modest behavior, and the forming of tender minds 

 from the first, according to such examples; and besides 

 these, there are many other advantages of a collegiate educa 

 tion. But for the order and manner of discipline, it is of 

 capital use to avoid too concise methods and too hasty an 

 opinion of learning, which give a pertness to the mind, and 

 rather make a show of improvement than procure it. Bat 

 excursions of genius are to be somewhat favored; so that 

 if a scholar perform his usual exercises, he may be suffered 

 to steal time for other things whereto he is more inclined. 

 It must also be carefully noted, though it has, perhaps, 

 hitherto escaped observation, that there are two correspon 

 dent ways of inuring, exercising, and preparing the genius; 

 the one beginning with the easier, leads gradually on to 

 more difficult things; and the other, commanding and im 

 posing such as are the harder at first; so that when these 

 are obtained, the easier may be more agreeably despatched. 

 For it is one method to begin swimming with bladders, and 

 another to begin dancing with loaded shoes. Nor is it easy 

 to see how much a prudent intermixture of these two ways 

 contributes to improve the faculties both of body and mind. 

 Again, the suiting of studies to the genius is of singular 

 use; which masters should duly attend to, that the parent 

 Imay thence consider what kind of life the child is fittest 

 ^for. And further, it must be carefully observed, not only 



8 See Osboru s Advice to a Son. 



