476 THE ARTICLE OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC 



colleges ; and in the latter, to instruction in those special 

 branches of knowledge which are to be of most service 

 to him in the pursuits of his after-life. Of my four sons, 

 who are equally dear to me, and equally valuable to the 

 State, are the institutions of the country to provide 

 collegiate instruction, which shall bear, more or less, 

 directly upon the after-life of the two who are intended 

 for the pulpit and the surgery, and not at all upon the 

 future intentions of the other two, who prefer to be 

 merchants, engineers, manufacturers, or farmers ? The 

 Almighty never intended that the minds of all men 

 should be stereotyped from the same plates, or, like 

 Indian heads, compressed in the same single mould. 



&quot;Like the other universities, we have hitherto trained 

 young men for degrees in arts, and have conferred those 

 degrees after mature examination. On comparing the 

 amount of learning exacted in Brown University with 

 that of other colleges at home and abroad, I find that 

 we have demanded at least as much as any others to 

 qualify for our degree, and we have been as conscien 

 tious and strict in our examinations. The branches we 

 have taught have been more numerous than in the Eng 

 lish universities, and have, as is the case with the other 

 American universities, been modelled more after those 

 of Scotland and the Continental countries. 



&quot; It is the course of study prescribed for our degrees, 

 therefore, which is not suited to the wants of the time, 

 and is therefore not popular, or in demand. 



u Civilisation is progressing ; but it is manifest to the 

 most casual observer, that the movement of civilisation 

 is in the line of material development in that of the use 

 ful arts. l The inducements to enter the learned pro 

 fessions have become far less, and those to enter upon 

 the active professions vastly greater. The most coveted 

 positions in society, seats in our highest legislative cham 

 bers, and even foreign embassies, await the successful 



