1853.] SCHOOLS. 387 



health for them it would not signify so much, for I cannot but 

 hope, with the enormous emigration, professions will some- 

 what improve. But my bugbear is hereditary weakness. I 

 particularly like to hear all that you can say about education, 

 and you deserve to be scolded for saying " you did not mean 

 to torment me with a long yarn." You ask about Rugby. I 

 like it very well, on the same principle as my neighbour, 

 Sir J. Lubbock, likes Eton, viz., that it is not worse than any 

 other school ; the expense, with all, &c.> &c., including some 

 clothes, travelling expences, &c., is from 110 to 120 per 

 annum. I do not think schools are so wicked as they were, 

 and far more industrious. The boys, I think, live too secluded 

 in their separate studies ; and I doubt whether they will get 

 so much knowledge of character as boys used to do ; and this, 

 in my opinion, is the one good of public schools over small 

 schools. I should think the only superiority of a small school 

 over home was forced regularity in their work, which your 

 boys perhaps get at your home, but which I do not believe 

 my boys would get at my home. Otherwise, it is quite 

 lamentable sending boys so early in life from their home. 



. . . To return to schools. My main objection to them, 

 as places of education, is the enormous proportion of time 

 spent over classics. I fancy (though perhaps it is only fancy) 

 that I can perceive the ill and contracting effect on my eldest 

 boy's mind, in checking interest in anything in which reasoning 

 and observation come into play. Mere memory seems to be 

 worked. I shall certainly look out for some school with more 

 diversified studies for my younger boys. I was talking lately 

 to the Dean of Hereford, who takes most strongly this view ; 

 and he tells me that there is a school at Hereford commencing 

 on this plan ; and that Dr. Kennedy at Shrewsbury is going 

 to begin vigorously to modify that school 



I am extremely glad to hear that you approved of my cirri- 

 pedial volume. I have spent an almost ridiculous amount of 

 labour on the subject, and certainly would never have under- 



VOL. I. 2 D 



