226 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



they considered it a drawing forth of the human faculties; and 

 it extends to all the faculties, moral, intellectual and physical ; in 

 a Word, all that ^oes to constitute, so far as this world is concerned, 

 a perfect man. Practically, this order is often, I might say gene- 

 rally, reversed. The process of educating is made in-ductive in- 

 stead of e-ductive — a filling in, instead of a drawing out. The 

 mind of the child is treated as a piggin of certain dimensions 

 which is to be filled with knowledge, and when so filled, the object 

 is attained. Teachers forget that the mind, like the body, requites 

 not only food but exercise. Should we, to further a physical ue- 

 velopment, constantly stuff the body with nutritious viands, nol 

 requiring any exercise, nay, keeping up a state of repletion thai 

 would incapacitate it for exercise, what would be the effect 1 A 

 morbidly precocious development for a period, perhaps, but spee- 

 dily ensuing debility and premature decay, beyond all question 

 Now although analogies between mind and matter are at best bu 

 fanciful, do we not oftentimes find the young mind suffered to re 

 main inactive, and filled, through what we may consider itsoesoph 

 agus, the memory — nay, crammed, as you cram a turkey with pel 

 lets of meal and treacle, until it exhibits similar phenomena! Doe 

 not a stupid and dull obesity as certainly supervene, after such in 

 tellectual as after such physical treatment ! The mind, instead o 

 being a work-shop where materials are carefully and methodicall;, 

 stored, with sharp, bright, and befitting tools well arranged t 

 work them, is a garret filled with lumber promiscuously piled i 

 where that which is wanting can never be got at. We often se 

 these men of knowledge instead of wisdom — these " book-worms" 

 whose vast stores of erudition is as of little use to them as thi 

 pannier loaded with gold is to the ass w^hich carries it ; am 

 which, in some instances, seems absolutely to incapacitate them fo 

 any thing like an effective discharge of the duties of life. Liki 

 the ass, they sink beneath their load, even though that load be gold 

 Like the Roman Tarpeia, they are crushed beneath the ornament 

 they have rashly sought! Scott well paints (though perhaps ver^ 

 ing on caricature,) such a character in his Domine Sampson— 

 whose " pro-di-gi-ous " good qualities of heart, however, some 

 what conceal, as with a drapery, the ridiculousness of the rest© 

 the figure. Cowper, with his usual felicity, contrasts in clean am 

 well cut relief, the bare possession of knowledge, with that ful 



