OF EDUCATION 57 



on the subject, while he is so ignorant of the first 

 principles of primary instruction. Neither the lect- 

 urer nor his reporter ever saw one of the object lessons 

 which they labor to suppress, and hence their opin- 

 ion of them is worth no more than that of a Hindoo 

 upon the origin of the Shasters. 



Here we see a single instance among thousands 

 that daily occur, of the sad result of that fatal error 

 in the education of our time, which, by ignoring the 

 sciences that train the mind to logical reasoning, 

 gives the educated man but little advantage in reason- 

 ing over the uninstructed. The education that does 

 not inculcate humility and reservation of judgment 

 must be faulty indeed. Mere linguists or mathema- 

 ticians as well as the untaught, oftentimes find no 

 difficulty in forming an opinion before tbey have 

 learned the first fact on the subject; and the un- 

 scientific pronounce upon scientific questions with all 

 the assertion and audacity of the old astrologers. 



"If we consult reason, and the common testimony 

 of ancient and modern times, none of our intellectual 

 studies tend to cultivate a smaller number of the 

 faculties, in a more partial or feeble manner, than 

 mathematics. This is acknowledged by every writer 

 on education of the least pretention to judgment and 

 experience." Sir William Hamilton. 



' ' There is no study that could prove more success 



