4 MENTAL IMPROVEMENT. 



Observation is the notice that we take of all occurrence^ 

 in human life, whether they are sensible or intellectual 

 whether relating to persons or things, to ourselves or others 

 It is this that furnishes us, even from our infancy, with a ricl 

 variety of ideas and propositions, words and phrases. Al 

 those things which we see, hear or feel, which we perceivi 

 by sense or consciousness, or which we know in a direct man- 

 ner, with scarce any exercise of our reflecting faculties on 

 our reasoning powers, may be included under the general 

 name of observation. There is no time or place, no trans- 

 actions, occurrences, or engagements in life, which exclude 

 us from this method of improving the mind. 



Reading is that means of knowledge, whereby we ac| 

 quaint ourselves with the affairs, actions, and thoughts of the 

 living and the dead, in the most remote nations, and mosi 

 distant ages. By reading, we learn not only the actions anc 

 sentiments of different nations and ages, but transfer to our- 

 selves the knowledge and improvements of the most learned 

 men, the wisest and best of mankind. It is another advan- 

 tage of reading, that we may review what we have read ; wc 

 may consult the page again and again, and meditate on it a1 

 successive periods in our retired hours. Unless a readei 

 has an uncommon and most retentive memory, there if 

 scarcely any book or chapter worth reading once that is noj 

 worthy of second perusal. :| 



Public or private lectures are such verbal instructions as 

 are given by a teacher while the learners attend in silence. 

 An instructer, when he paraphrases and explains other au- 

 thors, can mark out the precise point of difficulty or contrcjj 

 versy, and unfold it. When he teaches us natural philoso- 

 phy, or most parts of mathematical learning, he can convey 

 to our senses those notions, with which he would furnish our 

 minds. He can make the experiments before our eyes. He 

 can describe figures and diagrams, point to the lines and 

 angles, and by sensible means make out the demonstration 

 in a more intelligible manner. 



Conversation is that method of improving our mindfi| 

 wherein by mutual discourse and inquiry we learn the sen- 

 timents of others, as well as communicate our own. By 

 friendly conference, not only the doubts which arise in the 

 mind upon any subject of discourse are easily proposed and 

 solved, but the very difficulties we meet with in books an4 



