250 ARIADNE FLORENTINA. 



myself. In all this, there is much to be mended, but, in true 

 light, nothing to be regretted. 



I say, I had to write my school grammar. These three 

 volumes of lectures under 'my hand,* contain carefully set 

 down, the things I want you first to know. None of my 

 writings are done fluently ; the second volume of Modem 

 Painters was all of it written twice most of it, four times, 

 over ; and these lectures have been written, I don't know 

 how many times. You may think that this was done merely 

 in an author's vanity, not in a tutor's care. To the vanity I 

 plead guilty, no man is more intensely vain than I am ; but 

 my vanity is set on having it known of me that I am a good 

 master, not in having it said of me that I am a smooth author. 

 My vanity is never more wounded than in being called a fine 

 writer, meaning that nobody need mind what I say. x 



3. Well, then, besides this vanity, I have some solicitude 

 for your progress. You may give me credit for it or not, as 

 you choose, but it is sincere. And that your advance may be 

 safe, I have taken the best pains I could in laying down laws 

 for it. In these three years I have got my grammar written, 

 and, with the help of many friends, all working instruments 

 in good order ; and now we will try what we can do. Not 

 that, even now, you are to depend on my presence with you 

 in personal teaching. I shall henceforward think of the lect- 

 ures less, of the schools more ; but my best work for the 

 schools will often be by drawing in Florence or in Lancashire 

 not here. 



4. I have already told you several times that the course 

 through which I mean every student in these schools should 

 pass, is one which shall enable them to understand the ele- 

 mentary principles of the finest art. It will necessarily be 

 severe, and seem to lead to no immediate result. Some of 

 you will, on the contrary, wish to be taught what is imme- 

 diately easy, and gives prospect of a manifest success. 



But suppose they should come to the Professor of Logic 

 and Rhetoric, and tell him they wanted to be taught to preach 



like Mr. Spurgeon, or the Bishop of . 



* Inaugural series, Aratra Pentelici, and Eagle's Nest. 



