Education. 271 



the course of the last age, there are few entitled 

 to particular attention. Among these, perhaps, 

 the celebrated work of Rousseau, under the title 

 of Emilius, is most extensively known. This sin- 

 gular production undoubtedly contains some just 

 reasoning, many excellent precepts, and not a few 

 passages of unrivalled eloquence. But it seems to 

 be now generally agreed by sober, reflectingjudges, 

 that his system is neither moral in its tendency, nor 

 practicable in its application. If the author ex- 

 Celled most other men in genius, he certainly had 

 little claim either to purity of character, or real 

 wisdom. 



Besides this work, a few others are worthy of 

 particular notice ; some of which, if they have less 

 claim to ingenuity than the celebrated production 

 of Rousseau, are more judicious, practical, and 

 conducive to the happiness of youth. The Method 

 of studying and teaching the Belles Lettres, by M. 

 Rollin, has received much attention and general 

 applause, and is pre-eminently favourable to the 

 interests of virtue and piety. The Plan of a Li- 

 beral Education^ by Dr. Vicesimus Knox, is also 

 the production of a learned and ingenious man, and 

 may be ranked among the best modern treatises 

 on this subject. The Eleme?itar-Werk, by Basedow, 

 of Germany, is said to be one of the most influential 

 and useful works on education that the age pro- 

 duced. Much praise has also been bestowed on 

 the Neuen Emit of Professor Feder, of Gottingen, 

 which still continues to be held in esteem in the 

 author's own country/ Towards the close of the 



* The author has no acquaintance with the works of Basedow or Fe- 

 »er. This account of them is taken from a learned and interesting His- 

 tor'ual Atcount of the Rise and Progress of Literature in Germany, published 

 in the German Museum of London, and said to be drawn up by the Rev. 

 Mr. Will, lately of London, at present minister of the German Calvinwt 

 Church in the city of New- York. 



