120 Education. [CiiAP. XXV. 



entirely from among the objects of study the rich 

 stores of ancient literature, may be pronounced 

 unfriendly to true taste and sound learning; yet 

 the revolution which has been mentioned may be 

 considered in general as a real improvement. 



Another obvious revolution which the last age 

 has produced in the business of education, is re- 

 moving a large portion of that constraint and ser- 

 vility, and of those monkish habits, which were 

 formerly connected with the diligent pursuit of 

 knowledge, and considered a necessary part of a 

 system of study. Modern academic discipline is 

 much less rigid than it was a century ago : more 

 scope is given to the natural spirit and tendencies 

 of the youthful mind : the paths of instruction 

 are more diversified, and more strewed with 

 flowers : in a word, the labour of youthful study, 

 formerly fashionable, has in a great measure 

 ceased to exist. This has arisen from several 

 causes ; from the growth of luxury and dissipa- 

 tion, which are always unfavourable to sound 

 erudition ; from the multiplication of helps and 

 abridgements, to be hereafter mentioned, which, 

 while they lessen the toil of the student, deceive 

 him, by promising greater acquisitions than he 

 can gain from them ; and especially from the 

 plans of education in modern times being so much 

 extended, and the objects of study so greatly mul- 

 tiplied, as to render the wonted attention to each 

 difficult, if not impossible. Hence the greater 

 number of scholars, at the present day, are more 

 remarkable for variety than depth of learning ; and 

 liave generally contented themselves with walking 



