Chap. XXV.] Education. U5 



tion, it was in a great measure confined to the 

 opulent, until within the last hundred years. 

 During this period, the great increase in the num- 

 ber of seminaries of learning ; the wonderful mul- 

 tiplication of circulating and other libraries ; the 

 growing practice of divesting the most important 

 parts of knowledge of their scholastic dress, and 

 detaching them from the envelopments of dead 

 languages; with various other considerations; 

 have all conspired to extend the advantages of 

 education, and to render the elements of useful 

 knowledge more cheap and common tlian ever 

 before. 



Towards the close of \he eighteenth century, 

 the physical education of youth became an ob- 

 ject of more particular attention than in any 

 former period. The considerations of bodily 

 health and vigour were by no means forgotten iu 

 the most ancient systems of education with which 

 we are acquainted. Perhaps it may be asserted, 

 that, in practice^ the ancients succeeded much 

 better than the moderns in rearing robust and vi- 

 gorous children : but they attended less to theory 

 thsLii practice J they attained the end without hav- 

 ing just philosophical ideas respecting the jnearis ; 

 and sometimes indeed by methods which neither 

 the habits nor the opinions of modern nations 

 would admit. But the eighteenth century gave 

 birth to more 'speculation and writing on this sub- 

 ject than any former age could boast. The philo- 

 sophy of physical education has been more stu- 

 died, discussed, and understood. And though the 

 luxury, the various premature indulgences, and 

 the general habits of youth at the present day. 



