NINTH DAY.] EDUCATION. 251 



sour; and scepticism and discontent sicknesses of 

 the mind are often the results of devouring it. 



HAL. Surely you cannot have a more religious, 

 more moral, or more improved population than that 

 of Scotland ? 



POIET. Precisely so. In Scotland education is 

 not forced upon the people ; it is sought for, and it 

 is connected with their forms of faith, acquired in 

 the bosoms of their families, and generally pursued 

 with a distinct object of prudence or interest ; nor is 

 that kind of education wanting in this country. 



PHYS. Where a book is rarely seen, a newspaper 

 never. 



POIET. Pardon me there is not a cottage with- 

 out a prayer-book ; and I am not sorry that these 

 innocent and happy men are not made active and 

 tumultuous subjects of King Press, whom I consider 

 as the most capricious, depraved, and unprincipled 

 tyrant, that ever existed in England. Depraved- 

 for it is to be bought by great wealth ; capricious 

 because it sometimes follows, and sometimes forms, 

 the voice of the lowest mob; and unprincipled 

 because, when its interests are concerned, it sets at 

 defiance private feeling and private character, and 

 neither regards virtue, dignity, nor purity. 



HAL. My friends, you are growing warm; I 

 know you differ essentially on this subject; but 



