162 Kotice, of"^ Plans fvr the Instruction and 



most important years of life under a despotism— not a Turk- 

 ish or a Russian depotism, we grant. 



The genius of Education no longer bears the rod. The 

 best gift of one generation to another is not forced upon 

 the recipient with blows nor received with tears and exe- 

 crations. But the rule, though mitigated, is nevertheless a 

 mitigated despotism ; not a particle of real freedom has 

 yet found its way into these important microcosms. 



The causes of the general neglect which the subject of 

 hoy-government has so long endured, while every other part 

 of the field of science is teeming with improvement, are 

 worthy of consideration. In the first place, it is only 

 among the few nations which can really be called free, that 

 improvements would be encouraged or perhaps endured. 

 Where the fashionable creeds teach that man cannot be 

 entrusted with government, unless endowed with such a 

 stock of hereditary wisdom as is possessed only by the de- 

 scendants of a line of rulers, it would be no welcome dis- 

 covery to find the profound mysteries of leg'islation and 

 jurisprudence fathomed by children. Another cause is to 

 be found in the feelings and inclinations of those by whom 

 experiments must be made. Schoolmasters like other men 

 are far from being insensible to the blandishments of pow- 

 er. It is so pleasant to see our will carried into prompt and 

 complete effect: so delightful to pronounce our opinions 

 ex cathedra without fear of dissent ; that he who can resolve 

 to forego such enjoyments and encounter opposition, must 

 be actuated by motives which it would be idle to expect, 

 should impel the actions of men in general. 



Thus, without an attempt to overcome the difficulties 

 naturally attendant on such an undertaking, it has been set 

 down {sub silentio) by almost every man, as an impossibility 

 that boys should ever be able to form self-governing com- 

 munities. 



We have however, evidence before us, which will we 

 think shew the contrary, and that most satisfactorily, but 

 before we enter upon it, we had better perhaps make a few 

 observations on the desirableness of a free government for 

 boys ; for so much are even the most enhghtened under the 

 dominion of custom, that whatever is new is sure to be op- 

 posed and stands in need of defence. 



It is an excellent rule in education, so to teach as that 

 the pupil may have nothing to unlearn. What then more 



