( 35 ) 
now endeavour to anfwer thefe obje<5lions, 
fo far as the fubje6l may influence your 
purfuits. 
Young men are naturally fanguine in their 
expectations: they are impatient and diflfa- 
tisfied with every thing, which, according 
to their conceptions, falls fhort of perfec- 
tion. But a few years experience will in- 
fallibly convince them, that human infti- 
tutions are incapable of perfection, and that 
a prudent man will make the beft ufe in his 
power of things as they are. That the pre- 
ient fyftem of education at Oxford and 
Cambridge might be improved, will be rea- 
dily admitted j and, that a careful revifion 
of the ftatutes, and a confequent abolition of 
many cuftoms, ill adapted to the learning 
and manners of the prefent age, will take 
place, is more than probable. But, the for- 
tuitous events neceffary to bring forward fo 
confequential a revolution, depend on fo 
fingular a coalition of circumftances, that 
many ages may yet roll on, before our Uni- 
verfities are perfectly reformed. 
Let us now attend a little to facts. The 
arguments deduced from fpeculation and 
theory are certainly againft us. Our Uni- 
c 2 verfities 
