255 
EDUC 
porfant qualifications of'the fenator. Tn fiiort, it is a 
felf-evident faCt, that the Tociety of a fchool is of great 
ufe in awakening the dormant faculties, in producing a 
vigorous and\aCtive mind, and in preparing the young 
citizen for the world, by enuring him to preparatory 
fcenes, fimilar to thofe which lie before him in life. 
The formation of connexions which may contribute to 
future advancement, and of friendfiiips which cannot ea- 
fily be dilfolved, has always been a powerful argument in 
fupport of the preference of public fchools. Such con¬ 
nexions and fuch friendfiiips have been, and may be, 
formed. The opportunity which public fchools afford, 
is certainly an additional circumftance in recommendation 
of them. Thofe difinterjefted friendfiiips which are thus 
formed, arifing from a real congeniality of fentiments and 
tafte, certainly contribute much to comfort, and often to 
advancement. Experience proves, that they are more 
durable than the intimacies which are contracted at any 
fubfequent period. 
A great degree of bodily exercife is necelfary for boys. 
Nature has taken care to provide for this necefiity, by 
giving them a propenfity to play. But they never enter 
into the puerile diverfions with proper fpirit, but with 
boys. He then who is fent to fchool, has the belt oppor¬ 
tunity of anfwering the intentions of nature, in taking 
that conffant exercife which at once contributes to ftrength 
of body and vivacity of mind. Placed in a little fociety 
of members like himfelf, he finds ample fcope for the ex¬ 
ertion of his various powers and propenfities. He has 
friends and playfellows conrtantly at hand ; and the bufy 
fcene palling before him, is a never-failing fource of 
amufement. The private pupil all this while languifiies 
in folitude, deprived of many of thefe advantages, or en¬ 
joying them imperfeCHy. He feels but little emulation ; 
lie contracts diffidence ; lie makes few friendfiiips, for 
want of opportunity ; he is fecluded from the molt 
healthy exercifes ; and hisearly youth, the pleafant fpring 
of life, is fpent in a painful confinement. Yet there are 
circumltances which will render private education the 
molt proper. Thefe are, uncommon meeknefs of difpo- 
lition, bodily infirmity, defeCt of the fenfes, and great de¬ 
formity. Boys labouring under thefe misfortunes lliould 
be treated like thofe tender plants, which, unable to bear 
the weather, can only thrive in the green-houfe : but be 
it always remembered, that the oak flourifhes beft in an 
open expofure. 
In private tuition, the great objeCt fiiould be, to fecure 
as many of the advantages of a public education, with 
as few of its ineonveniencies, as pofiible. It is therefore 
advifable, that the plan of public education be followed, 
as clofely as the difference of circumftances will admit. 
Jt fiiould be recollected, that a thoufand whimfical modes 
are purfued by private tutors. They are generally fuch 
as the inventors and adopters warmly recommend. Both 
are (incere in their recommendation ; for we naturally 
love our own inventions, and the objects of our adoption. 
Novelty has alfo that irrefiftible charm, which induces 
parents to enter their fons, with eagernefs, on a plan 
which has the appearance of improvement and innova¬ 
tion. But as education is an alfair of high importance, 
no fcheme ought to be generally purfued which has not 
received the fanCtion of experience. The welfare of the 
community is at flake, when a general change is intro¬ 
duced in the forms'of education. 
A private tutor certainly putrefies peculiar opportuni¬ 
ties for the infufion of moral and religious principles, 
and peculiar advantages for the reflriCtion of his pupil 
from the contagion of vicious example. We lincerely 
with that thefe opportunities and advantages may never 
be negleCted, and that private tuition may prove, what 
it lias claimed, the power of producing better men, if 
not better fcholars, than are ufually formed in a public 
fchool. We are the nfore induced to exprefs this with 
at prel'ent, becaufe private tuition feems lately to have 
prevailed in this country, more than ever; and yet, it is 
2 
A T I O N. 
confe(Ted, that profligacy of manners was never more 
confpicuotts. It has indeed been the cuftoni among the 
richer orders, to endeavour to combine the advantages of 
a public and private education, by placing their fons at 
a celebrated fchool, and at the fame time under the care 
of a private tutor, relident in the fchool, or in its neigh¬ 
bourhood. The bufinefs of the private tutor is often, in 
this cafe, little more than to make the boy’s exercifes for 
him. If the difeipline of the fchool is duly maintained, 
the afliftance is unneceffkry. We do not find that the 
great fcholars, produced a century ago, had any other aid 
than that afforded in a good fchool, feconded by their 
own afliduity. Very weak boys will indeed want leading- 
firings, or crutches; but the boy of parts derives new 
flxength from being accuflomed to confide in his own ef¬ 
forts. A private tutor, whole whole employment conlifis 
in removing the difficulties attending the difeipline ot a 
great fchool, is unintentionally a promoter of idlenels, 
and of fuperficial knowledge. The opulent and luxurious 
often with for fuperior learning, and would molt readily 
buy it, if it were to be purchafed without labour or con¬ 
finement. But this is not to be bought; it is to be earned 
by long and perfevering induftry. Afliftance may indeed 
be procured in abundance by means of riches; but it 
happens in this cafe, that they who proceed with the leaf!: 
extraneous aid, proceed with the greateft fuccefs. 
Whether the mode of education be under a private tu¬ 
tor, or at a public fchool, a thorough knowledge of the 
elements of grammar is the firft thing to be acquired. 
If a grammatical foundation be not laid deep, at an early 
age, it will not often be laid in fuch a mariner as to bear 
a large fuperftructure. Parents, indeed, who have not 
had a claflical education themfelves, and who are unac¬ 
quainted with the true means of obtaining its advan¬ 
tages, and perhaps with the nature of them, are apt to 
be impatient in the expectation of great and early profi¬ 
ciency in their children. There are not wanting thofe 
who are ready to take advantage of credulity in this, as 
well as in other very important matters. They generally 
produce wonderful ftories of premature improvement. 
But “ thofe who tell or receive thefe ftories,” fays the 
folid Johnfon, “ lliould confidcr, that nobody can be 
taught fafter than he can learn. The fpeed of the beft 
horfeman mu ft be limited by the power of his horfe.” 
Yet when a boy begins to learn Latin, the parents imme¬ 
diately expeCt him to iliew fome evident fupet iority over 
others in all the puerile purfuits. Perhaps he appears 
inferior to them. His attention to his grammar may caufe 
a temporary negleCt of lefs important, but more fliining, 
attainments. What he is learning has nothing of (how 
in it. It makes no appearance in the eyes of the fuper¬ 
ficial. It is, as Quintilian obferves, like the foundation 
of a building, which, though the molt important part, 
lies concealed under the earth. Parents mull not there¬ 
fore expect the crop in the feafon of planting. They 
muft form an analogical argument, from confidering the 
nature of vegetables. Thofe are feldorn the muft valua¬ 
ble, durable, or beautiful, which emerge from the ground, 
or expand their blolfom, at a very early feafon. But 
others, which are fcarcely feen at the firft approach of 
fpring, are often, during their apparent inaCtion, fpread- 
ing their roots deeply and widely, in order to difplay, at 
a muturer period, a profufe luxuriance. 
In order to infure this firm and durable culture, it is 
not enough to be alone attentive to grammar inftruCtion. 
Opportunities muft be given to the Undent to difplay his 
attainments. He muft learn to reduce theory to practice. 
He muft exemplify his rules. He muft be exercifed in 
thinking. He nutft be accuftomed to folitary ftudy, and a 
habit muft be formed of literary labour. For all thefe 
reaions, it has been the cullom of our beft fchools to ex- 
aCt from the fcholars a written exercife, to be brought 
every morning on entrance into the fchool. Under proper 
regulations', and duly attended to both by the inftruCtor 
and the pupil, this practice has been productive of efteCts 
greatly 
