2.56 EDUCATION. 
greatly beneficial. And let it be remembered that half 
the ul'ual labour, and half the ufual time, will produce 
more than double the improvement, if fuch methods are 
praftifed from the fir ft, as tend to give the fcholar clear 
ideas. It is alfo material that the books felecfted botli 
for private reading and fcholaftic ftudy, in the courfe of 
his progrefs, fhould be fucli as have an immediate rela¬ 
tion to the exercifes to be performed. The beft models 
of compofition muft be placed before the eyes of the 
Undent at all times, but more particularly while he is en¬ 
gaged in the work of imitation. And to imitate well a 
Virgil, a Cicero, a Pope, and an Addifon, indicates a 
mind which has imbibed a portion of their mental excel¬ 
lence. No method is fo likely to caufe this moft deferable 
participation of their fpirit, as repeated and continued 
efforts to exhibit, in juvenile exercifes, fome refemblance 
of their fentiments and their ftyle. This afliduous and 
unremitted attention to exercifes may, perhaps, be con.fi- 
dered by the fuperficial as too great a talk, and as too 
fevere an exaftion. But if parents or preceptors will not 
fuller their fons or fcholars to fubrnit to it, they muft not 
expeft any great and lading effefts from that which is com¬ 
monly called a good education. How few, indeed, do we 
lee bring a knowledge of the ancient languages from their 
fchools, fufficiently extenfive or profound to be ufeful in 
any great degree, or even to be retained by them through¬ 
out their lives ! What is the caufe ? Undoubtedly, an in¬ 
dolence in themfelves, and a too great indulgence in their 
fuperintendents or parents, who will not let them fubrnit 
to any degree of application which is painful. But fuch is 
the appointed condition of human affairs, that no object, 
really and durably valuable, can be gained without la¬ 
bour and difficulty. Thfs is the price at which Provi¬ 
dence has decreed that the fatisfaftion and advantages 
arifing from the pofteftion of any extraordinary degree of 
excellence fhall be purchafed. Yet the labour of com¬ 
pofition is not always painful, efpecially when boys take 
delight in compofing themes and verfes. The natural 
plealure of invention, and the confcioufnels of increafing 
ftrength of mind, alleviates greatly the labour of the 
work ; and the praifes and encouragement they, receive, 
will generally give their ingenuous minds a glow of de¬ 
light, which none of their ul'ual diverfions can confer. 
When once a boy feels an emulation to excel in his com- 
pofitions, his improvement is fecure. 
Much lias been laid with regard to the utility of teach¬ 
ing boys to compofe Latin verfe. When a boy is defigned 
to fill a fubordinate' fphere in commercial or aftive life, 
to trouble him with Latin verfirication, is perhaps to 
wafte his valuable time. Yet it is confeftedly the beft 
method of giving a ftudent arefined tafte for claffical ex- 
preflion. The neceftity of compofing Latin verfe, renders 
a fcholar more careful in remarking and (electing elegan¬ 
cies, than he would be, if he were only to read, without 
imitating, a Horace or a Virgil. In fome very popular 
fchools, Latin verfe is perhaps attended to as an exercile 
too conftantly, and too indiferiminately. For the fake of 
gaining prizes, and for other lefs defenfible reafons, it is 
made, by fome, the firft objeft; which it certainly ought 
not to be. Boys who happen to have no tafte for it, how¬ 
ever excellent their capacities in other refpefts, have, at 
thofe fchools, no encouragement. A common method is, 
to futfer boys at firft to write verfes formed of words com¬ 
bined, without regard to meaning or grammatical con- 
ftruftion, but, at the fame time, with a dole attention 
to the rules of profody. This method contributes to 
facilitate the purfuit, though it is not univerlally ap¬ 
proved. It fhould not indeed be continued very long ; 
but it is an excellent mode of introduction to an art which 
is obvioufly attended with fome difficulty. InftruCtors 
differ much in opinion refpefting the propriety of allow¬ 
ing a Gradus ad Parnajfum, from an idea that it retards 
advancement by indulging indolence. But ibis i£ certain; 
if we forbid the life of the Gradus in a place of educa¬ 
tion, the prohibition will be fruftrated by the clandeltine 
introduction of it. It is a book eafily procured, and 
boys in the fenior claftes will not be without it; and there 
are inftances of many who have received great improve¬ 
ment from it. When the pupil polfelfes an uncommon 
(hare of parts, he will afeend Parnaffus without this Jieb 
to help him; and it is reafonable to conclude that the 
improvement made without it, will be more permanent 
and folid. But the misfortune is, that the art appears fo 
difficult at firft, that the greater part of boys are likely 
to be deterred and difgufted, if they are denied this 
afliftance. 
When the quantity of words is pretty well known, it 
is a good method to place the words of one of Martial’s 
Epigrams, or of any beautiful paftage in the Latin poets, 
out of their metrical order, and to require the fcholar to 
form them into verfes. In thefe exercifes it is alfo beft 
to call forth the early powers of the boy’s invention. As 
foon, therefore, as lie can write hexameters and penta¬ 
meters, let him have a fubjeft given him. Let him be 
made acquainted with the nature of an epigram. Let 
him be told, it is to confift of one thought. The.fearch 
after this thought is attended with many collateral ad¬ 
vantages. The mind in purfuit of it often ranges, as well 
as it can, through the moral and phylical world. Men, 
manners, and things, whatever he has read, heard, or 
feen, come under the Undent's confideration. A great 
improvement is derived to the mental powers from this 
practice, and, at the fame time, a habit of reflection 
gained, and knowledge of various kinds extended and 
confirmed. Let any one impartially examine the Lufus 
WeJlmonaJiericnJ'es, Mufa Etoncjifes, and feveral other publi¬ 
cations, as well as manuferipts of this fort, and he will fee 
the juftnefs of the obfervation. Epigrams, odes, and va¬ 
rious poematia, fhould alternately conftitute exercifes in 
the higher clalfes. Accuracy, copioufnefs of invention, 
a depth of thought, an elegance of ftyle, and many other 
advantages, may be derived from this method to every 
kind of writing in which the fcholar afterwards employs 
himfelf. The moft unpromifing talents often fucceed, 
when called forth by the example of others, whether 
invited by opportunity, or urged by neceftity. Parents 
fhould not, therefore, give up their fons upon very early 
unfavourable appearances. Many a child has been lent 
to fea, or put to fome mechanical employ, who might 
have ihone eminently in letters, if his parents had not 
been inclined to defpair too foon, from their ignorance 
of the nature and the operations of the human mind, and 
from their inattention to the biographical accounts of 
eminent literati. 
The next acquifition fhould be that of writing Latin 
profe, which, confidered merely as an exercife, naturally 
contributes to iucreafe, and to confirm, an intimate know¬ 
ledge of the language. He who can write a language, will 
not often be at a lofs in reading the authors written in it. 
He will underftand the delicacies and the beauties of the 
language, both when he confiders it in its fingle and fepa- 
rate words, and when he views it in conftruftion. When 
words and ideas pafs immediately under the pen, in the 
aft of compofition, they are confidered more diftinftly 
and maturely than when they are only perufed in a vo¬ 
lume. Befides this advantage, to be able to write Latin, 
qualifies the ftudent to correfpond with the learned in 
all countries. Latin letters lhould therefore form one of 
the evening exercifes in the higheft claftes at fchool ; 
for which Cicero affords admirable models. Latin has 
long been the univerfal language of learning. The books 
which, from their extenfive fubjeft, feem to intereft man¬ 
kind at large, have ufually been written in Latin; and 
fcientific fubjefts of all kinds are ftill often difeuft'ed in 
Latin : it would therefore appear unbecoming a fcholar 
to be unable to exprefs his ideas in a language, in which 
learned foreigners not only write, but frequently con- 
verfe. And if the ftudent proceeds to either of out Eng- 
lifh univerlities, and really willies to be a fcholar, he 
muft acquire the habit of compofing Latin themes, Latin 
declamations^, 
