EDUCATION. 257 
declamations, Latin lefhires,. See. which are conftantly 
required of academical (Indents. It is true that the idler 
and man of fafhion generally procure thefe exercifes from 
friends, from books, or from collections of old compofi- 
tions ; but, though they may pafs through the forms of 
an univerfity by fuch means, they never acquire credit, or 
acquit themfelves to their own fatisfadlion. And, if they 
take the degree of mailer of arts in one of our univerfities, 
they are bound by their oaths to recite publicly in the 
fchools Latin declamations of their own compofition. It 
is another argument in favour of the Latin exercifes in 
our fentinaries, that it has a natural tendency to improve 
the Undent in Englilh compofition. Lie who has been 
accultomed to make Cicero his model, will infenfibly ex¬ 
hibit fomething of his beauty, in whatever language he 
can compofe with facility. That habit of accuracy, and 
that care in the collocation of words, .which is required 
in Latin works, will infenfibly extend its good effects tc? 
every production. To write Latin in youth, is an excel¬ 
lent preparation for that vernacular compofition, which 
fome of the profefllons iwdifpenfably require. It ought 
therefore to be continued in our fchools ; but it will not 
often be attended with fuccefs, unlefs the pupil remains 
there long, and applies clofel v under the infpe&ion of an 
experienced inftru'Ctor. Much pradtice and long habit 
are necefiary, to give excellence and facility. Therefore, 
where boys are intended to acquire only a fuperficial 
knowledge, and to be removed early from their feminary 
to the warehoufe and accompting-houfe, or to be intro¬ 
duced into any mode of active life incompatible with 
contemplation, they will not then be able to acquire an 
cafe in Latin compofition, nor will it be necefiary. 
With refpect to the ftyle which is chiefly to be imi¬ 
tated, we (hall not hefitate to recommend that of Cicero. 
Hismore diffufe and Afiatic manner is not to be imitated. 
But the ftyle of his Letters, his Offices, his Philofophical 
Oonverfations, his book on the Orator, his treatife on 
Friendfhip and on Old Age, with a few of his Orations, 
abounds with fweets, from which the inauftrious bee may 
load himfelf with honey. Some, indeed, recommend as 
models, the ftyles of Qmntilian and Tacitus. Thefe are 
excellent in their kind ; but they have not the grace and 
dignity of Cicero. They pleafe and ftrike a mature tafte, 
but they are not well adapted to aliure a young Undent 
to the labour of imitation. 
Under a miftaken notion of facilitating the progrefs of 
the young pupil, trarjlations of the elaflic authors are now 
permitted to be.ufed in many refpectable modern fchools ; 
but we think, with manifeft difadvantage to the future 
reputation and acquirements of a fcholar; and we might 
with great truth add, that few caufes have contributed 
more to impede the fcholar’s progrefs, than the general 
adoption of this accommodating mode. The human mind 
is naturally remits, but particularly fo at the early feafon 
in which education is commenced. At all times.it is 
averfe from unneceffary labour, and rejoices to facilitate 
the means of arriving at its end. When, therefore, a 
tranfiation is prefented to the eye on the fame page with 
the original, it is not likely, that for tlie fake of a re¬ 
mote advantage, it fhould neglect prefent eafe ; that it 
ftiould turn from the meaning which is offered to its no¬ 
tice, and willingly purfue an original tranfiation to be 
formed from the mazes of a lexicon. Yet there are fome 
refpectable authors who contend, that “ if the clafiic 
authors were publifhed with interlineary tranfiations, it 
would be a great fervice done to the public.” Perhaps 
after a ftudent has learned one language very accurately, 
he may acquaint himfelf fuperficially, in a fiiort time, 
with others, by means of tranfiations. But to boys, who 
always ufe them without judgment, they are certainly 
pernicious. The boy learns to conltrue his lefibn by the 
Englilh printed at its fide, and takes care to remember it 
during the half hour he repeats it to his inftru&or; af¬ 
ter which he will let it fiip away without reluctance, 
confcious that his collateral tranfiation will enable -him 
Vox. VJ. No. 347.. 
to go through the fame bufinefs on the morrow, without 
puniftimenr, and alfo without the valuable acquifition of 
learning to firengthen and imprefs the memory. 
The exertion of mind requifite in learning to conftrue 
a lefibn without a tranfiation, is one of the molt defirable 
confequences derivable from the,lefibn itfelf. A habit of 
attention is acquired by it; conjectural ingenuity called 
forth ; a degree of penetration, and patience of literary 
labour, a mod defirable acquifition, infenfibly produced. 
Whatever difficulty it may be attended with, will be over¬ 
come by the boy who poffefies parts; and he who pofleffes 
none, will never make aify valuable proficiency with or 
without thefe indulgent afiiftances. He may indeed be 
allured by them to throw away his time, and reap no¬ 
thing in return but disgrace. It will not be controvert¬ 
ed, that good Greek f'cholars have feldorn been fo nume¬ 
rous as good Latinifts. What (hall we afilgn as the caufe ? 
Greek is not more difficult in its elements than Latin. 
Its authors are equally, perhaps more, inviting. It is 
ufually entered on at a lefs puerile age than Latin, at an 
age when the underftanding has acquired ftrength enough 
to overcome grammatical difficulty. Nothing has im¬ 
peded the equal advancement of Greek ftudies, of late at 
leaft, but the unlverfal practice of publifhing all Greek 
books with a Latin tranfiation. Upon this occafion Bruyere 
has remarked, that “ the fludy of the original text can 
never be fufficiently recommended. It is the fliorteft, 
fureft, and mod agreeable, way to all forts ot learning. 
Draw from the fpring head, and take not things at iecond- 
hand. Let the writings of the great mafters be never laid 
alide : dwell upon them, fettle them in your mind, and 
cite them upon occafion : make it your bufinefs thorough¬ 
ly to underhand them in their full extent, and in all tlieir 
circumftances: acquaint yourfelves fully with the prin¬ 
ciples of original authors: bring them to a confiftency, 
and then do you yourfelf make your deductions. In this 
ftate were the firft commentators ; and do not you reft 
until you bring yourfelf to the fame. Content not your¬ 
felf with thofe borrowed lights; nor guide yourfelt by 
tlieir views, but where your own fails you, and leaves 
you in the dark. Their explications are not yours, and 
will give you the flip. On the contrary, your own ob- 
fervations are the product of your own mind ; where they 
will abide, and be ready at hand upon-all occafions, in 
converfe, confultation, and difpute. Lofe not the plen- 
fure it is to fee that you were not flopped in your reading, 
but by difficulties that are invincible, where the commen¬ 
tators and fcholiafts themfelves are at a ftand, and have 
nothing to fay; thofe copious expofitors of other places, 
who, with a vain and pompous overflow of learning, 
poured out on paffages plain and eafy in themfelves, are 
very free of their words and pains where there is no need. 
Convince yourfelf fully, by thus ordering your ftudies, 
that it is nothing but men’s indolence, which-hath en¬ 
couraged pedantry to cram, rather than enrich, libraries, 
and to bury good authors under heaps of notes and com¬ 
mentaries ; and you will perceive that Hoth hath added, 
in tiais inftance, again!! itfelf and its own intereft, by mul¬ 
tiplying reading and enquiries, and inefeafing the pains 
it endeavoured to avoid.” Some candid editors have 
been fenfible of this truth, and have added tranfiations 
with apparent regret. Their conviction has been over¬ 
ruled by a fpecies of argument very forcible on thefe oc¬ 
cafions,.. “ that without concomitant tranfiations,.■ Greek 
books have ceafed to be a faleable commodity.” When 
Greek f'cholars were fcarce in Europe, a few tranfiations 
contributed to facilitate the introduction of the language: 
this expediency introduced the cuftom, which is not like¬ 
ly to be abolifhed, though it is molt inimical to Grecian 
literature, and, for that reafon, to the prevalence of a 
good tafte. The Greek poets, as well as the philofo- 
phers and hiftorians, have been read and criticifed by 
thofe who could only read them in the lame ftyle of a 
literal tranfiation, who acquiel'ced in fo wretched a fub- 
ftitute fop the original, but who probably would have 
3 U ftudied 
