*72 EDUC 
fo convenient a feafon during their exigence. In the 
manly period, ambition and other objects importunately 
demand a principal (hare of attention. In youth, their 
len.ftbilities are all in vigour, they have no official em¬ 
ployment, and every circmnftanc-e unites to favour, un- 
lefs paHion Ihould gain the afcendancy, an application 
to fcience and philot'ophy. And let the young man in- 
fpeit the living world. Who are thofe who ultimately 
make the molt honourable figure in it, and fucceed, to 
the beft advantage, in thofe profeffions where.merit is al¬ 
lowed to make its way to eminence ? Thofe, finely, who 
devoted themfelves, during a long time, to the ftudy of 
the profeffion which they praetife ; not thofe who were 
contented with elementary attainments, who precipitately 
involved themfelves in love, and its confequences; and 
who began the practice of fome profeffion before they had 
obtained the theory. There are, indeed, always fome 
infhmces to the contrary ; for great genius will break 
through all obftacles, in its aleent to excellence; but, 
in general, it will be found true, that thofe who have 
left their books too early, and involved themfelves in 
Itrong attachments, much more thofe wfto have been em- 
barratfed in the miferies of vice, are but fuperficialiy qua¬ 
lified in every tiling which can claim the name of real 
knowledge. 
A very great part of thofe who receive a liberal edu¬ 
cation, conlifts of fuch as are in expectation of places or 
preferment from family or parliamentary connections. 
The general objedt of fuch perfons is to go through the 
forms of education, with little folicitude concerning the 
silence. Tims, if there is a good living waiting for them, 
they find it necellkry to procure orders, which cannot 
be done with credit, but in the regular way ; they go to 
■fchool, enter at college, ride, hunt, (hoot, and enjoy 
themfelves in a genteel {file, till they have arrived at 
the proper age. After a certain number of terms kept, 
if their eondudt has been fuch as, in the civil world, 
would efcape criminality, a teftiinonium is readily grant¬ 
ed, a title procured without any difficulty, and the ordi¬ 
nation follows in courfe. Little learning having been re¬ 
quired or acquired, the ftudent is at a lofs to Ipend his 
time in any thing but fporting and drinking; and often 
patles a life not very honourable or comfortable to him- 
ielf, and extremely difgraceful to his profeflion. It has 
often been laid, that when a boy knows that there is an 
ample provifion for him, it is a misfortune. It certainly 
is fo, when it prevents him from paying that degree of 
attention to the improvement of his mind, which is ne- 
ceflary to the higheft {late of felf-enjoyment, as well as 
to focial utility. Indeed, as a young man who is pro¬ 
vided for by his parents or friends, is free from the anxiety 
under which others labour, who have no fuch fecurity to 
depend upon, he is more particularly obliged to devote 
his attention to the culture of his mind. He has alfo 
better opportunities for improvement. He may employ 
all Iris time in inch purfuits, which he certainly could 
not do with prudence, if he were under the neceflity of 
labouring for a precarious fubli(fence. 
Much of the difgrace which has fallen on the facred 
profeffion, arifes from the want of due qualifications in 
tlie profellbrs. Perfons who have livings in their fami¬ 
lies, or who have patrons among the great, are too little 
anxious in the purfuit of learning. They often know not 
its value, but, from want of an improved tafte, become 
mere men of the world, and votaries of that vanity and 
folly, to oppofe which, their profeffion was originally in- 
ffituted, and is (fill rewarded. To fuch perfons we re¬ 
commend a particular attention, not only to the fcience 
or ftudy more immediately connected with the practice 
of their profeflion ; but alio to philofophy, to the Belles 
Le.ttres, and to every part of ufeful and valuable erudi¬ 
tion. It is the mark of a mean mind to avoid fuel) libe¬ 
ral purfuits, becanfe, in a pecuniary view, tiiey are not 
abfolutely neceflary. A generous fpirit purfues excel¬ 
lence for its own fake; and is. even pleaied and encou- 
A T I O N. 
raged in its progrefs, by the confideration that its induf- 
try is fpolitaneous and entirely difinterefted. 
There is, perhaps, no obftacle to improvement in morals 
and learning, greater than that which arifes from a with 
to be admired as a man of the world. A. youth no fooner 
leaves his fchool, than he.feels himfelf tranfported with 
his liberty, and knows not how to reftrain his joy within 
the bounds of moderation. He pants for diftinction ; and, 
if he fought it by reafonable methods, his ambition would 
clo him honour : but he aims at nothing but pleafure and 
fafhion ; and, in purfuit of this, not only r.eglefts the ad¬ 
monitions of reafon, but alfo of common prudence. He 
runs into expences which his fortune will not bear; and 
alfiimes airs of importance which his fituation will by no 
means iuftify. Improvement in learning, in good morals, 
in difereet behaviour, is the lead of his cares. If he can 
be taken notice of by the illuftrious perfonages who thine 
at gaming-tables, in (tables, on the turf, or at the affem- 
bly, he willingly relinqpifhes all concern with literary 
and philofophical employments. 
Whoever is acquainted with the univerfities will know,, 
that thefe remarks are founded on actual obfervation. It 
is impoffible to w^alk the ftreets, or to enter a coffee-houfe, 
without meeting young men who ought to be engaged in, 
ftudy ; but who ridicule all ferious tilings, and affeCt the 
character of libertines. They are ufualiy in the drefs of 
fportfmen ; and their language is fuch as is heard in the 
camp, or at Newmarket. A degree is nothing in com- 
parifon with the honourable diftinCtion of being in danger 
of rujlication for a debauch. To break, the windows of a 
college, to play at cards' on Sundays, or to read novels,, 
and blafpheme in chapel, are the methods which young 
men of fpirit have recently adopted to difplay their fire. 
Now, the engaging in fuch feats is ccnftdered by matly 
as a proof of t'enfe as well as fpirit. But it is in truth a 
weak net's, which renders the young man fearful of incur¬ 
ring the derifion of the profligate, and which induces him 
to tacrifice, for the applaufe of fuch perfons, the fubftan- 
tial qualifications which would adorn and felicitate every 
fubfequent period of his life. It mu ft be owned, that it 
is difficult for a young man to pbeferve a Angularity in 
the- midft of the ridicule of the audacious. There is a 
falfe fhame which induces him to comply with w hat his 
judgment difapproves, through a fear of becoming the 
laughing-ftock of thofe whom he might juftly defpife. 
With good principles, and a fincere deteftation of vice, he 
gradually falls into extreme irregularity. His compli¬ 
ance at firft is canted by good-nature, or by a fear of of¬ 
fending. But he is allured trom one ftep to another, till 
at laft he arrives at that melancholy date, which glories 
in every thing of which it ought to be aihamed. He now 
derides his tutors, his parents, his books, and takes de¬ 
light in fuch things only as have a tendency to involve 
him in vice and extravagance. > He lives, perhaps, long 
enough to fee his folly, but is not able to retradl or avoid 
its confequences. His character is injured, and his op¬ 
portunities of improvement loft. 
It is not to be expected or defired that a young man 
fhould be a cynic. His with to accommodate himfelf to 
the manners of thofe with whom his age and his pur¬ 
fuits lead him to alfociate, is amiable ; but yet fomething 
mutt be done to prevent him front being led, by his good 
nature, to his ruin. Suppofe him, then, to purfue a con- 
duel; in fome refpefts timilar to the following: Let him 
avoid all morolenefs, and cultivate every pleating and 
graceful quality. The pretenders to fpirit will then have 
no advantage over him in the external recommendation 
of an agreeable appearance and behaviour. In every" 
thing innocent and indifferent, he will comply with the 
willies of his companions, and give them no. offence when 
he can potlibly avoid it. He will be affiduo.us in culti¬ 
vating their benevolence, from a conviction, that a ftate 
of amity is the 1110ft conducive to happinefs; and alfoJ 
from a with to (erve them, by ufeful fugge.ftipns, which 
cannot be done, when the avenues are totally flint again ft 
.advice 
