EDUCATION. 273 
advice by prejudice and averfion. But at the fame time 
he will poffefs and difplay a firmnefs of mind, which in 
the end cannot fail of overcoming an ill-grounded auda¬ 
city. His true fpirit will,caufe their falfe fpirit to eva¬ 
porate as the culinary fire is extinguifhed by the rays of 
the fun. Real merit, true genius, unaffected courage, 
are always diftinguifhed by an air of moderation. They 
make few pretenfions ; they are content with being ex¬ 
cellent ; 3 nd leave their gold to find its proper efteem, 
by its nature, weight, and luffre. The tinfel glitters on 
the tawdry veflment, and fools admire j but let it be the 
care of every one who afpires at the excellence of a wor¬ 
thy and liberal character, to adorn himfelf with folid and 
ufeful ornaments, which will fecure him the efteem of 
all judicious men, while children and weak perfons only 
are caught by the brilliancy of falfe fpangles and fuper- 
ficial embroidery. 
In barbarous ages and countries, in which all orders 
are nearly on an equality in point of mental improve¬ 
ment, rank and titles may, perhaps, give an enviable dif- 
tindtion, independently of perfonal character. But, where 
learning and civilization are univerfally dift'ufed,;is in this 
country, the want of perfonal character will deprive the 
great of the power to excite general efteem. No opinion 
can therefore be advanced more injurious to the poft’ef- 
fors of civil honours, than that which tends to prevent a 
due cultivation of their minds, becaufe they are elevated 
above the neceffity of profeffional (kill and labour. It 
has been common in England to beftow great attention 
on the education of the younger foils in great families, 
and to negleCt the heir. And from this mod egregious 
abfurdity it has happened, that the poffeffors of fortunes, 
thofe whofe actions are of the inoft importance in their 
confequences, have been totally unqualified to fupport 
their hereditary dignity. Many of them have been dif- 
tinguiftied only by weaknefs, wickednefs, infolence, and 
a title. Surely nothing can be more reafonable than that 
a fingular degree of diligence fhould be exerted in the 
education of men who are to draw the notice of the world 
upon them by the luftre of a peerage, and to fit in the 
fenate-houfe as hereditary lawgivers. If the order of no¬ 
bility confulted ljttle elfe than the prefervation of its own 
dignity, it would aft mod prudently in requiring, in its 
fucceffors, a peculiar degree of improvement. All civil 
honour depends on public efteem; and, though cuftom 
and ufage may preferve an external refpeCt for titles 
during a long time, yet they will certainly fall into con¬ 
tempt, when at lad they (hall be difcovered to be no¬ 
thing but delufive pageantry, when it fliall appear that 
they ferve as the fubftitutes of merit ; and that they give 
men the prefumption and pride of excellence, without 
the reality. 
Internal dignity, correfponding with external, cannot 
but carry with jt great influence. RefpeCt is naturally 
paid to titles and rank ; but, when it is found that they 
are juftly due to the merit of him who is inverted with 
them, they command a degree of veneration. Let young 
men of fafhion therefore endeavour to become men of 
competent learning alfo ; for the minds of the great have 
more influence in the regulation of affairs, than thofe of 
the lower orders ; and it is therefore a mod valuable ob- 
jeft, to fecure to the great a folid and comprehenfive 
education. 
As to the fubject of foreign travel, for the finilh of a 
liberal education, many authors have largely defcanted 
upon it. With refpeCt to its utility, there can be no 
doubt but that a mind, properly prepared, will derive 
from it great and lading advantages. It mud open fources 
of knowledge, and furnifh opportunities of. reflection, 
which cannot be obtained by him who never leaves his 
own country. But this ftep muft not be taken too early. 
A great degree of mental maturity, and of acquired 
knowledge, is neceffary to enable the mind to derive ad¬ 
vantage, and avoid inconvenience, from vifiting a foreign 
nation. To expect that boys fliould make obfervations. 
Yol. VI, No. 348. 
on men and manners, fliould weigh and compare the laws, 
inftitutions, cuftoms, and charaCteridics, of various peo¬ 
ple, is to expeCt an impoflibility. It is no lefs abfurd to 
fuppofe, that boys will not be (truck and captivated with 
vanity and trifles. Parents, in our age and country, are 
impatient to thruft the.ir fons into the world, to pufli them 
into the fenate before they have a beard, and to urge 
them to offices of command in the army and in the navy, 
almoft as foon as they come from the nurfery. Many 
evils, national as well as private, are the confequence ; 
but, when avarice and ambition Lolicit, reafon, philofo- 
phy, and propriety, fcarcely find a hearing. National 
calamities can alone remedy this, and many other abufes 
which will infinuate themfelves, and abound, till the evil 
which they occafion becomes too heavy to be longer 
borne ; when it will become its own remedy. 
Among other arguments for travel in general, and early 
travel in particular, it has been urged, that it is abfolutely 
necellary, in order to be delivered from local prejudice in 
favour of our country. Prejudices in favour of our coun¬ 
try are, indeed, eafily removed by (pending our early days 
in another. But is there no danger left thefe innocent 
and ufeful prejudices ftiould be changed for others equally 
unreafonable, and really pernicious ? Is it not likely, that 
prejudices in favour of our country being removed, pre¬ 
judices againft it may find admiffton ? This has often hap¬ 
pened. And, however a modern philofopher may inveigh 
againft that honed preference which an Englifhman gives 
to his nation, it is a natural attachment, and attended 
with effects greatly beneficial. This preference is not an 
ill-grounded prejudice, but is fully juftified by real ob- 
f rvation and by fair comparifon. Corrupted as we are, 
we have not yet kept pace in corruption with fome of 
our admired neighbours. And we may add, that the 
corruption at prefent prevailing among us, if it does not 
originate, is greatly increafed by our too frequent inter- 
courfe with France and Italy. 
Thofe who begin their travels fliould go out as philo- 
fophers, when they are capable of conducting themfelves, 
both in the fearch of knowledge and their moral beha¬ 
viour. Travel undertaken in this manner, and after a 
valuable (lore of learning, and a knowledge of our na¬ 
tive country, have been acquired, is one of the heft 
methods of accomplidiing the human mind. It crowns 
and completes all its other improvements. A few months 
occaftonally fpent in France, or Italy, or Holland, or Swif- 
ferland, at or between the age of thirty or forty, will en¬ 
rich the underftanding of a man of fenfe with valuable 
treafure. He will then fearcli for gold, and find it in 
abundance; while, at a boyifh age, he would have been 
fully employed, and fufficiently fatisfied, in procuring 
drofs or tinfel, inftead of bullion. 
But fince, to reform the world, as the poet fays, is a 
vaft defign, and the defign commonly proves abortive, & 
writer nuift be contented with giving fuch admonitions 
as may permit it to proceed in its own way with the lead 
inconvenience. As, therefore, mere boys will certainly 
continue to be fent on their travels, notwithftanding all 
that reafon can advance againft it, it remains that fuch 
directions be given as may at leaft prevent them from in¬ 
curring evil, if they cannot obtain advantage. Much of 
the fuccefs certainly depends on the choice of the tutor 
or travelling companion. Fie fliould be a grave refpeCt- 
able man of a mature age. A very young man, or a man 
of levity, however great his merit, learning, or ingenuity, 
will not be proper ; becaufe he will not have that natu¬ 
ral authority, and that perfonal dignity, which command 
attention and obedience. A grave and good man will 
watch over the morals and the religion of his pupil; both 
which, according to the prefent modes of conducting tra¬ 
vel, are commonly fliaken from the bafis, and levelled 
with the duft, before the end of the peregrination. In 
their place fucceed univerfal fcepticifm and unbounded 
libertinifm. But a tutor of character and principle will • 
refolve to bring his pupil home, if it be poflible, not 
4 A WQtfe 
