1796.] 
difgut, negligence, or inability, the rod is 
the panacea. 
Suppofe we him, however, poffeffed of 
induitry and genius; his genius ts fetter- 
ed in daétyls and {pondees, and his eln- 
quence exercifed in languages which none 
but the learned can underftana, and which, 
when produced by a modern, the learned 
themfelves care not to examine. Shall I 
_lead on the pupil oe many a fcene 
of riot and brutality > Shall I paint the 
peo hours of a boarding-{chool, where 
very one is taught to become the tyrant, 
° being treated as the flave ? our time 
will be better employed in enquiring 
Ae far {uch an education is confonant 
ith the prudence tuppoted to recom- 
nee its 
The child, as foon as he can ufe his 
limbs, pants for exercife: it 1s the in- 
ftinét that feeks future welfare in Man 
gratification ; he flies with eagerneis from 
the nurfery to the garden ; {o Nature 
wifely ftimulates to firm the oy and 
brace the whole fyitem of the future 
man. But Man, forfcoth, ae better ! 
he can improve upon Naruces or, rather, 
Nature is out of taihion ! The poor vic- 
tim of cuffom is dragged to ichool; his 
temper probably to be toured ; his health 
probably to be injured ; his morals ine- 
vitably to be fullied. He, indeed, will 
be reading the Metamorphotes of Od 
or the Eclogues of Virgil, whilft the pu- 
pil of Nature would be roaming the ficid, 
or climbing the precipice ; he, indeed, 
will:feel himfelf perfeétly at eafe among 
ftrangers, when the pupil of Nature fhall 
be embarraffed and aukward; he, tn- 
deed, can converfe upon fafhionable to- 
pics, upon the theatres, the opera danc- 
ers, horfe-racing, and the other rational 
amufements of the age, when the pupil 
of Nature would be filent. . But look 
again ; furvey the nervelefs limb, the 
emaciated frame, the lewd lack-luftre 
eye, the debilitated phyfiognomy of vo- 
luptuoufnefs ; compare thefe with the fi- 
newy arm, and the clear cheek that mo- 
defty has crimloned; and fee if ‘even 
Ovid can exhibit a more deteftable. meta-., 
morphofis. 
But, at a public fchool, he will form 
connections that will be of fer Hee! 
lainin life. Asif he may no 
form conneétions that will be ruinous. 
as if, amid {uch a crowd, friendihips im- 
properly formed are not more rationally 
to be dreaded, than thofe upon the ground 
of mutual goodnefs are to be hoped. May 
not the indolent meet with his fellow-loi- 
terer? may not the intemperate join the 



Education «.. Englifh Language. 
may prefcribe, or the panes from the 
B55 
drunken party? may not the libertine 
find affociates in vice? Nay, more than 
this ; he votary of voluptuoufnels glo- 
ries to initiate the mexperienced. 
Thus it is, that the majority of our 
fenators, our peers, and our priefts, are 
educated. Hence it is, that we recruit’ 
our army with officers, who efcape from 
the rod of their fchoolmafter, to’tyran- 
nize over their foldiers ; who fhow their 
loyalty, by calling for “ God fave the 
King,’ at the Ne. . ; and their cou- 
rage, by drawing their {words upon thofe 
who will not ** bow the knee to Baal.”’ 
As for private academies and femina- 
ries, for “ Pleafant Halls, Health Houtes, 
and Paradife Lodges,’ they differ only, in 
thefe refpects, from the royal-foundations 
of immorality, becaufe the berd is fmall- 
er, the quantum of evil and of good mui 
be lefs; and becaufe the power of the 
mafter is greater, he is likely to make a 
werfe ufe of it. ; 
‘That female education is better than 
the methods I have been expofing, I 
may wilh, but I do not believe. ‘Wo- 
man, however, has not yet thrown off 
the reftraints of decency ; and much as 
eur fex labour to verify one illiberal far- 
cafmi of Pope, at prefent it 1s only dif- 
graceful toits author. If, however, they 
be equally ill inftruéted at fchool, they 
are fortunate enough to efcape an Enplith 
Univerlity. 
On this fubjeét, Mr. Editor, I will 
tran{mit you my ftri€tures for your next 
Number. 
Sépi.-125 1790, 
. 
DIOGENES. 

To the Editor of ibe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ie is generally admitted, that though 
the ancient or learned languages muft 
ever remain im fiaia quo, the modern or 
vulgar tongues ought not to be bound 
down by determinate rules, or regulated 
by Pérfian laws; they are deemed liable to 
fuch innovations as the critics of the day 
depth of his refearches and .elaborate 
etymologies, may think proper. Of this 
pofition, an ingenious contributor to the 
laft Number of your interefting Mufcel- 
lany feems confcious ; and finee he has 
advanced fome plaufible arguments to 
which I cannot give an unlimited affent, 
I would beg leave to ftate my objections 
to the reform he meditates. . 
Among all the controverfies in which 
mankind engage, none can. be more fu- 
tile than a difpute about words. Juft 
wea 







denominations | 









