1809.] 
in the execution of it, may be contem- 
plated with pleasure in the two following 
extracts from his correspondence ; the 
first is an answer to a gentleman, request- 
ing his opinion respecting the education 
and choice of a profession for his grand- 
son; the second is to a baronet, whose 
grandson was Wnder his tuition, and who 
required very frequent accounts of his 
progress. 
*‘ Jf you mean to make him a scholar, 
and to fit him for any. profession or state 
of life, that requires the qualification of 
a gentleman, he must, I think, Sir, ap- 
ply himself for scme years to the four 
languages, Inglish, French, Latin, and 
Greek; and the fundamental knowledge 
they convey: more years, however, or 
fewer, according to the two above- 
hinted requisites, and to the method, as 
well as situation, in which that four-fold 
study is pursued. Then, and not till 
then, seems the time for philosophy and 
mathematics; for drawing, fencing, and 
other accomplishments, at once of the 
body and the mind. Dancing may, or 
may not, accompany the languages. 
History, with her hand-maids, geography 
and chronology, never must be parted 
from them. Nor should the manual part 
of writing be neglected, while thought 
and style are gradually formed from 
translation to coinposition ; and while a 
regular course of arithmetic prepares for 
the mathematics. 
“‘ Numberless indeed, and nameless 
are the attentions due to the formation, 
internal and external, of a young gentle- 
man; not only for the immediate con- 
veyance of knowledge and good habit, 
but for rendering them effectual in future 
life. To this end, nature must be can- 
didly consulted for the manner in which 
she may be best modelled towards that 
profession or pursuit, which she alone 
gan safely direct. 
“Every considerate person must ale 
low, Sir, with you, the native as much 
the most important tongue, as others, 
however excellent, are chiefly to be stu- 
died for her sake; and no living language 
is acquirable, in such easy purity, as in 
that part of the native country where it 
is most politely and purely spoken. You 
must not wonder, if among the various 
languages, ancient and modern, I deal 
in, I bestow my first and constant care 
on our own; or, if L deem my situation, 
as in all else, so peculiarly in this, 
adapted to the education ef my young 
countrymen,” 
Mentoirs of Janies Eiphinston, esq. 
487 
The other passage referred to is as 
follows : 
“Qn your return to town, I make no 
doubt of affording so candid a judge all 
manner of satisfaction; as I have always 
been ambitious of the scrutiny of the 
knowing, because, though they have the 
most extensive ideas of perfection, and 
thence the most ardent desire towards 
its attainment, yet they toa best see 
what steps have been taken, and how far 
weak humanity, in her best exertions, 
can go. 
“To promise weekly letters, Sir, you 
know is impossible; but you will ever 
find me more ready to perform, than 
to promise. Ifmy pupils cannot satisfy, 
without weekly interruption, it is certatg 
they never will satisfy ; for neither they, 
nor[, can do many things at once. As 
for the mama’s contriving avocations, 
that in visits the young gentleman may, 
by stolen letters, too careless, or too 
something, perhaps, to be called his own, 
expose either himself or his master, what 
can be the tendency? if not, that the 
child should learn to distrust, or to im- 
pose upon him, in whom, (if deserving 
the name of a master,) his confidence 
should be fixed, as in a parent, and 
thence naturally to distrust and impose 
on the rest of mankind; while such very 
tendency tells him, that he cannot cone 
fide in himself. 
“* Nor need I now, Sir, repeat my fond 
opinion of your most amiable, and most _ 
hopeful grandchild; who, if he have bug 
common justice done him, will make the 
figure, nay, attain the happiness, (teum- 
poral and eternal) that you wish. If £ 
continue to enjoy the honour of his tui- 
tion, [ must have it in my own way, 
which I am proud co know, in every im- 
portant part, entirely coincident with 
your’s. And indeed, Sir, he who has 
any eyes, must see for himself; and he 
who has no eyes, must not surely be 
honoured with the highest human trust, 
which I think you have laid, however un« 
deservedly, on your, &c.” 
What can be more admirable than 
this readiness to show he understood his 
duty, combined with a firmness that was 
not to be shaken by interested motives 
into servile compliances? That no man was 
ever more faithful, competent, or inde- 
fatigable, in the trust he had undertaken, 
and the disinterested spirit with which 
he performed it, was but too clearly mae 
nifested, by his having amassed no for- 
tune when he relinguished it; though 
his 
