thereby to a further elucidation, confirmation, or improvement of that theme of discourse in which he is instructing them.

It is alluring and agreeable to the learner also now and then to be entertained with some historical remarks, or any occurrences or useful stories which the tutor has met with, relating to the several parts of such a science, provided he does not put off his pupils merely with such stories, and neglect to give them a solid and rational information of the theme in hand. Teachers should endeavour, as far as possible, to join profit and pleasure together, and mingle delight with their instructions; but at the same time they must take heed that they do not merely amuse the ears, and gratify the fancy of their disciples, without enriching their minds.

In reading lectures of instruction, let the teacher be very solicitous that the learners take up his meaning, and therefore he should frequently inquire whether he expresses himself intelligibly, whether they understand his sense, and take in all his ideas, as he endeavours to convey them in his own forms of speech.

It is necessary that he who instructs others should use the most proper style for the conveyance of his ideas easily into the minds of those who hear him; and though, in teaching the sciences, a person is not confined to the same rules by which we must govern our language in conversation, for he must necessarily make use of many terms of art and hard words, yet he should never use them merely to shew his learning, nor affect sounding language without necessity; a caution which we shall soon farther inculcate.

I think it very convenient and proper, if not absolutely necessary, that when a tutor reads a following lecture to his pupils, he should run over the foregoing lecture in questions proposed to them, and by this means acquaint himself with their daily proficiency *. It is in vain for the

Note, This precaution, though never to be neglected, is of special importance, when a pupil is entering on any new branch of learning, where

it

learner to object, surely we are not school-boys, to say our lessons again; we came to be taught, and not to be catechised and examined. But alas! how is it possible for a teacher to proceed in his instructions, if he knows not how far the learner takes in and remembers what he has been taught?

Besides I must generally believe it is sloth or idleness, it is real ignorance, incapacity, or unreasonable pride, that makes a learner refuse to give his teacher an account how far he has profited by his last instructions. For want of this constant examination, young gentlemen have spent some idle and useless years, even under the daily labours and inspection of a learned teacher; and they have returned from the academy without the gain of any one science, and even with the shameful loss of their classical learning, that is, the knowledge of Greek and Latin, which they had learnt in the grammar-school.

Let the teacher always accommodate himself to the genius, temper, and capacity of his disciples, and practise various methods of prudence to allure, persuade, and assist every one of them in their pursuit of knowledge..

Where the scholar has less sagacity, let the teacher enlarge his illustrations; let him search and find out where the learner sticks, what is the difficulty; and thus let him help the labouring intellect.

Where the learner manifests forward genius, and a sprightly curiosity by frequent inquiries, let the teacher oblige such an inquisitive soul by satisfying those questions, as far as may be done by decency and conveniency; and where these inquiries are unseasonable, let him not silence the young inquirer with a magisterial rebuff, but with much candour and gentleness postpone those questions, and refer them to a proper hour.

Curiosity

it is absolutely necessary the fundamental definitions and principles should not only be clearly understood, but should be rendered very familiar to the mind: and probably most tutors have found young persons sadly bewildered, as they have gone on in their lectures, for want of a little more patience and care in this respect.

Curiosity is a useful spring of knowledge: it should be encouraged in children, and awakened by frequent and familiar methods of talking with them. It should be indulged in youth, but not without a prudent moderation. In those who have too much, it should be limited by a wise and gentle restraint or delay, lest, by wandering after every thing, they learn nothing to perfection. In those who have too little, it should be excited, lest they grow stupid, narrow-spirited, self-satisfied, and never attain a treasure of ideas, or an aptitude of understanding.

Let not the teacher demand or expect things too sublime and difficult from the humble, modest, and fearful disciple: And where such a one gives a just and happy answer, even to plain and easy questions, let him have words of commendation and love ready for him. Let him encourage every spark of kindling light, till it grow up to bright evidence, and confirmed knowledge.

Where he finds a lad pert, positive, and presuming, let the tutor take every just occasion to shew him his error: let him set the absurdity in complete light before him, and convince him by a full demonstration of his mistake, till he sees and feels it, and learns to be modest and humble.

A teacher should not only observe the different spirit and humour among his scholars, but he should watch the various efforts of their reason, and growth of their understanding. He should practise in his young nursery of learning, as a skilful gardener does in his vegetable dominions, and apply prudent methods of cultivation to every plant. Let him, with a discreet and gentle hand, nip or prune the irregular shoots, let him guard and encourage the tender buddings of the understanding, till they be raised to a blossom, and let him kindly cherish the younger fruits.

The tutor should take every occasion to instil knowledge into his disciples, and make use of every occurrence in life to raise some profitable conversation upon it; he should frequently inquire something of his disciples, that may set their young reason to work, and teach them how

to form inferences, and to draw one proposition out of another.

Reason being that faculty of the mind which he has to deal with in his pupil, let him endeavour, by all proper and familiar methods, to call it into exercise, and to enlarge the powers of it. He should take frequent opportunities to shew them when an idea is clear or confused, when the proposition is evident or doubtful, and when an argument is feeble or strong. And by this means their minds will be so formed, that whatsoever he proposes with evidence and strength of reason they will readily receive.

When any uncommon appearances arise in the natural, moral, or political world, he should invite and instruct them to make their remarks on it, and give them the best reflections of his own, for the improvement of their minds.

He should by all means make it appear that he loves his pupils, and that he seeks nothing so much as their increase of knowledge, and their growth in all valuable acquirements; this will engage their affection to his person, and procure a just attention to his lectures.

And indeed there is but little hope that a teacher should obtain any success in his instructions, unless those that hear him have some good degree of esteem and respect for his person and character. And here I cannot but take notice by the way, that it is a matter of infinite and unspeakable injury to the people of any town or parish, where the minister lies under contempt. If he has procured it by his own conduct, he is doubly criminal, because of the injury he does to the souls of them that hear him: but if this contempt and reproach be cast upon him by the wicked, malicious, and unjust censures of men, they must bear all the ill consequences of receiving no good by his labours, and will be accountable hereafter to the great and divine Judge of all.

It would be very necessary to add in this place, (if tutors were not well apprised of it before), that since learners are obliged to seek a divine blessing on their

studies,

studies, by fervent prayer to the God of all wisdom, their tutors should go before them in this pious practice, and make daily addresses to Heaven for the success of their instructions.

CHA P. II.

Of an Instructive Style.

THE most necessary and the most useful character of a style fit for instruction is, that it be plain, perspicuous, and easy. And here I shall first point out all those errors in style, which diminish or destroy the perspicuity of it, and then mention a few directions how to obtain a perspicuous and easy style.

The errors of a style, which must be avoided by teachers, are these that follow:

I. THE use of many foreign words, which are not suffi ciently naturalized and mingled with the language which we speak or write. It is true, that in teaching the sciences in English, we must sometimes use words borrowed from the Greek and Latin, for we have not in English names for a variety of subjects which belong to learning; but when a man affects, upon all occasions, to bring in long sounding words from the ancient languages without necessity, and mingles French, and other outlandish terms and phrases, where plain English would serve as well, he betrays a vain and foolish genius unbecoming a teacher.

II. AVOID a fantastic learned style, borrowed from the various sciences, where the subject and matter do not require the use of them. Do not affect terms of art on every occasion, nor seek to shew your learning by sounding words and dark phrases: this is properly called pedantry.

Young preachers just come from the schools are often tempted to fill their sermons with logical and metaphysical terms in explaining the text, and feed their hearers with sonorous words of vanity. This scholastic language, per

haps,