trude themfelves in converfation with fcholars, they occur on almost every subject, and they are in themfelves well worthy of being treafured in the mind for their intrinfic value. To quote paffages from authors, is perhaps unfashionable in thofe circles, where a fmooth infipidity of manners precludes every thing which requires an exertion of memory, or of imagination; but among perfons of the profeffions, and of a truly liberal education, it is both common and agreeable *.

Exercites in Latin verfe, and in Latin profe, are ufual in our best schools, and at the univerfity. They are attended with very defirable. effects, and pave the way for improvement in every kind of vernacular composition. Suppofing, for a moment, that they have no influence in elevating and refining the taste and imagination; yet to be totally deficient in them, is, in fome degree, a disgrace to those who are deftined to fupport a literary character, But in order to excel in Latin compofition, poetical or profaic, a great number of words and phrases must be collected and laid up in the ftorehouse of the memory. To effect this

* But to learn whole eclogues and odes by heart, is to no other purpose than to forget them as foon as learned; or to provide matter for ridicule or pedantry, in all mixed companies."

PHILIPPS's Compendious Way. Thefe authors of Compendious Ways bring to the mind a homely, but, at the fame time, a true proverb: The longest way about is the shortest way home.

Via trita, via tuta.

purpose,

purpose, it will not be enough to read the claffics; they must be committed to memory at that age which eafily admits, and long retains, all impreffions which have been once properly enforced.

I know of nothing advanced against this established practice, which ought to have weight *. It is common to declaim against loading the memory. But what fhall be done? The memory of boys in general is abundantly capacious. If it is not filled with valuable furniture, it will be crowded with lumber. It will be the repofitory of trifles, of vanities, and perhaps of vices. How much more defirable, that it should be ftored with fine fentiments, and beautiful diction, felected from the nobleft writers whom the world ever produced! Honour, fpirit, liberality, will be acquired, by committing to memory the thoughts and words of heroes, and of worthies, who eminently fhone in every fpecies of excellence. Its ef fects in polishing and refining the taste, are too obvious to be called in question. There are abundant inftances, living as well as dead, of its peculiar influence in embellishing the mind, and giving it a gracefulness which no other ornaments can fupply.

*Emilius," fays Rouffeau, shall learn nothing by heart, no not even fables, not even those of La Fontaine." Can Rouffeau, or his admirers, affign a fatisfactory reafon for this prohibition ? The world feems pretty well convinced by this time that Rouffeau was a madman.

As foon, therefore, as the grammar is perfectly learned by heart, I advife, that the practice of our, ancient fchools fhould be univerfally adopted, and that paflages of the best claffics, conftrued as a leflon on the day, should be given as a task to be learned memoriter at night. Habit will render it no less easy than it is beneficial *.

*I will cite a fpecimen of the ancient fcholaftic difcipline in France, in which it appears, that great attention was paid to learning the claffics by heart. Henry de Mefmes fays of him felf, "At fchool I learned to repeat; fo that when I went from thence I repeated in public a great deal of Latin, and two thoufand Greek verfes, made according to my years, and could repeat Homer by heart from one. end to the other. We rofe at four, and, having faid our prayers, began our studies at five, with our great books under our arms, and our inkhorns and candlesticks in our hands. For diverfion after dinner, we read Sophocles, Euripides, Demofthenes, &c." ROLLIN.

This Henry de Mefmes exhibited, in his life, thofe noble and generous fentiments, which a fuccessful study of the fine writers of Greece and Rome ufually infpires. He refufed a lucrative place offered him by the King, that he might not fupplant a. perfon against whom the King had conceived an unjuft difpleafure.

Rollin, from whom the above example of de Mefmes is taken, may be justly called the Quintilian of France. I will recommend his Belles Lettres, as a work well calculated to fill the young mind with virtuous fentiments, and at the fame time to infpire a love of learning and a clafficat tafte. There is indeed much which might be mitted as ufelefs to an English fchoolboy; fuch as

thofe

those parts which concern the French 'universities, and are addreffed rather to mafters than to scholars. A felection might be made from the very copious affemblage of matter, which, though it might not amount to more than half the quantity of the prefent work, would form a very defirable abridgment for the ufe of claffical schools. Rollin's Belles Lettres were put into my hands at a very early age, and I have always thought myfelf greatly indebted to them.

F 6

SECTION XI.

ON IMPROVING THE MEMORY.

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Μνήμη μὲν γὰρ δίδωσι τέχνας, αυτή δε διδαξα. The memory beflows the arts, but it is not itself to be learned by art. PHILOSTRATUS.

TH

HE great and obvious utility of the memory has urged the ingenious to devise artificial modes of increafing its power of retention. The great orator of Rome, whose judgment and experience, as well as his genius, give great weight to his opinions on didactic fubjects, has fpoken rather favourably of the memoria technica, or artificial memory. But, notwithstanding the authority of him, and of other truly ingenious writers, the art is rather to be confidered as a curious than an ufeful contrivance, and it is rejected by Quintilian. Few have really availed themfelves of it; and many who have attempted to acquire it, have only added to the obfcurity of their conceptions.

That mode of improvement, then, may be totally laid afide, and may be numbered among the fanciful inventions, which ferve to amufe the idle and the fpeculative, without being reducible to general and practical utility. The only infallible method of augmenting its powers, is frequent, regular and well-directed exercife;

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