been advanced to fo high a degree of perfection *.

In giving great attention to the cultivation of the memory, there is danger left it fhould be overladen with minute objects; a circumftance highly injurious, efpecially in the course of education. Let it therefore be confidered, that a good memory †, according to a fimilitude

Quintilian, after mentioning fome extrordinary inftances of memory, concludes with this judicious remark; Dicebantur etiam effe nunc qui facerent, fed mihi nunquam ut ipfe intereffem contigit; habenda tamen fides eft vel in hoc, ut qui crediderit, et fperet. It is faid there are fome who can do fo now; but I never have happened to meet with them; one would, however, believe it, if it were only for this reafon, that he who believes that fuch things have been, may hope that they may be again. QUINTILIAN.

+ Some perfons feem to think, that a good memory confifts in retaining dates and minute particulars; but I believe, that, though a reader remembers but few dates and few minute particulars, he may yet retain all the neceffary general ideas and valuable conclufions. He will fee a wide and beautiful arrangement of important objects; while another, who ftoops to pick up and preferve every trifle, will have his eyes conftantly fixed on the ground. It is not enough that the mind can reproduce juft what it has received from reading, and no more; it muft reproduce it digefted, altered, improved, and refined. Reading, like food, muft fhew its effects in promoting growth; fince, according to a striking remark of Epidetus, τα πρόβατα, όν χόρτον φέροντα, τοῖς ποιμέσιν επιδεικνυει, ΠΟΣΟΝ ΕΦΑΓΕΝ. ἀλλὰ τὴν νομὴν ἜΣΩ ΠΕΨΑΝΤΑ, ΕΡΓΑ έξω φέροι και ΓΑΛΑ. Sheep do not show the shepherd how much they have eaten,

by

tude of Erafmus, refembles a net fo made as to confine all the great fish, but to let the little ones escape *.

by producing the grass itself; but after they have inwardly digested the pasture, they produce outwardly wool and milk. EPICTETUs.

Apes debemus imitari, quæ vagantur et flores ad mel faciendum idoneos carpunt: et quæ collegerunt, in hunc faporem mixturâ quâdam et proprietate fpiritûs fui mutant.... nofque has apes debemus imitari et quæcunque ex diversâ lectione congeffimus feparare. Deinde adhibitâ ingenii noftri curâ et facultate, in unum faporem varia illa libamenta confundere: ut, etiam fi apparuerit unde fumptum fit, aliud tamen effe, quam, unde fumptum eft, appareat. SENECA.

*It must be owned, that the memories of fome are fo treacherous, and, if I may be allowed the expreffion, fo open on all fides, as to let every thing confided to them run through. Plenus rimarum fum: hâc atque illâc perfluo. I am full of chinks : I leak on this fide and on that, as Terence fays.-But this defect may often proceed from negligence. Their end in reading is only to fatisfy prefent cu riofity. They endeavour rather to read much than to advantage (multa, non multùm). They hurry on, and are continually defiring SOMETHING NEW. And it is by no means wonderful that those objects multiplied ad infinitum, upon which they fcarcely allow themselves time enough to look, fhould make but a flight impreffion, and be effaced in a moment. To remedy this inconvenience, they fhould not read fo faft; they fhould often repeat the fame thing,. and give an account of it to themfelves; and by this exercife though troublesome and difagreeable at firft; they would arrive, if not at the perfect remembrance of ail they read, at least at the retention of the greatest and most effential part of it."

SECTION XII.

ON LEARNING GREEK, AND ON THE INTRODUCTORY BOOK S.

Primum igitur iftis Græcæ linguæ oforibus ita refponfum volo, omnem elegantem doctrinam, omnem cognitionem dignam hominis ingenui ftudio, uno verbo, quicquid ufquam eft politiorum difciplinarum nullis aliis quam Græcorum libris ac literis contineri. In the firft place, I would inform the gentlemen who here conceived a diflike to Greek, that all elegant learning, all knowledge worthy the pursuit of a liberal man, in a word, whatever there is of the politer parts of literature, is contained in no other books than thofe of the Grecks. MURETUS.

T is not furprising that perfons, who have not partaken of a liberal education, should have no juft idea of its extent and value. Writing, arithmetic, a little French, and a good deal of dancing, with a very fmall portion of the first elements of Latin, to enable the boy to fay that he once learned Latin, are deemed quite fufficient, by the rich lower orders, to form the literary attainments of a gentleman.

With refpect to Greek, it is often thought totally fuperfluous. Indeed, the vulgar idea of Greek comprehends in it all that is dull, diffi cult, horrid, uncouth, useless, and pedantic.

In confequence of this ignorance, and thefe prejudices, we find the fons of opulent parents, whose circumstances would enable them to live a life of literary leifure, rendered incapable of it, by having been kept in their youth from the knowledge of a language most beautiful in itfelf, and the fource of all that is elegant and ingenious.

I grant, that a fuperficial knowledge of Greek, like a fuperficial knowledge of Latin, or of other languages, is of little value. But why muft the knowledge of it, which a boy is to acquire, be fuperficial? Evidently from the trifling notions of the age, the ignorance of the parent, and his falfe ideas and prepoffeffions. The natural faculties of boys are as good now, as in times when Grecian literature was more generally and fuccessfully cultivated.

I will venture to affirm, that a knowledge of the Greek will contribute greatly to adorn the gentleman, while it is effential in a scholar. It will lead him to the fountain-head. It will enable him to judge of compofition with taste. It will point out to him, with precifion, the meaning of many words in the English language, which are daily ufed, and of far the greater number of technical terms in every art and science, The Greek authors are indeed fo celebrated, and have been fo univerfally read, that one would think no man of letters, who poffeffes fenfe and fpirit, would voluntarily forego the perufal of them. Homer, we all know, has always kept his place as the nobleft writer whom the world ever produced. They who think they fhall difcover his tranfcendent excellence in any translation, are greatly mistaken.

I am fure, an acquaintance with the Greek poets and philofophers would be highly favourable to the prevalence of good fenfe and liberal fentiments, as well as of good taste. But I know how readily ignorance, indolence, and prejudice will oppofe my doctrine. The prefent age is difpofed to purfue compendious methods of education, which terminate in external and fhallow attainments. And unlefs a timely check is given, the next age will be led to neglect folid improvements ftill more than the prefent; for as folid improvements become lefs generally understood, they will be lefs generally efteemed †.

With

"The Grecian commonwealths, while they maintained their liberty, were the most heroic confederacy that ever exifted. They were the politest, the braveft, and the wifeft of men. In the fhort

fpace of little more than a century, they became fuch statesmen, warriors, orators, hiftorians, phyficians, poets, critics, painters, fculptors, architects, and, laft of all, philofophers, that one can hardly help confidering that GOLDEN PERIOD, as a providential event in honour of human nature, to fhew to what perfection the fpecies might afcend.

"Now the language of thefe Greeks was truly like themfelves, it was conformable to their tranfcendent and univerfal genius." HERMES.

+ I am informed, that, on the continent, the Greek language is not generally understood, even by those who write and affume the dignity of dictators in literature and morality. We fee, in confequence of the neglect of this, and of other folid learning, falfe tafte, falfe philofophy, and infamous

morals.

Voltaire