SECTION XIV. ON THE STUDY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Ut ipfe ad meam utilitatem femper cum Græcis Latina conjunxi, neque id in philofophia tantùm, fed etiam in dicendi exercitatione feci, idem tibi cenfeo faciendum, ut par fis in utriufque orationis facultate. As I have always, with great advantage to myself, united the fudy of books in my own language with Greek books, and that not in philofophy only, but also in eloquence; fo I think you should do, that you may be equally excellent in both languages. CIC, to his Son. Non enim tam præclarum eft fcire latinè, quam turpe nefcire. To be well acquainted with one's native language, is not so much a thing to boast of; as not to be well acquainted with it, is a difgrace.. Idem. MANY parents are of opinion, that, while their fons are learning Latin, they are making no improvement in English. They are greatly mistaken. It is impoffible to learn the Latin grammar, without acquiring a valuable knowledge of grammar in general, and confequently of the English grammar. But it must be confeffed, that many particulars of the English grammar cannot be learned, but by a particular application to it; and it is certain, that this has been long neglected in the most approved fchools. English English undoubtedly ought to form a great part of an English gentleman's education. I think, at the fame time, that if a boy has made a good proficiency in claffical learning, he will be able of himself to compenfate the want of particular inftruction in this point, if he chufes to apply to it. Good fenfe, good company, and the reading of good authors, with a knowledge of grammar in general, will commonly make a scholar completely mafter of his own language. Several of our beft writers were educated at public schools, where I believe the English grammar was not taught; and I conjecture that the prelate who has written fo excellent an introduction to the English grammar, did not learn any part of it at his fchool as the bufinefs of his fchool; but, like others, probably acquired his fkill by private and fubfequent study. To comprehend it, however, among the other objects of fcholaftic pursuit, contributes to render a plan of education more complete. It is indeed very defirable; for I have known boys who, though they could write Latin grammatically, were unable, for want of this part of inftruction, to compose an English letter on a familiar fubject without incorrectness, much more with elegance; and even fome celebrated writers in English have made egregious miftakes in English grammar. Mere English scholars incur great danger of mifapplying words derived from Greek and Latin. Falfe grammar and false orthography very often difgrace their good fenfe and their knowledge of things and facts. I need not point out the proper Introduction. Every one will anticipate me in chufing Lowth's. Some parts of it are unavoidably too difficult for a child's comprehenfion. There are fome little introductions to it, adapted to the ufe of children, which may be fometimes used with great advantage: though perhaps it may be right to omit the English grammar till the child poffeffes a degree of intellectual strength, fufficient for the understanding of Lowth's Introduction. What little he learns before that time will be of no great value. The best method of teaching the English grammar, is, I think, after having gone through Lowth, to caufe to be read by one of the class, a paffage of one of Addison's papers in the Spectator, and then to parfe it accurately in the manner in which a Latin or Greek leffon is ufually analyfed. All violations of grammar, and all vulgarifms, folecifms, and barbarifms, n the converfation of boys, and also in their moft familiar letters, must be noticed and corrected. To confirm their improvements in English, boys must compofe in it, as foon as they are capable of invention. Indeed, this is ufually done in public schools, and the advantages of it are univerfally felt, not only in the walks of learning, but in the mercantile and civil department. Many boys go to public fchools, who are defigned for commercial life. The little Latin they learn by the age of thirteen or fourteen, when they fometimes leave the school for the accompting-house, may not be of great fervice to them; but the habit of compofing in English, English, will enable them to write letters with eafe and with accuracy; an acquifition, for which they will be obliged to their school as long as they live; an acquifition which will ferve, diftinguifl, and adorn them more than any of the accomplishments which are merely ornamental. I would comprehend, in the plan of inftruction in English, the doctrine of English verfification, as well as of profaic compofition. The various metres fould be explained; and fuch a manner of reading them pointed out, as tends to display their beauty and their melody. I would advance a step higher. I would endeavour to infufe into the higher claffes not only a grammatical, but a critical knowledge of the language, and its authors. To the fenior boys the beauties and defects of ftyle fhould be fhewn. The opinions of judicious critics on our poets, hiftorians, orators, and moralifts, fhould be laid before them and difcuffed. They fhould be taught not to read every thing that falls into their hands, but to select their books with judgment, and to affign the reasons for their preference. They will thus acquire not only grammatical accuracy, but tafte; a quality, which will furnish them, during life, with pleasure pure and refined; to be able to relish which, befides the exalted fatisfaction of it, will characterise the true gentleman independently of fortune. As English cannot always be read with convenience in claffical schools, and during the fchool hours, it must be read in private by boys who who wish to acquire a perfect knowledge of it. To complete the grammatical and theoretical fkill which is taught by the inftructor, let the pupil read the moft elegant compofitions in the English language. Fame will ufually point thefe out; but leaft she should err, as she sometimes does, the advice of the living inftructor muft be fought and followed. Though the ftudy of a vernacular language is of high importance; and though fome inftructors have endeavoured to perfuade their countrymen, that it is fufficient for all the purpofes of life; yet the education of him who has been confined to it, will be greatly defective. It may with truth be afferted, that, notwithftanding his attention may have been directed to this fingle object, he will never comprehend it fo well, as he will who is alfo converfant in the ancient languages t.. The mere English scholar will often be obliged to turn over his English Plerique mera deliramenta pueris inculcant, tamen Dii boni, quem non illi Palæmonem, quem non Donatum præ fe contemnunt? idque nefcio quibus præftigiis mirè efficiunt, ut ftultis materculis et idiotis patribus tales videantur quales ipfi fe faciunt. The greater part teach mere fooleries to their boys, yet, good God! what Palamon, what Donatus, do they not defpife in comparison with themfelves? And I know not how they do it, but they make themfelves appear to foolish mothers, and to idiot fathers, juft fuch as they reprefent themselves. ERASMUS. And as to the objection, that boys are long employed in learning mere words and terms, and unintelligible rules, while they are learning Latin, an |