them imperfectly. He feels but little emulation; he contracts diffidence; he makes few friendfhips, for want of opportunity; he is fecluded from the most healthy exercifes; and his early youth, the pleasant fpring of life, is spent in a. painful confinement. But yet there are a few circumftances which will render private education the moft proper.. These are, uncommon meeknefs of difpofition, natural weakness of understanding, bodily infirmity, any remarkable defect of the fenfes, and any fingular deformity. Boys in these circumftances fhould be treated like thofe tender plants, which, unable to bear the weather, are placed. under glaffes, and in the fhelter of the greenhoufe. The oak will flourish. best in an open. exposure *. *The principal objection offered against the edu cation of fchools, when compared with private tuition, has always been, that the morals are in greater. danger at fchool than at home. But let us hear a fenfible poet of antiquity. Plurima funt, Fufcine, et famâ digna finiftrâ Quæ monftrant ipfi pueris traduntque PARENTES Sic Natura jubet : velociùs et citiùs nos Corrumpunt VITIORUM EXEMPLA DOMESTICA ... Forfitan hæc fpernant juvenes, quibus arte benignâ, There There are many reprehenfible things which the parents themselves point out and hand down to their children.. So nature orders it; the examples of vice which we fee at home corrupt us fooner than any others. One or two, whofe hearts Titan has formed of better clay, and with a partial hand may, indeed, efcape the influence of fuch example; but the reft are led into thofe footsteps of their fathers which ought to be hunned; and the path of fome habitual vice pointed out for a long time, by a parent, draws them into it. Abftain therefore from improper conduct; if it were only for this reafon, left our offspring bould follow our vices; fince we are all too teachable in learning to imitate what is bafe and wicked. Add to this, that Lycurgus, Plato, and many other wife men of antiquity, as well as of modern times, have preferred a public education. Quod quidèm, cùm iis a quibus clariffimarum civitatum mores funt inftituti, tum eminentiffimis auctoribus video placuiffe. WHICH, INDEED, I FIND, WAS APPROVED, as well by thofe WHO ESTABLISHED THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MOST CELEBRATED STATES; AS BY THE MOST EMINENT AUTHORS. QUINT. I refer my reader, on this fubject, and indeed on almost all fubjects which concern education,. to the excellent Quintilian. His book might fuperfede all others of the kind, if it had not been limited to the fingle object of forming an orator for the tribunal. He writes like a father; while at the fame time he difplays the ingenuity and folidity of a moft judicious and long experienced preceptor. Rollin, who is indeed another Quintilian, has published a moft agreeable abridgment of this virtuous and learned Antient. This book is one of those which I recommend as conftant companions both to the master and the scholar, 6: I wish I wish I could forget that Quintilian grofsly flattered the emperor Domitian. His hopes or his fears overcame his fpirit. Let the young ftudent pity and forgive, but not imitate, his meanness in this difgraceful inftance. SECTION IV. ON GRAMMARS, AND INTRODUCTORY BOOKS TO THE LATIN. Plus habet operis quam oftentationis. This business has more of labour in it than of shew. F no books has there appeared a greater variety than of Grammars. Almost every mafter of eminence feems, at one time, to have thought that he could improve or facilitate the elementary parts of the Latin language. Many of their productions were really ingenious; but the multiplicity of them tended to retard, rather than to promote, a general improvement. An uniformity of grammars in all grammarschools is of great importance to the public; and so it appeared to King Henry the Eighth, and to fucceeding monarchs, who strictly enjoined the univerfal ufe of that excellent compilation which paffes under the name of Lily, though he was not the only compiler of it. Of fuch material confequence was this uniformity efteemed, and fuch were the pains taken to preferve it, that bishops were obliged to enquire quire at their vifitations, in the reign of Elizabeth, and fince, whether there were any other grammar taught in any fchool within their refpective diocefes, than that which was set forth by King Henry the Eighth, and has fince continued in ufe? Other grammars have, indeed, occafionally been used during the lives of their authors, and in the fchool for which they were intended; but none of them have remained long, or become general. I will therefore confidently recommend a continuance of this grammar, because the experience of more than two centuries has evinced its utility, and. because I am fure there is none better accom-modated to schools. Time has decided on it; and it is often no lefs injurious than prefumptuous to controvert his decifions. In the old editions of Lily's grammar, there were a few mistakes; fuch as tend to prove the remark, that nothing is begun and brought: to perfection at the fame time; yet fuch as do not mislead the learner in any truly important article. But every thing fhould certainly be rendered as perfect as human abilities can render it; and therefore the ingenious Dr. Ward has very properly published a new edition, with notes and corrections. Boys do not often attend to notes in the grammar; they are ufually. fatisfied with the text. Yet it is right that where there are errors or omiffions, there fhould be notes to correct and fupply them. They may do good, they can do no harm; and therefore it is proper to advise the general reception |