effects in civilizing the mind, and thereby preparing it for the influence of religion and government, have been fo often felt and recorded, that it will be unneceffary to mention facts in favour of its usefulness, in order to excite a proper attention to it,

I cannot help bearing a testimony, in this place, against the custom, which prevails in fome parts of America, (but which is daily falling into difufe in Europe) of crouding boys together under one roof for the purpose of education. The practice is the gloomy remains of monkish ignorance, and is as unfavorable to the improvements of the mind in useful learning, as monafteries are to the fpirit of religion. I grant this mode of fecluding boys from the intercourse of privatę families, has a tendency to make them fcholars, but our bufinefs is to make them men, citizens and chriftians. The vices of young people are generally learned from each other. The vices of adults feldom infect them. By feparating them from each other, therefore, in their hours of relaxation from study, we fecure their morals from a principal fource of corruption, while we improve their manners, by fubjecting them to those reftraints which the difference of age and fex, naturally produce in private families.

From the obfervations that have been made it is plain, that I confider it is poffible to convert men into republican machines. This must be done, if we expect them to perform their parts properly, in the great machine

of the government of the state. That republic is fophifticated with monarchy or aristrocracy that does not revolve upon the wills of the people, and these must be fitted to each other by means of education before they can be made to produce regularity and unifon in go

vernment.

Having pointed out thofe general principles, which fhould be inculcated alike in all the schools of the state, I proceed now to make a few remarks upon the method of conducting, what is commonly called, a liberal or learned education in a republic.

I fhall begin this part of my fubject, by bearing a testimony against the common practice of attempting to teach boys the learned languages, and the arts and fciences too early in life. The first twelve years of life are barely fufficient to instruct a boy in reading, writing and arithmetic. With these, he may be taught those modern languages which are neceffary for him to speak. The state of the memory, in early life, is favorable to the acquifition of languages, efpecially when they are conveyed to the mind, through the ear. It is, moreover, in early life only, that the organs of speech yield in fuch a manner as to favour the just pronounciation of foreign languages.

Too much pains cannot be taken to teach our youth to read and write our American language with . propriety and elegance. The ftudy of the Greek language conftituted a material part of the literature

of the Athenians, hence the fublimity, purity and immortality of so many of their writings. The advantages of a perfect knowledge of our language to young men intended for the profeffions of law, phyfic, or divinity are too obvious to be mentioned, but in a state which boasts of the first commercial city in America, I wish to see it cultivated by young men, who are intended for the compting houfe, for many fuch, I hope, will be educated in our colleges. The time is past when an academical education was thought to be unneceffary to qualify a young man for merchandize. I conceive no profeffion is capable of receiving more embellishments from it. The French and German languages fhould likewise be carefully taught in all our Colleges. They abound with useful books upon all fubjects. So important and neceffary are those languages, that a degree should never be conferred upon a young man who cannot speak or tranflate them.

Connected with the ftudy of languages is the ftudy of Eloquence. It is well known how great a part it constituted of the Roman education. It is the first accomplishment in a republic, and often fets the whole machine of government in motion. Let our youth, therefore, be inftructed in this art. We do not extol it too highly when we attribute as much to the power of eloquence as to the sword, in bringing about the American revolution.

With the ufual arts and sciences that are taught in our American colleges, I wish to fee a regular course of lectures given upon History and Chronology. The fcience of government, whether it related to constitutions or laws, can only be advanced by a careful felection of facts, and thefe are to be found chiefly in hiftory. Above all, let our youth be inftructed in the hiftory of the ancient republics, and the progrefs of liberty and tyranny in the different ftares of Europe. I wish likewife to fee the numerous facts that relate to the origin and present state of commerce, together with the nature and principles of Money, reduced to fuch a system, as to be intelligible and agreeable to a young man. If we confider the commerce of our metropolis only as the avenue of the wealth of the state, the study of it merits a place in a young man's education; but, I confider commerce in a much higher light when I recommend the study of it in republican feminaries. I view it as the beft fecurity against the influence of hereditary monopolies of land, and, therefore, the fureft protection against aristocracy. I confider its effects as next to those of religion in humanizing mankind, and lastly, I view it as the means of uniting the different nations of the world together by the ties of mutual wants and obligations.

Chemistry by unfolding to us the effects of heat and mixture, enlarges our acquaintance with the wonders of nature and the mysteries of art; hence D

it has become, in most of the univerfities of Europe, a neceffary branch of a gentleman's education. In a young country, where improvements in agriculture and manufactures are fo much to be defired, the cultivation of this fcience, which explains the principles of both of them, fhould be confidered as an object of the utmost importance.

Again, let your youth be inftructed in all the means of promoting national profperity and independence, whether they relate to improvements in agriculture, manufactures, or inland navigation. Let him be inftructed further in the general principles of legislation, whether they relate to revenue, or to the preservation of life, liberty or property. Let him be directed frequently to attend the courts of juftice, where he will have the best opportunities of acquairing habits of comparing, and arranging his ideas by obferving the discovery of truth, in the examination of witneffes, and where he will hear the laws of the ftate explained, with all the advantages of that fpecies of eloquence which belongs to the bar. Of fo much importance do I conceive it to be, to a young man, to attend occafionally to the decifions of our courts of law, that I wish to fee our colleges eftablished, only in county towns.

But further, confidering the nature of our connection with the United States, it will be neceffary to make our pupil acquainted with all the prerogatives