tards, but far less useful than those which are exhibited in the ufual athletic excercises of school boys.

By adopting the plan I have propofed, a boy will not open a Latin or Greek book, till he is fourteen or fifteen years old; fo that the dead languages, instead of being the firft, will be the last things he will learn at fchool. At this age, he will learn them with half the trouble, and understand them much better than he would have done at nine or ten years of age. For though languages are acquired with most cafe by the ear under puberty, yet they are acquired most easily by the eye, after that period of life. But there is another advantage in making the Latin and Greek languages the last things that are taught at school. The bent of a young man's inclinations is generally known at fourteen or fifteen, and feldom fooner. Now if he incline to commerce-to a military-or a naval life or to a mechanical employment, in all of which it is agreed, Latin and Greek are unneceffary, it will be improper to detain him any longer at fchool, by which means much money will be faved by the parents, and much time faved by the boy, both of which are wafted by the prefent indifcriminate and prepofterous mode of teaching the dead languages.

The idea of the neceflity of a knowledge of thofe languages, as an introduction to the knowledge of the English language, begins to lofe ground. It is certainly a very abfurd one. We have several English

fchools in our city, in which boys and girls of twelve and fourteen years old have been taught to speak and write our native language with great grammatical propriety. Some of thefe children would difgrace our bachelors and masters of arts, who have spent four or five years in the ftudy of the Latin and Greek languages in our American colleges. It is true, these Latin and Greek fcholars, after a while, acquire a knowledge of our language: but it is in the fame flow way, in which fome men acquire a knowledge of the forms of good breeding. Three months inftruction will often impart more of both, than a whole life spent in acquiring them fimply by imitation.

Where there is one Latin fcholar, who is obliged, in the courfe of his life, to speak or write a Latin fentence, there are hundreds who are not under that neceffity. Why then should we spend years in teaching that which is fo rarely required in future life? For fome years to come, the reading of the language, may be neceffary; but a young man of fourteen or fifteen, may be taught to do this perfectly in one year, without committing a fingle grammar rule to memory, or without Spoiling his hand by writing a fingle verfion.

Much more, in my opinion, might be faid in favour of teaching our young men to speak the Indian languages of our country, than to speak or write Latin. By their means, they might qualify themselves to become ambassadors to our Indian nations, or introduce

among them a knowledge of the bleffings of civilization and religion.

We have lately feen a large portion of power wrefted from the hands of kings and priefts, and exercised by its lawful owners. Is it not high time to wreft the power over the education of our youth, out of the hands of ignorant or prejudiced schoolmasters, and place it in the hands of men of more knowledge and experience in the affairs of the world? We talk much of our being an enlightened people; but I know not with what reason, while we tolerate a fyftem of education in our schools, which is as difgraceful to the human understanding as the most corrupt tenets or practices of the pagan religion, or of the Turkifh go

vernment.

With great refpect for your character, as well as for your present honourable and useful employment, I am, dear fir,

Your friend and most obedient fervant.
BENJAMIN RUSH.

Philadelphia, August 24, 1791.

THOUGHTS UPON THE AMUSEMENTS AND PUNISH

MLNTS WHICH ARE PROPER FOR SCHOOLS. DRESSED TO GEORGE CLYMER, ESQ.

AD.

DEAR SIR,

HE last time I had the pleasure of being in

THE

your company, you did me the honour to requeft my opinion upon the AMUSEMENTS and PUNISHMENTS which are proper for schools

The subjects are of a very oppofite nature, but I fhall endeavour to comply with your wishes, by fending you a few thoughts upon each of them. I am fure you will not reject my opinions because they are contrary to received practices, for I know that you are accuftomed to think for yourfelf, and that every propofition that has for its objects the interests of humanity and your country, will be treated by you with attention and candor.

I fhall begin with the fubjects of AMUSEMENTS. Montefquieu informs us that the exercises of the last day of the life of Epaminondas, were the fame as his amusements in his youth. Herein we have an epitome of the perfection of education. The amusements of Epaminondas were of a military nature; but as the profeffion of arms is the business of only a small part of mankind, and happily much less

I

neceffary in the United States than in ancient Greece, I would propose that the amusements of our youth, at fchool, fhould confift of fuch exercises as will be moft fubfervient to their future employments in life. These are; 1. agriculture; 2. mechanical occupations; and 3. the bufinefs of the learned profeffions.

I. There is a variety in the employments of agriculture which may readily be fuited to the genius, taste, and strength of young people. An experiment has been made of the efficacy of these employments, as amusements, in the Methodist College at Abington, in Maryland; and, I have been informed, with the happiest effects. A large lot is divided between the scholars, and premiums are adjudged to thofe of them who produce the most vegetables from their grounds, or who keep them in the beft order.

II. As the employments of agriculture cannot afford amusement at all seasons of the year, or in cities I would propofe, that children fhould be allured to to feek amufements in fuch of the mechanical arts as are fuited to their ftrength and capacities. Where is the boy who does not delight in the ufe of a hammer—a chiffel-or a faw? and who has not enjoyed a high degree of pleasure in his youth, in conftructing a miniature houfe? How amufing are the machines which are employed in the manufactory of cloathing of all kinds! and how full of various en