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. But, as Virgil fays of the countrymen,

O fortunati nimium, sua fi bona norint! In our youthful days, we are unacquainted with the various advantages, which might follow, if we did not neglect the opportunities that offer; and were not more folicitous in the purfuit of pleasure, than of rational inquiry, and folid knowledge.

Some little artifices, therefore, are allowable, and may be practiced, in order to restrain the ardour of youth, from the attractions of pleasure and diffipation, and bend his thoughts to the acquifitions of learning, and his footsteps to the paths of virtue.

The following story was brought to our recollection by the train of reflections which gave rife to these fentiments on education. We do not remember the author of the tale, but as it is applicable to our purpofe, we shall prefent it to our readers, without apo logy or preface:

During the happy period, in which the government of Sparta ficurifhed under the legislation of Lycurgus, lived Dinarchon, a nobleman, on whom fortune had, with a lavish hand, beftowed her favours. His manfion, which was a few miles diftant from Lacedemon, was the refort of the wealthy, the witty, the learned, and the beautiful. Nor were ample poffeffions the only endowments which were beftowed on Dinarchon: his perfon was graceful and elegant, and his converfation was rendered attractive by eafe, fenfe, and variety.

Such was Dinarchon. He had early in life united himself with a female, in every particular, worthy of fuch a partner. They were bleffed with one child,, a fon, whom they named Eutyches. Thus did domeftic enjoyments render almost perfect the felicity of this noble Athenian, whom affluence of fortune made the delight of the poor, generofity of temper the example to the rich, and extent of knowledge the ornament of his

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the manfion, in which pleafure had wantoned, and in which learning had difplayed all her various allurements, was rendered by this one fad ftroke, the feat of mifery.

What a reverfe! long was the time, and many and fevere were the pangs of Dinarchon, before his philofophy, or his reafon could mafter his grief. At length, however, the affection of the father, and the duties which he owed his fon, abated his affliction, and he again appeared to fubmit to the decree of Heaven without regret.

The education of Eutyches now totally engroffed his thoughts. He fent for the beft inftructors in every art and fcience, to fuperintend him. The care of watching his difpofitions he took upon himself, as he juftly judged it to be too important a trust for any other, as he had now arrived at his fixteenth year.

He difcovered in him an infatiable paffion for letters, and obferved that he attended to the inftructions of his various tutors with eagernefs and pleafure. Dinarchon again feemed to enjoy life, and to be again fufceptible of the comforts of fociety. One only drawback prevented the completion of his happiness. He perceived that his fon was a moft ardent admirer of the female fex, fubject to the dominion of an eye, and influenced too much by the charms of perfonal beauty.

Even the delight with which he liftened to the precepts of philofophy, the effufions of poetic fancy, and the narrations of history feemed to abate, when a vifit was to be made to a beautiful woman, or when the attractions of any female gueft allured him from his tutors.

This trait in Eutyches was obferved with infinite pain and regret, by his parent, who began to fear that his fon would fall a prey to the defigns of meretricious contrivance, and that his hopes were nearly receiving a moft fatal blat. He knew that advice would very probably fail, as in any favourite purfuit, human nature ufually follows the ruling paffion implicitly. On this account he determined to endeavour at feat, by fome innocent artifice to wean

him from this unreftrained admiration, in order to attain fuch an height of which might involve him in numberlefs happiness." difficulties, and at laft, perhaps, prove his utter ruin, as the vivacity of his temper would not conduce to render him capable of withstanding the feductions of the world.

The tear of affection would often trickle down his cheek, while he attended him, and by the general tenor of his converfation, wifhed to convince him, that virtue was the only path to real pleasure. At length, he thought of an expedient to render pleasure the paffage to virtue, and refolved to put his plan into immediate execution.

Dinarchon, therefore, led his fon, as if accidentally, into a gallery of pictures, which had been collected by his ancestors, and to which he had made large additions; and then pointed to one of the performances, in which the genius of the painter had difplayed all its powers, in the defign, and in the colouring. "Look at that piece, my boy, faid the father, obferve the extreme beauty of the female, and how admirably the raptures of the youth are painted, whom he is embracing with extacy, while he is on his knees, before her!"-"Who can wonder at his raptures (returned Eutyches) when he contemplates the divine figure who is bleffing him with fuch an embrace? the matter piece of Heaven almost feems in his poffeffion. O happy youth! O enviable itate!"-" You fpeak, indeed (faid the father) as if you envied his fituation-Nay, one would almoft be perfuaded that you would purchase fuch a treafure at any expence! But you fpeak with too enthufiaftica warmth of a poffeffion which may fo cafily be obtained."- "So eafily (quickly cried the fon) fo eafily! Oh! how? where? by whom? If I can accomplish a defign, that must teem with fo much rapture, O tell me the means? Do not hesitate to render your child the most happy among the fons of the earth." It would not be an arduous talk, my Eutyches (faid the father) but I am afraid, that the impetuofity of your temper, renders you incapable of fuch an undertaking. Great felfdenial, and long delays are neceffary,

The news of these obstructions rendered Eutyches more eager than ever, The father ftill feemed to deny, and the fon preffed, with redoubled ardour. At length, Dinarchon, apparently overcome by the vehemence of his folicitation, thus addreffed his fon: "I can no longer withitand the vehemence, with which you urge your request, but will inftruct you, in a mystery, that may teach you the means of acquiring a treafure, at least equal to that reprefented in yonder painting.

"That picture is copied from an original, preferved in the Temple of Diana at Ephefus. Remember, therefore, Eutyches, to obferve an inviolable fecrecy, and not to deviate in the leaft particular from the injunctions of the mystery, into which I am now going to initiate you. Remember the bes trayer of the fecret, and the non-obferver of the mandate, are always pu nished with death, Confider, there fore, before I proceed, whether your courage will fupport you with firmnefs, in the trials, which the Goddess will impofe."

Dinarchon paufed. Eutyches looked again at the picture, and defired his father to go on, as he was prepared to fuffer any hardships, in fuch a caufe.

"The youth, then, resumed Dinarchon, whom you behold there, was a native of Cyprus, and an enthufiaftic admirer of women, and fell in love with an ideal object, a beauty, created by the powers of his own imagination.

"One day, as he was fitting befide a ftream, and contemplating the vifionary form, a deep fleep feized him. In a dream Diana appeared to him, and told him, that if he would retire inftantly to Ephcfus, and keep his chatity inviolated for the fpace four years, and devote his time to the cultivation of his mind, that he might in fome measure be worthy of fuch a poffeffion, fhe would grant him all his withes. A beauty, faid the Goddefs, as tranfcendent in fhape, and as amply bleffed with mental qualifications, as the female who now engages your attention, fhall be yours. Go then

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follow

ON THE FUNERALS OF THE ANCIENT BRITONS..

TH

Hæc noffe, et dulce et utile.

HE ancient Britons and Gauls, we are well affured, burned the bodies of their dead, and after this ceremony, interred the remains in urns, a cuftom, which, in all probability, they borrowed from the Romans.

In many of the barrows, which are to be found in almost every part of this kingdom, thefe urns afe frequently difcovered. Thofe of our ancestors are eafily to be diftinguished from thofe of the Romans, as the former are of a rude make, and formed of coarfe materials, while the latter are remarkable for the elegance of their fhape, the neatnefs with which they are made, and the ornaments with which they are de

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The ancients fometimes compofed thefe urns of very coftly materials, as Homer informs us that Patroclus's was made of gold. Thofe of filver, brass, marble, glass, and pottery ware, however, were the more common. They were tricked out with ribbands, flowers, and filk. Lycurgus, however, confined thofe of Sparta, to the fober drefs of olives and myrtles.

Thefe urns are generally found in the middle of the barrow, and even near the edge, as Dr. Williams has informed us, in the Philofophical Tranfactions, for the year 1740. This circumftance is fuppofed to have been occafioned by a fecond interment; when the skirt of the barrow alone was opened, that the remains, firft intombed, might not be difturbed. Sometimes, however, it should feem, that a whole family was buried in the fame barrow, as feveral urns have been found placed near one another.

Thefe urns are moft commonly inclofed in little cells, formed of flone, in order to defend them against all preffure.

The bones, however, before they were depofited, were burned, almoft to afhes, and particularly the larger ones. By these means, they were, in fome measure, freed from the filth and pol

VARRO.

lution which follows our mode of burial. When the bones were thus reduced, the urn was filled with them, and whatever could not be crouded into it, was placed round, and covered by the barrow.

There are many inftances of bonca confiderably larger than thofe of the human body, being found in thefe heaps of ftones. Let not thefe be fuppofed to be the remains of giants, but rather of horfes, as those animals, as well as the arms of foldiers, were laid on the funeral pile: an honourable distinction, which could only be claimed by the Equites, as the foot-foldiers were not permitted fo great an indulgence. At the funeral of Patroclus, we are told that

"Four fprightly courfers, with a deadly groan, "Pour forth their lives, and on the pyre are thrown."

Pope's Homer. Iliad xxiii. 209.

The bones were closely confined in the urns, by earth placed over them, and fometimes they were cemented with mortar, to prevent the admiffion of the air, or any impure mixture. Achilles, in Homer, orders the bones of his friend Patroclus to be covered with a double coat of fat:

Then as the rites direct, The hero's bones with careful view felect:

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By imbibing the oil from this fat, which the bones would do when they were hot, the fucceffions of drought and moisture would lofe great part of their effect.

The contents of thefe urns are various. Lacrymatories, lamps, and other appendages of mourning, are found in them; and fometimes pieces of weapons, or at least little bits of metal. This circumftance feems a proof, that helmets, fwords, fhields, or parts of armour were thrown into the fire, that confumed the body of an hero.

Sometimes

Sometimes the bones are found not above half confumed, which may, perhaps, enable us to diftinguish the barrows of the rich and virtuous, from thofe of the poor and profligate. For we are informed by Suetonius, in his life of Tiberius, that the body of that tyrant was ordered to be half burned in the amphitheatre. In all probability then, where the bones are found in any quantity, unconfumed, the barrow was erected over fome perfon of low condition, or whofe vices had rendered him odious. On thefe accounts, the fune ral was carelessly attended, and the remains gathered haftily together. This treatment of the dead, indeed, might be occafioned by the hurry and confufion of war, as well as by the difrefpect which arifes from vice and tyranny.

On the contrary, however, where there are evidences, that the fire was ftrong, and of long continuance, fo that not only the bones, but even the armour and all the various trappings which decorated the pile, and fet off "The laft fad honours that await the dead," are confumed, we may infer that the deceased were either of high quality, or fuch, as by their virtues had rendered themselves beloved and refpected. For the funeral obfequies were performed in these cafes with all poffible care, and the fires watched, till all the

finaller bones were entirely confumed, and the larger were not put into the urn, until blanched quite white. But this could be produced only by a long and fierce flame, which every method was taken to raife and preferve. On this account, Achilles intreats the affiftance of the deities, when he finds the funeral pile of Patroclus burn flow ly, as Homer tells us in the following beautiful allegory:

Smokes, nor as yet the fullen flames arife;
"Nor yet the pile, where dead Patroclus lies,
But, fait befide, Achilles flood in pray`r,
Invok'd the gods whole fpirit moves the air.
And victims promited, and libations caft
To gentle Zephyr and the Boreal Llaft:
He called th' aerial pow'rs along the skies
To breathe, and whisper to the fires to rife.
The winged Iris heard the hero's call.
And inftant haften'd to their airy hall,
Where, in old Zephyr's open courts on high,
Sat all the bluit ring brethren of the sky.

She thone amidst them, on her painted bow
The rocky pavement glittered with the fhow
All from the banquet rife, and each invites
The various goddess to partake the rites.
"Not fo (the dame reply'd) I hate to go
To facred Ocean and the floods below:
E'en now our folemn hecatombs attend,
And heav'n is feasting on the world's green end,
With righteous Ethiops (uncorrupted train!)

Far on th' extremeft limits of the main."
But Peleus' fon intreats, with facrifice,
The Western fpirit, and the North to rife;

Let on Patroclus' pile your blaft be driven,

And bear the blazing honours high to heav'n.' Pope. Il. xxiii. 236.

ON EDUCATION.
Quibus artibus, et quibus hunc tu
Moribus inftituas.

IN
the tablature of Cebes, Life is
painted under the form of a fpacious
manfion, of which infancy forms the
entrance. Fancies and opinions, as in-
finite in their number, as they are va-
rious in their purfuits, are defcribed
attending the gate of this dwelling,
in order to engage the notice, and at-
tract the affections of every ftranger
who approaches; while a good genius
teaches them to difcriminate between
truth and faifehood, and points out
the appearances which are fallacious,
and thofe on which they may depend.

In our infant ftate, it is the duty of eur parents to perform the part of this LOND. MAC. July 1783

JUVENAL.

genius. The great difficulty, however, is to adopt a proper method for conveying this advice. Aufterity and rigour fhould not be equally exerted against the good and the bad, or the generous and the froward. As a want of method and meafure in punishment, very frequently when the fuppreffion of vice has been intended, have inculcated a diftafte for virtue. For of virtue, the inherent attractions are in themfelves without meretricious ornaments, or fecondary motives, fufficient to lead the hearts of youth to noble actions, and to incite them to pursue with ardour the paths of learning.

E

But,

But, as Virgil fays of the countrymen,

O fortunati nimium, fua fi bona norint! In our youthful days, we are unacquainted with the various advantages, which might follow, if we did not neglect the opportunities that offer; and were not more folicitous in the purfuit of pleasure, than of rational inquiry, and folid knowledge.

Some little artifices, therefore, are allowable, and may be practiced, in order to restrain the ardour of youth, from the attractions of pleafure and diffipation, and bend his thoughts to the acquifitions of learning, and his footsteps to the paths of virtue.

The following story was brought to our recollection by the train of reflections which gave rife to these fentiments on education. We do not remember the author of the tale, but as it is applicable to our purpose, we shall prefent it to our readers, without apo logy or preface:

During the happy period, in which the government of Sparta ficurifhed under the legislation of Lycurgus, lived Dinarchon, a nobleman, on whom fortune had, with a lavish hand, beftowed her favours. His manfion, which was a few miles diftant from Lacedemon, was the refort of the wealthy, the witty, the learned, and the beautiful. Nor were ample poffeffions the only endowments which were beftowed on Dinarchon: his perfon was graceful and elegant, and his converfation was rendered attractive by ease, fenfe, and variety.

Such was Dinarchon. He had early in life united himself with a female, in every particular, worthy of fuch a partner. They were bleffed with one child, a fon, whom they named Eutyches. Thus did domeftic enjoyments render almost perfect the felicity of this noble Athenian, whom afluence of fortune made the delight of the poor, generofity of temper the example to the rich, and extent of knowledge the ornament of his

country.

But how uncertain and delufive is human happiness. In the midft of all thefe gay fcenes, his wife was carried st fuddenly by a violent fever, and

the manfion, in which pleafure had wantoned, and in which learning had difplayed all her various allurements, was rendered by this one fad ftroke, the feat of mifery."

What a reverfe! long was the time, and many and fevere were the pangs of Dinarchon, before his philofophy, or his reafon could mafter his grief. At length, however, the affection of the father, and the duties which he owed his fon, abated his affliction, and he again appeared to fubmit to the decree of Heaven without regret.

The education of Eutyches now totally engroffed his thoughts. He fent for the beft inftructors in every art and science, to fuperintend him. The care of watching his difpofitions he took upon himfelf, as he juftly judged it to be too important a trust for any other, as he had now arrived at his fixteenth year.

He difcovered in him an infatiable paffion for letters, and obferved that he attended to the inftructions of his various tutors with eagernefs and pleafure. Dinarchon again feemed to enjoy life, and to be again fufceptible of the comforts of fociety. One only drawback prevented the completion of his happiness. He perceived that his fon was a moft ardent admirer of the female fex, fubject to the dominion of an eye, and influenced too much by the charms of perfonal beauty.

Even the delight with which he liftened to the precepts of philofophy, the effufions of poetic fancy, and the narrations of hiftory feemed to abate, when a vifit was to be made to a beautiful woman, or when the attractions of any female gueft allured him from his tutors.

This trait in Eutyches was obferved with infinite pain and regret, by his parent, who began to fear that his fon would fall a prey to the defigns of meretricious contrivance, and that his hopes were nearly receiving a most fatal blaft. He knew that advice would very probably fail, as in any favourite purfuit, human nature ufually follows the ruling paffion implicitly. On this account he determined to endeavour at leat, by fome innocent artifice to wean

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