objects of a juft education, happiness, virtue, wifdom, including under the term wisdom both extent of information and energy of purfuit. When a child is born, one of the earliest purpofes of his inftitutor ought to be, to awaken his mind, to breathe a foul into the, as yet, unformed mafs. What may be the precife degree of difference with refpect to capacity that children generally bring into the world with them, is a problem' that it is perhaps impoffible completely to folve. But, if education cannot do every thing, it can do much. To the attainment of any accomplifhment what is principally neceffàry, is that the accomplishment should be ardently defired. How many inftances is it reasonable to suppose there are, where this ardent defire exifts, and the means of attainment are clearly and fkilfully pointed out, where yet the accomplishment remains finally unattained? Give but fufficient motive, and you have given every thing Whether the object be to fhoot at a mark, or to mafter a science, this obfervation is equally applicable. The means of exciting defire are obvious. Has the propofed object defirable qualities? Exhibit them. Delineate them with perfpicuity, and delineate them with ardour. Show your object B 2 object from time to time under every point of view which is calculated to demonftrate its loveliness. Criticife, commend, exemplify. Nothing is more common than for a mafter to fail in infufing the paffions into his pupil that he purposes to infufe; but who is there that refufes to confefs, that the failure is to be afcribed to the indolence or unfkilfulness of the mafter, not to the impoffibility of fuccefs? The more inexperienced and immature is the mind of the infant, the greater is its pliability. It is not to be told how early, habits, pernicious or otherwife, are acquired. Children bring fome qualities, favourable or adverfe to cultivation, into the world with them. But they speedily acquire other qualities in addition to thefe, and which are probably of more moment than they. Thus a diseased ftate of body, and still more an improper treatment, the rendering the child, in any confiderable degree, either the tyrant or the flave of thofe around him, may in the first twelve months implant feeds of an ill temper, which in fome inftances may accompany him through life. Reafoning from the principles already delivered, it would be a grofs mistake to suppose, that the fole object to be attended to in the firft part of education, is to provide for the prefent 6 ease cafe and happiness of the individual. An awakened mind is one of the most important purposes of education, and it is a purpose that cannot too foon enter into the views of the preceptor. It seems probable that early inftruction is a thing, in itself confidered, of very inferior value. Many of those things which we learn in our youth, it is neceffary, if we would well understand, that we should learn over again in our riper years. Many things that, in the dark and unapprehensive period of youth, are attained with infinite labour, may, by a ripe and judicious understanding, be acquired with an effort inexpreffibly inferior. He who fhould affirm, that the true object of juvenile education was to teach no one thing in particular, but to provide against the age of five and twenty a mind well regulated, active, and prepared to learn, would certainly not obtrude upon us the abfurdeft of paradoxes. 1 The purpose therefore of early inftruction is not abfolute. It is of lefs importance, generally speaking, that a child should acquire this or that species of knowledge, than that, through the medium of inftruction, he should acquire habits of intellectual activity. It is not fo much for the direct confideration of what he learns, that his mind muft not be fuffered to le idle. B 3 The pre themselves on the fame party, have now moderated their intemperance, and he has accompanied them also in their present stage. With as ardent a paffion for innovation as ever, he feels himself more patient and tranquil. He is defirous of affifting others, if poffible, in perfecting the melioration of their temper. There are many things dif cuffed in the following Effays, upon which perhaps, in the effervefcence of his zeal, he would have difdained to have written. But he is perfuaded that the cause of political reform, and the caufe of intellectual and literary refinement, are infeparably connected. He has alfo defcended in his inveftigations into the humbler walks of private life. He ardently defires that those who shall be active in promoting the cause of reform, may be found amiable in their perfonal manners, and even attached to the cultivation of miscellaneous enquiries. He believes that this will afford the beft fecurity, for our preferving kindness and univerfal philanthropy, in the midst of the operations of our justice. LONDON, February 4, 1797 I. OF Awakening the Mind V. Of an Early Tafte for Reading IX. Of the Communication of Knowledge XI. Of Reasoning and Contention XII. Of Deception and Frankness XIII. Of Manly Treatment and Behaviour Page 7 12, 19 29 136 56 65 76 86 94 ΤΟΣ |
