not have our fons and daughters univerfally called upon to learn a language, which a large proportion of them will never attain, and a fill larger will never employ. I would not have them indifcriminately required, merely as a fafhionable amufement, to study publications from which the danger of corruption is at leaft equal to the profpect of advantage. With thofe, to whom the language is neceffary in commercial tranfactions, in the duties of a publick station, or for the purposes of general knowledge, with them there is no other alternative than to stand the hazard of the die. But this hazard may be diminished or avoided by thofe meafures, which prudence obviously fuggefts. The French tongue need not be ftudied, till the understanding of the pupil has attained fome degree of maturity; till the foundations of folid fcience have been laid; and till his moral and religious principles are firmly establifhed. Then indeed, and perhaps then only, can the ftudent F 2 dent with fafety perufe the writings of the French in his own country, or venture upon foreign travel to acquire the delicacies of foreign pronunciation. Then we may reasonably hope that he will extract the sweets, without imbibing the poison; that he will enlarge his views without perverting his principles, and enrich his understanding without depraving his heart. CHAP. CHAP. XVII. On Compulfion and Correction. WE are told by Locke, in his Treatise on Education, that fo general a paffion for literature prevailed in his time amongst the ingenuous youth of Portugal, that it was as difficult to restrain them from excess in the purfuit of it, as it was at the fame period amongst ourselves to fecure the requifite degree of application. The ftudents, he affures us, were as fond of fcience, as if it had been forbidden. It cannot be fufficiently lamented that our philofopher has not informed us by what means this laudable paffion was excited and continued. For fuch an epidemical love of letters is the great defideratum in our schools. The intelligence would F 3 probably probably have been received at the time with gratitude by. the publick, as a national benefit; and it would undoubtedly be accepted at this day by the inftructors of our youth as an ample compenfation for the cenfures, which in many parts of his work he has fo liberally beftowed upon the profeffion. We are unfortunately left, however, not fo much. to admire what he has communicated, as to regret, what he has omitted. It still continues to be, as it has always been, one of the moft difficult, as well as most important, duties of a schoolmaster, to fecure difcipline amongst his pupils; to engage due attention to his inftructions, and to stimulate them to diligence in their ftudies; to reftrain petulance in their language; to preferve decency in their manners; and to correct vices in their conduct. For these purposes various expedients have been devised; and probably every feminary has fome regulations of its Own. Different modes of proceeding be come come neceffary according to the age, the temper, and the talents of different boys; fome peculiarity in his refources will be fuggefted by the difpofition, the circumftances, and the experience of every attentive teacher: and a variation in rewards and punishments becomes neceffary even for the fame merits or offences. Whatever has been rendered familiar by its frequency, is proportionably weakened in its effects. In a differtation upon the premiums and penalties of a fchool it will not be always neceffary to make a dif tinction between diligence in ftudy, and acts of virtue; or between negligence in bufinefs and immoral conduct. The meafures must be nearly fimilar, by which either of the former is to be encouraged, or either of the latter corrected. A few fuch expedients fhall be ftated, as have been already adopted with fuccefs, or may be generally applied. And if thefe fhould be thought to have been fufficiently obvious without a formal enumeration; let it |