I have already repeated, that all our learning ought to be useful, and that we should obtain positive notions instead of mere signs, which convey no meaning. Indeed no one has excelled, nor will excel, as a deep thinker, as a great minister, general, lawyer, physician, or moralist, merely because he is a good classical scholar. Great men are no doubt frequently skilled in the classics; and it would certainly be astonishing, if their natural capacities, which enabled them to become great, did not enable them also to become good Latin scholars, seeing that they are obliged to spend more time and labour in learning Latin than in any other pursuit. other pursuit. But it should never be forgotten, that the talent for learning artificial signs is a primitive one, and that it may or may not be combined in any individual with a great endowment of other intellectual powers, and hence that it is wrong to consider it as the standard of understanding in general. It is high time, says Dr. RUSH, (Essays Literary, Moral, and Philosophical. Phil. 1806.) to distinguish between a philosopher and a scholar, between things and words. We may be good scholars, and know nothing of man and things. A mere scholar can call a horse or a cow by different names, but he frequently knows nothing of the qualities and uses of these valuable animals.

“A

boy of eight years old, with the Latin grammar in his hand, asked his father who made the Latin language, and for what it was made? Another boy, of eleven years of age, wished he had not been born, because of the trouble which he found in learning Latin." It is certain, as Dr. RUSH also says, that many sprightly boys, of excellent capacities for useful knowledge, have been so disgusted with the dead languages, as to retreat from the drudgery of schools to low company, whereby they have become bad members of society.

The exclusive study of the ancient languages has retarded the progress of the arts and sciences. Whoever takes an interest in their improvement must declare against it. Philology ought to be considered as a particular branch of instruction, in the same way as Chemistry, Botany, &c. Useful and practical knowledge ought to be the principal object of intellectual education. During the time we spend in learning the words in which VIRGIL delivers the erroneous opinion, that bees originate from putrefaction, we might learn, with greater advantage, the natural history, treatment, and usefulness of this insect itself. In countries where vines are planted, it is more useful to teach children how to cultivate them, and how to make

wine, than the expression which HORACE employs to inform us, that he liked a good glass of wine. Instead of learning Mythology in Latin and Greek, we had better make ourselves acquainted with the history of the different religious creeds, and of true Christianity, by reading in our mother-tongue. Of what use is it to us to know what words the Greeks used when they spoke, since we never converse in Greek?

Intellectual education may be divided into General and Professional; and in both respects the pupils may be subdivided into several classes, not according to age and time, but according to the objects to be taught, and those to be learnt; for, in point of fact, some children learn double what others do in a given time, and succeed better in one branch than in another. They should remain in each class as long as, and no longer than, is necessary to acquire sufficient knowledge of the branch there taught. There should be one professor for each branch, and each class should be conducted according to the plan of mutual instruction.

I have already laid it down as a fundamental rule, that no sign should be employed without its meaning is explained, and that children should be

constantly admonished, that they use artificial signs as means of communication or recollection, and that sensations, feelings, notions and reflections, precede, and can be acquired only by, the activity of the faculties themselves.

I reckon the knowledge of as many objects and beings as possible, viz. of the three kingdoms of natural history, of their physical and chemical qualities, of the vital phenomena, of history, geography, geology, and cosmography, of anthropology, the mother-tongue, printed and written signs, calculation, and, finally, moral and religious principles, to be essential to a general intellectual education.

Elementary ideas, or outlines of these objects, are sufficient for children; but during the college education, these branches are to be extended and detailed, but always taught by the way of mutual instruction.

It is a common complaint that arts and sciences do not improve as much as might be wished for. This proves at least that education does not produce talents; but I think, on the other hand, that Nature has given many capacities which education suppresses. If, for instance, a boy who has

little talent for learning Latin, but great inclination to draw, will, whenever the master turns his eyes away, exercise his natural bias, he will, when perceived, at least be scolded. The consequence will be, that at the end he will know but very little Latin, while his innate talent of drawing has been prevented from being exercised. In this way many children are punished for cultivating their natural gifts, and their intellectual education is impeded. How different would every one be, were he brought up according to his natural endowments. It is really the greatest misfortune for mankind to educate children and youth in an indiscriminate manner; and we may say, that in consequence of absurd views in the selection of the objects taught, and in the manner of teaching, learning has hitherto been tiresome, unprofitable, and even disgusting in no ordinary degree.

The mistakes committed are particularly great in professional education. It is a lamentable truth, that few persons stand in the situations for which nature particularly fitted them. This soldier ought to have been a clergyman; that clergyman a soldier; and here we see a shoemaker who was intended for a poet; and there an advocate who was designed for a shoemaker. The first indication of improvement in this respect will