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A judicious taste can hardly excuse the latter, though it may be content the author fhould gather a few flowers out of the common road, provided he foon returns into it again.

Which brings to my mind another thing which, I am fure, I have great reason to crave the reader's patience and pardon for (the best end I know of prefaces), and that is, the free use I have made of fome of the ancient Heathen writers in my marginal quotations, which I own looks like an oftentation of reading, which I always abhorred.

But it was converfing with thofe authors that firft turned my thoughts to this fubject. And the good fenfe I met with in most of their aphorifms and fentiments, gave me an esteem for them; which made it difficult for me to resist the temptations of transcribing several of them, which I thought pertinent to the matter in hand. But after all, I am ashamed to fee what an old-fashioned figure they make in the margin. However, if the reader thinks they will too much interrupt the courfe of the fubject, he may entirely omit them: though by that means he will perhaps lose the benefit of fome of the fineft fentiments in the book.

I remember a modern writer I have very

b 3

lately

lately read, is grievously offended with Mr. Addifon for fo much as mentioning the name of Plato, and prefuming in one of his Spectators to deliver his notions of humour in a kind of allegory, after the manner of that Greek author; which he calls a "formal method of trifling, introduced "under a deep oftentation of learning, "which deferves the fevereft rebuke *" and, perhaps, a more fevere one was never given upon fo fmall a provocation. From gentlemen of fo refined and very nice a tafte, I can expect no mercy. But the public is to judge, whether this be not as culpable and naufeous an affectation as the contrary one, which prevailed fo much in the last century.

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One great view I had in mine eye when I put these thoughts together was the benefit of youth, and especially those of them that are ftudents and candidates for the facred ministry; for which they will find no fcience more immediately neceffary (next to a good acquaintance with the word of God) than that which is recommended to them in the following Treatife; to which every branch of human literature is fubordinate, and ought to be fubfervient. For

certain

See Introduction to an Essay towards fixing the true Standard of Wit, &c. p. 20, 21.

certain it is, the great end of philosophy, both natural and moral, is to know ourselves, and to know God. The highest learning is to be wife, and the greatest wisdom is to be good; as Marcus Antoninus fomewhere obferves.

It has often occurred to my mind in digefting my thoughts upon this fubject, what a pity it is that this most useful science fhould be fo generally neglected in the modern methods of education; and that preceptors and tutors, both in public and private feminaries of learning, should forget, that the forming the manners is more neceffary to a finished education than furnishing the minds of youth. Socrates thought fo, who made all his philofophy fubfervient to morality*; and took more pains to rectify the tempers, than replenish the understaing of his pupils; and looked upon all knowledge as useless speculation, that was not brought to this end to make the perfon a wiser or a better man. And without doubt, if in the academy the youth has once happily learned the great art of managing his temper, governing his paffions, and guarding his foibles, he will find a more folid advantage from it in after life,

* Totam philofophiam revocavit ad mores. Sen. Epift. 72.

life, than he could expect from the best acquaintance with all the fyftems of ancient and modern philofophy.

It was a very just and sensible answer which Agefilaus the Spartan king returned to one who asked him, "What that "was in which youth ought principally "to be inftructed?" He replied, "that "which they will have moft need to prac"tife when they are men *." Were this fingle rule but carefully attended to in the method of education, it might probably be conducted in a manner much more to the advantage of our youth than it ordinarily is. For, as Dr. Fuller obferves, "that pains we take in books or arts, "which treat of things remote from the "use of life, is but a bufy idleness +." And what is there in life which youth will have more frequent occafion to practife than this? What is there which they afterwards more regret the want of? What is there which they want a greater help and affiftance in the right government of their paffions and prejudices? And what more proper feason to receive thofe

* See Plutarch's Laconic Apophthegms, under the word Agefilaus.

Rule of Life, p. 82.

those affiftances, and to lay a foundation for this difficult but very important science, than the early part of youth?

It may be faid, "It is properly the of"fice and care of parents to watch over "and correct the tempers of their chil"dren in the firft years of their infancy, "when it may easily be done;" but if it be not effectual then, (as it very feldom is), there is the more neceffity for it afterwards. But the truth is, it is the proper office and care of all who have the charge of youth, and ought to be looked upon as the most important and neceffary part of education.

It was the obfervation of a great divine and reformer, that "he who acquires his "learning at the expence of his morals, "is the worfe for his education *." And we may add, that he who does not improve his temper, together with his understanding, is not much the better for it: for he ought to measure his progress in science by the improvement of his morals; and remember, that he is no further a learned man, than he is a wife and good

man;

Qui proficit in literis et deficit in moribus, non proficit fed deficit. Oecolampadius. See Hift. of Pop. Vol. 2. p. 37.

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