תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

THE

PREFACE

TO THE

PRECEPTOR:

CONTAINING

A GENERAL PLAN OF EDUCATION.

TH

HE importance of Education is a point fo generally understood and confeffed, that it would be of little ufe to attempt any new proof or illuftration of its neceffity and advantages.

At a time when fo many schemes of education have been projected, fo many propofals offered to the Publick, fo many fchools opened for general knowledge, and fo many lectures in particular fciences attended; at a time when mankind feems intent rather upon familiarifing than enlarging the feveral arts; and every age, fex, and profeffion, is invited to an acquaintance with thofe ftudies, which were formerly fuppofed acceffible only to fuch as had devoted themfelves to literary leifure, and dedicated their powers to philofophical enquiries; it seems rather requifite that an apology fhould be made for any further attempt to fmooth a

path

path fo frequently beaten, or to recommend attainments fo ardently purfued, and fo officioufly directed.

That this general defire may not be frustrated, our schools feem yet to want fome book, which may excite curiofity by its variety, encourage diligence by its. facility, and reward application by its usefulnefs. In examining the treatifes hitherto offered to the youth of this nation, there appeared none that did not fail in one or other of thefe effential qualities; none that were not either unpleafing, or abftrufe, or crowded with learning, very rarely applicable to the purposes of common life.

Every man, who has been engaged in teaching, knows with how much difficulty youthful minds are confined to close application, and how readily they deviate to any thing, rather than attend to that which is impofed as a task. That this difpofition, when it becomes inconfiftent with the forms of education, is to be checked, will be readily granted; but fince, though it may be in fome degree obviated, it cannot wholly be fuppreffed, it is furely rational to turn it to advantage, by taking care that the mind fhall never want objects on which its faculties may be usefully employed. It is not impoffible, that this reftlefs defire of novelty, which gives fo much trouble to the teacher, may be often the ftruggie of the understanding ftarting from that to which it is not by nature adapted, and travelling in fearch of fomething on which

it

may fix with greater fatisfaction. For without fuppofing each man particularly marked out by his genius for particular performances, it may be easily conceived, that when a numerous clafs of boys is con

fined

fined indifcriminately to the fame forms of compofition, the repetition of the fame words, or the explication of the fame fentiments, the employment must, either by nature or accident, be lefs fuitable to fome than others; that the ideas to be contemplated may be too difficult for the apprehenfion of one, and too obvious for that of another: they may be fuch as fome understandings cannot reach, though others look down upon them as below their regard. Every mind in its progrefs through the different stages of fcholaftick learning, must be often in one of thefe conditions, muft either flag with the labour, or grow wanton with the facility of the work affigned; and in either ftate it naturally turns afide from the track before it. Wearinefs looks out for relief, and liefure for employment, and furely it is rational to indulge the wanderings of both. For the faculties which are too lightly burthened with the bufinefs of the day, may with great propriety add to it fome other enquiry; and he that finds himself over wearied by a task, which, perhaps, with all his efforts, he is not able to perform, is undoubtedly to be juftified in addicting himself rather to easier ftudies, and endeavouring to quit that which is above his attainment, for that which nature has not made him incapable of purfuing with advantage.

That therefore this roving curiofity may not be unfatisfied, it feems neceffary to fcatter in its way fuch allurements as may withhold it from an ufelefs and unbounded diffipation; fuch as may regulate it without violence, and direct it without reftraint; fuch as may fuit every inclination, and fit every capacity; may em

ploy

ploy the stronger genius, by operations of reason, and engage the less active or forcible mind, by supplying it with eafy knowledge, and obviating that defpondence, which quickly prevails, when nothing appears but a fucceffion of difficulties, and one labour only ceases that another may be impofed.

A book intended thus to correfpond with all difpofitions, and afford entertainment for minds of dif ferent powers, is neceffarily to contain treatifes on different fubjects. As it is defigned for schools, though for the higher claffes, it is confined wholly to fuch parts of knowledge as young minds may comprehend; and as it is drawn up for Readers yet unexperienced in life, and unable to distinguish the useful from the oftentatious or unneceffary parts of fcience, it is requifite that a very nice diftinction fhould be made, that nothing unprofitable should be admitted for the fake of pleasure, nor any arts of attraction neglected, that might fix the attention upon more important ftudies.

These confiderations produced the book which is here offered to the Publick, as better adapted to the great defign of pleafing by inftruction, than any which has hitherto been admitted into our feminaries of literature. There are not indeed wanting in the world compendiums of fcience, but many were written at a time when philofophy was imperfect, as that of G. Valla; many contain only naked schemes, or fynoptical tables, as that of Stierius; and others are too large and voluminous, as that of Alftedius; and, what is not to be confidered as the leaft objection, they are generally in a language, which, to boys, is more dif

tongue.

ficult than the fubject; and it is too hard a task to be condemned to learn a new fcience in an unknown As in life, fo in study, it is dangerous to do more things than one at a time; and the mind is not to be haraffed with unneceffary obftructions, in a way, of which the natural and unavoidable asperity is fuch as too frequently produces despair.

If the language however had been the only objec tion to any of the volumes already extant, the schools might have been supplied at a fmall expenfe by a tranflation; but none could be found that was not fo defective, redundant, or erroneous, as to be of more danger than use. It was neceffary then to examine, whether upon every fingle fcience there was not fome treatise written for the use of scholars, which might be adapted to this design, so that a collection might be made from different authors, without the neceffity of writing new fyftems. This fearch was not wholly without fuccefs; for two authors were found, whofe performances might be admitted with little alteration. But fo widely does this plan differ from all others, fo much has the state of many kinds of learning been changed, or fo unfortunately have they hitherto been cultivated, that none of the other fubjects were explained in fuch a manner as was now required; and therefore neither care nor expenfe has been fpared to obtain new lights, and procure to this book the merit of an original.

With what judgment the design has been formed, and with what skill it has been executed, the learned world is now to determine. But before sentence fhall pafs, it is proper to explain more fully what

has

« הקודםהמשך »