nough to take a grammatical furvey of it. If his ufe of it be only to understand fome books writ in it, without a critical knowledge of the tongue itself, reading alone, as I have faid, will attain this end, without charging the mind with the multiplied rules and intricacies of grammar.

§ 169. For the exercife of his writing, let him fometimes tranflate Latin into English. But the learning of Latin being nothing but the learning of words, a very unpleasant bu finefs both to young and old, join as much other real knowledge with it as you can, beginning ftill with that which lies moft obvious to the fenfes; fuch as is the knowledge of minerals, plants and animals; and particularly timber and fruit trees, their parts, and ways of propagation, wherein a great deal may be taught a child, which will not be ufelefs to the man: but more efpecially geography, aftonomy, and anatomy. But, whatever you are teaching him, have a care fill that you do not clog him with too much at once, or make any thing his bufinefs but downright virtue, or reprove him for any thing but vice, or fome apparent tendency

to it.

$170. But if, after all, his fate be to go to school to get the Latin tongue, 'twill be in vain to talk with you concerning the method I think beft to be obferved in fchools:

you

you must fubmit to that you find there, not expect to have it changed for your fon but yet by all means obtain, if you can, that he be not employed in making Latin themes and declamations, and leaft of all verfes of any kind. You may infift on it, if it will do any good, that you have no defire to make him either a Latin orator or a poet, but barely would have him understand perfectly a Latin author: and that you obferve, thofe who teach any of the modern languages, and that with fuccefs, never amufe their fcholars to make speeches or verfes either in French or Italian; their business being language barely, and not invention.

Themes.

171. But to tell you a little more fully why I would not have him exercifed in making of themes and verses. 1. As to themes, they have, I confefs, the pretence of fomething ufeful, which is to teach people to speak handfomely and well on any fubject; which, if it could be attained this way, I own, would be a great advantage, there being nothing more becoming a gentleman, nor more useful in all the occurrences of life, than to be able, on any occafion, to fpeak well, and to the purpose. But this I fay, that the making of themes, as is ufual at fchools, helps not one jot toward it: for do but confider what it is in making a theme, that a young lad is employed about it is to make

make a fpeech on fome Latin faying; as Omnia vincit amor; or Non licet in bello bis peccare, &c. And here the poor lad, who wants knowledge of thofe things he is to speak of, which is to be had only from time and obfervation, muft fet his invention on the rack, to fay fomething where he knows nothing; which is a fort of Egyptian tyranny, to bid them make bricks who have not yet any of the materials. And therefore it is ufual, in fuch cafes, for the poor children to go to thofe of higher forms with this petition, Pray give me a little fenfe; which, whether it be more reasonable, or more ridiculous, is not ea fy to determine. Before a man can be in any capacity to fpeak on any fubject, 'tis neceffary he be acquainted with it; or elfe it is as foolish to fet him to difcourfe of it, as to fet a blind man to talk of colours, or a deaf man of mufick. And would you not think him a little cracked, who would require another to make an argument on a mute point, who underftands nothing of our laws? And what, I pray, do school-boys understand concerning thofe matters which are ufed to be propofed to them in their themes, as fubjects to discourse on, to whet and exercise their fancies?

§ 172. In the next place, confider the language that their themes are made in: 'tis Latin, a language foreign in their country,

and

and long fince dead every where: a language which your fon, 'tis a thousand to one, fhall never have an occafion once to make a speech in as long as he lives, after he comes to be a and a language wherein the manner of expreffing one's felf is fo far different from ours, that to be perfect in that would very little improve the purity and facility of his English ftile. Befides that, there is now fo little room or use for fet fpeeches in our own language in any part of our English business, that I can fee no pretence for this fort of exercise in our schools, unless it can be fuppofed, that the making of fet Latin fpeeches fhould be the way to teach men to speak well in English extempore. The way to that, I fhould think rather to be this: that there fhould be propofed to young gentlemen rational and ufeful queftions, fuited to their age and capacities, and on fubjects not wholly unknown to them, nor out of their way: fuch are thefe, when they are ripe for exercises of this nature they fhould extempore, or after a little meditation upon the fpot, fpeak to, without penning of any thing: for I afk, if we will examine the effects of this way of learning to speak well, who fpeak best in any bufinefs, when occafion calls them to it upon debate; either thofe who have accustomed themfelves to compofe and write down beforehand, what they would fay; or thofe, who thinking

ouly

only of the matter, to understand that as well as they can, ufe themfelves only to fpeak ex. tempore? And he that fhall judge by this, will be little apt to think, that the accuftoming him to ftudied fpeeches, and fet compofitions, is the way to fit a young gentleman for bufinefs.

173. But perhaps we fhall be told, 'tis to improve and perfect them in the Latin tongue. 'Tis true, that is their proper business at fchool; but the making of themes is not the way to it; that perplexes their brains about invention of things to be faid, not about the fignification of words to be learned; and when they are making a theme, 'tis thoughts they fearch and sweat for, not language. But the learning and maftery of a tongue being un. cafy and unpleasant enough in itfelf, fhould not be cumbred with any other difficulties, as is done in this way of proceeding. if boy's inventions be to be quickened by fuch exercife, let them make themes in English, where they have facility and a command of words, and will better fee what kind of thoughts they have, when put into their own language. And if the Latin tongue

In fine,

be to be learned, let it be done the eafieft way, without toiling and difgufting the mind. by fo uneafy an employment as that of making fpeeches joined to it.