INTRODUCTION.

HIS introduction shall contain two articles. In first I shall shew the importance of the good eduion of youth; in the second I shall enquire wher public instruction is preferable to private.

ARTICLE I.

E IMPORTANCE OF THE GOOD EDUCATION OF YOUTH.

THE education of youth has been always consired by the greatest philosophers, and the most mous lawgivers, as the most certain source of the nquillity and happiness both of private families, d of states and empires. For what else, in short, a republic or kingdom, but a large body, whose alth and strength depend upon those of private falies, which are the members and parts of it, and ne of which can fail in the discharge of their funcn, but the whole body must be sensible of it? Now at is it but good education, which enables all the izens, and great men, and princes above the rest, perform their different functions in a deserving manr? Is it not evident that youth are as the nursery of e state? That it is renewed and perpetuated by em? That from among them all, the fathers of falies, all magistrates and ministers, in a word, all rsons placed in authority and power, are taken ? nd is it not certain, that the good education of those o are one day to fill those places, will have an in

ence over the

ole body of the state and honoma

in a manner, the spirit and general character of t whole nation?

The laws indeed are the foundation of empires, a by preserving a regularity and good order in the maintain them in peace and tranquillity. But wher have the laws themselves that force and vigour, from good education, which trains up men in su jection to them, without which they are but a fee barrier against the passions of mankind?

[f] Quid leges sine moribus vanæ proficiunt? "For what can laws, when manners are corrupt

[g] Plutarch makes a judicious reflection on t subject, which well deserves to be considered: i in speaking of Lycurgus. "This wise lawgiver,

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says he, did not think it convenient to set down "laws in writing, as judging that the strongest a "most effectual means of making cities happy, a

people virtuous, was the impression that was m "in the manners of the citizens, and rendered fa "liar and easy to them, by custom and habit. K "the principles which education has fixed in th "minds, continue firm and unshaken, as being fou ❝ed upon an inward conviction, and even upon "will, which is always a much stronger and m "lasting tie than that of force; insomuch that "education becomes the rule of youth, and ser "them instead of a lawgiver."

Here, in my opinion, we have the justest not that can be given of the difference there is betw the laws and education.

The law, when it stands alone, is a severe and perious mistress, váy, which lays a man under straint in what he holds most dear, and whereof h most jealous, I mean his liberty; which torments

[f] Horat. Od. xxv. lib. ii. [g] In Vit. Lycurg. [6] Οφελος ἐδὲν τῶν ὀφελιμω]άτων νόμων, και συνδεδοξασμένων ὑπὸ παν

τῶν τῶν πολιλευομένων, εἰ μὴ ἔσα εἰθισμένοι καὶ πεπαιδευμένοι ἐ πολιλέια. Arist. lib. v. Polit. ο

contrad

LEGES. aracter of the

fempires, and

rder in them,
. But whence
and vigour, but
Omen in sub-
e but a feeble

d?

proficiunt?

are corrupt?" Hection on this nsidered: it is lawgiver, to set down his strongest and ies happy, and that was made rendered fami nd habit. For s fixed in their as being found even upon the nger and mo much that th th, and serv

justest notic ere is betwee

severe and im
man under
d whereof bes
ch torments and

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF COLLEGES.

contradicts him in every thing, is [i] deaf to his remonstrances and desires, never submits to any relaxation, [k] speaks always in a threatening tone, and presents him only with correction. Thus it is not surprising that men should shake of this yoke, as soon as ever they can with impunity, and that giving ear no longer to its offensive directions, they should abandon themselves to their natural inclinations, which the law had only restrained, without changing or destroying them.

But the case is far otherwise with education. Its government is gentle and engaging, an enemy to violence and constraint, which delights to act only by motives of persuasion, which endeavours to make its insructions relished, by speaking always with reason and truth, and tends only to make virtue more easy, by making it more amiable. Its lectures, which begin almost as soon as a child is born, grow up and gather'strength with it, in time take deeproot, soon pass from the memory and understanding to the heart, are daily imprinted in his manners, by practice and habit become a second nature in him, which it is scarce possible to change, and do the office of a present legislator all the rest of his life, putting him in mind of his duty upon every occasion, and engaging him to the practice of it. Ἡ παίδευσις νομοθέτες διάθεσιν ἀπεργάζεται περὶ ἕκασον αὐτῶν. "Education performs the "business of a legislator among such.

We must not wonder, after this, that the ancients have recommended the education of youth with so much care, and looked upon it as the surest means of making an empire permanent and flourishing. [7] It was a capital maxim with them, that children are more the property of the republic than of their parents; and that thus their education should not be left to their fancies, but be intrusted to the care of the republic; that for this reason children ought to be brought

[i] Leges, rem surdam, inexorabilem esse... nihil laxamenti, nec

venice habere si modum excesseris

verba minantia fixo ære legebantur.

.Ovid. lib. ii. Metam. 'Tis a beautiful definition of the loans Verha

up, not in private, and in their fathers houses, bu public, by common masters, and under the same cipline; that they may be early inspired with a h for their country, respect for its laws, and a taste the principles and maxims of the state wherein t are to live. For every kind of government has peculiar genius. The spirit and character of a public is very different from that of a monar Now this spirit and character are only to be imbi by education.

It is in consequence of the principles I have down, that Lycurgus, Plato, Aristotle, and, in a wo all that has left us any rules of government have clared, that the principal and most essential dut a magistrate, a minister, a lawgiver, and a prince to watch over the good education, first for their c children, who often succeed to their functions, then of the citizens in general, who form the body the republic; and they observe, that all the mis tunes of states arise only from the negligence of twofold duty.

[m] Plato quotes an illustrious example of it in person of the famous Cyrus, the most accomplis prince we read of in ancient history. He wanted n of the talents which were requisite to make a gi man, excepting that we are here speaking of. Be wholly taken up with his conquests, he intrusted education of his children with the [n] women. Th young princes were therefore brought up, not a the rough and severe discipline of the Persians, wł had so well succeeded in Cyrus their father, but a the manner of the Medes; that is, in luxury, soft and pleasures. Nobody ventured to contradict th in any thing. Their ears were only open to praise a flattery; every thing bent their knee, and. bov down before them. And it was thought, essentia their grandeur to set an infinite distance between th and the rest of mankind, as if they had been of a

[m] Plat. lib. iij. de Leg.

[n] The wife of Cyrus was da ter to the king of Media.

fer

ar either a superior or an equal; and Cambyses, own absolute master, by the death of his brother, n furiously into all sorts of excess, and brought the ersian empire to the brink of ruin. Cyrus left him ast extent of provinces, immense revenues, and inmerable armies; but all this turned to his ruin for nt of another benefit far more valuable, which he glected to leave him, I mean a good education. This judicious remark of Plato concerning Cyrus, tirely escaped me in reading the history of him by enophon. Nor did I reflect, that this historian is solutely silent upon the education of this prince's ildren; whereas he largely describes the excellent anner in which the Persian youth was brought up, d Cyrus himself among the rest. This is the greatt fault a prince can be guilty of

Philip king of Macedon behaved in a very different anner. [p] Upon the birth of his son, when enged in the midst of his conquests, and at the time his greatest exploits, he wrote Aristotle the followg letter: "I give you notice that I have a son born: but I am not so much obliged to the gods for his birth, as for the happiness that he is come into the world, while there is an Aristotle living. For I hope, that being brought up under your direction, and by your care, he will not prove unworthy of his father's glory, nor of the empire which I shall leave him." This was talking and thinking like a eat prince, who was thoroughly acquainted with the portance of a good education. Alexander had the me sentiments. An historian observes that [7] he

2

[0] Ὅθεν ἐγένοντο οἵας ἦν εἰκὸς αὐτ 5 γενέσθαι τροφή ἀνεπιπλήκτω, αφέντας.

[1 Aul. Gel. lib. ix. cap. 3.

[9] Αρισοτέλι ἐχ τον ἀγαπῶνῇν (ὡς αὐτὸς ἔλεγειν) τοῦ πατρὸς ὡς δι ̓ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ζῶν, διὰ τῦτον δὲ καλῶς Cv. Plut. in Vit. Alex.