fortunes became preceptors, and took youth under their tuition. 3. It is well known that the Romans, as well as Greeks, carefully applied themselves to the ftudy of their own language, and were early able to speak and write it in the greatest perfection. Mafters taught them, betimes, the principles, the difficulties, the fubtilties and the depths of it. And to that it was chiefly owing, that they made more early advances in the most useful fciences, than any youth have fince done. 4. The French have been beforehand with us in this important particular. They have long imitated the Greeks and Romans, and have had the good policy to prefer their own language to every other; difdaining the ftudy of any foreign tongues, unless driven by neceffity into other countries. And the political advantages they have derived from fuch a conduct are visible all over Europe. 5. Policy, then, were there nothing elfe, cries aloud for our exerting ourselves in the cause of a too long neglected English education; and for wiping off that charge of barbarity, with which not only we, but those of England have been, on that account, fo long ftigmatized by the very nation whom we so much venerate, and whofe language we are fo ridiculously fond of, to the reproach and degradation of a better, even our own. 6. There is, perhaps, no language, the grammatical knowledge of which can be learned with fo much ease, or with lefs difficulty, than ours, And as the freedom, the liberty, and the life of our country depend upon it, shall America deprive her fons of this moft valuable birthright, the right of nature ? 7. It appears to me a thing very unaccountable, that mafters, and thofe who fuperintend public fchools, fhould neglect this important part of an education, and fuffer youth to trifle away their time, when it might be employed to fo much advantage to themselves and to future generations. And what is still more fo, is, that parents, who love their children, fhould connive at this unpardonable neglect. 8. Without a common school education, which is the anchor of liberty, the fupporter of our rights, we can be compared 0 compared to nothing but a fhip at fea, deprived of fails, rudder, compafs, and expofed to the billows and nurricanes of the boisterous deep. 9. With it, we have a most substantial foundation lai!, on which we can erect a fuperb building, for public and private utility with it, we can conduct the ship of state, and regale ourselves under the tree of liberty; and unshackle ourfelves from ignorance, which is the origin of feuds and animofities in free ftates. 10. Do not the arts and fciences, in every kingdom, participate to a great degree the fate of its language? rife and flourish, or fink into difrepute, as the latter is cultivated or neglected? How dear then ought the honor of the English language to be to every American! And as grammar is the folid foundation on which all other fcience refts, and as all human inquiry is divided into science and language; and further, as under the latter, fall the ideas and fubjects of the didactic style, oratory, poetry, painting, and fculpture, judge ye, if it ought to be left to young gentlemen to form their style by chance, or to begin the study of their mother tongue, at a time of life which calls them forth to action. 12. You, who are entrusted with the education of our youth, and you, who fuperintend our schools, have a glori ous and joyful profpect before you, a noble opportunity indeed of doing much good to mankind; of conftituting real merit, and fecuring the warmest returns of gratitude, by perfecting the flower of our youth, in fpeaking and writing that language, in which alone they must act the part of their fathers, ferve their country, and become the mouths of the people. 13. You will not fail, my beloved countrymen, to afford your children this diftinguishing, this neceffary, this all important education, by which you will, in a fhort time, nurse up a race of freemen, to the honor and never fading glory of our country. 14. America will then increase in wealth, in commerce, agriculture, and manufactures; will as far furpass all other nations on the globe, in virtue, learning and abilities; and will as much diftinguish herself for humanity, nobleness of fentiment, attachment to government, and love of liberty, as as the towering cedar among the trees of the wood, or the fun in the presence of the stars. 15. All nations will look up unto her, call her blessed, and fay, "In her, the problem, which has been put for thousands of years, has been truly verified; whether a na. tion can be governed, and yet be free." THE HOTTENTOT AND THE LION. AN elderly Hottentot in the fervice of a Christian, near the upper part of Sunday river on the Cambdebo fide, perceived a lion following him at a great dif tance for two hours together. Thence he naturally concluded, that the lion only waited for the approach of darknefs, in order to make him a prey; and in the mean time, could not expect any other than to ferve for this fierce animal's fupper; inasmuch as he had no other weapon of defence than a stick, and knew that he could not get home before it was dark. 2. But as he was well acquainted with the nature of the lion, and the manner of its feizing upon its prey; and at the fame time had leifure to ruminate on the ways and means in which it was most likely that his existence would be terminated, he at length hit on a method of saving his life. 3. For this purpose, inftead of making the best of his way home, he looked out for a precipice; and, fetting himfelf down on the edge of it, found to his great joy, that the lion likewife made a halt, and kept at the fame distance as before. 4. As foon as it grew dark, the Hottentot fliding a little forwards, let himfelf down below the upper edge of the. precipice upon fome projecting part or cleft of the rock, where he could just keep himself from falling. But in order to cheat the lion ftill more, he fet his hat and cloak on the stick, making with it a gentle motion just over his head, a little way from the edge of the precipice. 5. This crafty expedient had the defired fuccefs. He did not ftay long in that fituation, before the lion came creeping creeping foftly towards him like a cat, and, miftaking the fkin coat for the Hottentot himself, took his leap with fuch exactness and precifion, as to fall headlong down the precipice, and was dafhed in pieces. SCENE BETWEEN GUSTAVUS VASA AND CRISTIERN. Crifi. TELL me, Guftavus, tell me why is this, That, as a ftream diverted from the banks Of imooth obedience, thou haft drawn those men To turn their inundation? Are the lives Of my mifguided people held fo light, That thus thou'dft push them on the keen rebuke Of guarded majefty; where juftice waits All awful and refiftlefs, to affert Th' impervious rights, the fanctitude of kings; Guft. Juftice, fanctitude, And rights! O, patience! Rights! what rights, thou tyrant? Yes, if perdition be the rule of power, If wrongs give right, O then, fupreme in mifchief, Thou wert the lord, the monarch of the world! Too narrow for thy claim. But if thou think'st Of frank election, Not ev❜n the high anointing hand of Heav'n, For lawless pow'r, wed faith to violation, On On reafon build misrule, or justly bind Abfolves all faith; and who invades our rights, Crift. Licentious traitor! thou canft talk it largely. Of our firm continent, to fume, and chafe, Guft. Miftaken man! I come empower'd and strengthen'd in thy weakness; Rife on the necks of half the fuff'ring world, Crift. Profane, and alien to the love of Heaven! Among the faithful, thou and thy adherents, Guft. Yes, I know, When fuch as thou, with facrilegious hand, |