education.

in frivolous amusements, nor inspire | ture ;-scarcely one that has crept even her child with noble desires when a into the ranks of our minor poets. long course of trifling has destroyed the If the possession of excellent talents little talents which were left by a bad is not a conclusive reason why they should be improved, it at least amounts It is of great importance to a country to a very strong presumption; and, if that there should be as many under- it can be shown that women may be standings as possible actively employed trained to reason and imagine as well within it. Mankind are much happier as men, the strongest reasons are cerfor the discovery of barometers, ther-tainly necessary to show us why we mometers, steam-engines, and all the should not avail ourselves of such rich innumerable inventions in the arts and gifts of nature; and we have a right sciences. We are every day and every to call for a clear statement of those hour reaping the benefit of such talent perils which make it necessary that and ingenuity. The same observation such talent should be totally extinis true of such works as those of Dry-guished, or, at most, very partially den. Pope, Milton, and Shakspeare. drawn out. The burthen of proof does Mankind are much happier that such not lie with those who say, Increase individuals have lived and written; the quantity of talent in any country they add every day to the stock of as much as possible-for such a propopublic enjoyment and perpetually sition is in conformity with every man's gladden and embellish life. Now, the feelings: but it lies with those who say, number of those who exercise their Take care to keep that understanding understandings to any good purpose is weak and trifling which nature has made exactly in proportion to those who capable of becoming strong and powerexercise it at all; but as the matter ful. The paradox is with them, not stands at present, half the talent in with us. In all human reasoning, knowthe universe runs to waste, and is ledge must be taken for a good, till it totally unprofitable. It would have can be shown to be an evil. But now, been almost as well for the world, Nature makes to us rich and magnificent hitherto, that women, instead of pos- presents; and we say to her - You sessing the capacities they do at present. are too luxuriant and munificent-we should have been born wholly destitute must keep you under, and prune you; of wit, genius, and every other attribute -we have talents enough in the other of mind of which men make so eminent half of the creation; and, if you will an use and the ideas of use and pos- not stupify and enfeeble the minds of session are so united together, that, women to our hands, we ourselves must because it has been the custom in expose them to a narcotic process, and almost all countries to give to women educate away that fatal redundance with a different and a worse education than which the world is afflicted, and the to men, the notion has obtained, that order of sublunary things deranged. they do not possess faculties which they One of the greatest pleasures of life do not cultivate. Just as, in breaking is conversation;-and the pleasures of up a common, it is sometimes very conversation are of course enhanced by cfficult to make the poor believe it every increase of knowledge not that ill carry corn, merely because they we should meet together to talk of have been hitherto accustomed to see alkalis and angles, or to add to our produce nothing but weeds and stock of history and philology,-though grass-they very naturally mistake a little of these things is no bad ingrepresent condition for general nature. dient in conversation; but let the subSo completely have the talents of wo-ject be what it may, there is always a Then heen kept down, that there is prodigious difference between the conscarcely a single work, either of reason versation of those who have been well or imagination, written by a woman, educated and of those who have not which is in general circulation, either enjoyed this advantage. Education in the English, French, or Italian litera- gives fecundity of thought, copiousness

of illustration, quickness, vigour, fancy, | ture which books of that sort inspire, words, images, and illustrations;-it promotes a calm and steady tempera. decorates every common thing, and ment of mind. gives the power of trifling without A man who deserves such a piece of being undignified and absurd. The good fortune, may generally find an subjects themselves may not be wanted excellent companion for all the vicissi upon which the talents of an educated tudes of his life; but it is not so easy man have been exercised; but there to find a companion for his understandis always a demand for those talents ing, who has similar pursuits with which his education has rendered himself, or who can comprehend the strong and quick. Now, really, no-pleasure he derives from them. We thing can be further from our inten- really can see no reason why it should tion than to say anything rude and un-not be otherwise; nor comprehend how pleasant; but we must be excused for the pleasures of domestic life can be observing, that it is not now a very promoted by diminishing the number common thing to be interested by the of subjects in which persons who are variety and extent of female knowledge, to spend their lives together take a but it is a very common thing to lament common interest. that the finest faculties in the world have been confined to trifles utterly unworthy of their richness and their strength.

One of the most agreeable consequences of knowledge, is the respect and importance which it communicates to old age. Men rise in character The pursuit of knowledge is the most often as they increase in years;-they innocent and interesting occupation are venerable from what they have acwhich can be given to the female sex ; quired, and pleasing from what they nor can there be a better method of can impart. If they outlive their checking a spirit of dissipation, than faculties, the mere frame itself is reby diffusing a taste for literature. The spected for what it once contained; true way to attack vice, is by setting but women (such is their unfortunate up something else against it. Give to style of education) hazard everything women, in early youth, something to upon one cast of the die ;-when youth acquire, of sufficient interest and im- is gone, all is gone. No human creaportance to command the application ture gives his admiration for nothing; of their mature faculties, and to excite either the eye must be charmed, or the their perseverance in future life; understanding gratified. A woman teach them, that happiness is to be must talk wisely or look well. Every derived from the acquisition of know- human being must put up with the ledge, as well as the gratification of coldest civility, who has neither the vanity; and you will raise up a much charms of youth nor the wisdom of more formidable barrier against dissipa- age. Neither is there the slightest tion, than an host of invectives and ex-commiseration for decayed accomplishhortations can supply. ments; -no man mourns over the It sometimes happens that an un-fragments of a dancer, or drops a tear fortunate man gets drunk with very on the relics of musical skill. They bad wine-not to gratify his palate but are flowers destined to perish; but to forget his cares: he does not set the decay of great talents is always any value on what he receives, but on the subject of solemn pity; and, even account of what it excludes ;-it keeps when their last memorial is over, their out something worse than itself. Now, ruins and vestiges are regarded with though it were denied that the acquisi-pious affection. tion of serious knowledge is of itself There is no connection between the important to a woman, still it prevents a taste for silly and pernicious works of imagination; it keeps away the horrid trash of novels; and, in lieu of that eagerness for emotion and adven

ignorance in which women are kept, and the preservation of moral and religious principle; and yet certainly there is, in the minds of some timid and respectable persons, a vague, inde

finite dread of knowledge, as if it were points upon which we have insisted,capable of producing these effects. It Why the disproportion in knowledge might almost be supposed, from the between the two sexes should be so dread which the propagation of know-great, when the inequality in natural ledge has excited, that there was some talents is so small; or why the undergreat secret which was to be kept in im- standing of women should be lavished penetrable obscurity, that all moral upon trifles, when nature has made it rules were a species of delusion and capable of higher and better things, we imposture, the detection of which, by profess ourselves not able to understand. the improvement of the understanding, The affectation charged upon female would be attended with the most fatal knowledge is best cured by making that consequences to all, and particularly knowledge more general: and the to women. If we could possibly un- economy devolved upon women is best derstand what these great secrets were, secured by the ruin, disgrace, and inwe might perhaps be disposed to concur convenience which proceeds from negin their preservation; but believing that lecting it. For the care of children, all the salutary rules which are imposed nature has made a direct and powerful women are the result of true wisdom, provision; and the gentleness and eleand productive of the greatest happi- gance of women is the natural conse ness, we cannot understand how they quence of that desire to please which are to become less sensible of this truth is productive of the greatest part of in proportion as their power of dis- civilisation and refinement, and which covering truth in general is increased, rests upon a foundation too deep to be and the habit of viewing questions with shaken by any such modifications in accuracy and comprehension esta-education as we have proposed. If you blished by education. There are men, educate women to attend to dignified indeed, who are always exclaiming and important subjects, you are multiagainst every species of power, because plying, beyond measure, the chances of it is connected with danger: their human improvement, by preparing and dread of abuses is so much stronger medicating those early impressions, than their admiration of uses, that they which always come from the mother; would cheerfully give up the use of fire, and which, in a great majority of inganpowder, and printing, to be freed stances, are quite decisive of character from robbers, incendiaries, and libels. and genius. Nor is it only in the busiIt is true, that every increase of know-ness of education that women would dre may possibly render depravity influence the destiny of men.—If womore depraved, as well as it may in- men knew more, men must learn more crease the strength of virtue. It is in for ignorance would then be shameitself only power; and its value de- ful--and it would become the fashion pends on its application. But, trust to be instructed. The instruction of to the natural love of good where there women improves the stock of national is no temptation to be bad-it operates talents, and employs more minds for nowhere more forcibly than in educa- the instruction and amusement of the on. No man, whether he be tutor, world;-it increases the pleasures of guardian, or friend, ever contents him- society, by multiplying the topics upon self with infusing the mere ability to which the two sexes take a common inacquire; but giving the power, he gives terest, and makes marriage an interwith it a taste for the wise and rational course of understanding as well as of exercise of that power; so that an affection, by giving dignity and imporeducated person is not only one with tance to the female character. The stronger and better faculties than others, education of women favours public but with a more useful propensity morals; it provides for every season a disposition better cultivated -and of life, as well as for the brightest and associations of a higher and more im- the best; and leaves a woman when she portant class. is stricken by the hand of time, not as she now is, destitute of everything, and

In short, and to recapitulate the main

neglected by all; but with the full power and the splendid attractions of knowledge,-diffusing the elegant pleasures of polite literature, and receiving the just homage of learned and accomplished men.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

(E. REVIEW, 1810.)

Remarks on the System of Education in Public Schools. 8vo. Hatchard. London, 1809.

THERE is a set of well-dressed, prosperous gentlemen, who assemble daily at Mr. Hatchard's shop; —clean, civil personages, well in with people in power,-delighted with every existing institution-and almost with every existing circumstance:-and, every now and then, one of these personages writes a little book;-and the rest praise that little book-expecting to be praised, in their turn, for their own little books: -and of these little books, thus written by these clean, civil personages, so expecting to be praised, the pamphlet before us appears to be one.

By a public school, we mean an endowed place of education of old standing, to which the sons of gentlemen resort in considerable numbers, and where they continue to reside, from eight or nine, to eighteen years of age. We do not give this as a definition which would have satisfied Porphyry or Dun-Scotus, but as one sufficiently accurate for our purpose. The characteristic features of these schools are, their antiquity, the numbers and the ages of the young people who are educated at them. We beg leave, however, to premise, that we have not the slightest intention of insinuating anything to the disparagement of the present discipline or present rulers of these schools, as compared with other times and other men: we have no reason whatever to doubt that they are as ably governed at this, as they have been at any preceding period. Whatever objections we may have to these institutions, they are to faults, not depending upon present administration, but upon original construction.*

At a public school (for such is the system established by immemorial cusThe subject of it is the advantage of tom), every boy is alternately tyrant public schools; and the author, very cre- and slave. The power which the elder ditably to himself, ridicules the absurd part of these communities exercises clamour, first set on foot by Dr. Rennel, over the younger, is exceedingly great of the irreligious tendency of public-very difficult to be controlled-and schools he then proceeds to an investi- accompanied, not unfrequently, with gation of the effects which public schools cruelty and caprice. It is the common may produce upon the moral charac-law of the place, that the young should ter; and here the subject becomes be implicitly obedient to the elder boys; more difficult and the pamphlet worse. and this obedience resembles more the In arguing any large or general submission of a slave to his master, or question, it is of infinite importance to of a sailor to his captain, than the attend to the first feelings which the common and natural deference which mention of the topic has a tendency to would always be shown by one boy to excite; and the name of a public school another a few years older than himself. brings with it immediately the idea of Now, this system we cannot help conbrilliant classical attainments: but, sidering as an evil,-because it inflicts upon the importance of these studies, upon boys, for two or three years of we are not now offering any opinion. The only points for consideration are, whether boys are put in the way of becoming good and wise men by these schools; and whether they actually gather, there, those attainments, which it pleases mankind, for the time being, to consider as valuable, and to decorate by the name of learning.

best cure for the insolence of youthful A public school is thought to be the aristocracy. This insolence, however, is not a little increased by the homage of natural check in the world. There can be masters, and would soon meet with its no occasion to bring 500 boys together to teach to a young nobleman that proper demeanour which he would learn so much better from the first English gentleman whom he might think proper to insult.

quite as real, and quite as acute, while it lasts, as any of the sufferings of mature life: and the utility of these sufferings, or the price paid in compensation for them, should be clearly made out to a conscientious parent, before he consents to expose his children to them.

The

their lives, many painful hardships, and tranquillity of mind, through the medium much unpleasant servitude. These of twenty intervening years; but it is sanerings might perhaps be of some use in military schools; but to give to a boy the habit of enduring privations to which he will never again be called apon to submit-to inure him to pains which he will never again feel-and to subject him to the privation of comforts, with which he will always in future abound-is surely not a very useful This system also gives to the elder and valuable severity in education. boys an absurd and pernicious opinion It is not the life in miniature which he of their own importance, which is often is to lead hereafter- nor does it bear with difficulty effaced by a considerany relation to it :-he will never again able commerce with the world. be subjected to so much insolence and head of a public school is generally exprice; nor ever, in all human proba- a very conceited young man, utterly buity, called upon to make so many ignorant of his own dimensions, and Recruices. The servile obedience which losing all that habit of conciliation toit teaches, might be useful to a me- wards others, and that anxiety for selfwal domestic; or the habits of en-improvement, which result from the terprise which it encourages, prove natural modesty of youth. Nor is this of importance to a military parti- conceit very easily and speedily gotten san; but we cannot see what bearing rid of; we have seen (if we mistake it has upon the calm, regular, civil not) public-school importance lasting life, which the sons of gentlemen, through the half of after-life, strutting destined to opulent idleness, or to any in lawn, swelling in ermine, and disof the three learned professions, are playing itself, both ridiculously and destined to lead. Such a system makes offensively, in the haunts and business many boys very miserable; and pro- of bearded men. duces those bad effects upon the temper There is a manliness in the athletic and disposition, which unjust suffering exercises of public schools, which is as ways does produce;- but what good seductive to the imagination as it is it does, we are much at a loss to con- utterly unimportant in itself. Of what ceive. Reasonable obedience is ex-importance is it in after-life, whether tremely useful in forming the disposi-a boy can play well or ill at cricket; tion. Submission to tyranny lays the or row a boat with the skill and precifoundation of hatred, suspicion, cun- sion of a waterman? if our young lords ning, and a variety of odious passions. and esquires were hereafter to wrestle We are convinced that those young together in public, or the gentlemen of people will turn out to be the best the Bar to exhibit Olympic games in men, who have been guarded most Hilary Term, the glory attached to effectually, in their childhood, from these exercises at public schools would every species of useless vexation and be rational and important. experienced, in the greatest degree, the what use is the body of an athlete, hiessings of a wise and rational indul- when we have good laws over our zence. But even if these effects upon heads,-or when a pistol, a post-chaise, fature character are not produced, or a porter can be hired for a few shilstill, four or five years in childhood lings? A gentleman does nothing make a very considerable period of but ride or walk; and yet such a ridihuman existence: and it is by no culous stress is laid upon the manliness means a trifling consideration whether of the exercises customary at public they are past happily or unhappily. schools-exercises in which the greates The wretchedness of school tyranny is blockheads commonly excel the mosttriling enough to a man who only which often render habits of idleness contemplates it, in ease of body and inveterate - and often lead to foolish

But of