that what they choose to denominate 'False Philosophy' caused the French re-action. Gracious Heaven! I shall choke: what foul atrocious libel, what slanderous calumny is this? Why, the virtuous men, the philosophers of France, the very men who had illumined the civilized world to the farthest verge of the horizon of science, were dragged to the same scaffold with those who might have saved the country from anarchy, had they timely listened to good advice! No, no, my friend, trust me, revolution spares no party; levels every barrier. That a re-action must take place in England, as matter of strict necessity, unless checked by measures of efficient wisdom, is as clear as any deduction ever drawn from clear premises. At this moment her subjects, 'the many,' are bowed down with unmerited suffering, galled, and cut to the quick; they are merely awed to abject subjection by the armed governmental force, and this the latter well know. What a horrible state of things, in a country which boasts to have attained the very summit of civilized excellence and happiness! Precisely the same causes that gave birth to the ferment, and at last served to ignite the popular rage in the Gallic capital, will give birth to that which will burst forth here. France fell not from false philosophy; Oh no;

she fell from mis-government, hot-headed bigotry, apathy towards the sufferings of human nature. Because the knowledge of the people waged war with the principles of their government. And so will Britain unless her governors will consent to retrace their course, to say honestly, 'We have erred, let us see our way and amend.' Would they be but thus candid and sincere, they would receive joyful cooperation from united intellect, from talent, brilliant as that which enlightened France ere she sunk, dragging with her the hopes of Europe, who had fondly looked to her as the central mart from whence philanthropy, knowledge, and happiness, were to flow in a triple stream. The lands of the great proprietors were confiscated, and sold in the usual way for the State's use; but no divisional equalization, no true recognition of the rights of man took place, at least were not placed on a permanent footing. One tyranny was, as usual, succeeded by another, worse and more enslaving. May our fate be the reverse of theirs.

"Why should we be ashamed to act as prudence dictates? avoid the fury of the storm by timely listening to the hollow murmur which precedes it?"

LETTER XXIV.

66

"THE first proceeding imperiously requisite to pave the way for the re-admission of man into the bosom of Nature, to prepare him for the reception of the happiness peculiarly his own, 'as man' is to pursue a widely different plan in what we term 'education,' his mental instruction; as to its quantity, quality, and mode of communication. It is foreign to my purpose, here to enter into detail as to what he ought, or ought not to learn; but I will make a slight enumeration of a few leading particulars.

"Almost every individual will require different shades of treatment, according to individual temperament, natural bias of inclination, power of application, and the earlier or later development of faculty. I apprehend it matters but little whether a man acquires this or that knowledge, a year sooner, or a year later; but I humbly conceive, it makes an immense difference to himself and his fellowmen, whether he proves in the sequel a good or bad citizen. How any result, but disgrace and degradation, and defeat of good intention,

can ensue from the mode of tuition at present in general vogue, I am at a loss to imagine.

"The usual plan pursued, is, to tear him away at a tender age, while his husk is yet green, to the roof of some relentless pedagogue; to be battered into shape by the latter, in the first instance, for want of precocity; and to be bullied and kicked by bigger boys, to expedite his symmetry, in the next: the engines of terror couched in divers forms, are set in fearful array against his soul. What fine minds, what dawning powers of intellectual superiority, are thus but too often nipped in the bud, blunted, crushed for ever! Here, here, behold the rise of passions denominated 'evil.' To this source refer the blasting of virtuous propensity. Here view the spring of revengeful vows, of malignant triumph over the weakness of others; of cunning, of avarice, pride, cowardice, theft, murder. It is perfectly surprising to me, that any virtue at all, emerges from these dreary abodes, these forced tasks of ignorant labour, these tears of pain and young despair. If the seminary is of the better sort, that is, devoted to the reception of the children of the higher orders, the first serious employment is, to inhale as much drudgery in the acquisition of languages called 'the learned,' of the classic authors of Greece and

Rome, as can be crammed into a space of intellectual capacity as yet narrow, and demanding much expansion. These he acquires by rote, as a parrot, and with just as much understanding of their intrinsic value. I speak the more confidently on this head, because I happen to have witnessed a good deal of this sort of thing myself. Do not think I am decrying these models of grace and beauty; I know their excellence full well; I know that every line of them, properly acquired at a proper time, will furnish a new idea. All I would urge is, that they are taught much too early; before the mind can bear their weight as it should be borne; before it can appreciate their loveliness. Does any scholar mean to gravely tell me, that a child can catch the mournful elegance of Virgil? If he says 'yes,' perhaps he will further pronounce, that the child aforesaid will see through the dark allusions in the Choroi of Sophocles; he may as well advance one position as the other. I advise to postpone these acquirements which are, after all, strictly speaking, supernumerary, to riper years, when they will be relished as they deserve. It is premature drudgery which causes the distaste that ensures their being afterwards thrown on one side, with contempt and execration."