Self-knowledge

naries of learning, fhould forget that the forming the manners is more neceffary to a finished education than furnishing the minds of youth. Socrates, who made all his philofophy fublervient to morality was of this fentiment: and took more pains to rectify tempers than replenish the understandings of his pupils; and looked upon all knowledge as ufelefs fpeculation that was not brought to this end, to make us wifer and better men. And, without doubt, if in the academy the youth has once happily learned the great art of managing his temper, governing his paffions, and guarding his foibles, he will find a more folid advantage from it in after-life, than he could expect from the best acquaintance withall the fyftems of ancient and modern philofophy.

It was a very juft and fenfible anfwer which Agefilaus, the Spartan king, returned to one who afked him, "What it was in which youth ought principally to be inftructed ?" He replied, That which they have moft need to practife when they are men' (a). Were this fingle rule but carefully at tended to in the method of education, it might probably be conducted in a manner much more to the advantage of our youth than it ordinarily is: for, as Dr. Füller obferves, "That pains we take in books or arts, which treat of things remote from the ufe of life, is but a bufy idlenefs" (b). And what is there in life which youth will have more frequent occafion to practife than this? What is there which they afterwards more regret the want of? What is there in which they want more directi- on and affiftance than the right government of their paffions and prejudices? And what more proper fea-

(a) See Plutarch's Laconic Apothegms, under the word Agchlaus. (4) Rake of Life, page 82.

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fon to receive those aflistances, and to lay a founda-tion for this difficult but very important fcience, than the early part of youth?

It may be faid," it is properly the office and care if parents to watch over and correct the tempers of their children in the first years of their infancy, when it may eafieft be done." But if it be not done effectually then (as it very feldom is) there is the more neceffity for it afterwards. But the truth is, it is the proper office and carę of all who have the charge of youth, and ought to be looked upon as the moft important and neceffary part of education.

It was the obfervation of a great divine and reformer, "That he who acquires his learning at the expence of his morals, is the worfe for his education:" and we may add, That he who does not improve his temper, together with his understanding, is not much the better for it; for he ought to meafure his progrefs in fcience by the improvement of his morals; and remember that he is no further a learned man than he is a wife and good man; and that he cannot be a finished philofopher till he is a christian.

But whence is it that moral philofophy, which was fo carefully cultivated in the ancient academy, fhould be forced in the modern to give place to natural, that was originally defigned to be fubfervient to it? which is to exalt the handmaid into the place of miftrefs (c). This appears not only a pre

Things were coming to this pass fo early as Seneca's time; who laments that plain and open truth was turned into a dark and intricate science. "Philofophy (fays he) is turned into Phi"lology; and that through the fault both of masters and scholars, "the one teach to difpute, not to live; and the other come to them to mend their wits, not their mannes: whereas philofophy is nothing elfe but a rule of life. Quid autem philofophia,, nifi vita lex cft."

pofterous, but a pernicious method of inftitution for as the mind takes a turn of thought in future life, fuitable to the tincture it hath received in youth, it will naturally conclude that there is no neceffity to regard, or at least to lay any ftrefs upon what was never inculcated upon it as a matter of importance then and fo will grow up in a neglect or difefteem of thofe things which are more neceffary to make a perfon a wife and truly understanding man than all thofe rudiments of fcience he brought with him. from the school or college.

It is really a melancholy thing to fee a young gentleman of fhining parts, and a fweet difpofition, who has gone through the common courfe of academical ftudies, come out into the world under an abfolute government of his paffions and prejudices; which have increased with his learning, and which, when he comes to be better acquainted with human life and human nature, he is foon fenfible and afhamed of; but perhaps is never able to conquer as long as he lives, for want of that affiftance which he aught to have received in his education; for a wrong education is one of thofe three things to which it is owing (as an ancient chriftian and philofopherjustly obferves) that fo few have the right govern-.. ment of their paffions (d).

I would not be thought to depreciate any part of human literature, but fhould be glad to fee this moft ufeful branch of fcience, the knowledge of the heart, the detecting and correcting hurtful prejudices, and

(d) Bad paffions fpring up in the mind three ways; viz. through a bad education, great ignorance, or a diforder in the animal frame. (1.) From a bad education; for if we have not been taught from our childhood to govern our paffions with all poffible care, they will foon come to have the government of us. Nemes. de Nat. Hom. p. 182..

the right government of the temper and paffions in more general esteem; as neceflary at once to form the gentleman, the scholar, and the chriftian.

And if there be any thing in this fhort Treatife which may be helpful to ftudents, who have a regard to the right government of their minds, whilst they are furnishing them with ufeful knowledge, I would particularly recommend it to their perufal,

I have nothing further to add, but to defire the reader's excufe for the freedom with which I have delivered my fentiments in this matter, and for detaining him fo long from his fubject; which I now leave to his candid and ferious thoughts, and the blefling of Almighty God to make it useful to him..