unchangeably the same; had these, and similar explanations, been vouchsafed, then I should have found that I was adding to my fund of information by studying the rudiments of grammar." p. 15.

Several very judicious remarks follow, on the best method of teaching grammar, arithmetic, &c. which might easily be reduced to practice, as is shown when our author is removed by the interference of an uncle, to the care of Mr. H. a clergyman, whose method of at once enlightening the minds, and engaging the affections of his pupils, is represented as carried to a degree of perfection which others less fortunate in their plans, or the effects arising from them, may be inclined to consider as Utopian-for private education it is certainly most admirably adapted, the only inconvenience pertaining to it, is that it requires the master himself to set the example to his pupils, of all that he may wish them to attain. Under this gentleman's care, our author recovers the graces and vigor of youth, which had been exchanged, through the ignorance and ill-timed severity of Mr. P. for sullen passiveness, and mechanical plodding. He acquires a competent knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages; of arithmetic, and general reading—and sets off, after some little argument between his parents as to the mode of education best calculated to advance his interests, to a celebrated classical school. Eager for eminence, and confident of success, he acquits himself, in his first examination, highly to the satisfaction of his master, until he is desired to make a copy of Latin verses. His declaration of inability is attributed to modesty, and an hour is allowed him for the invocation of the muse. "Mr. H." says he, had several times endeavoured to give me the knack of versifying, but when he discovered that I had no taste whatever for the art, he gave up the attempt altogether, and instead of suffering me to waste my time in an unprofitable employment, he gave me opportunities of exerting my talents upon subjects from which I was more likely to derive advantage. In vain therefore did I distract my brains, rub my head, and bite my pen to pieces; not a tolerable verse could I put together; even those half sentences, and detached phrases from Ovid and Virgil, which I might otherwise have recollected, eluded the efforts of memory; and when my examiner returned he found nothing on my paper, but lines scratched out, single words, large blots, unconnected adjectives, verbs without nominative cases, and nominative cases without verbs." p. 148. This specimen of our author's poetical talent speedily demolishes the proud fabric of visionary honors to which he had aspired; he is reduced to a mere cypher in the school, and though he denies himself even his play hours, in order that he may become a poet, he finds himself unable to get beyond a few lines of verse more incorrect and inharmonious than was furnished by

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the most illiterate lad in the school, who could yet familiarise himself with the "Gradus ad Parnassum." A disappointment so severe naturally leads to an enquiry into the real value of the art which the masters of these classical schools seem to consider "although no science, fairly worth the seven." That our readers may be enabled to judge, he shall state the arguments on which his opinion is founded. "When I was at *****," says he, "the business of a class, composed of boys from eleven to fourteen years of age, consisted entirely of the same subjects, week after week, without any variation. None but ancient authors were read; nothing but Greek grammar, or Latin lines were committed to memory, no exercises imposed, but those which initiated them in a dead language, and out of these, which were six in number during the week, four were to be verses. Hence the study of their native tongue, an acquaintance with the history of their own country, religious instruction, and the science of arithmetic, were esteemed too insignificant to be taken into consideration, and while a boy was flogged for his bad metre, or wrong concord, he was not even questioned as to his proficiency in numbers, or knowledge of modern events. It was a matter of so much consequence to know that Romulus was the founder of Rome, that disgrace would follow an incorrect answer if the query related to the year of his death; but nobody was required to know even the name of England's king, or the form of its government. The youngest boy in the class must not be ignorant of the mythology of the golden age, while the oldest need give himself no trouble to learn what were the clouds of darkness, which the sun of righteousness came on earth to dispel." p. 157.

It is this sameness of plan, applied alike to all degrees of intellect, all varieties of taste, that renders so large a portion of what is called Public Education positively useless, as far as any application can be made of it in after life. The real utility of compelling young persons to compose Latin verses and themes has been often questioned, and Milton and Locke, or Cicero and Quintilian, have been brought in as authorities accordingly as their respective opinions might strengthen arguments for or against its being persisted in. Milton condemns it, as "forcing the empty wits of children" to undertakings far beyond their power to do well, and not of any value if they are done ill-but perhaps his reverence for learning here carries him too far; as if it were profaning it to suffer the semblance of it to be sported with. Locke equally condemns it; but for different and less worthy reasons. By all means," says he, " obtain, if you can, that your son be not employed in making Latin themes and declamations, and least of all verses of any kind." But the reason he gives for this injunction, viz. that a poetic vein is more likely to cause poverty and idleness, than to

promote the fortunes of him who indulges it, is what one would expect from such a writer as Anthony Wood, rather than the philosopher by whose name it is sanctioned. That composition is highly favorable to the strengthening of the reasoning faculties, none can be inclined to doubt-for it teaches a clear and methodical arrangement of the ideas, as well as to connect, adorn, and illustrate them. In the composition of verse, another advantage is gained besides enabling the ear to distinguish all the niceties and beauties of rhythm. It peculiarly inculcates conciseness and perspicuity, a choice of words, and a propriety of epithets which must have a salutary effect upon every other species of writing in which the young student may hereafter engage: but all these advantages may be purchased too dearly; in fact, by many they could never be purchased at all, and surely the labor of years, and those years the most valuable of human life, as being those which are the freest from human cares, is too great a price to pay for an abortive attempt. It is in making Latin verses and other compositions the principal feature in their plan of education, and insisting upon it. that all shall make them alike, whether their skulls possess the poetic faculty or not, that the principal public schools in this country appear to us to be in fault.

But there is still another subject of complaint, much more, serious in its nature and fatal in its consequences, and which would not have so long existed had it not been for that blind veneration of classical authors that will not admit of a line being blotted from their page, however impious or detestable the sentiment it may contain. Our author speaks on this topic in a tone of virtuous indignation, which will surely make its appeal to all who have the care of youth, particularly when they recollect that he acknowledges himself to speak experimentally, to have bought his knowledge with the loss of innocence, and that he dates many of his, subsequent sorrows to the errors of conduct he fell into, and the opinions he imbibed at *****, where the study of vice was sanctioned, and its practice rendered familiar; where punishments were merely applied pro forma, and were in themselves of a nature calculated to efface all remains of decent shame, and generous feeling.

After speaking of the neglect of instruction in the doctrines of Christianity, or even the ordinations of the church, though a constant obedience to its outward forms is required in these public schools, the masters of which are almost uniformly clergymen, our author thus proceeds: "I speak on this subject with regret, and can only lament over the mischief which results from so erroneous a system; but I can scarcely keep my temper within auv bounds, when I recall the melancholy and shocking depravity

which is nourished at ***** and elsewhere, by the free admission of licentious books into the school. I mean classical books. There are publications in English, which, though infinitely less destructive to the morals of boys, than the Roman and Greek authors to which I am alluding, would very properly call down the heaviest punishment upon him in whose hands they were found. But why are not pernicious works in one language to be put to the ban, as well as those in another? The most abominable passages that have ever been printed in English cannot be compared to the infamous sentiments and details which we find in Greek and Latin. The productions of Anacreon, Aristophanes, Horace, and Juvenal, contain matter which it is shameful for an adult to allow himself to read, and yet those are the books which are not only tolerated but encouraged amongst us. I declare I blush at the recollection of passages which I have heard my school-fellows reading to one another, while they chuckled at the licence which was granted them to peruse as much grossness as they pleased, provided that the author wrote in the languages of Greece or Rome. Luscious and warm descriptions, and voluptuous images, although they are unfit for the eyes of boyhood, are yet pardonable, comparatively speaking, provided that they keep within the bounds. of nature and delicacy. But the execrable sensualists whose infamous pages are open to boys in statu pupillari,' kept within no limits. Nothing was too filthy or too accursed for them to dilate upon; no mysteries were too sacred for them to investigate; nothing was unforbidden which they did not transgress; nothing in short was unveiled or untold, which ought to have been kept out of sight, and out of mention for ever. They gave names to what ought to have been nameless; they gave existence to worse than bestial abominations, and excused or recommended the vilest practices to which man can surrender himself. And yet these are the authors, with all their hideous and detestable defilements, which are permitted to pollute the minds of those who are sent at a tender age for the acquirement of knowledge." p. 202. Surely no comment is requisite on such a passage as this-is there any one that can be so blind as to shut his eyes against the magnitude of the evil of which it complains? What adds to it is that these authors, who have thus profaned the sacred gifts of genius and imagination by this foul misapplication of their powers, are held up as examples of estimable qualities, as men, as well as poets. Horace is represented as the favorite of emperors; Anacreon, the graceful Anacreon, binding his silver locks with roses, is set forth as an example of how much old age may retain of enjoyments under the influence of a convivial spirit; and all the virtues of social life are,

by a strange perversion of principle, shown as linked with an admiration and practice publicly avowed of the grossest vices.

The author next descants upon the method of enforcing the acquirement of this species of knowledge. Bowing, as the masters of public schools do, to classical authorities, in almost every other instance, it is somewhat surprising that in this they persist in acting decidedly against the advice of one who was familiar with the business of tuition, and has conveyed his sentiments on the subject to posterity in a style of purity and eloquence well calcu lated to set off the soundness of his arguments :-we mean Quintilian, who uniformly speaks in terms of reprehension against the use of the rod, as indiscriminately applied. Our author's statements on the subject are sufficiently strong and convincing, and it will not invalidate their force when we say that the only reason why we do not lay some of them before our readers, is that the theme itself is scarcely fit for public discussion.-Altogether many valuable hints may be taken from this small volume, and the author will, we doubt not, feel a conscious satisfaction in having rendered some service to society even by the acknowledgment of his own errors,

ON THE SCIENCE

OF THE EGYPTIANS AND CHALDEANS.

No. VI.

HAVING shown that the great Hebrew Lawgiver was as profoundly skilled in chemistry and metallurgy, as Philo Judæus and Clemens Alexandrinus assert him to have been in mathematics, arithmetic, and astronomy; and having assumed, what I suppose no one will deny, that Moses was indebted for his human learning to the Egyptians; I shall proceed to speak of some scientific discoveries which have been attributed to the sages of Egypt. I have. no intention of vouching for the reality of all of these discoveries. My readers will judge for themselves of the credibility which is due to the different statements, which I shall have to make on the