to receive them. A conviction of the importance of univerfities has led me to pay them particular attention; but the general scope of my book is to promote good education, independently of particular places or etablishments, an cbject far fuperior to the concerns of any fingle univerfity, however celebrated. I cannot fuppofe but that both they who educate, and they who have been educated in methods which are reprefented in this Treatife as erroneous or defective, should feel themselves difpleafed with it. Their difpleasure may probably rife to refentment. I lament the probability. I moft fincerely wish it had been poffible to have pleafed them, and at the fame time not to have concealed what appeared to me useful truth. 1 mean to give offence to no man. I have no perfonal enmity. I fpeak plainly, but not malevolently. I am aware that he who endeavours to promote an univerfal advantage, by opposing errors widely diffused, muft meet refiftance. I am alfo convinced, that he ought to disregard both the mistaken and the malicious animadverfions of the interested and the ill-informed. Every reader has indeed a right to make remarks; but his alone will deferve attention, whofe judgment is not influenced on one fide by partiality, nor on the other by malignant paffions. Little good would have been produced by the works of the best writers, if the voice of Truth, and the genuine feelings of Independence, had been fuppreffed by the fear of perfonal or of party refentment. I will not neglect the opportunity afforded by a new edition, of publicly difclaiming all arrogant pretenfions to a method of managing a fchool, fuperior to thofe of the many worthy and able perfons who are at this time engaged in the work of Education. I have indeed in this book fuggefted hints which may poffibly excite the diligence of the idle and inadvertent, or which may be farther improved by the judicious; but I muft entreat the reader not to do me fo much injuftice, as to fuppofe, that I boldly profefs an ability to exccute all that I prefcribe. I clearly fee, and feelingly lament, that in this department, as well as in others, our practice will feldom be adequate to our ideas of rectitude. In the Pamphlets of one or two Writers who have done me the honour to animadvert on my Book, I do not recollect that there is any argument which demands a particular refutation; but I cannot omit acknowledging myself obliged by the very liberal manner in which Mr. Cormifh has made his Remarks, in a fhort Treatife, which he modeftly entitles An Attempt to difplay the Importance of Claffical Learning. The book and the Remarks are both at the tribunal of the Public, and let the Public finally decide. Upon the whole, if from miftake and precipitation I have advanced a fingle opinion injurious to any good man, or any good institution, I beg leave, in this place, to retract it, and to fay with Grotius, ID PRO NON SCRIPTO HABE ATUR. II. On difcovering, whether or not there exifts a Natural Propenfity to Learn- ing, and on fixing the Deftination, according to Appearances, at an early II. On the Question, Whether a public or |