a great many bye and private paths which are principally laid down by men themselves. Hence those who feel that they are deficiently educated should not despair on account of their want of schooling. It is true that a want of early training is a sad want, difficult to make up; but it can be made up, and there are now existing means of remedying that deficiency such as were never before obtainable. The faults of late and self-education are these: that he who wins learning by himself, with difficulty and with a great struggle, generally becomes, in some degree, arrogant and conceited. And it is from this, and only from this point of view, that Pope's often-quoted line chiefly quoted to be misused—is true—

"A little learning is a dangerous thing."

But it is by no means true as a whole. A little learning is insufficient; one must "drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;" because a little learning, like a little bread, or a little meat, makes us feel the want of more. "So a little philosophy," says Bacon, “inclineth a man to atheism;" but much philosophy and much learning both make a man more open to conviction and more reverent towards the All-knower.

The first promptings towards self-improvement, or the desire to know more, arise from a sensible deficiency in all of us. An uneducated man feels at a disadvantage amongst those who express themselves clearly, and debate upon what is interesting to all in an interesting way. The two principal subjects of human talk may be divided roughly into Politics and Religion; the concern about the things of this world, and the concern about those of the next. Morals or man

ners are the domestic politics of us all, and no less so the domestic religion. But how are we to understand either of these without some tuition, some learning? If we understand neither, it is plain we are at the mercy of any rabid writer, or eloquent and plausible speaker, who may be in the right, but who more likely is simply like Belial, able "to make the worse appear the better reason." Hence the vulgar-meaning the common people, and so called from a Latin phrase, mobile vulgus -the moveable, easily excited, common people are peculiarly the prey of the eloquent demagogue, who, in every age, is and has been opposed to education. Hence it is that Shakespeare, a self-educated and truly wise man, makes Jack Cade hang the clerk of Chatham, with his pen and inkhorn round his neck, because he had been found teaching little boys to read. Hence the Pharisees were opposed to the Saviour, who not only opened portions of the Scriptures to the doctors, but also proclaimed it as one of the peculiar objects of His mission, and proof of His Divine calling, that the poor should have the gospel preached to them. Hence, too, many who would be only satisfied by having their own views disseminated, are against any scheme of national education: for instance, a Roman Catholic priest threatened an Irish landlord to have his schools shut up-schools in which Roman Catholic children were instructed by their own teachers in their own faith-unless those schools were put under his immediate direction. Hence, also, on the other side of the question, Mr. John Bright objects to newspapers having leading articles written in them, because these articles undoubtedly influence opinion. Now, the only cure for all this and such like tyranny, the only guard

a great many bye and private paths which are principally laid down by men themselves. Hence those who feel that they are deficiently educated should not despair on account of their want of schooling. It is true that a want of early training is a sad want, difficult to make up; but it can be made up, and there are now existing means of remedying that deficiency such as were never before obtainable. The faults of late and self-education are these: that he who wins learning by himself, with difficulty and with a great struggle, generally becomes, in some degree, arrogant and conceited. And it is from this, and only from this point of view, that Pope's often-quoted line chiefly quoted to be misused-is true

"A little learning is a dangerous thing."

But it is by no means true as a whole. A little learning is insufficient; one must "drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;" because a little learning, like a little bread, or a little meat, makes us feel the want of more. "So a little philosophy," says Bacon, “inclineth a man to atheism;" but much philosophy and much learning both make a man more open to conviction and more reverent towards the All-knower.

The first promptings towards self-improvement, or the desire to know more, arise from a sensible deficiency in all of us. An uneducated man feels at a disadvantage amongst those who express themselves clearly, and debate upon what is interesting to all in an interesting way. The two principal subjects of human talk may be divided roughly into Politics and Religion; the concern about the things of this world, and the concern about those of the next. Morals or man

ners are the domestic politics of us all, and no less so the domestic religion. But how are we to understand either of these without some tuition, some learning? If we understand neither, it is plain we are at the mercy of any rabid writer, or eloquent and plausible speaker, who may be in the right, but who more likely is simply like Belial, able "to make the worse appear the better reason." Hence the vulgar-meaning the common people, and so called from a Latin phrase, mobile vulgus -the moveable, easily excited, common people are peculiarly the prey of the eloquent demagogue, who, in every age, is and has been opposed to education. Hence it is that Shakespeare, a self-educated and truly wise man, makes Jack Cade hang the clerk of Chatham, with his pen and inkhorn round his neck, because he had been found teaching little boys to read. Hence the Pharisees were opposed to the Saviour, who not only opened portions of the Scriptures to the doctors, but also proclaimed it as one of the peculiar objects of His mission, and proof of His Divine calling, that the poor should have the gospel preached to them. Hence, too, many who would be only satisfied by having their own views disseminated, are against any scheme of national education: for instance, a Roman Catholic priest threatened an Irish landlord to have his schools shut up-schools in which Roman Catholic children were instructed by their own teachers in their own faith-unless those schools were put under his immediate direction. Hence, also, on the other side of the question, Mr. John Bright objects to newspapers having leading articles written in them, because these articles undoubtedly influence opinion. Now, the only cure for all this and such like tyranny, the only guard

against "my" dogmatism and "your" dogmatism, is to make people think justly and rightly upon a common principle. The result may not please you or me, but it will ennoble and enlighten the people; and the means is Education.

Let us first, however, understand what is the meaning of the word education; for all understanding depends upon the meaning of words. Education (e, Latin, from, out of, and duco, I lead) is a leading out of ignorance, an exodus from that land of Egyptian darkness and bondage. But remember, it is a means, not an end. No man or woman is ever perfectly educated: that is, his or her education is never finished. It begins from the cradle, and ends, it is generally believed, in the grave; perhaps and the view is a sublime one-our education then best commences when spirit is freed from the flesh. For this reason it is absurd to talk of "finishing academies "--both words being ignorantly used. Our education is never finished.

This explanation of the word education will serve to illustrate the first step to be taken in self-improvement; which is, to try, as hard as the self-teacher can, to understand every word he reads, and, as a consequence of this, to put aside all books and all writers that he cannot understand. Such books burden and fill his mind with useless lumber. Such writers themselves, too, it may be added, do not always express clearly what they wish to convey, and therefore are obscure, hidden, wordy, and dry to the humble student. When a man knows what he is writing about, he writes plainly, simply, gracefully; and the result is that, although the subject may be dry, the mind of the reader is refreshed. A clock to a savage who knows nothing