to the memory of the author of Sandford and Merton, a work which formed one of my chief sources of pleasure in my childhood, and which in more advanced life I read with pleasure still: neither can I refrain from mentioning the works of Mr. Lindley Murray, granting that these are principally collections from various writers, for young persons of all ages.

But to teach children, parents and other instructors must themselves have understanding: the blind cannot lead the blind; at least if they do, the consequences are obvious. Plutarch tells us to apply our minds to all such studies as may conduce to the right education of our children; and gives us an example, a woman of a barbarous nation: her name was Eurydice of Hierapolis: she, to enable her the better to instruct her children, when she was herself in her declining years, applied to the study of learning. The first step to wisdom

is to be sensible of ignorance; and they who take on them the charge of education should not do it rashly: it is one perpetually recurring, and because it is so, its importance ceases to be considered. The sun rises daily to cheer and bless the face of nature; the tide ebbs and flows again; the trees and the fields clothe themselves with new gifts, and verdure and beauty: these wonders are constantly renewing themselves before our eyes, and because of their constant recurrence, we heed them not: the heirs of immortality are daily committed to our care, and hence with utter unconcern we receive the sacred deposit. Crates the ancient philosopher was wont to say that if he could ascend to the highest place in the city, he would lift up his voice and proclaim thence, "What mean ye, fellow citizens, that ye are thus eager to amass wealth, and take so little care of your children?" What he wished to proclaim many centuries ago, may still be proclaimed in

1

our ears: yet it must be remembered that he that would reform the state, must begin with self reformation. He that would have wise and virtuous children, must himself study to attain wisdom and virtue.

CHAP. IX.

DR. DODDRIDGE recommends that children should be taught the observance of little forms of civility toward each other; trifling, as he says, in themselves, but trifles make up the sum of human happiness or misery. Love or hatred springs up from things that are imperceptible; here too, let the elder set the example to the younger. Our behaviour at home should always resemble that which we think it our duty to observe abroad. Who are the best entitled to our complacency and kind offices? A stranger whom we may never see again, a common acquaintance, or our father, our mother, our brother, our sister, those

with whom we pass our days? Politeness dictates that in company the first attentions should be paid to strangers, but benevolence, the spring of real politeness, will never permit us to neglect our nearest friends or relations. I have seen a gentleman of the most polished manners, giving an entertainment, on a particular occasion, to a large company: every one was treated with proper consideration; so were his relations, a venerable but infirm mother, sisters, brothers: dependants, servants, for he attended to all; and this was no shew for a particular occasion, it was his uniform practice. Children, especially those in a better station in life, are early taught, as one of their very important duties, the ceremonials of politeness to strangers and visitors. The preliminary steps to these, certainly ought to be civility and attention toward one ano¬ ther, and toward parents and teachers. The common saying, "too much familiarity breeds contempt," has truth on its side: there ought to be mutual respect in