at years of difcretion, who live together like brethren. There is no more unequivocal exhibition of imbecility, than the behaviour of a parent who, in his fon now become a citizen at large, cannot forget the child; and who exercises, or attempts to exercife, an unfeemly authority over him. The ftate of equality, which is the confummation of a juft education, fhould for ever be borne in mind. We fhould always .treat our children with fome deference, and make them in fome degree the confidents of our affairs and our purposes. We should extract from them fome of the benefits of friendship, that they may one day be capable of becoming friends in the utmost extent of the term. We fhould refpect them, that they may respect themselves. We fhould behold their proceedings with the eyes of men towards men, that they may learn to feel their portion of importance, and regard their actions as the actions of moral and intelligent beings.

ESSAY

gay; we may be affectionate; our countenance may be dreffed in fimiles; we may stoop to their capacities; we may adapt ourselves to the quickness and mutability of their tempers. We may do all this; we may win the kindness of their hearts; at the fame time that we are lifting them up to our level, not finking ourselves. to theirs.

The whole of this branch of education undoubtedly requires the delicate preferving of a certain medium. We fhould reason with children, but not to fuch a degree as to render them parrots or fophifts. We fhould treat them as poffeffing a certain importance, but not so as to render them fops and coxcombs. We should repofe in them a certain confidence, and to a certain extent demand their affiftance and advice, but not fo as to convey a falfhood to their minds, or make them conceive they have accomplishments which they have not.

In early youth there muft perhaps be fome fubjection of the pupil to the mere will of his fuperior. But even then the friend need not be altogether loft in the parent. At a certain age the parental character fhould perhaps be wholly loft. There is no fpectacle that more forcibly extorts the approbation of the human mind, than that of a father and child, already arrived

at years of discretion, who live together like brethren. There is no more unequivocal exhibition of imbecility, than the behaviour of a parent who, in his fon now become a citizen at large, cannot forget the child; and who exercises, or attempts to exercise, an unfeemly authority over him. The state of equality, which is the confummation of a juft education, should for ever be borne in mind. We should always .treat our children with fome deference, and make them in fome degree the confidents of our affairs and our purposes. We should extract from them fome of the benefits of friendship, that they may one day be capable of becoming friends in the utmost extent of the term. We should respect them, that they may respect themselves. We fhould behold their proceedings with the eyes of men towards men, that they may learn to feel their portion of importance, and regard their actions as the actions of moral and intelligent beings.

ESSAY

ESSAY XIV.

OF THE OBTAINING OF CONFIDENCE.

THERE is no problem in the fubject of edu

cation more difficult and delicate of folution, than that which relates to the gaining the confidence, and exciting the frankness of youth.

This is a point perhaps that is never to be accomplished by aufterity; and which feems frequently to refuse itself to the kindest and most equitable treatment.

There is an effential disparity between youth and age; and the parent or preceptor is perhaps always an old man to the pupil. Their difpofitions and their purfuits are different; their characters, their ftudies and their amufements muft always be confiderably unlike. This difparity will probably be found, however paradoxical the affertion may appear, to be increased in proportion to the frequency of their intercourse. A parent and a preceptor have of all human beings the least resemblance to children. Convert one young perfon into a fort of fuperintendent and director to his junior, and you will

14

Happy for him, if this development of his nature is proportioned to the growth of his frame, and not forced on prematurely by fome injurious affociate. This is a time when he is indeed in want of a pilot. He is now amidst fhoals and quickfands, furrounded with dangers, on every fide, and of denominations in the utmoft degree varied. Yet this is a time when of all others he fhuns the confidence of his fuperiors. If he were before in the utmost degree open and unreferved, and his thoughts always flowed unadulterated to his tongue, yet now fhame fufpends the communication, and he dares not commit his unfledged notions to the hearing of a monitor. He lights as a confident, upon a perfon, not less young, ignorant and inexperienced than himfelf; or, as it too frequently happens, his confident is of an imagination already debauched and depraved, who, instead of leading him with fafety through untried fields, perpetually ftimulates and conducts him to measures the moft unfortunate.

It has fometimes been queftioned whether fuch a confidence as is here alluded to, ought to be fought by the parent or preceptor, and whether the receiving it will not involve him in difficulties and uncertainties from which the wifeft moralift cannot afterwards extricate him

felf,