neers of France, and the youth destined for military and naval professions are educated, the publick has had such full accounts, that it would be needless to repeat the detail. But it may be useful to observe, that, independently of all that is taught in that institution, parents are anxious that their sons should obtain admittance into the academy, because every member of it, who does not forfeit his place by ill conduct, is certain to be employed and to be brought forward on his entrance into life. But admittance into l'Ecole Polytechnique is not to be obtained by favour, not even by the highest interest or recommendations. It is to be obtained by merit alone. The members are selected from the provincial and preparatory schools, where the pupils undergo yearly a strict examination. The competition is great and public; and it is scarcely possible that any youth should obtain the wishedfor entrance into l'Ecole Polytechnique without superior diligence, talents, and knowledge.

A similar establishment might, without great expense, be created in this country. One great central college might be patronized by government; entrance into which should be

"but this is a favour, which cannot now be obtained without great difficulty. "Of the 1300 regular pupils, above two thirds have been employed in the "different public services for which this school prepares them; that is to say, "the military service, civil and military, naval and geographical engineer“ing, ship-building, and surveying of mines. The rest of the pupils have "become public professors, artists, or master-manufacturers, or merchants. Others, the sons of persons of independent fortunes, live as private gentleand continue to cultivate the arts and sciences in the bosom of their "families. About one hundred, or one hundred and twenty pupils are ad"mitted into the school every year.”

men,

procured by nothing but merit ascertained by public examinations in all the schools in the kingdom. At these examinations, all candidates voluntarily presenting themselves, wherever or however educated, should be admitted to stand the trial. How many able candidates would spring up as soon as it should be understood that government would employ and provide for those who should gain admittance into the central college! How soon would the rays of national talent be concentrated upon military science!

any

Six years' actual service is requisite to obtain a lieutenant's commission in the navy, except in the case of being educated at the Portsmouth naval college, which shortens the probationary period to four years. Would it not be advantageous to the nation to allow, that the having been properly educated at other school should entitle youth to the same exemptions? The propriety of the education might be ascertained by a rigorous examination, suppose by the masters of Portsmouth college, and by some sea captain, who has been in actual service. The duration of service should not be curtailed two years for every one who answered passably, but should be exactly proportioned to the merits of each candidate. What a powerful incentive this would be to parents to bestow pains on the education of their children! what a strong motive to young men to exert themselves! No other reward that could be held out would come so home to their breasts. Similar examinations and encouragements, and a similar probationary mode of education, might be adopted for the army. Admittance into Woolwich academy, for instance, should not be obtained by favour, but should be the reward of merit in the

pupils; they should undergo strict and impartial examination before they obtain this chance of a provision for life. After their admittance, their promotion should also be the reward of their own merit. This system ought to be impartially pursued, without regard to any recommendations from rank or fortune; without adverting to parliamentary interest or any species of influence, talents and merit should be invariably rewarded by promotion.

A circumstance, which contributes much to the progress of the pupils in l'Ecole Polytechnique, is the clear perception they have, that they are taught nothing but what will be indispensably necessary to their progress in life, or immediately useful to them when they leave the academy to enter upon their military career. This should be particularly attended to in our academies.

In some military academies the species of drawing which the pupils are taught has no relation to their future profession. To have learned in one year (the time which they usually remain at an academy) to draw a foot or a hand, an eye or the convolution of an ear, cannot surely contribute much to forward a military youth in the art of taking sketches of countries, or of drawing plans of fortifications.

Even young people who have the quickest capacities, and the most eager desire for knowledge, are discouraged and disgusted if they perceive, that what they have acquired is of no immediate practical application. The mother of the profligate but able Regent of France reproached him when

a youth with growing tired of all that he had learned, even though he had learned with the utmost facility, and showed at first the greatest eagerness for knowledge. He replied—“ Ma"dam, I love to know every thing; but when I have learnt all "these things, I do not know what to do with them: I find "these sciences are of no use to me in society; when I have got so far, I can go no farther; I cannot use them; I grow "tired; and I forget them."

66

Both men and boys forget and grow tired of knowledge, of which they do not feel the use. Yet unfortunately, it happens too often that preceptors, instead of considering what will be useful to their pupils to learn, think themselves bound in honour, or in duty, to teach all that is known by learned men. To exercise the judgment and invention, and to afford young people opportunities of applying whatever knowledge they acquire, should be the continual endeavour of those who undertake the cultivation of their minds. Half the knowledge, with twice the power of applying it, is better than twice the knowledge with half the power of applying it. The common newspapers of the day, the topics of general conversation, the passing circumstances of public affairs, afford ingenious and judicious preceptors constant and interesting occasions of exercising the faculties of their pupils in various ways and in different degrees. Even boys of capacities the least improved, and who are the most deficient in information, can surely follow on the map the progress of armies actually in the field; and the interest they take in this exercise will teach them more of geography, than they could learn with ten times the labour without the same motive. Pupils of more

advanced years, of greater capacities, and more knowledge, will not be content with merely tracing the route of the generals; they will be glad to be called upon to judge of the military operations, and of the means of supplying large armies in the field, and the precautions necessary to secure a retreat. The various and contradictory reports in different newspapers, from which Haller used to say, that he made for himself a political algebra, will afford an exercise for the judgment; mistakes may be continually rectified by experience, and just opinions confirmed by events. The lively interest which is taken in present affairs awakens the energy of the mind; and young people listen and think on these subjects with an eagerness of attention very different from the drowsy application which they give, or seem to give, to abstract questions, or abstruse books. Those who have the most forward and enlarged understandings may be excited to exercise them upon the more difficult questions, that are interesting to their own profession. The trials of military men, the verdicts of courts martial, and their minutes, may at once exercise the judgment, and teach useful practical knowledge.

It may be thought, that this attention to the actual state of military and political affairs might produce inconveniences, by raising party spirit and disputes; but a little prudence may prevent this, and the very danger may be turned to advantage: command of temper, and that art of living well with companions, who are of opposite opinions in party matters, an art so necessary to the happiness, indeed to the very existence of an officer, may be learned in the academy before young men go into the world. Education would be perfect,