purposes of life, or for any one of those professions, in which memory is supposed to be most requisite, though the natural memory may not be uncommonly powerful.

The application of these principles to all the detail of education in early childhood, may be formed elsewhere*; but it was necessary here to recall those general ideas on the cultivation of the memory, which may be applied in the education of pupils of all professions.

For whatever professions the pupils may be designed, these principles will be beneficial; and whether parents determine early their children's destination or not, such lessons should be early inculcated.

But in a family where there are more sons than one, it would be particularly advantageous early to decide upon the profession of each; this would prevent all injurious competition. Whatever natural advantages each may have would be considered as peculiarly fit to secure success in his future profession and as all the brothers would early know, that they were to pursue different modes of life, there could never be any crossing interests, or jealousy of particular talents, though there might, and ought to be amongst them, an emulation of general excellence.

The deciding as soon as possible on the professions of sons will in other respects be advantageous; because, supposing abilities and opportunities nearly equal, time becomes the measure of acquirements. The sooner the desire to obtain

information for any particular purpose is excited, the sooner the pupils will begin to accumulate that sort of knowledge, which is peculiar to their destination.

In each profession there are certain principles essentially conducive to success; there are particular talents and tastes, which should be cultivated with peculiar care; and the earlier this discipline is commenced, it will the sooner become easy and habitual; and the sooner the associations of pleasure are connected with the idea of the profession the pupil is to follow, the greater will be the chance, that he will pursue it with ardour and perseverance.

How the preference and taste for each profession may be infused, and how the habits and qualifications essential to success in different pursuits may be taught, is the object of the following essays.

But it may be previously necessary to advert to the opinions of those, who object to the plan of a parent's choosing a child's profession, not because they believe in the innate force of genius, but because they imagine, that all restraint is unfavourable to the growth and development of the mental powers. Under the term restraint they comprise a regular course of instruction; adopting the maxim, that people never learn any thing well but what they teach themselves. These disbelievers in the power or utility of education produce some examples of self-taught geniuses, as evidence in favour of their opinions. It is true, that some men born in the lowest ranks of society have, under many disadvantages, cul

tivated and formed uncommon talents: it is true, that in some instances the acquirements made by such undirected, unassisted exertions, have surpassed what has been produced by the solicitude of parents or the vigilance of preceptors: but a few meritorious, extraordinary examples of this kind are not sufficient, to form a decisive argument against regular modes of instruction. It is to be wished, that some of these self-taught prodigies would give the history of the progress of their own minds, including their mistakes, difficulties, and disappointments, as well as their success: this might contribute materially to the improvement of the art of education; at present, we can judge of them only by the imperfect representations of their biographers: from these we learn, that they have generally been persons of profligate characters, and wayward tempers, incapable of directing themselves with common sense, frequently without common honesty, and shamelessly insolent and ungrateful to their benefactors. From Savage and Chatterton to Morland and Dermody, this, with few exceptions, has been their history. And after all, their talents have seldom risen to the first rank of excellence; the same conceit and wilfulness, which spoiled their moral characters, prevented their submitting, even in their chosen pursuits, to that steady course of perseverance, which alone can carry any design to perfection; they would work only how and when they pleased; they would admit no criticism, listen to no rules, and follow no judgment but their own: indeed, the pleasure of acting in opposition to the will of others appears from many examples to be a very strong motive; it has induced many to undergo great labour, and to make great exertions, but it would be the height of impru

dence to make such wilfulness a governing motive: it is not a power that can be directed with certainty, or applied with facility; it is a force dangerous in its exertion, and fatal in its recoil.

But, far from its being necessary to follow this system, and far from its being certain that it would succeed, there is no real temptation to such folly; for all the pleasures of liberty can best be enjoyed in the course of a judicious education it is only when the will is properly regulated, that it possesses the highest portion of uniform and salutary power. It is quite a mistake to suppose, that young people, who follow any employment in consequence of the conviction of their understanding that it is useful, and in compliance with the wishes of their best friends, never feel the same ardour in the pursuit, that is experienced by the undisciplined and perverse; nor should the caprices of the will in a diseased condition, be taken as part of the history of the human mind in its healthy Virtuous enthusiasm, that enthusiasm which has in all ages animated men to the greatest exertions, that enthusiasm which has made patriots, orators, and real heroes, is nothing more than the strong, resolute, permanent action of the will, in obedience to the impulse of moral conviction, or to the dictates of the understanding. This conviction, this regulating motive, can be given only by education; by an education, which shall teach youth that it is advantageous, that it is necessary, to avail themselves of the experience of preceding generations. Indeed, if this were not early impressed upon the mind, and if each ignorant youth were suffered to fancy, that he could best instruct himself, human beings, instead of making any further

state.

progress in knowledge, must reiterate experiments to arrive at the same conclusions, and die before they had time to advance one step further.

So much for the system of absolute freedom, and selftaught genius. It may be thought, that such extravagances did not require a serious refutation; but, without being distinctly avowed, these opinions have gained ground amongst many, who have been wearied, perplexed, and disgusted by the variety and inconsistency of the systems of education, which have been obtruded upon their attention; and have hastily concluded, that it is of little importance which course is pursued, since each cannot be, as their advocates pretend, exclusively right. Instead of becoming indifferent to all plans and principles of education, it would be wise to compare them, and select from each whatever is found to have been practically useful.

Those who wisely submit to regular discipline, will find that the wisdom of ages has been compressed into a compact form, convenient for those who are to learn or to teach. In some arts and sciences, such simple and expeditious methods of instruction, both analytic and synthetic, have been devised, that what cost a life of labour in the original attainment, may now be acquired by a pupil of common abilities before he is twenty. A boy of seventeen may know all that the utmost stretch of the abilities of Newton discovered in the course of forty years. This general diffusion of knowledge makes it at once more shameful to be ignorant, and more difficult to excel. The little more (il poco più) is now of ardu

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