useful? Arguments from individual experience are usually fallacious; but those who employ them are perhaps best answered by balancing the evidence, and producing on the contrary side an example of equal force and magnitude. It is well known, that Mr. Burke was once guilty of a false quantity in a speech in the House of Commons. And how much does this detract from his reputation? If the fact were recorded, and posted up in advertisements in every street in London, and in every capital of every country in the literary world, would it affect the fame of this great man in the estimation of a single hair?-Yes-perhaps if he were to be tried some night by an areopagus of pedants and nameless pedagogues, Burke might be struck from the list of inveterate scholars. But in these times there is not much reason to apprehend, that such persons will have influence in adjudging, among contending orators and statesmen, the prize of eloquence or ability. To those who are ambitious of rivalling the Aristarch of the Dunciad may be resigned the nugas difficiles, "Disputes of me or te, of aut or at; The value of all knowledge must ultimately be decided by its utility. Recurring invariably to this standard, we may save much polemic trouble, and a vast deal of absurd declamation. Let any one ask a majority of the public characters of his acquaintance, what they remember of the rules of prosody, or the receipts for making Latin verses; further, let him inquire for what sum they would willingly part with what they have retained of this knowledge. The ratio of utility may be determined by the average of honest answers to these inquiries. There are many who open a book only to find out which side the author takes in certain disputed points; and they not only hate and despise him, if he happen not to be of their party, but if he prove to be of neither party, and endeavour to retain what is reasonable, and to avoid what is absurd on both sides of a question, they brand him with the odious name of trimmer. Such is the confusion of ideas created by the eagerness of dispute even on literary subjects, that few can fully comprehend, or candidly represent the arguments for and against their own opinions. They fasten upon some single sentence or expression, which they repeat without attending to the rest; like the poor madman, who was an expert arithmetician, but could never, when a debtor and creditor state of his affairs was laid before him, be persuaded to look at any but the debtor side. Against all such insane or perverse judges it is necessary formally to enter a protest, and to make an explicit declaration, that nothing, that has been here said of the folly of wasting time in fabricating Greek and Latin verses, is meant as derogatory of classical literature. A knowledge and a taste for classical literature is peculiarly ornamental and useful, indeed, indispensably necessary to every Briton, who aspires to distinction in public life; for in this country a statesman must be an orator. It is by eloquence, that he must bring himself into notice; by eloquence, that he is to raise himself to power; by eloquence, that he must preserve this power, and accomplish by his influence in the senate whatever designs he may form for his own advantage, or for the good of his country. And where can he learn the principles of the art of oratory so well as from the great examples of antiquity? Not only the orators of Greece and Rome, but their poets, all their classical writers, should be his study; from these the happiest allusions of modern orators, are drawn; whether witty or picturesque, pathetic or sublime. Avoiding pedantic Latinity of style, and ostentatious reference to Greek and Roman authorities, a public speaker, who has good taste, can allude to the classics without quoting them : without boasting of their acquaintance, he proves that he has lived with them in habits of familiarity, by that tinge of resemblance, which does not amount to imitation, but which assimilates with his own original manner. It is this classical air diffused through an orator's harangue, or pervading his conversation, which is the secret charm, that fascinates a cultivated audience, and wins the applause of the best judges. A single line, drawn by a master hand, is a sufficient introduction between congenial minds. But this general acquaintance with the beauties of ancient literature, this classical grace of language, which is found so prepossessing, may be acquired without deep learning, and without a scholastic knowledge of the Doric and Attic dialects. It is said, that Theophrastus was discovered not to be a native of Athens, by such a strict adherence to the Attic dialect, as showed that he had learned it by rule, and not by custom. That an exquisite and permanently useful taste for classical, and for ancient literature, may be attained by youths bred at our public schools, examples of high celebrity sufficiently evince. But it is not so clear, that a classical taste for modern literature is always acquired at these seminaries, and it is obvious, that an orator and statesman should have his mind imbued with the classical literature of his own country, and of modern nations, as well as with the learning of Greece and Rome. For the acquisition of modern literature, as there is little or no provision in our public seminaries at present, each pupil must trust to his individual exertions to supply the deficiency. Some of the most distinguished men of the present day, while they were yet schoolboys at Eton and Westminster, used to employ their leisure hours and minutes, in acquiring, by their own industry, a knowledge of our best English writers. To form his taste, a young man should confine his attention to the best authors: when he has read these once, let him read them over again and again, rather than resort to secondrate writers. From the dullest, or the worst books, are ader experienced in the arts of criticism and composition, or practised in the habits of reflexion and invention, may extract useful hints; he may select from the rubbish, what, after it has gone through certain processes, shall become valuable materials. But this must not be attempted, or permitted, till a sound literary taste has been previously formed. The keen appetite of youth must not be suffered to prey on garbage. When some rosy prebendary asked of what use is reading, he was answered, "It is of the same use to the mind, as the "partridges you are so fond of are to your plump cheeks." It should be remembered, however, that it is not the quantity of food, which people eat, but the portion they digest, by which they are nourished. Exercises in declamation ought to be particularly encouraged in our public schools; and theatrical exhibitions appear to be serviceable in forming young orators to speak with good tones and gestures, and in training them to meet the eyes and brave the observation of numbers. It would be useful to allow English as well as Latin plays, more frequently to be represented by youth. Care, of course, would be taken to select those plays, which tend most to inspire noble and generous sentiments, or which give a taste for wit and humour. Since morality can, alas! scarcely be found in its purest state, in many either of modern or ancient comedies; their faults should be pointed out by preceptors with sarcasm and ridicule, but not in a sermonic style. Nothing could be farther from the interests of morality, than to establish a puritanical system of education, which would unfit young men for the world in which they are to live, and which consequently could tend only to make dupes or hypocrites. A public education must not pretend to the nicety of private tuition. Half measures are always inefficacious and dangerous. Preceptors must have the courage to trust much to reason, since they cannot trust any thing to ignorance. No concealment of what passes in the world should therefore be attempted: every thing should be known, and the real consequences of vicious and virtuous conduct should be seen. On this principle, young men, such as the elder scholars at Eton and Westminster, should read newspapers; from |