"adverfity, are alike ungraceful in man that is born to "die." Moderation in both circumftances is peculiar to generous minds: men of that fort ever tafte the gratifications of health, and all other advantages of life, as if they were liable to part with them, and when bereft of them, refign them with a greatnefs of mind which shews. they know their value and duration. The contempt of pleasure is a certain preparatory for the contempt of pain: without this the mind is as it were taken fuddenly by an unforeseen event; but he that has always, during health and profperity, been abftinent in his fatisfactions, enjoys, in the worst of difficulties, the reflexion, that his anguish is not aggravated with the comparison of paft pleafures which upbraid his prefent condition. Tully tells us a ftory after Pompey, which gives us a good tafte of the pleafant manner the men of wit and philofophy had in old times of alleviating the diftreffes of life by the force of reafon and philofophy. Pompey, when he came to Rhodes, had a curiofity to vifit the famous philofopher Poffidonius; but finding him in his fick bed, he bewailed the misfortunethat he fhould not hear a difcourfe from him: but you may, anfwered Poffidonius; and immediately entered into the point of ftoical philofophy, which fays pain is not an evil. During the difcourfe, upon every puncture he felt from his diftemper, he fmiled and cried out, pain,. pain, be as impertinent and troublesome as you please, I Thall never own that thou art an evil. • Mr. Spectator, HAving feen in feveral of your papers, a concern for the honour of the clergy, and their doing every thing as becomes their character, and particularly performing the public fervice with a due zeal and devotion; I am the more encouraged to lay before them, by your means, feveral expreffions used by fome of them in their prayers before fermon, which I am not well fatisfied in as their giving fome titles and epithets to great men, which are indeed due to them in their feveral ranks and stations, but not properly ufed, I think, in our prayers. Is it not contradiction to fay, illuftrious, right reverend, and right honourable poor finners? • These Thefe diftinctions are fuited only to our ftate here, and have no place in heaven? we fee they are omitted in the liturgy; which I think the clergy fhould take for their pattern in their own forms of devotion. There is another expreffion which I would not mention, but that I have heard it feveral times before a learned congregation, to bring in the last petition of the prayer in thefe words, "O let not the Lord be angry and I will fpeak but this once," as if there was no difference between Abraham's interceding for Sodom, for which he had no warrant as we can find, and our asking those things which we are required to pray for; they would therefore have much more reafon to fear his anger if they did not make fuch petitions to him. There is another pretty fancy: when a young man has a mind to let us know who gave him his scarf, he fpeaks a pa⚫ renthefis to the Almighty, blefs," as I am in duty "bound to pray," the right honourable the countess; is not that as much as to say, bless her, for thou knoweft I am her chaplain ? Your humble fervant,. T J. O Thursday, 313 Thursday, February 28. N° 313 I Exigite ut mores teneros ceu pollice ducat, Juv. Sat. 7. ver. 237. Bid him befides his daily pains employ, To form the tender manners of the boy, And work him, like a waxen babe, with art, I CH. DRYDEN. Shall give the following letter no other recommendation, than by telling my readers that it comes from the fame hand with that of last Thursday. SIR, Send you, according to my promife, fome farther thoughts on the education of youth, in which I intend to difcufs that famous question, "Whether the "education at a public school, or under a private tutor, is to be preferred?" As fome of the greatest men in most ages have been ⚫ of very different opinions in this matter, I fhall give a ⚫fhort account of what I think may be beft urged on both fides, and afterwards leave every perfon to determine for himself. It is certain from Suetonius, that the Romans thought the education of their children a business properly belonging to the parents themfelves; and Plutarch, in the life of Marcus Cato, tells us, that as soon as his ⚫fon was capable of learning, Cato would fuffer no body to teach him but himself, though he had a fervant ⚫ named Chilo, who was an excellent grammarian, and who taught a great many other youths. On the contrary, the Greeks feemed more inclined to public schools and feminaries.. 65 A private education promifes in the first place virtue and good-breeding; a public fchool manly affurance, and an early knowledge in the ways of the world. • Mr. Locke, in his celebrated treatise of Education,. confeffes that there are inconveniencies to be feared on both fides; "If," fays he, "I keep my fon at home, "he is in danger of becoming my young mafter; if L "fend him abroad, it is fcarce poffible to keep him "from the reigning contagion of rudeness and vice. He will perhaps be more innocent at home, but more ignorant of the world, and more fheepish when he comes abroad." However as this learned author afferts, that virtue is much more difficult to be attained ⚫ than knowledge of the world, and that vice is a moreftubborn, as well as a more dangerous fault than fheepifhnefs, he is altogether for a private education; and the more fo, becaufe he does not fee why a youth, with right management, might not attain the fame affarance in his father's houfe, as at a public fchool. To this end he advifes parents to accuftom their fons to whatever ftrange faces come to the houfe; to take them with ⚫ them when they vifit their neighbours, and to enagage them in converfation with men of parts and breeding. It t may be objected to this method, that conversation is not the only thing neceffary, but that unless it be a converfation with fuch as are in fome measure their equals in parts and years, there can be no room for ⚫ emulation, contention, and feveral of the moft lively paffions of the mind; which, without being fometimes moved, by thefe means, may poffibly contract a dulness and infenfibility. One of the greatest writers our nation ever produced obferves, that a boy who forms parties, and makes ⚫ himself popular in a fchool or a college, would act the fame part with equal eafe in a fenate or a privy-council; and Mr. Ofburn, fpeaking like a man verfed in the of the world, affirms, that the well laying and carrying on of a defign to rob an orchard, trains up a youth ⚫ infenfibly to caution, fecrecy, and circumfpection, and fits him for matters of greater importance.. ways In • In short, a private education feems the most natural method for the forming of a virtuous man; a public education for making a man of business. The first ⚫ would furnish out a good fubject for Plato's republic, the latter a member for a community over-run with artifice < and corruption. It must however be confeffed, that a perfon at the head of a public fchool has fometimes fo many boys under his direction, that it is impoffible he should extend a due proportion of his care to each of them. This is however, in reality, the fault of the age, in **which we often fee twenty parents, who, though each expects his fon fhould be made a scholar, are not contented all together to make it worth while for any man of a liberal education to take upon him the care of their inftruction. In our great fchools indeed this fault has been of late years rectified, fo that we have at prefent not only ingenious men for the chief mafters, but fuch as have proper ufhers and affiftants under them. I must neverthelefs own, that for want of the fame encouragement in the country, we have many a promifing genius fpoiled and abused in those little feminaries. I am the more inclined to this opinion, having myfelf experienced the ufage of two rural mafters, each of them very unfit for the truft they took upon them to difcharge. The firft impofed much more upon me than my parts, though none of the weakest, could endure; and ufed me barbaroufly for not performing impoffibilities. The latter was of quite another temper; and a boy, who would run upon his errands, wash his coffeepot, or ring the bell, might have as little conversation with any of the claffics as he thought fit. I have known a lad of this place excused his exercife for affifting the cook-maid: and remember a neighbouring gentleman's fon was among us five years, most of which time he employed in airing and watering our mafter's gray pad. I fcorned to compound for my faults, by doing any of thefe elegant offices, and was accordingly the beft fcholar, and the worft ufed of any boy in the fchool. I |