LETTER to Charles Townshend, MEMOIRs of Tfonnonthouan, 4gé to Lord Halifax, 317 384 Bofwell, 490 461 MERRICK's Poems, 173 MODERN Univerfal History, Vol. 76 XXXVIII. State of Eaft-Friefland, 242 489 of the Trial of Col. Glo- 73 161 PASTORAL Cordial, 442 SCHE 568 SCHOOL for Wives, 326 79 444 183 245 POSTSCRIPT to Smith's Harmo- PRE-EXISTENCE, a Poem, - SCOTT's Every Man the Architect SCRAFTON's Account of Indoftan, 317 THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For JANUARY, 1763. Emilius and Sophia: Or, a new Syftem of Education. Tran flated from the French of J. J. Rouffeau. By the Tranflator of Eloifa. Vols. III. and IV. 5s. fewed. Becket and De Hondt. HA AVING, in our former accounts of this work, accompanied Mr. Rouffeau to the end of his third book, we enter, with him, in his fourth, on that alarming period of youth, - when instinct hath fully awakened the paffions, and the man begins to grow fenfible of his moral existence. Man, fays Mr. Rouffeau, (apologizing for the quaintness of the expreffion) is born twice; first to exift, and then to live; once as to fpecies, and again with regard to fex.At the age of puberty commences this fecond birth, when he is truly born to live, and enters into full poffeffion of the powers of human nature. Our care hitherto, therefore, fays he, has been little more than childrens play: it now becomes of real importance. But, tho' nature points out the time when a youth emerges from infancy, he obferves, that this period may be either accelerated or retarded by education: and, as he conceives, a great deal depends, as well with regard to the phyfical as the moral conftitution, on the late appearance of this crifis, he advifes thofe who have the care of children, to avoid every thing in their discourse and behaviour that may excite curiofity, or kindle the paffions. The inftructions of nature, fays he, ate late and tedious, thofe of man are almost always premature. In the firft cafe, the fenfes rouze the imagination; in the fecond, the imagination awakens the senses, and gives them a too early acti vity, which cannot fail to enervate individuals, and in time the fpecies. It has been long a general and certain obfervation, VOL. XXVIII. B that that the age of puberty in both fexes, is always more forward in a polished and enlightned people, than amongst the ignorant and favage. Mr. de Buffon had phyfically: accounted for this, from the different nature of the aliment; obferving, that in great towns, and among people in affluence, children, being accustomed to eat plentifully, and upon fucculent food, arrive foon at maturity; while in the country, and among poor people, their food being lefs nourishing, they arrive at that term at deat three years later. Our Author admits the truth of the hervation, but conceives the Naturalift to be mistaken, in attributing to a phyfical fource what ought to be ascribed to a moral one; a mistake, he obferves, very common to the Philofophers of the present age. There is another mistake, however full as common to modern Philofophers, and to Mr. Rouffeau among the reft, viz. that of attributing altogether to a different caufe what they conceive not to be the fole confequence of that which is pointed out; whereas fuch confequence may be, and in the prefent cafe certainly is, the joint effect of both: nor can it be doubted, that the imagination and conftitution act reciprocally on each other, as well as feparately and unitedly on the paffions. Our Author is, nevertheless, certainly in the right, when he concludes, that in a matter of this delicate nature, ignorance and innocence accompany each other. In treating of the growing paffions of youth, Mr. Rouffeau deduces them from the fource of felf-love; into whofe various modifications he refolves all that is great, noble, and generous in human nature. We conceive, however, that he is mistaken in three capital propofitions, which he lays down as maxims, in expatiating on this fubject. We are the more furprised at this mistake, as we should have rather expected our apparently-benevolent Author to have erred on the other fide of the question. It will give his Readers alfo, we fear, no very favourable idea of his own difpofition, if they conceive thefe maxims to be the refult of his own fenfations, and not of mistaken reasoning. His first maxim is this, are It is not in the power of the human heart to fympathise with those who are happier than ourselves, but with those only who more miferable. Now the reafon why he conceives the human heart cannot fympathife (or as the original has it, fe mettre à la place) with perfons in a happier fituation, is, that it is prevented by envy. We never fympathife with the rich and great, fays he, however fincerely attached to them; tho' we do fo with the happinefs of perfons of meaner condition; as, for inftance, thofe who compofe and enjoy fcenes of rural fimplicity." We do not fee, however, what difference of rank 66 and |