Such Profpects, diftinctly and deliberately furveyed, will produce the most beneficial effects upon his temper and opinions. While they place before him the means of increafing his information, they will render him a more correct judge of its value, and fecure him from conceit, affectation, and pedantry. They will render him more capable of appreciating the relative importance and comparative merit of different ftudies, when referred to the ufe and ornament of life. He will difcern the natural affinity which fubfifts between the different branches of po-. lite literature, and how capable they are of inereafing the influence, and improving the beauties. of each other. In fhort, various purfuits, fkilfully chofen and affiduoufly followed, can give proper activity to every faculty of the mind, inafmuch as they engage the memory, the imagination, and the judgment, in an agreeable exercife, and are affociated for one beneficial purpose-like the genial drops of rain, which defcend from heaven, they unite in one common stream to strengthen and enlarge the current of knowledge.

By studies thus diverfified, the mind is supplied with copious materials for the ferious reflections of retirement, or the lively intercourse of society; it is enabled, by the combination of many particular ideas, to form thofe general principles, which it is always eager to embrace, which are of great use in the conduct of life, and may prove in every fituation pleafing and advantageous. In fhort, fuch a plan is calculated to diffeminate that knowledge, which is adapted

5

adapted to the prefent improved state of fociety, to diveft learning of pedantry, and to afford the fcholar fome infight into the researches of the philofopher, the occupations of the man of bufinefs, and the pleafures of the man of tafte.

And as the Arts and Sciences bestow mutual affiftance, and reflect mutual light, fo are they highly effi cacious and beneficial when combined with profeffonal knowledge. To fome profeffions indeed they are effentially neceffary, to all they are ornamental. They afford illuftrations which render profeffional ftudies more eafy to be understood, and they furnish fupplies, which are conducive to their complete fucceís.

Every one muft allow, that all fyftems of Education, if constituted upon right principles, fhould be well adapted to the fituations of those, for whofe fervice they are intended. In felecting the topics of the following Work, I have therefore confidered Young Men, with a view to their most important relations in life, as CHRISTIANS, as STUDENTS, and as MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, the welfare and profperity of which depend upon the usefulness of their attainments, and the refpectability of their conduct.

It is evident from general obfervation, that the principles of religion are congenial with the mind of man for even among tribes the most barbarous and uncivilized, whether we explore the wilds of Africa,

or

or the fhores of the Pacific Ocean, where the capacities of the inhabitants are narrow and limited, and very few virtues are remarked to expand and flourish; fome traces of religion, fome notions of an Omnipotent and Over-ruling Power, darkened as they may be by grofs fuperftition, are still found to prevail. And even in the civilized country of France, where the impious abettors of the Revolution proceeded fo far as to infult the reafon of an enlightened people, by compelling them to abjure their faith in their Creator and their Redeemer, how difficult was it. found to produce even external conformity to their decrees; and with what ardour did the people return to the open profeffion of Chriftianity, when their Rulers obeyed the dictates of common fenfe, and became fully aware of the expediency of its revival and public exercife! It appears therefore, that to inculcate those principles of religious duty, which the mind naturally invites, and to improve its capacity for the reception of the moft fublime truths, is no more than a proper attention and due obedience to the voice of Nature.

And as the truth of Christianity is founded upon the strongest arguments, and unites in the closest union our public and private, our temporal and eternal happiness, it justly forms the groundwork of Education. The attributes of the great Creator-his power as the Author, and his goodness as the Governor of the univerfe- the bright example of the Saviour of the world, as reprefented by the holy Evangelifts his actions marked by the pureft benevolence,

volence, his precepts 'tending immediately to the happiness of man, and his promises capable of exciting the moft exalted and moft glorious hopes, are peculiarly calculated to ftrike the imagination, and intereft the fenfibility of youth. Such fublime topics, inculcated upon right principles, cannot fail to encourage thofe ardent fentiments of love, gratitude, and veneration, which are natural to fufceptible and tender minds. Since therefore the fame principles which are congenial with the difpofitions of young men are most conducive to their happiness; fince, in fhort, the evidences of CHRISTIANITY are miraculous ;fince it is an exprefs revelation of the will of God, and as fuch we can have no pretence to reject its proofs, and no right to refift its claims to our obfervance, it must unquestionably be a fubject of tranfcendent importance, and therefore stands as the first and leading topic of my work.

As the knowledge of LANGUAGE is intimately connected with every other kind of information, and as in the Languages of ancient GREECE and ROME are preferved fome of the nobleft productions of human genius, I affign to thefe fubjects the next place.

In recommendation of OUR OWN LANGUAGE it is fuperfluous to have recourfe to arguments. All who are acquainted with it, foreigners as well as natives, must be convinced of its excellence, particularly as it is the vehicle of productions eminently diftinguifhed by Genius, Tafte, Learning, and Science.

And

And as Language fhould be confidered not merely as a channel to convey our thoughts upon common occafions, but as capable of ornament to please, and of energy to perfuade mankind; and as fuch improvements are both gratifying and beneficial to fociety, proper attention is due to the study of ELO

QUENCE.

Cicero, the moft celebrated of Roman Orators, has very juftly remarked, that ignorance of the events and tranfactions of former times condemns us to a perpetual ftate of childhood: from this condition of mental darkness we are refcued by HISTORY, which fupplies us with its friendly light to view the inftructive events of paft ages, and to collect wifdom from the conduct of others. And as there are particular countries, from which we have derived the moft important information in Religion, Arts, Sciences, and Literature, we ought carefully to infpcct the pages of their interesting records.

The most ancient people of whom we have any authentic accounts, are the Jews: to them was communicated, and by them was preferved, the knowledge of the true God; while all other nations were funk in the most abjec fuperftition, and disgraced by the groffeft idolatry.

The writers of GREECE and ROME have recorded fuch numerous and fuch eminent inftances of the genius, valour, and wifdom of their countrymen, as have been the juft fubjects of the admiration of all

fucceeding