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THE 
 
 OR 
 
 ESSAYS 
 
 ON SOME IMPORTANT SUBJFXTS. 
 
 BY 
 A FRIEND TO HIS COUNTRY. 
 
 Incedis per ignes 
 Suppositos cineri doloso. — 
 Omnia ruunt in pejus. 
 
 Horacj 
 
 NEW-YORK/PRINTED. : • • ' 
 SOLD BY DIFFERENT BOOKSELLERS, 
 
 vwvwvw 
 
 1816. 
 
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PREFACE. 
 
 The corruption of the age is a topic of declamation 
 among- men, who, by their manners and actions, seem little 
 disposed to prevent its progress. It is the subject of the vir- 
 tuous a»d religious, who would if possible, impede its conta- 
 gion. But it is not only a source of censure for them, but 
 also for those who talk piously to veil their artifice and moral 
 turpitude. With such, piety is the mask under which they 
 obtain their livelihood ; and to a particular and dangerous 
 clais of these, I would endeavour to call the public attention. 
 
 From the present ag-e, it is naturally expected, that a re* 
 form in the habitg and manners of the nation should begin. 
 This, in a great measure, falls upon the parents anb 
 instructors of youth, and unless the efforts of both be 
 united, the former in encouraging and supporting the attempts 
 of the latter, the most conscientious preceptors' attempts 
 will but be weak and fruitless. Men of speculation may wish 
 well to virtue ; moralists may recommend her by all the graces 
 of composition ; ridicule may point her shafts at the reigning 
 vices of the age; the legislator may enact and the magistrate 
 execute those laws ; but what avail all, if the foundation of 
 virtue be not laid in the heart S If the fountain be foul, its 
 streams will partake of its nature ; it will poison and pollute 
 the most verdant plants which may rise upon its shore. It 
 only needs our care, to cherish the reliques of our first inno- 
 cence, to ripen them into the fairest and most delicious fruit. 
 " Indeed, experience show3 us, that the best education is not 
 of itself sufficient to establish the mind in a habitual uniform 
 course of integrity ; yet the same experience evinces, that 
 nothing is of so much importance towards effecting this great 
 end, as to give the mind ah early turn and bias to the right 
 side, and that without this all other means, humanly speaking, 
 will have but a weak and transient influence." 
 
 The task, which parents by the law of nature, are obliged 
 to perform, is eminently important. Under their care, their 
 children imbibe notions, which are to be in a great measure 
 their guide through life. Although parents imagine, that 
 the process of education is hot going on, if their offspring be 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 not under preceptorial care, yet they are egregiously mis- 
 taken. Under the paternal roof, it is in full operation. — 
 * " Man, regarded as a moral agent, and an accountable be- 
 ing", is a compound of habits. According as his habits are 
 good or bad, he is to be esteemed or qualified as virtuous or 
 vicious. Now it is a matter of common observation, that the 
 kabits of an individual are generally formed in consequence of 
 the precepts with which he is imbued-^and in a much greater 
 degree, in consequence. of the examples which are presented 
 for his imitation. Whosoever, therefore, is under the influ- 
 ence either of the conduct, or the principles of others (and 
 who is not under such influence ?) may be justly said to be so 
 fir educated by them to moral good or ill. Much is it to be 
 wished, that those who are interested in the welfare of youth, 
 would attend to this most serious maxim. It would preserve 
 them from many pernicious errours, and would convince them 
 of the folly of entertaining unreasonable and inconsistent ex- 
 pectations. Such is the homage which vice pays to virtue, that 
 many a parent, who is himself by no means scrupulous of vi- 
 olating the rules of morality, is startled at the idea of early 
 profligacy in his offspring. With a view of promoting the 
 mental improvement of his son, he provides for him the most 
 conscientious and qualified instructors in various departments 
 of knowledge. He spares no expense to promote his progress 
 in science. He is anxious to receive what he imagines he is 
 entitled to expect as the fruit of his parental attention and 
 care. But he is disappointed. The child of his hopes, in- 
 stead of a prodigy of learning and of knowledge, is, when 
 far advanced, in the season of youth, found to be deplorably 
 ignorant, self-willed and untractable. He despises the idea of 
 qualifying himself by useful studies, to adorn the station in 
 life which his birth and his fortune entitle him to occupy. 
 He is given up to frivolity, and having no good qualities, no 
 estimable accomplishments to recommend hirn to honourable 
 notice, he glories in his vices, and makes a public spectacle 
 of his depravity. Shocked and disgusted, #he mortified pa- 
 rent vents his feelings in execrations againsy.he indolence 
 * licv. Shepherd, Joyce, and Carpenter 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 and unfaithfulness of tutors and preceptors, when in reality 
 he himself is alone to blame. His manners may have been 
 comparatively decent, but he has unfortunately disgraced the 
 maxim of the stern satirist, 
 
 Maxima debetur puero reverentia. 
 He has thoughtlessly permitted his offspring t@ witness his ir- 
 regularities—and by this combination of wickedness and folly, 
 he has at an early age, blunted in his child the sense of mor- 
 al obligation. In the pursuit of what he deemed allowable 
 amusements, he has permitted the heir of his fortune to asso- 
 ciate, under little or no restraint, with cunning and profligate 
 domestics, who were ever ready to minister to the vices of 
 their superiours. Thus has he in fact trained him up in low 
 ideas to mean pursuits, and yet, he wonders at his unworthy 
 and unbecoming propensities. But his wonder would cease, 
 coujd he penetrate the mist which is poured before the men- 
 tal eye by the power of self-partiality. Then would he be 
 sensible of the capital errour into which he has unconsciously 
 fallen ; and however unpleasant the truth might be, he would 
 be convinced, that his ideas on the subject of the training of 
 youth have been incorrect, and inadequate, and that the mis- 
 erable and disgraceful scenes, which he has witnessed with so 
 much pain and concern, are' the consequences — the natural 
 and necessary consequences of his son's education having 
 been conducted more in the orgies of his father's dining- 
 room, or in the purlieus of the stable-yard, than in the retire- 
 ment of the library, or in the apartment of a morally, qualified 
 tutor. In order to form a moral agent to the highest degrees 
 ef excellence of which hels capable, the most guarded vigil- 
 ance over the propensities of early youth, is requisite on the 
 part of natural superintendants— and it seems to be the wise 
 ordinance of providence, that the anxiety which parents uni- 
 versally entertain for the welfare of their offspring, is calcu- 
 lated, when properly directed, to become a strong promoter, 
 and a steady safe-guard of virtue." 
 
 Hating seen the consequences which result from the mis- 
 conduct of parents in the presence of their children, I will 
 here make a few observations upon the consequences whieh 
 A 2 
 
Yl PREFACE. 
 
 follow from placing children under illiterate and immoral pre- 
 ceptors — preceptors with whom we engage to be the guardians 
 and protectors of the learning and moral conduct of our off- 
 spring. That it is a duty enjoined on all, both by the laws 
 of God and the voice of society to instruct them well, no one 
 guided by reason will pretend to deny. That it is an obliga- 
 tion to seek good instructors, without whom this truly great 
 blessing cannot be obtained, when they are absent from the 
 paternal roof, is a fact to which every man must attest. And 
 although this is the case, yet how often do persons violate 
 their judgment, and the laws of the Most High? Instead of 
 employing men to initiate our youth into an acquaintance 
 of general literature, and a knowledge of universal grammar; 
 to imbue their minds with religious principles ; or attempt 
 to enrich them by an intimate acquaintance with the actions 
 and learning of those whose names are registered in the 
 record of immortality, we too often, without due exami- 
 nation into their characters, engage such as are incapacitated 
 to teach, or are only fitted by the whole course of their life, 
 to render their heart profligate, by infusing into their minds 
 improper notions of life and religion. Thus we shall find our- 
 selves imposed upon in the education of our children, and a 
 diminution of our purse without any actual advantage, until 
 we openly resist every attempt of quackery, ignorance and 
 deception. Indeed this requires our most vigilant circum- 
 spection. " The province of education opens a wide field for 
 the knavery of quacks and chartalans, who make a practice 
 of plundering the community. The wretch, who, by his bold 
 and interested presumption, puts to hazard the health of the 
 body, is a subject of merited detestation and reproach ; bift 
 he is still more detestable, who tampers with the health of the 
 youthful mind." 
 
 It is too evident, that the preceptorial office, has been and 
 is still made a scaffold to wealth and dignities. Young 
 men as soon as they have passed the specified number of years 
 in College, and who are not circumstanced to defray the ex- 
 penses necessarily attendant on the prosecution of any of the 
 learned professions, as they are called (alas ! ignorance and de- 
 ception too often pass in the professions for wisdom and depth 
 
PREFACE, VH 
 
 ©f judgment) frequently commence teachers, merely to obtain 
 such pecuniary aid as to enable them to proceed with honour. 
 And here it is worthy of remark, that not one out of a 
 thousand, who is a preceptor from necessity, and has a par- 
 ticular post of honour in view, bestows the attention which is 
 requisite in the art of teaching, as he is too much occupied 
 in preparing himself for his intended business. Indeed, we 
 have frequently heard these mushroons of a day, these pe- 
 dantic knaves, declare, "that they would not be preceptors 
 during their life, for the world, because they despised the 
 profession ; that none but low persons were to be found en- 
 gaged in the business." Indeed, this is too true. There are 
 too many of this character in modern days, and the reproach, 
 is frequently attached to the office without cause. But why 
 was it not so in ancient times ? Teachers of schools then were 
 respected, and walked in the most splendid circles, were the 
 compeers of princes and kinsfs, and the friends to the human 
 race. And why were they tiot* despised and treated with 
 scorn and contempt ? It was because the Roman and Grecian 
 youth were taught to hold their instructors in a sort of ven- 
 eration ; to look upon them as parents; because in those 
 days, low, ignorant, and illiberal persons were not permitted 
 to undertake the honourable and important task of rearing 
 up men, to be philosophers, poets, orators, Generals, Kings, 
 and Emperours. And you, mighty well-bred gentlemen, do 
 you wish to know why the office of tutor is reckoned a re- 
 proach to a man, among our fashionable and gentle folks ? 
 The cause is evident. It is such men as you, who render it 
 unworthy of notice ,* and lend a weapon to prove your own 
 destruction. It is your preposterous kind of knowledge which 
 you infuse into young gentlemen, assisted by the declamatory 
 precepts of their Socratic fathers and mothers. Hence too 
 we see, the coral lip of young dashing females, pouting with 
 mockery, when they find an instructor in their honourable com- 
 pany ; and their crimson coloured face, when they happen to be 
 addressed by one of these unworthy men ; and their injurious 
 observations upon him, after he has departed. 
 
 Thus these dignified heroes meet their own reward. They 
 pretend to teach much, but do little ; infuse notions of wealth 
 
Vlh fAEFACE. 
 
 and dignities into youth, to render them contemptible ; de- 
 ceive the public by splendid promises of what they may ex- 
 pect, and receive for their quackery and impudence, their 
 contempt and detestation. With such men at the head of 
 our scholastic institutions, is it not natural to suppose, that 
 it will lead the true spirit of baseness and infidelity to try its 
 deceptions upon the public ? — Thus in a short time, the com- 
 munity lose these ivould be gentlemen, and leave the dregs of 
 society to initiate our youth into such studies and principles 
 as are to render them at a future period, honest and useful 
 members of society, or the open violators of the laws of God 
 and man. 
 
 Although men who have just escaped from the walls of a 
 College should commence the business of teaching, and pay 
 considerable attention to it, during the time they are employ- 
 ed, yet for some time, the youth committed to their care must 
 labour under inexperience in th£ art of instruction, a difficulty 
 which will always retard tfteir* progress. No man i3 born a 
 teacher. No man therefore is capable of fulfilling the tutorial 
 department unless he has had ample experience,and consequent- 
 ly, inexperience should never be at the head of a seminary. — 
 In a word, I think it would answer an extremely salutary pur- 
 pose, were those who engage a person, to require unquestion- 
 able testimonials, that he has served a sufficient number of 
 years in the academies of those gentlemen, wl*o for their 
 talents and moral conduct should receive the applause and 
 encomiums of competent judges, who should be appointed by 
 the jurisdiction of the various states, to visit our seminaries. 
 This it appears to me, would have an excellent effect. Those 
 who were incapacitated "to teach the young idea how to shoot," 
 from the want of experience, must then practically apply the 
 knowledge 1 which they have gained in' College, before they 
 could derive from it any material emolument ; while the art- 
 ful and illiterate would be wholly prevented from pecuniary 
 aggrandizement. Indeed men ought to remain in an impover- 
 ished and degraded state, who would grow opulent by defraud- 
 ing the community out of their money, and our children out of 
 'heir precious time — that time which can never be recalled. 
 Tempus prxterntum nunquam revertiUir, Hot. 
 
PREFACE* IX 
 
 But supposing (that which I have already supposed) that 
 those men who have performed their collegiate course of stu- 
 dies, been crowned with nominal honours for their common 
 place learning,, should make the art of teaching 1 their profess- 
 ion, it is too probable, that they would, from their inexpert 
 ence in the art, strike out into the same path as their fellow 
 teachers, adopting such systems as can never render our youth 
 eminent to any great degree in classical or English literature. 
 Youth of a noble mould, and desirous of knowledge, would un- 
 der their direction be entertained with an antiquated system 
 of metaphysical jargon, rules and scraps of the learned lan- 
 guages, the whole tendency of which is calculated to ren- 
 der their students self-conceited, ostentatious and pedantic. 
 Thus instead of teaching our youth a knowledge of the illus* 
 trious writings of the Greeks and Romans, of entering into 
 their spirit, pointing out their deficiences and beauties, im- 
 buing their minds with an admiration of worthy characters, 
 and instructing them in the conduct of life, duties for which 
 they are not capacitated ; they initiate them into a slight ac- 
 quaintance with the laws of Latin and Greek versification, 
 verbal criticism, explaining the various readings of different 
 editors, as though they were all to become versifiers and 
 commentators. 
 
 Admiring the manner in which they have been educated, 
 our youth have a sort of veneration for their old mode of tu- 
 ition, are caught with this glitter of science, and think that 
 to be wonderous deep and learned, which their shallow un=» 
 derstandings cannot comprehend. Thus fed upon words in 
 stead of things, they think they know every thing, when in 
 reality they know nothing, and presumptuously imagine them- 
 selves qualified to act an honourable part in life. In this 
 state, they enter upon the scene of trial, and to their morth 
 fication, find, at too remote a period, that they have been 
 fed with the scraps and crusts of science and learning. 
 
 But 1 do not presume to suppose, that every youth is so 
 easily caught by this false show of literature. Some by their 
 native strength of mind, and the precepts of a few wise 
 friends, escape this labyrinth, and get into a smoother tract 3 
 « fairer views immediately present themselves, the connex- 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 ion between life and learning clearly appears, knowledge of 
 a legitimate kind begins to dawn upon them ; the several 
 quarters of science display themselves to their sight, and the 
 ascent to the seat of the Muses, becomes inviting "^d easy.'' 
 
 We need not expect a salutary change in our instructors 
 and system of education, as long as the business is used as 
 an auxiliary to the acquirement of a particular profession. 
 In such a state, slow indeed must be the advancement of 
 science. And should our schools continue as they are 
 at present, I am certain, that instead of seeing literature 
 flourish, and men of genius produced, every day wilt witness 
 our further degradation, but let our youth be once institu- 
 ted into the rudiments of a practical, genuine knowledge, 
 the field of literature would be cultivated, and rendered use. 
 ful to the purposes of life. It will not then excite aston- 
 ishment to see them issue from schools, qualified to act with 
 honour and lustre at the bar, in the pulpit, or the senate. 
 
 But before this happy change can be effected (as I have 
 already observed) instructors of another character, than 
 those who at present superintend our offspring must be found. 
 It requires men of the first abilities, both moral and literary, 
 for this important office. Under the guidance of such mas- 
 ters as the ancients had, or many countries, as France, Eng- 
 land, Germany, and Italy, we should not be without orators, 
 poetsj philosephers and statesmen. In ancient times, teach- 
 ers were equally attentive in preparing youth for public ac- 
 tion, as for arms and eloquence. " Homer tells us, that Pe- 
 leus sent Phenix along with his son Achilles, to the Trojan 
 war, to be his tutor both in speaking and acting. Plato 
 taught Dion of Syracuse, the ingenious arts, and likewise, 
 roused him in defence of his country. Aristotle did not 
 only spur his royal pupil to glory and renown, but also guided 
 his career, and taught him to speak and to act. So did Ly- 
 sis, Epaminondas, the greatest man in Greece. Isocrates 
 instructed the warlike and learned Timotheus, son to the 
 brave Conon. And Xenophon formed, both by his precepts 
 and example, Agesilaus, a prince illustrious for every accom- 
 plishment and virtue. Pericles, who excelled both in elo- 
 quence and action, in so much, that persuasion was said io 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 dwell upon his lips, and who governed Athens 40 years, was 
 trained up under Anaxagoras, a man of universal learning. 
 I might offer more instances of the same kind, were it ne- 
 cessary. I shall only add, that even those who Were of the 
 highest order of Priests, were not only consulted as oracles 
 in matters of religion, but were of admirable use to the youth 
 by their advice and instructions in civil affairs, and shone 
 both in the Senate and Forum, Witness, Publius Crassus, I, 
 Coruncanus, Scsevola, and many others. If therefore, such 
 were the tutors, no wonder the scholars became so eminent 
 in their several capacities and professions. Were our mod- 
 ern tutors better qualified than they are, we might expect to 
 see a genuine and useful sort of learning more universally 
 taught, and our youth formed for an active life, as well as 
 one that is purely designed to be contemplative" 
 
 The writer earnestly requests that the public will not con- 
 sider the sentiments contained in the volume, as derogatory 
 to the American character. Far be it from me to injure her 
 reputation \ I am too much of ( an American. If I could not 
 speak meritoriously of her, I would not speak at all. I would 
 not with the one party praise America if she was undeserving 
 of it ; nor with the other endeavour to degrade her in the 
 eyes of other nations. For I think it an incumbent duty on 
 every man, that in whatever situation his country may be pla- 
 ced, he should act with prudence. My reasons are many for 
 what I have said, but the preface will not allow room to ex- 
 patiate as much upon them as I would wish. — I am no party 
 man, but a zealous advocate for all such measures as may 
 tend to enhance the glory of America, which she has obtain- 
 ed both by arms and literature. As to Statesmen, Generals, 
 Xaval Commanders, &c. we can boast of a Washington, a 
 Hamilton, a Franklin, a Laurens, a Lawrence, a Burrows, a 
 Perry, a McDonough, a Bainbridge, a Hull, a Pike, a Brown, 
 a Scott, a Ripley, a MacComb, a Jackson, with many others. 
 As to scholars, we cannot indeed vaunt a superiourity over 
 Europe at present. But though Europe surpasses us in her cat- 
 alogue of learned men, I confidently assert, that there is in exis- 
 tence no nation which has made so rapid a progress in the arts 
 and sciences as America, since she has become an independent 
 
Xii PREFACE. 
 
 nation. As to learned and profound men, we have an Ames, 
 a Hamilton, a Rittenhouse, a Count Rumford, a Barlow, a 
 Dwight, a Trumbull, a Dennie, a Brown, a Jefferson, &c. In 
 the art of painting, America stands pre-eminent. She has a 
 West, a Vandelyne, a Leslie, a Morse, whose glory, it shall 
 be the duty of future historians to record. 
 
 After these observations, I hope that I shall not be charged 
 with having written any thing derogatory to the American 
 character. I repeat it, that I think our country is a land 
 whose inhabitants possess as great and versatile genius, as 
 Britain, France, or Germany ; it only needs that something 
 be done, to arouse into action the powers of their minds, to 
 produce Statesmen, philosophers, orators and poets of the 
 greatest excellence. 
 
 After having pointed out, in some degree, the want of a 
 proper plan of instruction, &c. the public will naturally ex- 
 pect a better from my pen. I shall (if nothing happen) at 
 some future period, lay before them a plan of Classical incul- 
 cation, together with an English cour&e, which has been too 
 much neglected by all writers on the subject of education. 
 
 I would observe, that in the course of the volume, there 
 will be found quotations from the most celebrated authors, 
 both of ancient and modern times, to substantiate what I have 
 said, to whom I have made ample acknowledgments. If I 
 have not, it has not been intentionally done. 
 
 The sentiments in this work may appear local, yet they are 
 equally applicable to the generality of seminaries in the United 
 States. I hope all may profit by the volume, into whose hands 
 it may fall. 
 
 Thus having made several observations which did not oc- 
 cur to me when writing the following pages, and acquainted 
 the reader, in some measure, with the intention and nature of 
 the work, I submit it to the public, under a full conviction, 
 that they will render perfect justice to the book and its author; 
 at the same time hoping that they will pass, without censure, 
 any repetition of ideas, which are almost necessarily attendant 
 in writing upon subjects closely connected, and suggesting a 
 similar train of thought. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 vwvv*vwwvwv 
 
 Impressed with the duty which individually and 
 collectively we owe to the rising generation, I have 
 ventured to lay before the public a few strictures on 
 the modes of instruction generally practised in our 
 seminaries, by those engaged to superintend our off- 
 spring's education, and the fatal consequences which 
 will ensue, if the public still persist in patronizing un- 
 worthy men, and stand indifferent at the rapid deca- 
 dence of youthful morals. Wherever a turn to cal- 
 umny and vice exists, a subversion of the moral affec- 
 tions follows, and intellectual disease soon takes place, 
 diffusing its baneful effects into -every thing sound 
 and noble. Unprincipled preceptors are to be rank- 
 ed among the greatest curses ; conscientious ones 
 amongst the greatest blessings to society. To the 
 latter we must, in a great measure, look for a reform 
 in our mode of conducting education. If mildness 
 and veracity prevail in the conduct of instructors, the 
 consequences will be happy and indelible upon the 
 minds of our children ; and the man who endeavours 
 to destroy these qualities, by weakening the reverence 
 due to them, defeats at once the end of moral edu- 
 cation, and may be justly driven from that society, 
 whose very existence he has endeavoured to destroy, 
 by poisoning the fountains by which it is nourished 
 and supported. 
 
XIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In pointing out the folly, flattery, and viqps of. ma- 
 ny of those engaged in the honourable professibftjof 
 instructing youth, of exposing those who frequently ' 
 and intentionally ruin the morals of the young (the 
 effects of which lead to irreligion, dissipation and mis" 
 ery) I deem it expedient, to shield myself from the^; 
 imbittered shafts of calumniators, to declare, that I am 
 not instigated by motives ol sr>Jeen or personal resent- 
 ment.* These essays were^vrkten,iuponj?io Mi ^^te 
 motive ; but solely on account of the glaring deceptions 
 practised by the generality of instructors, and of par en- 
 tal neglect to sound and ivholesonie inculcation. If I 
 had been excited by any ignoble principle to. the wri- 
 ting of these pages, I would have doomed them to 
 the -flames, and let base men uninterrupted prey upon 
 the vitals of the public. 
 
 The liberty of the press is the peculiar boast and 
 prerogative of the American people. " An honest 
 man will therefore be peculiarly careful not to abuse 
 this most constitutional organ of public opinion." He 
 will not employ it as a vehicle of slander, merely to 
 gratify the malevolence of his own disposition, or to 
 please a few dissolute individuals, nor will he asperse 
 the character of any person, because he can discharge 
 his deadly arrows in secret pride and malice, without 
 the fear of being arraigned before the tribunal of his 
 country. But still, if in the performance of those who 
 have undertaken to discharge any important duties, 
 
 * I would wish the reader to understand, that I do not con- 
 demn all our teachers. Many of them are men of excellent 
 abilities, and their conduct such as justly emitles them to the 
 esteem and regard of the public. But of this, see move in 
 the notes interspersed throughout the work. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 any person perceive abuses or defects, which, if per- 
 mitted to proceed Junnoticfed, woukUbe/preductive of 
 the most de^eleii^^-coHS'esiiiences^+he, .as w^eitejl e v- 
 ery other worthy>.nd ; .Kones't menige%.ofi societjp?is in 
 ;duty bound tc%put for ( tn *a boia^Hfafray^and stop; the 
 growing ev^r^ L i,&&} .: * ■ ' 
 
 v,f^^^^s< Situation of our scholastic ^Irurs, there arises 
 an indispensable necessity of rectifying those errours, 
 which are so prevalent in our youthful seminaries. 
 I .have, therefoife, been stipulated to make such obser- 
 
 ^atiojisas^jde^ some measure, con- 
 
 ceive, towards^th|||e^feling of so salutary a purpose. 
 My*-'eSbrt ; s > may^b'e*fe*eble ; but they are well meant. 
 I am aware, that some of my remarks may at first 
 view appear too severe ; but they are not more so 
 than the causes, which gave rise to them, justly merit. 
 -They are, indeed, designed to be severe, and if this 
 be their only fault, I am perfectly willing to undergo 
 the fiery ordeal of public criticism. To satirize bad 
 teachers, silly parents and guardians, or malicious 
 apostates, I consider in the highest degree worthy of 
 commendation. It may, indeed, be alledged by some, 
 that it is " incompatible if not with the profession, yet 
 certainly with the practice of Christianity." " I am 
 sure, if that be true, the praise of wit, learning, or 
 talents, is nothing worth. If private malignity or per- 
 sonal pique be the motive, it is essentially contrary to 
 the precepts and practice of this blessed religion, and 
 cannot be defended for a moment. But if satire be 
 an instrument, and a powerful one too, to maintain and 
 enforce public order, morality, religion, literature, and 
 good manners, in those cases in which the pulpit and 
 
X\i INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the courts of law can seldom interfere, and rarely with 
 effect ; the community may authorize and' approve of 
 it. <•'• The authorized instruments of lawful warfare 
 are lawful." 
 
 I am perfectly sensible of the numerous disadvanta- 
 ges under which I labour, in combating the received 
 opinions in predilection of men, who have elevated 
 themselves by low and mean artifice, to the noble, but 
 slighted occupation of teaching. I cannot speak of 
 them without censuring them. I shall be assailed by 
 ignorance and envy on the one hand, and interested 
 views on the other. I shall be carped at by teachers, 
 particularly by those who are desirous of the emolument 
 arising from the profession. The warm approbation 
 of their patrons will be an almost insuperable bar- 
 rier to the execution of any person's intention, how- 
 ever laudable or praise-worthy, and cannot fail of ex- 
 citing a zealous resentment against the man whom 
 they suppose the innovator, and who dares to expose 
 them to merited scorn and contempt. 
 
 Many of those preceptorial parasites who are en- 
 joying all the sensual pleasures of life, unadorned by 
 those elevated virtues, which should characterise the 
 fraternity, and which are essentially requisite for those, 
 who arrogate to themselves the important province of 
 rearing immortal souls, for " scenes of never-fading 
 bliss," have exalted themselves to that eminence, by 
 uttering the most audacious calumnies under the ap- 
 pearance oi" the greatest sincerity. They have found 
 by frequent repetitions of these monstrous enormities, 
 which demand public chastisement, that they could 
 procure the testimonials of great approbation, from 
 
INTRODUCTION, XVll 
 
 many of those, who are incapable of discerning their 
 quackery, their ignorance, and their knavery. The 
 ignorant and simple (for such alone can be imposed 
 upon) have lent their voluntary eulogies to those pet- 
 ty declaimers, and thus prejudices have been formed 
 against the more honourable and respegtable 
 class of instructors, which will require great ef- 
 forts, before they can be lessened or eradicated. 
 
 That a good education is the source of all virtue, 
 is an unquestionable fact, and it behooves every 
 faithful professor of religion, and every friend to lite- 
 rature, to crush, if possible, tutorial depravity, and 
 whimsical modes of instruction, and to establish, in 
 their stead, such as may be most likely to produce 
 something valuable, and which may recompense them 
 for their great care and unwearied diligence. Let 
 them inquire into the characters of those men who 
 are desirous of becoming instructors of youth, and 
 examine, whether they be free from the errours and 
 prejudices naturally arising from an uncultivated mind. 
 Nor is this all. Merely their being skilled in the 
 Latin, Greek, or French languages, and their posses- 
 sing a general knowledge of the arts and sciences, 
 should not persuade persons to entrust their chil- 
 dren to them. They should have, in addition to this 
 theoretical lumber, something more to recommend 
 them ; they should be virtuous, prudent, mild, and 
 scrupulous ; they should themselves set the best ex- 
 amples, and endeavour, by every means in their power, 
 to induce their pupils to follow them. In a word, let 
 the votaries of morality and religion establish their 
 schools on such a foundation, that while, on the one 
 
 B a. 
 
XV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 hand, the usual and most necessary branches of edu- 
 cation are carefully and Skilfully taught, on the other, 
 religion should be instilled into the juvenile mind, with 
 all that ardour and assiduity, which the extreme im- 
 portance of the subject requires, viz. the temporal and 
 eternal happiness of those committed to their care. 
 This would be a system which, when brought into op- 
 eration, could not be destroyed or even affected, by 
 the slander or glaring quackery, so frequently exhibit- 
 ed to the public, through the medium of newspapers 
 and circulars, by immoral and roving teachers. 
 
 The effects of low and illiterate preceptors are most 
 severely felt in this city. The minds of their pupils 
 left unexercised, are open to all the vices prevalent 
 among the most worthless part of the community. 
 The children have nothing to do, <; but to run in the 
 street" upon the dismission of school. In the morn- 
 ing they return, to louftge out their time in indolence 
 and ignorance. Hence is the contempt in which our 
 schools are held. Children make no improvement. 
 The fault indeed lies partly on the child's side, but 
 more on the parents', who are so thoughtless as to 
 commit their children to the care of illiterate and dar- 
 ing impostors. How can it then be expected, that the 
 learned part of the community should approbate our 
 common seminaries, when it is no longer an honour to 
 be at the head of a school, but a little profit ? 
 That such miserable wretches are poorly recompen- 
 sed, ought, by no means, to excite astonishment. 
 The fact is, that they do not even deserve their dayly 
 bread. — Men are seldom found possessed of all the 
 requisites necessary for conducting an academy who 
 
 • 
 
INTRODUCTION. XIX 
 
 - will descend to the business of teaching, unless com- 
 pelled by necessity ; and this may be assigned as the 
 reason, why so few of our citizens rise to eminence in 
 the republic of letters, or in the management of our 
 public affairs. That this is now the case, admits of 
 no doubt ; the world has already complained of our 
 remissness in scholastic affaire. It is indeed true, 
 that many of our countrymen have reached the 
 highest pinnacle of literary fame. This, however, 
 was not owing to any knowledge which they obtain- 
 ed in our common schools, but under the blessing 
 of Divine Providence, to their own incessant indus- 
 try and application, wholly independent of local ad- 
 vantages. It is to the wretched state of our places 
 of learning, that the practice of late years, of sending 
 our youth to other countries for their education, is to 
 be attributed.* — There is a national evil ensuing from 
 this, viz. that it tends to alienate the affections of 
 youth from their native country, and rivet them to that 
 wherein they have been educated. This has been too 
 long the case, and instead of endeavouring to remove 
 the defects and prejudices, which force our offspring 
 to distant shores for illuminating their minds, we still 
 seem to be adding a greater spur. Why do we not 
 endeavour to equal or surpass foreign seminaries of 
 learning, to distinguish our literary institutions as the 
 nurseries of tiberty, literature and religion, and instead 
 
 * I am, however, extremely well pleased to notice, that for 
 a few years past, New- York can boast of better Classical and 
 English schools, than any other city in the United States, and 
 that the practice of sendiag our youth to England, France, &c. 
 is growing into disrepute. — May it continue, till no foreign 
 country can claim the honour of educating" Americans, 
 
XK INTRODUCTION, 
 
 of intrusting our children to the?n, let them be obliged 
 to send theirs to us ? But as we have been crawling 
 along in one old beaten path for many years, it ap- 
 pears almost impossible to extricate ourselves from 
 this labyrinth of perplexity and endless errour. 
 
 When I see the scholastic institutions of other coun- 
 tries flourishing in full vigour, I frequently propose the 
 question to myself, what can be the cause of the low 
 state of American institutions ? The intellectual pow- 
 ers of Europeans are not superiour to ours ; their cli- 
 mate is no better ; their food is not more nourishing. I 
 ask it, and at the same time, behold our places of learn- 
 ing sinking into insignificance, the cause is obvious. 
 It arises, in a great measure, from the inadequate in- 
 struction in our schools, and from fiarents forcing 
 their children into the way of making their fortunes. 
 This is too much the case with the inhabitants of 
 America, and as many of these money-makers are 
 ignorant themselves, they cannot consequently see the 
 invnluable use and delights of learning, and would, if 
 possible, envelope others in this profundity of mental 
 darkness. Jf, however, youth should, by the skill and 
 art of the teacher, once imbibe the desire of knowl- 
 edge, and feel a thirst for literary fame, the folly of 
 parents would soon stand conspicuous ; the sparks of 
 ambition kindled at school, would soon break out into 
 a general conflagration, which nothing could resist. 
 Emulation, the incentive to great exertions, would 
 become predominant. A virtuous ambition being- 
 kindled among the Greeks, they carried every thing 
 to the greatest perfection. The trophies of Miltiades 
 disturbed the nightly slumbers of Themistocles, and' 
 
INTROBUCTIOK. XXI 
 
 the eulogies bestowed upon Herodotus at the Olym- 
 pic Games, stimulated Thueydides to compose his 
 immortal work. If this emulation had not been ex- 
 cited, Greece nor Rome could not have boasted 
 of the many illustrious characters and splendid 
 achievements, which are recorded on the page of 
 history. The fire and enthusiasm of genius are 
 not confined to any individual nation ; but are to be 
 found, more or less, in every quarter ©f the world. 
 It seems, indeed, to slumber in the frozen regions 
 of Iceland and Greenland, and to be bound by the 
 chains of gothic barbarity and superstition, among 
 those nations once famous for the song of the Muse, 
 the soundness of philosophy, and military ardour and 
 courage. Turkey and Africa bear record of these as- 
 sertions, and their names are almost blotted out from 
 the historic page. Their ambition being extinguished, 
 they are incapable of any illustrious exploit, and are 
 only mentioned with scorn and contempt, as being the 
 degenerate descendants of men more learned and civ- 
 ilized than any of the Eastern hemisphere. Thus it 
 happens to all nations until emulation is excited among 
 them ; that they appear destitute of any great eleva* 
 tion of mind ; and upon its decay, the mind languish-- 
 ing for a spur to its exertions, sinks into inactivity and 
 moulders into insignificancy. Various causes, indeed, 
 may tend to its decadence. Commerce pouring in her 
 luxuries from abroad, enervates and effeminates the in- 
 tellectual powers, and hastens the extinction of that vhir 
 tuous ambition which tends to the public good. Thus 
 it was with Rome. Enlightened and brave as her in- 
 habitants were, great and profound as were her philos- 
 
XX11 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ©phers and statesmen, they could not save her from 
 falling a sacrifice to the luxury, which followed upon 
 the taking of Carthage. From this period, the fate of 
 Rome was fixed ; she fell, and the honours acquired 
 before this period remain only to show the greatness 
 of her past glory. Thus we see, that unless some re- 
 wards be held forth, worthy of attainment, and an em- 
 ulation be kindled, a nation, however rich or learned, 
 will fall a sacrifice to the restless spirit of her. r citizens. 
 Nursed in the cradle of sloth and idleness, and pam- 
 pered by luxury, a way is opened for more manly na- 
 tions to usurp the liberties of their country, and con- 
 vert them from the slaves of sensual gratifications, into 
 the slaves of oppression and despotism. 
 " To the malign and flimsy criticisms of hireling 
 scribblers, tea-table talkers, grog-shop philosophers, or 
 depraved instructors, I have nothing to say ; but, that 
 they will probably be as worthy of my notice, as the 
 places or the characters which gave them birth. If 
 they will talk, let them. Perhaps they cannot con- 
 verse upon any thing of more value to themselves, and 
 to the community, than upon the right education of 
 youth. I have nothing to advance in defence of my 
 essays, but that I believe the sentiments to be correct. 
 With them I have lived : with them I think it probable 
 I shall die. A complete reformation in many of our 
 teachers' characters who have abilities, and a total re- 
 jection of those who want either, will be the only means 
 of effecting a change in my mind. 
 
 Secret and causeless enemies, I can neither oppose 
 Bor convict ; but must leave them to that punishment 
 wkich the cankering- worm of a guilty conscience nev- 
 
INTRODUCTION. XX1H. 
 
 er. fails to inflict, a wbund-fwhich time cannot assuage, 
 which art cannot cicatrize. 
 
 Veritas odium pant. 
 Truth produces hatred. 
 
 It may be deemed necessary that I should make an 
 apology for- my frequent use of classical quotations. 
 The placing of two or three Latin or Greek mottoes 
 to some of them, may appear pedantic and ostenta- 
 tious, while they may be thought unnecessary. I can- 
 not advance much for their necessity ; but have only 
 to remark, that the best writers of the English lan- 
 guage, Johnson, Addison, Steel, Pope, Knox, and ma- 
 ny others, abound with classical quotations. I will, 
 however, add a few more words from Mr. Matthias, 
 the reputed author of the " Pursuits of literature,"— 
 " I would say a few words (says he) on another part of 
 my work. I have been under the necessity, as at least 
 I thought, of appealing for illustration to writers of all 
 ages and various languages. There is an appearance 
 of ostentation in it, to which I must submit. I am 
 certainly of opinion with Casaubon, that it cannot be 
 supposed, " facere aliquid ad veram pietatem sen doc- 
 trinam Grasca potius quam alia lingua loqui."* Cer- 
 tainly not. But to enforce and to illustrate any posi- 
 tion, the language of the poets, and the dignity and 
 spirit of ancient eloquence and history, in the ori- 
 ginal words, are of no mean assistance. But I have 
 generally given in English, the substance of the allu- 
 
 * (It cannot be supposed) that speaking or writing- in the 
 Greek Language* in preference to any other, can have any 
 particular efficacy in promoting the interests of true piety or 
 learning-. Casaub. Exercit. 16, ad Annul. Eetl Barsnii. 
 
XXI? INTRODUCTION. 
 
 sions contained in the learned languages, which arc 
 brought forward " 
 
 The essay addressed to Mentius, &c. is in appear- 
 ance severe. It never would have been written, had 
 there not been ample cause. Retaliation is sometimes 
 laudable, as appears from the writings of that celebra- 
 ted philosopher and Christian, Dr. Witherspoon. " I 
 do not deny (says he) that there are sometimes good 
 reasons for making use of satire and ridicule, in con- 
 troversies of the political kind, and sometimes it is 
 necessary in self defence. If any writer in behalf of 
 a party attempts to expose his adversaries to public 
 scorn, he ought not to be surprised, if the measure he 
 metes to others is measured out to him again, What is 
 unlawful in the aggressor, becomes justifiable in the 
 defender," I shall not, therefore, under such sanction 
 as his, consider myself, in the least, reprehensible in 
 retorting the abusive language with which myself and 
 ©thers have been assailed ; but on the contrary deem 
 ail my efforts laudable, in supporting my own charac- 
 ter, and that of those whom he has so injuriously as- 
 sailed : for I hold this to be a doctrine, in which I 
 shall be joined by all good men, that character is, of 
 all things, an article worthy of protection. 
 
 Having made such observations in the Introduction 
 as I thought proper, I submit my labours to the public. 
 If they are worthy of patronage, I am contented ; if 
 not, let them perish amongst other volumes, far supe- 
 rlour to this in matter and in stvle. 
 
THE 
 
 REFORMER. 
 
 WWWWXiVWVW 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 REMARKS ON EDUCATION, PARENTS, INSTRUC- 
 TORS, &c* 
 
 No?— ~ 
 cm K'MgiQ ugicrro?. 
 
 " This is the season for the right understanding of the 
 subject which is before us." Pind. Olymp. O. 13. 
 
 Xlwyii koli p/f<* KAXoxxyxd-ixs, To vc/uif/.* Tv^iiy 7r&ifo)&$ t — 
 
 " A good education is the source and foundation of all 
 virtue." Plutarch. 
 
 " If the business of education were more thoroughly and 
 more generally understood, it would be less necessary for in- 
 dividuals, when they arrive at maturity, to form plans of im- 
 provement for themselves." 
 
 Stuart's Philosophy of the Mind, 
 
 To ascertain the truth and solidity of a received 
 maxim, or mathematical proposition, it is necessary 
 that we descend to the causes and circumstances 
 which led to the conclusion, and the avidity with 
 which men have received and propagated it as or- 
 
 * This essay being much longer than any of the others, I 
 have deemed it proper to divide it into different chapters ; 
 the connection between each chapter being 1 properly pre- 
 served. 
 
 c 
 
26 BEFORMER. 
 
 thodox. If systems and conclusions had been received 
 and not examined, the world to this day had not been 
 illuminated with correct knowledge ; but that mentaj 
 darkness which characterized ages, would have con- 
 tinued to produce the cruelties of superstition, and the 
 wild conceits of fanaticism. Had not Copernicus re-ex- 
 amined the Pythagorean theory of the universe, what 
 would have been the present state of astronomy ? Had 
 not Newton, Bacon and other successors, explored the 
 depths of philosophy and the arcana of nature", antf 
 thoroughly investigated the discoveries of Archimedes 
 and Euclid, they could not have proceeded with so much 
 certainty in those sciences which have exalted their 
 names to the highest eminence. Rut by minutely ex- 
 amining every thing for themselves, they have been 
 able to solve difficulties which before their times were 
 deemed insurmountable, to shew to what excellence, 
 greatness and correctness the human mind may soar, 
 when it investigates for itself on the principles of sound 
 reason and candour, rejecting the inconsistent hypothe- 
 ses of those who have involved literature and science 
 in endless perplexity and errour. But those luminaries 
 in religion and sound philosophy soon excited a host of 
 inveterate enemies against them ; and the history of 
 succeeding ages sufficiently shews, that, when a man 
 has, by the unbiassed use of his reason, demonstrated 
 to his own satisfaction the existence of some inveterate 
 errour in any particular science, art or profession, and 
 deems it his duty to communicate his proposed reme- 
 dy or improvement to the world, he may rest assured, 
 that he will forthwith be assailed on all sides by the 
 clamours of men, who, instigated by interest or some 
 
'.REFORMER. 27 
 
 other base motive, will study by every means in their 
 power, to thwart him in his laudable designs, and who 
 will use their utmost efforts to throw the intended re- 
 former and his scheme of reformation into contempt 
 and ridicule. A man, however, who is actuated by a 
 sincere desire to promote the public good, will not be 
 'deterred from the prosecution of his project by such 
 *» bugbears" He will modestly, but yet firmly^ lay 
 his opinion before his fellow citizens, together with 
 the reasons which induced him to adopt them, and al- 
 low the public to judge for themselves. 
 
 From these few preliminary observations, we see 
 that to proper and candid examinations, expressed in 
 sentiments which eairy along with them the clearest 
 conviction of certain projectors or reformers having 
 deserved applause or censure ; it may justly be said to 
 have led us to the solid information of those subjects, 
 which, previous to strict and candid criticism and ex- 
 amination, rested in obscurity. Old and absurd sys- 
 tems by their means have been eradicated, new and 
 approved ones have been substituted, which, in despite 
 of ridicule and asperity, attract the encomium and ad- 
 miration of the world. 
 
 Fully convinced of the obstacles which obstruct the 
 intentions of any writer however laudable, provided re- 
 formation be his object, I enter upon the present ob- 
 servations with fear and trembling. Individual exer- 
 tion in education can do little, and though it fail of ac- 
 complishing its object, it may be a stimulus to others 
 to expose defects, which, if continued, will be pro- 
 ductive of innumerable errours both in science and re- 
 ligion. Even failure in theoretical matters frequent!/ 
 
28 REFORMER. 
 
 meets the reward of good intention ; but in practical 
 eulogium not short of adoration is bestowed upon him, 
 who has been happy enough to bring those things into 
 practice, which had formerly appeared plausible in 
 theory ; but which, from a combination of difficulties, 
 it had been thought, would be for ever impossible to 
 put into execution. The first attempt seldom proves 
 successful, but some, by perseverance and by repeated 
 trials, have finally executed what their predecessors 
 left unfinished. Thus, Dryden and Milton improved 
 upon antecedent poets, and Goldsmith and Pope have 
 polished our language with respect to poetical num- 
 bers to such a degree, as to supersede even the idea 
 of adding beauty to the metrical song of the muse — 
 Assisted by the labours of those who have gone before 
 them, Edge worth, Moore, Knox, Milton and Rosseau 
 have composed the most valuable and splendid trea- 
 tises that have adorned any language since the days of 
 Quintillian and Cicero. With their success in view, 
 and the clamour and opposition raised against Dr. 
 Knox and his commendable reformation in classical 
 literature, I attempt to lay before the public observations 
 on education, and parents, and upon those preceptors, 
 who, regardless of the highly responsible trust reposed 
 in them, have violated the most essential duties of so- 
 cial life, and abused the confidence with which the 
 community have thought proper to entrust them. 
 
 Whoever have been duly impressed w£th the va- 
 rious duties which we owe individually and collective- 
 ly to our country, have long been desirous not only of 
 seeing a reform in the modes of education practised 
 by many of our preceptors, but likewise a more par- 
 
REFORMER. 2f 
 
 ticular one in the characters of those who are chosen 
 the guardians of this great and, if properly conducted, 
 truly invaluable national blessing. In offering this last 
 observation, I mean not to detract from the learning, 
 morality and religion of several of our instructors. — 
 But it reflects much inattention, if not dishonour, upon 
 the public, that they have patronized men* who as 
 Cicero observes, cum maxime fallunt^ dant ofieram ut 
 viri boni videantur. Until we examine the moral as 
 well as the literary character of those, who superin- 
 tend our seminaries, persons of the most slender pre- 
 tensions to probity and talents will impose their wick- 
 edness and folly upon us, as the unerring dictates of 
 Christianity and wisdom. 
 
 When it is universally allowed, that youth cannot 
 well be expected to improve in useful knowledge, ex- 
 cept under the guidance of men of learning and reli- 
 gion, it is certain that no radical reform can be ex- 
 pected to take place in our system of education, till 
 teachers can be found in whom both of these are 
 united. But when gentlemen possessed of these, qual- 
 ifications shall be at the head of our juvenile semina- 
 ries, what a happy change will then take place ! Such 
 preceptors, like the real ministers of Christ, will take 
 delight in rearing the infant plant, expanding the bud 
 of genius, and inculcating upon the pliant mind of the 
 youth committed to their care, the objects of their du- 
 ty, the deity, their fellow-creatures and themselves. 
 
 Their duty done, they seek no worldly store, 
 
 Their conscience pays them, and they ask no more.. 
 
 C 3 
 
30 REFORMER. 
 
 Thrice happy they, o'er whom they thus preside, 
 Reclaim from errour, and to virtue guide ; 
 Who taug-ht by them, their industry employ, 
 And in the public good their own enjoy. 
 
 Vaniere, 14th book of his Pr<edhtm Rusticum, 
 translated by Arthur Murphy. 
 
 Marcus, Aurelius Antoninus, in whom shone forth 
 the virtues of the christian and the talents of the states- 
 man and philosopher, thanked the gods for having 
 found good instructors for himself and also for his 
 children. In him and in many other celebrated Ro- 
 mans, we see the effects of a solid plan of education 
 and of moral tutors. Men were then patronized ac- 
 cording to their deserts ; the depraved were indig- 
 nantly rejected ; the good employed in transacting the 
 most honourable business. In a word, in the pure and 
 flourishing ages of the Roman Republic, parents and 
 guardians were conscious, that the tree would incline 
 as the tender twig was bent. They Saw that the hab- 
 its and manners of childhood invariably became the 
 habits and manners of advanced life, and were, there- 
 fore, assiduous in impressing the importance of moral 
 rectitude on the infant mind. Well informed parents 
 were then scrupulously attentive to their offspring, 
 and would not, like many of the present age, wholly 
 abandon them to the care of immoral preceptors, low 
 nurses, or the tawny descendants of Africa. And in- 
 deed, such was the vigilance of the officers of gov- 
 ernment in several of. the ancient countries, that fear- 
 ing lest parental fondness might indulge their children 
 in luxury tending to effeminancy, and incompatible 
 -\vjkth the abstinence and firmness of manly virtue, they 
 
REFORMER, 3| 
 
 *ften removed the children from the parents, and pla- 
 ced them under the most rigid tutor for instruction.— 
 Hence from this incessant care of inuring their youth 
 to application, study and privations of many kinds* 
 to which they must necessarily be compelled to sub- 
 mit when they should arrive at the years of manhood 
 and even before that period, Sparta could boast of a 
 Leonidas, Persia of a Gyrus, and Rome of philoso- 
 phers, statesmen, heroes and poets, for whose equals 
 latter ages search in vain. By this means, therefore, 
 Rome became a polished nation, and the emporium of 
 literature and science ; she rose to the highest emi- 
 nence, and though relaxed in rigorous modes of exer- 
 cise and education, in after times, and degraded by 
 crimes and vices, which bear ample record of her de- 
 generacy, she continues, to this day, to be the theme o£ 
 literary disquisition, and the admiration of the world. 
 
 Hence we see, that education and good instructors 
 tend to civilize and polish those countries to which 
 they extend their beneficial influence. The examples 
 of past nations point out to us the benefits resulting 
 from a substantial plan of instruction, when properly 
 carried into execution, in correcting the manners, re- 
 fining the temper, and moralizing society in genera!*, 
 and justifies the assertion, that it is the grounoj work 
 on which) may be raised a superstructure* well pro- 
 portioned, beautiful and lasting. 
 
 That literature and science, as they are the basis on 
 which the refined policy and management in the affairs 
 of theology and government depend, are essentially 
 necessary to the stability of nations, is a fact which 
 cannot be contradicted ; and \t is n® less certain*, that 
 
52 REFORMER. 
 
 persons, unless endowed with superiour natural pow- 
 ers, assisted by the observations of illumined and pro- 
 found minds, are incapable of perpetuating this incal- 
 culable blessing to human woes. But the exertion of 
 men of splendid talents is not the only thing necessa- 
 ry for carrying into effect a correct system of educa- 
 tion. There are other prerequisites which are of still 
 greater importance. Teachers should not only be dis- 
 tinguished for their literary abilities, but should also 
 be exemplary for their perseverance, diligence, and 
 zeal, for the purity and irreproachability of their morals* 
 They should be men, who would not think it beneath 
 their dignity to submit to the arduous task of " teach- 
 ing the young idea how to shoot," and who would 
 consider it as a most useful, nay as a sacred part of 
 their duty, to endeavour by every means- in their pow- 
 er, to instil into the flexible mind of the youth commit- 
 ted to their care, the unerring principles of our most 
 holy religion. Were pupils instructed in this manner 
 in their youth, it is believed, that, by the divine bles- 
 sing, they would be able in their riper years, to defend 
 themselves against the contaminating conversation of 
 persons destitute of principle, to detest and abhor the 
 fiend-like disposition of the slander er, to keep at a 
 distance from all wicked and designing men, to live in 
 due obedience and subordination to the laws of their 
 country, to endeavour to render themselves useful and 
 worthy members of society, to bridle the tongue, which 
 is frequently found to be the cause of much mischief, 
 and lastly to subdue all malevolent and unruly pas- 
 sions. 
 A sound and rational plan of education, conducted 
 
RzroRMzp* 33 
 
 agreeably to the principles which we have acquired by 
 experience, is the sole foundation on which the happi- 
 ness or misery of an individual as well as of a nation, 
 in a great measure depends. This is an incontroverti- 
 ble fact, and if it were duly considered, scientific and 
 patriotic men would pay more attention to our scholas- 
 tic establishments and the cause of literature through* 
 out our country, than they do at present. 
 
 In our early years, nothing strikes our ear without 
 effect. Nulla ad aures nostras vox imfiune fierjertur.* 
 Hence it follows, that the impressions with which our 
 minds are stamped in the dim dawn of our existence^ 
 should be of a salutary nature, as they adhere to us, in 
 the future tenour of our lives, and are productive of 
 actions of a corresponding and similar nature. Indeed 
 we may rationally infer, that the priviliges which con- 
 stitute our happiness, have their origin in them alto- 
 gether. But where are those impressions to be re- 
 ceived ; to whom are we to look for them ? Undoubt- 
 edly to parents and instructors, who ought, in reality s 
 to perform a parental duty, in restraining and correct-* 
 ing the foibles and vices of the young. Ever since 
 our fall, we can discern that the heart of man is un« 
 happily disposed to deeds of evil. This natural pro* 
 pensity will always operate diametrically opposite to 
 the few good inclinations which are found in children, 
 unless the united efforts of parents and literary guar- 
 dians be exerted to " encourage and confirm those 
 faint, but precious reliques of our first innocence, and 
 pluck with indefatigable care the thistles and briars 
 which are continually shooting up in so bad a soil."' 
 * Seneca's Epistles, G. 4. 
 
34 REFORMER. 
 
 Though this be a well received truth, it is to be la- I 
 merited, that few of the multitude of parents are- suffi- 
 ciently circumspect in regard to what they say or do 
 in the presence of their offspring ; nor do they give 
 themselves any concern about the character of the per- 
 son to whom they may entrust their superintendance, 
 regardless whether false or true notions be instilled I 
 into their pliant minds. '• Nil dictu, says Juvenal, I 
 f&dum visuque /uee limina tangat, intra quce ftuer est" 
 which were guardians duly to observe, they would not ! 
 be obliged in their declining age to turn with sorrow I 
 to the past, and lament the miserable examples which 
 they set, or caused to be set, before their children. — 
 Maxima debetur fiueris reverenlia.* 
 
 If these impressions be of a polluting kind, we may 
 hope in vain to see the deluded victims approaching 
 the state of manhood under the hallowed auspices of 
 religion and knowledge. 
 
 " In vain, 
 Without fair culture's kind parental aid, 
 Without enliv'ning suns and genial show'rs, 
 And shelter from the blast — in vain we hope 
 The tender plant can rear its blooming- head, 
 Or yield the harvest promis'd in the spring." 
 
 * ikensiile. 
 
 If on the contrary, their minds be deeply impressed' 
 With the sublime doctrines contained in the sacred ! 
 scriptures, and with the reflections and admonitions 
 with which the pages of many of cur wisest and best 
 
 * Which may be translated thus : " The greatest circum- 
 spection is necessary in our intercourse with children." 
 
 Juvenal. 
 
REFORMED 3J 
 
 writers every where abound: and if they have been 
 made duly acquainted with the parts which each has 
 to sustain in this grand and variegated scene of life, we 
 shall see jtliem, as it were, approach the temple of vir- 
 tue in glorious array, and when they shall have attain- 
 ed the age of manhood, they will be prepared to per- 
 form^ with honour, the several duties of patriot, parent 
 and friend. This is the situation of the virtuous in 
 this world ; but when they shall be called upon to leave 
 it, a state infinitely more happy and glorious is pre- 
 pared for them. They will then be received into the 
 mansions of everlasting bliss, the abode of " the souls 
 of just .men made perfect." There they will be crown- 
 ed with a wreath of immortality, and placed far be- 
 yond the envious blast of calumny, or any of those 
 corroding cares and vexations which in this imperfect 
 state, too often annoy even some of the best of men.— 
 There no turmoil, nor bustle about honours or distinc- 
 tions, nor indeed, about any other concerns can inter- 
 rupt their unadulterated happiness. They have taken 
 up their eternal residence in the kingdom of their 
 heavenly father, in which, joy inconceivable and full of 
 glory for ever reigns, and there they will continue, 
 through all the ages of eternity, admiring the marvel- 
 lous plan of redeeming love, and adoring the great- 
 ness, goodness and wisdom of Jehovah. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 As it is not my intention to write a general treatise 
 upon education, it is sufficient to remark, that the im- 
 provement of the intellectual and moral powers, has 
 been considered as a point of the greatest moment in 
 
36 REFORMER. 
 
 every civilized age and nation. But that we may form 
 a more just estimation of the advantages which may 
 be derived from the training up of youth in the knowl- 
 edge of the Languages, the Arts, History, Rhetoric, 
 Philosophy, and such other sciences as are most con- 
 ducive to improve them in religion and learning, to 
 eternize their memory, to render the basis of their na- 
 tion strong and permanent, and lastly, to confirm the 
 correctness of all the preceding observations ; there is 
 nothing more necessary than to take a view of the dif- 
 ference which learning makes, not only between indi- 
 viduals, but nations. 
 
 " The Athenians (says Mr. Rollin) possessed but a 
 small territory in Greece ; but of how large an extent 
 was their reputation ? By carrying the sciences to per- 
 fection, they completed their own glory. The same 
 school sent abroad excellent men of all kinds, great 
 orators, famous commanders, wise legislators, and able 
 politicians. This fruitful source diffused the like ad^ 
 vantages over all the politer arts, though seemingly 
 independent of it ; such as Music, Painting, Sculpture, 
 and Architecture. It was here they received their 
 improvement, their grandeur, their perfection ; and, 
 as if they had been derived from the same root, and 
 nourished by the same sap, they flourished at the same 
 time." 
 
 " Rome, which had made herself mistress of the 
 world by her victories, became the subject of its won- 
 der and imitation, by the excellent performances she 
 produced in almost all kinds of arts and sciences, and 
 thereby gained a new kind of superiority over the peo- 
 ple she had subjected to her yoke, which was far 
 
REFORMER, 37 
 
 more pleasing, than what had been obtained by arms 
 and conquests." ^ 
 
 " Africa, which was once so procjpctive of great and 
 learned men, through the neglect of literature, h 
 grown absolutely unfruitful, and even fallen into that 
 barbarity of which it bears the name, without having 
 produced one single person in the course of so many 
 ages who has distinguished himself, calling to mind 
 the merit of his ancestors, or caused it to be remem- 
 bered by others. Egypt in particular, deserves this 
 character, which has been considered as the source 
 whence all the sciences have flowed. 5 ' 
 
 a The reverse has happened among the people of 
 the West and North. They were long looked on as 
 rude and barbarous nations, as having discovered no 
 taste for works of ingenuity and wit. But as scon as 
 learning took place, they sent abroad considerable 
 proficients in all kinds of literature, and of every pro- 
 fession, who in point of solidity, understanding, depth, 
 and sublimity, have equalled whatever other nations 
 have at other times produced." 
 
 " We daily observe, that in proportion as the sci- 
 ences make their progress in countries, they transform 
 the inhabitants into new creatures ; by inspiring them 
 with gentler inclinations and manners, and supplying 
 them with better forms of administration, and more 
 humane laws, they raise them- from the obscurity 
 wherein they had languished before, and engage them 
 to throw off their natural roughness. Thus they prove 
 evidently, that the minds of men are very nearly the 
 same in all parts of the world ; that all honourable 
 distinction in regard to them, is owing to the sciences, 
 D 
 
33 REFORMER. 
 
 and that according as these are cultivated or neglect- 
 ed, nations rise or £dl, emerge out of darkness, or 
 sink again into it, ^nd that their fate in a manner de- 
 pends upon them.* 
 
 " But without recourse to history, let us only cast 
 our eyes upon what ordinarily passes in nature. From 
 thence we may learn what an infinite difference culti- 
 vation will make between two pieces of ground, which 
 are otherwise very much alike. The one, if left to 
 itself, remains rough, wild, and over-run with weeds 
 and thorns. The other, laden with all sorts of grain 
 and fruits, and set off with an agreeable variety of 
 Sowers, collects into a narrow compass whatever is 
 most rare, wholesome, or delightful, and by the tiller's 
 care becomes a pleasing epitome of all the beauties of 
 different seasons and regions. Thus it is with the 
 mind, which always repays us with usury for the care 
 we take to cultivate it. This is the soil which every 
 man who knows how nobly he is descended, and for 
 what great ends 'designed, is obliged to manage to ad- 
 vantage ; a soil that is rich and fruitful, capable of im- 
 mortal productions, and alone worthy of all its care." 
 Nihil est feracius inge?iiis, Us /irasertim qua discifili- 
 nis exculta sunt.* 
 
 Manifest, therefore, are the concomitant blessings 
 of a solid and virtuous education ; hence it is no won- 
 der that those parents who have the good of their 
 children at heart, seek the best seminaries, and the 
 most scrupulous instructors, who will dare to execute 
 their duly in despite of the calumny of the multitude, 
 
 * Nothing is more fruitful than the human g-enius, espe- 
 cially when cultivated by learning. Ci cent's Ovations. 
 
REFORMER. 3Q 
 
 the ingratitude which they receive, and the abuse and 
 contumely to which they are liable from students, who 
 should reverence and obey them as fathers. 
 
 * To form the understandings of the hopes of fu- 
 turity, to instil into their pliant minds such principles 
 and sentiments as may make them appear for what 
 they were intended, to habituate them to such a man- 
 ner of thinking and discriminating, as is consonant to 
 truth, is a work of the greatest importance to the 
 world ; for the inculcation of impure morals, not only 
 involves in destruction and misery the present age, but 
 will also prove the most irrefragibie barrier to the feli- 
 city of thousands, who at present slumber in the em- 
 bryo of futurity. 
 
 What an awful responsibility then rests with in- 
 structors and parents ! A responsibility productive of 
 the most eventful consequences, as on them depends 
 the future tenour of their lives, whose care it should 
 have been to have stored their minds with such pre- 
 cepts and instruction, as would teach them to avoid 
 those snares which life so frequently presents. 
 
 " What is this world ! thy school, O misery ? 
 Our only lesson is to learn to suffer, 
 And he who knows not that, is born for nothing'." 
 
 Young 
 
 * Nee enim is solus reipublicce protlest qui de pace beilo- 
 que censet, &c. sed qui juventutem exhortatur, qui 
 virtute instruit amnios, in privato publicum necotium 
 agit. Seneca. 
 
 " Nor does he only serve his country who gives his opin- 
 ion on war and peace, &c. but he who exhorts youth, 
 who furnishes their minds with virtuous principles, wh© 
 transacts public business in private." 
 
40 REFORMER. 
 
 Infatuated, indeed, must that parent be who will 
 not attend to the education of his lovely offspring, nor 
 inquire to whom he is about to entrust u his soul's far 
 dearer part," and vile indeed, must that man be, who 
 when appointed the guardian of the public hopes and 
 the public safety, " to feed and direct those streams, 
 which must either desolate or fertilize our country and 
 churches of our God, as they flow, to train and send forth 
 corps of actors, destined to reform or corrupt life's ever- 
 varying drama, and prove the future scourges of man- 
 kind,"* who does not discharge his duty conscientious- 
 ly, a duty incumbe&t on him by the special command 
 of his almighty father, a duty which the general voice 
 arid good of society demand. 
 
 Since these truths are manifest, I know not what rea- 
 son to assign for parents in general, being so unmind- 
 ful of the literary abilities and moral qualifications of 
 those to whom they give the charge of their growing 
 offspring. Every one who has any acquaintance with 
 human nature, or has observed children in their play- 
 ful and unguarded moments, can perceive, that the 
 impressions made on their tender minds, either by pre- 
 ceptorial or parental example (though good impres- 
 sions are, and may be often eradicated by vicious ac- 
 quaintance, and our natural propensity to evil) burst 
 forth in the full splendour of a good or bad act. In 
 them we behold the effects they have. We can here 
 particularly see the influence that these first principles 
 have on their conduct. They promise to become either 
 ornamental and useful members of society, or slaves to 
 i - vices, and scourges of mankind. As they increase 
 * Dr. E. Nott. 
 
REFORMER, 4\ 
 
 in years, their virtues or their vices increase, Hence, as 
 I have already observed, the principles imbibed in the 
 twilight of our existence, are not easily effaced. And 
 though the religious seeds early implanted in our way- 
 ward minds by paternal care, may seem at times to 
 slumber in oblivion, or even to be totally obliterated by 
 surrounding and carnal pleasures, yet they generally 
 break forth at a more remote period of life, and shine 
 with renewed lustre. This, biography and experi- 
 ence, the great teachers of mankind, fully testify. — 
 Hence, we see men, who, when young, were taught 
 the doctrines of morality and religion, begin to prac- 
 tice these virtues, when they find themselves tottering 
 on the very verge of the grave. Then it frequently 
 happens that a retrospect of their crimes and follies 
 overwhelms them with contrition and sorrow, and they 
 behold, through the subtle veil of human reason, but 
 more especially through the instrumentality of divine 
 revelation, the necessity of flying for succour and pro- 
 tection to the rock of ages before they visit that re- 
 gion, " from whose bourn no traveller returns."-— 
 These men, who though lost for a time, by giving 
 themselves up to those alluring pleasures which de- 
 stroy the noblest faculty of the mind, and render us, 
 in some measure, like to the brutes that perish, have 
 still the reliques of noble souls. When deserted by 
 this divine illumination, we are left as a vessel in the 
 midst of a tempestuous ocean, and in danger every 
 moment of being overwhelmed by the tumultuous bil- 
 lows. We have no means to guide ourselves, but are 
 left to the providence of Mm, who created this im- 
 mense fabric, and called millions of burning and sur~ 
 D 2 
 
42 REFORMER. 
 
 rounding- orbs from non-existence into being, and who 
 profusely sheds his blessings upon the evil as well as 
 the good. 
 
 If then, the most admirable and wonderful effects be 
 produced by the well directed influence of education, 
 it may be asked why are its salutary effects so seldom 
 to be seen. A change in the character of those who are 
 to fill our places of education, can in a great measure, 
 be effected by the circumspection of parents in know- 
 ing to whom they give the superintendance of the lit- 
 erary, and particularly the moral culture of their off- 
 spring, if they feel disposed to resign this truly im- 
 portant task to any one which, in truth, properly be- 
 longs to themselves, and to which the great author of 
 our nature especially designed, that they should i 
 their attention. They certainly are better fitted than 
 any other persons, provided that they have been well 
 instructed themselves for the important duty ; and it is 
 natural to suppose, that children educated by pru.knt 
 parents, will conduct themselves with the greatest 
 propriety and integrity through life. 
 
 The maxims which they shall endeavour to incul- 
 cate, will be more fixed in the mind, because they 
 will, in general, be dictated in softer tones, and chil- 
 dren will listen to them with greater attention, in con- 
 sequence of the natural love which they bear to those 
 om they are delivered. Children thus instruct- 
 ed, will, by every means in their power, soothe and 
 comfort the languishing hours of those who are not 
 only their parents, but who have been their guides, 
 their teachers, and their bosom friends, and when 
 {hey shall be removed from this sublunary world, they 
 
REFORMER. 43 
 
 will ever hold their names in sacred remembrance, 
 But this I believe has seldom happened to children 
 who have been committed to the guardianship of low 
 nurses or wandering instructors, and it may be redu- 
 ced to a moral certainty, that were all parents to com- 
 mit their offspring to such characters, morals and lit- 
 erature would soon take their flight from our country. 
 Children, particularly in their younger years, should 
 be kept under the immediate inspection of their pa- 
 rents, but circumstances may occur, which may ren- 
 der this sometimes inconvenient and often impractica- 
 ble. In such cases all that can be done is, to procure 
 as a substitute one who, while he will endeavour to 
 instil into their minds the principles of human learn- 
 ing, will not forget the one thing needful, the salvation 
 of their precious and immortal souls. The inattention 
 of many parents in this respect, is highly culpable, 
 particularly of our modern fine ladies, who, in general, 
 pay little or no attention to the education of their off- 
 spring; but while they are thoughtlessly gliding along 
 in their career of madness and folly, let them be assu- 
 red that the time is not far off, when they will deeply 
 regret their neglect in this respect.-— My observations 
 on education have heretofore chiefly pointed out what 
 I thought was the duty of males: I now proceed to 
 what I think is incumbent on females in regard to this 
 important business. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The greatest glory of the woman ought to be the 
 management of her domestic affairs, the performing of 
 the various duties annexed to the office of a friend, a 
 
44 REFORMER, 
 
 wife, a mother. They are words of solemn import, and 
 yet how frequently are the friendly, conjugal and ma- 
 ternal ties broken ! Depravity of disposition, bad ed- 
 ucation, fickleness of temper— all combine to destroy 
 the harmony and welfare of the human family by sow- 
 ing the seeds of discord and malevolence among them ; 
 nay, even between the parent and the child. Alas I 
 too often are the sacred ties of friendship and matri- 
 monial felicity, and still more of the maternal duty 
 broken. The consequences of the unhappiness and 
 misery which must ensue from these infractions of 
 moral duty, seem not to aToitse people from their pain- 
 ful lethargy ; but the same folly and inconsistency are 
 manifested by them and their progeny whom they 
 bring up in idleness and ignorance. This is generally 
 the case with those, who are unhappily entrusted to 
 another's protection and care ; and yet these impend- 
 ing evils do not alarm parents, particularly mothers, 
 from whom more tenderness might be expected for 
 the fate of their children. They sparkle at the assem- 
 bly, are admired at public places of amusement, ride 
 in gilded chariots, enjoy the past, riot in the luxuries 
 of the present moment, and anticipate pleasure in the. 
 future ; hi a word, they seem to be blest with the crdm 
 sunshine of a peaceful mind ; while, at the same time, 
 their heirs, by the instrumentality of low nurses, and. 
 ignorant and licentious preceptors, are forging chains, 
 which, when they have grown to the years of maturity, 
 they themselves must wear as bondsmen. Did gay 
 mothers reflect on this, and would only consider what 
 good they might do to the community, if they would, 
 study the cultivation of their own minds and attend to. 
 
BEFORMER. 45 
 
 their domestic concerns, they certainly would not act 
 in so absurd and giddy a manner as too many of them 
 do at present, They would not forget, that the edu- 
 cation of youth of both sexes principally devolves upon 
 them, not only in their infancy but during that peri- 
 od, in which the frame or constitution of both body 
 and mind, the disposition and temper are in a great 
 measure to be formed. 
 
 Women were intended to be the mothers of a ra- 
 tional, not of an ignorant, trifling, and effeminate off- 
 spring. But instead of this, they seldom or ever think 
 of the Importance attached to them. " Learning, 
 health, morals, salvation (says A. Picket in his Mir- 
 ror) depend upon maternal instruction : Indeed owr 
 happiness in this life, and the next, may, in -a great 
 measure, be said to be the result of their proper man- 
 agement in the early periods of our existence. How 
 greatly, therefore should they, who are conscious of 
 being well instructed by their mothers, revere the 
 name ! I would be understood to speak of a real 
 mot her i not of an airy, fantastical creature, who as soon 
 as she has recovered from her confinement, flies to 
 some part of the United-States in quest of pleasure, 
 congenial to her disposition, leaving her infant, whose 
 heavenly smiles would repay every maternal care, to 
 the cold charity of a mercenary woman, who has often, 
 at the same time, a child of her own to engross her 
 maternal endearments.'* But let me hasten from these 
 sad reflections, and advert to the most pleasing object 
 in the world, a judiciously fond mother, who, " casting 
 her regards round, through the pretty smiling circle, 
 watches the gradual openings of their minds, and stu« 
 
46 REFORMER. 
 
 dies the turn of their various tempers, in order to ex- 
 pand the ripening mind, and lead their passions by ta- 
 king hold of their hearts." Of such the reward is great. 
 It will afford a source of the most pleasing reflection 
 to such a mother, when she beholds her children sit 
 round her tables whom she herself had raised, and 
 conscious of having performed her duty towards them, 
 and delighted with that opinion which the world en- 
 tertain of them, as christians and useful members of 
 society, she can in her aged and declining years,' wait 
 in patience and cheerful resignation for that happy 
 hour, when she is to be called from hence to receive 
 the reward of her works. Such a mother, even in her 
 dying moments, can smile with complacency on that 
 part of her offspring, which may surround her bed ; 
 because she has every reason to believe that they will 
 continue to walk in that path of society and virtues, 
 which she had taught them to tread in their younger 
 years. Indeed she knows, that it must be so ; as she 
 has learnt from holy writ that " a child trained up in 
 the way he should go, when he is old, will not depart 
 from it." She is likewise confident, that though she 
 may be separated from her dear offspring for a while, 
 the time is not far distant, when they will again unite 
 with her in everlasting glory. She departs in peace. 
 Ye dames of fashion, what think you of this picture. 
 I can assure you, that it is not in the least surcharged. 
 Many pious matrons end their days precisely in the 
 manner here represented. But do you think, that 
 you will end your days with equal comfort? Believe 
 me, that you never can, unless through God's grace, 
 there be a total change in your lives and conduct 
 
REFORMER, 47 
 
 The dissimilarity between the ancients and moderns 
 appears in nothing more forcibly than in the modes of 
 education pursued by each. Laxity of discipline and 
 superficial knowledge mark the present day ; rigidity 
 and austerity of application and study that of Rome in 
 her pure and flourishing times. Then the attention to 
 children commenced with their birth. An infant was 
 not (as I have before observed) educated in the cot- 
 tage of a hireling nurse, nor under a depraved and il- 
 literate schoolmaster j but in the bosom of its mother, 
 whose praise it was, that she superintended her family. 
 Parents were then careful to form their first habits of 
 speaking and acting; to watch their growing passions, 
 and direct them to their proper objects ; to guard them 
 from immodest sports, and preserve their minds un- 
 contaminated. In this manner were educated the 
 Gracchi, Caesar, and other celebrated Romans. But 
 alas I how changed the times ! O temfiora ! O mores I 
 No Gracchi, no Caesars are to be found in these civil- 
 ized days ; no heroes in literature, to rival those of an- 
 tique years. Tacitus the historian, speaking of the 
 corruption of manners, and the vicious modes of edu 
 cation in the latter ages of Rome, says, "Children 
 were committed to some maid, with the vilest slaves, 
 with whom they were initiated in their low conversa- 
 tion and manners." " Horum f abulia et erroribus te- 
 neri staiim^ et rudes animi i?nbuuntu?'*—ne qidsquam in 
 tota domo fiensi habet."* 
 
 Many parents entrust their children abroad, to get 
 clear of the trouble of cultivating their hearts and un- 
 derstandings. This frequently happens, owing to their 
 * Tacitus. 
 
48 REFORMER. 
 
 ill qualifications for that duty. Engaged in the fanta- 
 sies of dress, and parties of merriment and pleasure, 
 they listen little to the calls of parental care. Yet 
 there is still another motive which actuates them. I 
 am afraid, that there is to© much truth in Plutarch's 
 observation, when he says, " that parents have arrived 
 to such a love for money, and such an indifference for 
 their offspring, as for the sake of cheapness, to choose 
 such instructors as are good for nothing." Such was 
 the case in his days, and such it is in ours. The past 
 is only a harbinger of what is to come. Crates excel- 
 lently describes the manners and dispositions of some 
 of those miserly parents of his time, in the following 
 Hues, which may be applied with the greatest propri- 
 ety to ours. 
 
 KoXAKl, T*\*VT* <&'iv1i ITVfA.QovKU) KATTVOV, 
 
 Iligvn TclxavIov, Qixzrcipa) TgtdCohov."* Crates. 
 
 * " He gives his cook ten minx, his doctor a drachm, his 
 toad eater five talents, his friends and counsellor smoke, his 
 mistress a talent, his philosopher three half pence." 
 
 The practice of employing- low teachers is not novel. As- 
 cham, preceptor to Elizabeth, gives us the following account 
 of the practice of his time. " Pity it is, that commonly more 
 care is not had ; yea that among wise men to find out rather 
 a cunning man for their horse, than a cunning man for their 
 children. They say nay in words, but. they do so in deed. 
 For to one they will give a stipend of two hundred crowns, 
 and loth to offer the other two hundred shillings. God that 
 sitteth in the Heaven laugheth their choice to scorn, and re- 
 wardeth their liberality as it should: for he smTereth them to 
 have tame and well ordered horses; but wild and 
 unfortunate childrex : and therefore in the end find 
 more pleasure in their horse than in their child." 
 
 " As the case now stands, those of the first quality pay their 
 tutors but little above half so much as their footmen.*' 
 "'Tis moustous, indeed, that men of the -est estates and fop- 
 tunes are more solicitous about the tutelage of & favourite dog 
 or horse, than of their children." Guardian, JYo. 94. 
 
ftEFOKMER. 49 
 
 And again, Crates, the philosopher, says, " if 'twere 
 possible to make them hear, I would get up to the 
 top of the highest pinnacle, and cry out, good people 
 whither are you all going in such haste, ye who apply 
 yourselves so earnestly to get money , but who take out 
 little thought for your children, to whom you must leave 
 "it all." And Aristippus, who being asked to abate his 
 "charge for the education of the child of one of those 
 savi?ig* parents, was told, that he might purchase a 
 good slave for the sum he asked. To which Aristip- 
 pus replied, "well, and so you may, and then you will 
 have two slaves, the slave you have bought, and the 
 slave you have begot" 
 
 For such miserly parents, a name in no language 
 can be found. They act inconsistently with what they 
 dayly practise. You see those, who by dint of labour 
 have acquired a tract of land, toil the live-long day in 
 repairing the injuries of the fences, &c. from which 
 "they have an idea of deriving some little advantage. 
 Is the cultivation of your field of equal importance to 
 the education -of your son or daughter, from whence, 
 if rightly managed, you may reap much more profit, 
 as well as credit and pleasure, than from all your other 
 pursuits ? Why do you cultivate your land and neg- 
 lect your children's education ? Is it for them: Some 
 misfortune may befal you, and your ground will then 
 .be liable to be sold for debt. You are then both de- 
 
 Quintilliano 
 
 Ut multum ? duo sufficient. Res nulla minoris 
 Constabit patri quam fil'ius." Juvenal. 
 
 " To Quintiliian the schoolmaster,how much ? Two sesterces 
 will be enough. Nothing will cost a father less than a son," 
 • ■ E 
 
50 REFORMER. 
 
 prived of support. Perhaps you may ask, what I 
 would leave them? I answer, a virtuous education. 
 This will enable them to soar above all the calamities 
 which can be inflicted on them, either by fire or 
 sword. This alone is a fortune, of which neither fam- 
 ine nor the ravages of war can deprive them. It mat- 
 ters not in what situation they are placed ; they will 
 find more real pleasure in the contemplation of the 
 infinite wisdom of the mighty architect of the universe, 
 than in the possession of millions of dollars, surroun- 
 ded by the cares of a secular and grovelling mind. — 
 Many instances might be produced to corroborate the 
 assertions. Suffice it to say, that we find a noted one 
 in. Lady Jane Gray, who reaped more exquisite delight 
 in propounding the apothegms of Plato, than in dissi- 
 pating her time in the festive sports of her acquaint- 
 ance, in the midst of smiling scenery, and bands of 
 Bacchanalian compeers. It elevates the mind above 
 itself, and assimilates the possessor more to the Divine 
 Ruler. Its. pleasures never fail; they are continually 
 increasing. It brings the glad tidings, that their hours 
 have not been mispent. The beauties of this immense 
 ©rb possess new lustre ; the unknown worlds burn not 
 in vain, their revolutions are noticed by minds akin to 
 their Maker's. To the cultivation therefore of our 
 immortal part, let our sole aim be directed. Seek not 
 for external accomplishments; they are continually 
 losing ; internal ones are continually gaining. Be not 
 ambitious of wealth or distinction, the improvement of 
 the mind is worth them both. If it then happen, that 
 an elevated station in government is united to a vir- 
 tuous education, it gives the possessor a seat above 
 
REFORMER. 51 
 
 worldly applause, and is a jewel in the crown of hu- 
 man nature. 
 
 But are these pleasures, blessings, and virtues, which 
 adorn prosperity, " secundas res ornant" and exhilarate 
 the mind in adversity, to be gained from schools, where 
 the tender child's ear is assailed with an abundance of 
 immoral and abusive expressions ? From men, whose 
 mental qualifications render them mere blanks in so- 
 ciety ? From men, who are incapable of distinguish- 
 ing between intellect and stupidity ? From men, who 
 condemn every sentiment which is not concordant to 
 their immoderate and absonous way of thinking ? No ! 
 Such men in a very short time do more harm to the 
 cause of education, than more enlightened minds can 
 correct in years. 
 
 These men entrusted with our nation's safety, the 
 tuition of those who are hereafter to guide us in the 
 storms of war, when the times are pregnant with some 
 dreadful calamity; who are to form and administer 
 the laws of our country, and to decide on affairs of 
 life and death;" these men I say entrusted with such 
 an important office, frequently arise in their semina- 
 ries, abuse, calumniate, falsify, and lavish every scur- 
 rilous term upon their fraternity. They profane the sa- 
 cred tribunal on which they have pledged their honours 
 to support the cause of literature, and protect the morals 
 of those entrusted to their care. They teach them by 
 their example to disregard moral obligation, to bear 
 false witness, to indulge in the spirit of slander, to 
 reverence vice, and despise religion. They have as- 
 severated to protect our youth from the contagion of 
 Vice, by purifying their minds by the sound dictates of 
 
32 REFORMER. 
 
 learning and science ; but have shrunk from their ful- 
 filment, and already stand condemned before the con- 
 secrated tribunal of God and man* 
 
 It cannot be denied, that many instructors of youth, 
 whose examples and precepts should form their minds 
 for good and useful members of society, are men of 
 the most abandoned and dissolute characters.! I have 
 known many to come into their seminaries in a state 
 of intoxication, to stun the ears of their scholars with 
 the most indecent and vulgar language, language 
 which would put to the blush a common harlot, till at 
 last overcome by their inebriated draught, they have 
 sunk into the chair, which ought to be the seat of 
 justice, modesty, and learning, and dozed away the 
 
 * As it is almost impossible to treat upon this subject at 
 any length, without wounding- the feelings of some who are 
 apparently free from the imputation, I hope, that my honest 
 zeal in declaring' my sentiments, will not induce my readers to 
 account me one of those despicable characters, who delights 
 in scandalizing the repositories of polite literature and sci- 
 ence, disturbing the peace of society, cr harrowing up the 
 feelings of innocent men. I acknowledge the moral and lite- 
 rary qualifications of several of our preceptors. I however 
 add, that if any person think that he is the particular mark at 
 whom I have been aiming my shot in this essay, and his con- 
 science is smitten with self condemnation, I have no more to 
 say, but refer him to the following apropos paragraph of 
 Erasmus. " Si quisquam offend atur, et s'tbi vindicet, non ha- 
 bet quod expostulet cum eo qui scripsit ; ipse, si volet, secum 
 agat injuriam, utpot£ sui proditor, qui declaravit hoc ad se 
 propria pertinere." "If anyone is offended and takes it to 
 himself, he has no reason to expostulate with him who wrote. 
 Let him, if he choose it, treat with himself about the injury, 
 as he is the betrayer of himself by declaring that this be- 
 longs to him." 
 
 f If it were deemed necessary, I could mention several, who 
 have died of " hard thinking," and a number who have left 
 viituous wives, and taken a common prostitute to their bo- 
 som, with whom they have dispersed their fortunes, and spent 
 their remaining years. 
 
REFORMER. 53 
 
 perfumes of their last debauch. It is idle to suppress 
 such truths; — nay more, it is base: as it is no less 
 pernicious to the morals of the rising generation, than 
 to the harmony and welfare of society in general. It 
 should be arraigned before the tribunal of reason and 
 religion, and condemned by all intelligent beings. — 
 Every parent wishes his children to be well brought 
 up; yet places them under the instruction of such men. 
 <( They wish to secure their hearts from vicious prin- 
 ciples and habits ; yet commit them to the care of the 
 most profligate lives. They wish to have their chil- 
 dren taught obedience and respect for superiours ; yet 
 they give them a master whom both children and pa- 
 rents despise. A practice so glaringly absurd, has no 
 term in language with which it can be branded, with- 
 out losing much of its force and propriety. Parents 
 themselves will not associate with the men whose 
 company they oblige their children to keep." « Uti- 
 nam fals o j act are tur"* And yet strange indeed, these 
 characters noted for their profanity and illiberality of 
 sentiment, can in almost any part of the United-States 
 collect a school by hood- winking the public, by their 
 bombastic circulars and quack advertisements. Thus, 
 by their own folly and imprudence, people are imposed 
 upon, by listening to the wonderful improvements in 
 science and literature, which those persons pretend to 
 have made. And may it not be reasonably asked, what 
 mighty benefit has accrued to our children from these 
 wonder-working preceptors — these men, who contrive 
 to make the credulous part of the community believe, 
 that they and they alone are the only genuine retailers 
 * " I wish it were falsely reported." Quintillian, 
 
54 REFORMER. 
 
 of science, learning and morals. The answer is obvious. 
 They have wheedled parents out of their money, and 
 children out of their time — that time which can never 
 be recalled. Their professions have been loud, but 
 they have done nothing to the purpose. 
 
 " Mons partariebaty prodibitque mas"* Phadrus. 
 
 Indeed their pretensions are so extremely ridiculous, 
 that one would think it was only necessary to mention, 
 them, in order that they might be treated with the 
 most indignant contempt. Thus, one informs us, that he 
 will convey to his pupils an adequate knowledge of granv 
 mar in seventeen lessons; another, that he will teach wri- 
 ting in thirteen lessons of two hours each; geography is 
 to be taught in fifteen lessons : and who would not have 
 their children instructed in the Greek, Latin and French 
 languages, aye, and in mathematics too, since they 
 can be instructed in either of these branches in thirty 
 lessons. Then down with your colleges, down with 
 your academies. What is the use of these old fash- 
 ioned establishments, when as much knowledge can 
 be obtained in our new seminaries in three weeks as 
 in any of the ancient establishments in as many years ? 
 But to be serious. It is impossible for one to treat 
 this subject with any tolerable patience. Indeed, if I 
 had not seen advertisements to the above purport in 
 some of our daily papers, I would not have believed 
 that a wretch was in existence who would dare to 
 treat the- Americans with so great contumely, as to 
 suppose that even one could be found so silly as to 
 pay the least attention to his flimsy jargon, or that a 
 
 * " The mountain was in labour and brought forth a mouse.'" 
 
&-EFORM-ER-. 5'S 
 
 blockhead, could be found so stupid as not to feel dis- 
 posed to hoot the impostor to scorn. But we live in 
 a strange world. We have seen men audaciously 
 profess, that they could do things which every man 
 of the least reflection knew to be absolutely impossi- 
 ble ; and what is more wonderful, we have seen some 
 of our citizens, who, in general, conduct themselves as 
 men of sense, giving implicit belief to every, thing 
 which they say or promise. But to use a homely ex- 
 pression; there are many of these good folks, who 
 have allowed themselves to be so easily gulled, who 
 are now sensible that they " have put their foot in it," 
 or in other words, that " they have bit their fingers." 
 Indeed, many of them have already acknowledged 
 their mistake, while others rather go blundering on 
 to the end of their days, than honestly acknowledge 
 that they have been in errour. Strange absurdity. 
 This is just as much as to say, I know that I was a 
 fool yesterday, and must continue a fool to-day, in or- 
 der to preserve consistency of character. 
 
 But why should I multiply words ? Every man of 
 sense knows, that it is impossible to teach a child 
 more than he is capable of receiving, as it is for the 
 rider to outstrip the speed of his horse,, or for the mar- 
 iner to get ahead of his ship; and that those teachers 
 who profess a contrary belief, are actuated by motives 
 the most base and sinister. And, alas, such men we 
 dayly engage as the guardians and protectors of our 
 youth. Money is their God, intrigue their means, and 
 injustice their principles. Their wisdom is cunning. 
 " Deception and falsehood (as Dr. Smith observes) rest 
 upon their lips, and calumny and scandal are their 
 
56 REFORMER. 
 
 weapons. They ruin the virtuous, and cajole the 
 mean and rich, the indigent and obsequious, with great 
 promises of what they may expect. They stick at 
 nothing to accomplish their ends, and defeat adds fresh 
 vigour to their ceaseless treachery. Creatures of their 
 own stamp are their guests. Their houses are defi- 
 cient of virtue and wisdom. Their courage is malice, 
 their cowardice a pretext of religion, without its 
 principles. They are too shy to mix with the intelli- 
 gent, lest their deficient knowledge should be discov- 
 ered, and their ignorance bring them into contempt. 
 With a countenance which never felt the blush of 
 shame or innocence, they are cautiously mute in the 
 presence of the discerning. Decked out like a tragedy 
 King, they constantly put on a pompous, imposing ex- 
 teriour, mixed with a sullen gravity of deportment 
 which passes for a reflecting mind, with all those who 
 are unable to discriminate between real modesty and 
 insulting vanity." 
 
 " Men of. genius and talents (continues he) are their 
 constant theme of abuse and mortal aversion ; because 
 they know it is from this quarter their ignorance is to 
 meet with detection, and their schemes defeat. They 
 associate with none but those to whom they are infe- 
 riour in understanding (and they must be low indeed; 
 to be inferiour to them) or men in low condition, bred 
 in vulgar prejudices, and fraught with ignorance. 
 Those with no sagacity like the spicier, to spin webs 
 from their own bowels, to entrap the incautious, bor- 
 row the talents for mischief from those more adroit 
 knaves who are able to assist, and who watch for their 
 prey with vigilance and attention. Thus prepared, 
 
REFORMER. 57 
 
 they commence their career, by scribbling bare-faced 
 falsehoods in the public prints, to prejudice the public 
 mind against the first men of our country, whose zeal, 
 talents, and virtue may stand in the way of those arch- 
 instructors 5 illegitimate and unparallelled endeavours, 
 Should they cover their deception with the specious 
 appearance of public good, and zeal for the welfare of 
 our youth, we may, from the profile, without the art of 
 divination, discover an original. They may be more 
 strongly marked by their connexion with those preten- 
 ders to science, those flagitious hireling pests and ca- 
 lumniators, who have endeavoured to dissolve the very 
 bonds of society, the consolation of the afflicted, the 
 hopes of the dying, and the terrours of the wicked; 
 If, therefore, fellow citizens, a general cloud of ig- 
 norance should have enveloped the public mind, and 
 such instructors, who skim the surface of solid edu- 
 cation, should have the power of directing our youth? 
 what consequences may not be expected from thek' 
 degenerating, directing influence," 
 
 " Nat lupus inter oyes, 
 
 Fulvos veldt unda leones"* Ovid. 
 
 * t( The rapid torrent with impetuous force, 
 Headlong' impels the lion in its course ; 
 Fierce wolves and tender Iambs adown the tide. s ... 
 Together mix'd in strange confusion glide " 
 
58 REFORMER. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Were the preceding truths known to parents, they 
 would not only carefully search out good instructors, 
 but cheerfully lend their aid in assisting them in cor- 
 recting their children's failings and vices. They 
 would, perhaps, more particularly, study their duty, 
 meditate upon their awful responsibility, and reflect on 
 the solemn separation which will soon arrive, and the 
 more solemn meeting, which must e'er long take place 
 before the unerring tribunal of the Most High. 
 
 Though the parting from this alloyed world is a 
 most terrifying scene to mortals, I sincerely hope 
 that they will not be afflicted at the final hour with the 
 terrible thought, that as parents and instructors, they 
 never taught those committed to their care the value 
 and importance of religion, and that they will not feel 
 the distress of that afflicted mother, who in an over- 
 whelming flood of grief and contrition, bending over 
 the bed of her dying child, asked, * my dear, do you 
 think that you shall be happy, do you think that you 
 shall go to heaven ?' f Heaven !' replied the ignorant 
 child, l what is heaven ?' For alas ! the mother had 
 never informed her darling, that there was a God, a 
 heaven or a hell, a life of immortal bliss or endless pun* 
 ishment, that a virtuous course of life was the only 
 passport to the regions of the blessed, and that a vicious 
 conduct would certainly lead to eternal destruction. 
 And what added to the poignancy of her grief was* 
 that she sincerely believed in the existence of the 
 Divinity, and had expressed a desire, that 'she might 
 die the death of the righteous.' Her only child was 
 torn from her by the ruthless hand of death, and to- 
 
REFORMER. 59 
 
 stead of having any thing to console her for such a 
 privation, she. had nothing left her, except these heart . 
 rending reflections, that in consequence of her total 
 neglect of the religious education of her child, she had 
 disobeyed the laws of her Creator, and consequently 
 she had not only made herself a miserable mother as 
 long as she should live in this world, but that she had 
 much reason to apprehend the reception she might 
 meet with in the world to come. 
 
 Let parents and instructors reflect, that when the 
 mighty knell has sounded, the knell which shall strike 
 prostrate to the earth the most audacious infidel, and 
 confound the stoutest heart, their inattention to the ce- 
 lestial gifts sent by our divine father from his heavenly 
 abode, to be prepared for a re-entrance into his elysian 
 realms, will, with a thousand aggravating circumstan- 
 ces, occur in the hour of dissolution. It will be hard 
 for them to leave this world, burdened as they are with 
 so great a load of iniquity : but leave it they must, 
 there is no alternative. The hour has arrived, which 
 separates the dearest of mortal ties. Oh I our unfaith- 
 fulness ! they will exclaim, oh ! little innocents, how 
 can we die ! If we could but live, we would strive with 
 all our souls to execute our duty, and prove ourselves 
 faithful to you, whom we have so greatly wronged. 
 
 We can form no adequate conception of that awful 
 remorse of conscience, which those parents and pre- 
 ceptors must feel, whose irreligious instruction has 
 been the means of some part of the youth committed 
 to their care, descending to the abodes of never end- 
 ing misery. A reflection so dreadfully alarming, that 
 it ought to appal the stoutest heart. What punish- 
 
£0 REFORMER. 
 
 ment can be supposed equal to this, to dying mortals^ 
 that Jiell claims as its chief votaries the prime instruc- 
 tors, together with the chidren who have been under 
 their protection 1 Have we not reason to believe that 
 these children will curse them in the most piercing 
 agony, and upbraid them in some such language as 
 this? "You were the instruments of bringing us into 
 existence in the other world; to you the care of our 
 education was committed ; but you cast off the fear of 
 God, and neglected to implore his blsssing on your- 
 selves and onus in prayer and supplication; you hated 
 divine instruction, and would not listen to God's re- 
 proofs: you not only set us bad examples, but with- 
 held from us that information, which was necessary to 
 help us to a knowledge of the Divine Redeemer and 
 of our duty. Here then view your works! If you 
 had been faithful to us, we might possibly have esca- 
 ped these doleful shades, these regions of horrour and 
 despair, where our miseries are not only indescribable, 
 but where we are even deprived of hope."* 
 
 If parents were less attentive to worldly gayeties, 
 and entertained just conceptions of the great impor- 
 tance of a religious education, I have every reason to 
 believe, that it would awaken the most acute sensations 
 and lively regard for their children's eternal welfare. 
 
 The multitude of infidels, who are permitted to swarm 
 round the houses of some parents, should alarm them 
 for the everlasting salvation of their offspring. Per- 
 sons of this description are assiduous in the propaga- 
 tion of their hellish principles, and should therefore 
 be kept at a distance from those habitations, in which 
 *-Clumsock. 
 
children reside. For it ought to be remembered that 
 their principles are of the most deadly poison to the 
 minds of youth, with whom they ought, on that ac- 
 count, to be allowed to keep as little intercourse as 
 possible ; for it may be taken for granted, that, such 
 is their -zeal to gain proselytes to the cause of vice and 
 immorality, if children or young people shall be al- 
 lowed to associate with them free from restraint, they 
 will soon learn their practices and follow their foot- 
 steps. But infidels, whatever they may think of them- 
 selves, are, in general, but little respected amongst 
 those with whom they are on the most intimate terms. 
 Hence, we may frequently see, that when an infidel 
 who has some property to leave, thinks of making his 
 will, he will not appoint a brother infidel as his execu- 
 tor. The truth is, he well knows, that it is impossible 
 that he can have any confidence in the integrity of such 
 a deceiver. He, therefore, who despised christians 
 during the whole of his^ life, is glad to make a christian 
 the guardian of his property, when he approaches the 
 gates of death. We see likewise into how great con- 
 tempt our modern Theomachist's have lately fallen.— 
 They are neither respected by society at large, nor by 
 one another : and one would think, that some little def- 
 erence ought to be paid to the opinion of the world ; 
 but of this as well as of any thing else, to which the 
 wise and the good pay any respect, they are complete- 
 ly regardless. Now if children, at an early age, scoff 
 at religion, and begin to utter Deistical or Atheistical 
 opinions, the multitude will not hesitate to declare, 
 without reserve or disguise, that those first notions 
 were implanted in them by parental inculcation, or 
 F 
 
(52 REFORMER. 
 
 (which is almost the same thing) that their religious 
 education must have been exceedingly neglected, or 
 not attended to at all. 
 
 The apostates from God are particularly gratified 
 with the neglect of devout instruction to children.— 
 They know how susceptible their minds are of every 
 impression. 
 
 " 'Tis education forms the c ommon mind, 
 Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclin'd." 
 
 They have been mortified to acknowledge, that, 
 where religion prevails, their baneful principles have 
 been abhorred, and that in such a soil they never have 
 been found to take root. In Europe this very consid- 
 eration has induced the enemies of Christianity to cause 
 a number of young men to be instructed in their deisti- 
 cal sentiments, and sent abroad into the world as 
 teachers of schools. By these means, they were 
 hopeful, that they would have a better opportunity of 
 disseminating their pernicious opinions, of preventing 
 the diffusion of religious knowledge amongst children, 
 and of counteracting its influence.* But what is still 
 more grievous to the true friends of Zion is, that they 
 rejoice and make their boast of it, that when parents 
 and teachers neglect the inculcation of holy precepts 
 amongst their offspring, it indirectly aids their cause. 
 When youth are void of pious information, and the 
 
 * l will here observe, that I have read several of the senti- 
 ments in two or three of the last paragraphs in some work, 
 the author of which I do not recollect : but I think his name 
 is Clumsock. I have acknowledged all I have taken from any 
 author, as far as I can remember. 1 hope this apology will 
 suffice. 
 
REFORMER. 63 
 
 mind has not yet arrived to what one of the Fathers 
 calls emphatically, "the compact and condensed pow- 
 er of the understanding," it is open to sophistical im- 
 pressions in literature, philosophy and Christianity, the 
 sad consequences of which will be immediately per- 
 ceived by any judicious and reflecting observer, 
 • The first stages of children's education should keep 
 us and teachers continually on the alert, in endeavour- 
 ing to prevent the introduction of those destructive 
 weeds, which spring up in a naturally corrupt mind ? 
 and thrive to such perfection when they have once ta- 
 ken root, that it requires no small exertion of skill and 
 industry to eradicate them. The whole host of apos- 
 tates have displayed their banner, and thousands both 
 of young and old are hurrying to enlist under it. The 
 trumpet is sounding, the standards are displayed, and 
 we must soon defend ourselves and the cause of our 
 holy religion. Accept, therefore, the apostle's exhor- 
 tation. " Take unto you the whole armour of God, that 
 ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and hav- 
 ing done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your 
 loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast- 
 plate of righteousness ; and having your feet shod with 
 the preparation of the gospel of peace ; above all, tak- 
 ing the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to 
 quench all the fery darts of the wicked. And take the 
 helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which 
 is the sword of God ; praying always, with all prayer 
 and supplication to the spirit, and watching thereunto 
 with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."* 
 And having thus equipped yourselves, let your ney.t 
 * Eph. vi. 13— IS. 
 
64 REFORMER. 
 
 attention be to secure your offspring, and prevent them 
 from embracing those sentiments which lead to the 
 shades of darkness.* 
 
 Let guardians and tutors, therefore, deeply reflect 
 on these things, let them gain a thorough knowledge of 
 their duty to God and man, let them rally round the 
 standard of their holy religion, let them cry out with 
 one voice, that they will defend her liberties as well as 
 their own, and the opinions of Theomachist's would 
 become silent as the grave, while the triumphings and 
 rejoicings of the followers of Jesus would be heard in 
 every quarter of the civilized globe ; Pagan idolatry 
 would be crushed ; infidels would cease to exist, and 
 the true worshippers of Christ would stand forth, vin- 
 dicated, emancipated and revered ; while the pathway 
 which leads to heaven, would be strewed with flowers 
 of every hue, and delicious fragrance calculated to al- 
 lure the earthly sojourner to the abodes of ceaseless 
 joy, tuned to the celestial strains of harmony and love. 
 
 * Clumsock. 
 
REFORMER. * gg 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Men should be regularly bred to the profession of 
 teaching, as students at Law or Divinity. Good and 
 scrupulous teachers do equally as much good to socie- 
 ty as divines. In their true characters, they are The- 
 ologians. " Yet if any man (says Dr. Goldsmith) is 
 unfit for any of the professions, his last refuge for sup- 
 port is setting up a school. Do any become bankrupts 
 in trade, they still set up a boarding school, and 
 drive trade in this way, when all others fail ; nay, I 
 have been told of butchers, barbers, and even itiner- 
 ant play-actors, who have turned schoolmasters, 
 and more surprising still, made fortunes by their new 
 professions." 
 
 " Could we (says he) think ourselves in a coinntry 
 of civilized people, could it be conceived that we have 
 any regard for posterity, when such are permitted to 
 take the charge of the morals, genius, and health of 
 these dear little pledges, who may one day be the 
 guardians of the liberties of our country, and who may 
 serve as the honour and bulwark of their aged parents I 
 The care of our children, is it below the state ? Is it 
 fit to indulge the caprice of the ignorant with the dis- 
 posal of their children in this particular ? For the state 
 to take charge of all its children as in Persia, or as 
 once in Sparta, might at present be inconvenient ; but 
 surely with great ease, it might cast an eye to the in- 
 structors. Of all members of society, I do not know a 
 more useful^ or a more honourable one than a respect- 
 able and CONSCIENTIOUS PRECEPTOR • at the 
 same time, I do not see any one more generally de~ 
 spised, or whose talents are so illy requited." 
 F 2 
 
66 JtlfORMER. 
 
 In a former paragraph I observed, that conscientious 
 and capable instructors aided the public, and were of 
 as inestimable use as Theologists. This truth is un- 
 deniable. The latter have the management of our mor- 
 al faculties once or twice a week ; the former every- 
 day. Hence, the latter has as important, if not a more 
 responsible trust, than divines. 
 
 The Church, the University, the Senate, and all 
 flourishing literary institutions, are materially depen- 
 dent on the state of our primary or initiatory schools : 
 for let them be neglected, where shall we look for 
 men fully competent to instruct the ignorant in the 
 knowledge of Divine truth ? Where shall we find men 
 whc shall guide us, when the fabric of civil liberty, 
 amid the conflicting storms of anarchy and confusion, 
 is shftken to its base, by surrounding and factious par- 
 tizans ? And where shall we find men to follow the 
 honourable profession of instilling into infantile minds 
 sound and religious principles, which will prepare 
 them for that world of spirits, to which we are all rap- 
 idly hastening, unless men have been properly in- 
 structed ? How shall the weighty offices of the bench 
 and senate be discharged, if these useful and elemen- 
 tary institutions be neglected, on which absolutely de- 
 pend the welfare of a nation? These facts are unde- 
 niable. If we are doomed to fall, let us fall in an hon- 
 curable way. Let us retain a sense of our duty to God 
 and human nature. But if after all that I have said, 
 and after quoting the sentiments of the best and most 
 enlightened writers of various ages, in confirmation of 
 the ideas which I have advanced, it should unfortunate- 
 ly happen, that the effusions of these benevolent mind? 
 

 KEIORMEX. 67 
 
 should be treated with ridicule, then religion and learn- 
 ing, the glory of the world, the only embellishments 
 of human life, the great causes which exalt man above 
 the brute creation, must perish in one common grave,* 
 and the spirit and genius of our immortal and erudite 
 ancestors, will smile with indignant contempt on the 
 talents of men, retrograding into their primitive state 
 of barbarity. The most flourishing and fertile tree 
 will droop and die, if it be not nourished in its tender 
 growth. 
 
 At present the vices of men who become the in- 
 structors of our youth, seem to be no preventive t© 
 their becoming the idle of the populace. Abilities say 
 they, alone are requisite, which should the generality 
 of people (were they capable of so doing) analyze, 
 they would find to be a compound of impudence, and 
 a spirit of adventure, commonly excited by poverty and 
 unrestrained by any &ort of principles, except those 
 which are common to a band of pickpockets or high- 
 waymen. And it may perhaps be safely asserted, that 
 the prosperity of a nation depends much more upon 
 the state of learning and religion therein existing, than 
 is generally thought. Indeed, no better criterion can 
 be found, by which we can judge of a nation's virtues 
 ©r vices, than by an examination into the character of 
 those to whom the instruction of youth is intrusted.— 
 When the great body of teachers in any country, con- 
 stitute, as it were a firm and determined phalanx, 
 composed of men of religion and learning, then litera- 
 
 * " LITERATURE, well or ill conducted, is the gTeat en- 
 gine by which ali civilized states must ultimately be sup= 
 ported or overthrown." Pnrsmts of Literature. 
 
68 REFORMER. 
 
 ture, morality and piety, together with all the sublime 
 and heroic virtues, will be among the distinguishing 
 characteristics of that happy people : but when the na- 
 tion's best hope is entrusted to men of depraved taste 
 and dissolute morals, justice will require that the 
 character of that people should be drawn in colours of 
 the darkest hue. But upon this part of my subject it 
 is unnecessary that I should enlarge in this place, hav- 
 ing been already sufficiently explicit in some preced- 
 ing parts of this essay. 
 
 With vulgar and illiterate teachers who are not even 
 acquainted with the first rudiments of the English lan- 
 guage, much less with any of the other arts or scien- 
 ces, I have already mentioned, that it is a common 
 practice to vilify the reputation of gentlemen, who are 
 no less eminent for their literary than their religious 
 attainments. From wretches so low, so extremely ig- 
 norant, and so totally unacquainted with the rules of 
 good breeding (with them religion is entirely out of 
 the question) a meanness of this kind ought not so 
 greatly to surprise us. But when we see men, who 
 have had the benefit of a liberal education, and who 
 are now vested with sacerdotal garments, instead of 
 using the influence of their sacred office to put a stop 
 to this most obnoxious practice, joining in the unhal- 
 lowed cause, what shall we say ? 
 
 They suppose that their black veil conceals their 
 heinous iniquities, under the specious pretence of a 
 candid and open face. Their gown and their hearts 
 are of a similar colour. They do not hesitate to re- 
 vile their fellow instructors, but delight in propagating 
 rumours, as false as the tongue that uttered them is 
 
REFORMER. j5# 
 
 infamous. I speak not at random, but from facts "Which 
 have fallen under my own observation. When minis- 
 ters of the gospel descend to scurrility and scandal, 
 thereby disgracing their professions, when they impu- 
 dently in private houses violate those maxims which 
 they publicly, from week to week, announce from their 
 sacred desk, thereby rendering themselves notoriously 
 guilty of the detestable crimes of defamation and de- 
 traction, than which there are none more severely rep» 
 robatedin the sacred scriptures, to whom shall we look 
 for honesty, virtue or knowledge ? What shall I say I 
 MINISTERS ARE BUT MEN.* 
 
 • It appears that this description of Divines, who, under 
 the mask of the sacred precepts of Christ, commit actions 
 unworthy of a man, and punishable both by the laws of God 
 and man, have felt the sting- of these sentiments. Truth will 
 wound a disingenuous heart, when falsehood darts its shafts 
 in vain. 
 
 On the publication of a part of this essay, it was observed 
 by one of these canting hypocrites, that it was one of the se- 
 verest attacks upon ministers and religion that had ever is- 
 sued from an American press ; that it was certainly the in- 
 tention of the writer to infuse Deistical and Atheistical notions 
 into young minds. Now if this were such a *' severe thing, 
 and there was no truth in these sentiments," 1 should like to 
 know, why this hypocrite got in such a rage about them ; 
 why they should afford a moment's uneasiness to one posses- 
 sed of a heart as pure and unsullied as that of a saint. — 
 Ah ! ha ! monsieur hypocrite ! hazy weather ! a storm and a 
 black one too, hovers near ! And again had this hypocrite 
 (I call him so, for I know him to be one) or one of his fra- 
 ternity, noticed the next paragraph, and indeed the whole 
 tenour of the essay, he would have found that every thing 
 which I have written is to dissuade parents from sending their 
 children to dissolute instructors, and to seek the best one 
 of whom I esteem more than a thousand " hypocrites/' to 
 keep Atheists and Deists from the company of youth, to teach 
 them religion instead of hypocrisy ; in a word, to perform, as 
 nearly as possible, those things which Christ has commanded 
 Mis disciples. 
 
7() REFORMER. 
 
 These clerical schoolmasters not only injure the souls 
 of those entrusted to their care, but even disgrace 
 that profession which should gain them a decent 
 and an honourable competency. They shume with \ 
 the conscience as with a play thing. It is kept, as j 
 Richard says, " for a scarecrow, and he who has the | 
 
 For conscientious instructors and divines, who practice ( 
 what they utter in theory, no man feels a greater veneration 
 than I do I consider them the honour of a nation, by whose ' 
 precepts youth are to be formed for every thing- great, no- ( 
 ble and good. But 1 as well as others, despise the " cant- 
 ing hypocrite," wh@ wears the veil of religion to hood- 
 wink the public, and practice whatever he may think 
 
 PROPER. 
 
 " Need I enter into an examination of the characters of those . 
 men who will seduce the wife of a good citizen, husband and 
 father, who will ruin the character of a female, destroy her 
 future hope, disgrace her friends, her sisters, her relatives, 
 herself, merelv to gratify an unlawful passion ! What think 
 you "hypocritical monster?" Think of a death bed! Con- 
 science is a terrible accuser, its murmurings cannot be easily 
 stifled. Much might be said upon this subject. I appeal to 
 the virtuous part of the community respecting the truth of 
 what 1 have advanced, not to hypocrites. To the decision of 
 the former I submit, to that of the latter, I listen with con- 
 t^npt, and despise the man for an outcry raised against 
 himself. t . 
 
 I could mention instances of seduction by minister* in this 
 City, and in many other places, Which would rouse the pas- [ 
 sions of the seducer himself, and even this hypocritical di- 
 vine, and excite him to actions which might be fatal. I ab- 
 hor* 1 detest from the sincerity of my heart, that vile wretch! 
 who Would jSeiee upon an unguarded moment, ar.d 6b 
 that, which being obtained, would disgrace the p< - 
 well as the one who once possessed it. 1 would pursue h'tmi 
 to the remotest regions of the earth, and exert my might 
 to render the perishable infamy of his name im- 
 mortal, j 
 This "hypocrite" had better remain quiet, the avenues otj 
 information are open, and probably he will be personally ad- 
 dressed before any great length of time, when I shall be un- 
 der the necessity of shewing that such men are unworthy uf the- 
 sacerdotal office, that men should be governed by the die 
 
REFORMER. 7], 
 
 most to spare, thrives best." Ah conscience, cry 
 these long faced schoolmasters, we live by parting 
 with it. Ah ! my holy friends, I wish that you had a 
 little more of this natural faculty, if not the whole. 
 
 I would, however, wish it to be clearly understood, 
 that I do not speak in terms derogatory to the Theo- 
 
 tates of reason and religion, and not suffer fancy to fan into 
 a flame those passions which sting the conscience : that men 
 are respected by the world, not according to their depravity, 
 but the good they do, and to be happy in the world to come, 
 they must live a virtuous life here. To-morrow it may be 
 too late to think of these things. 
 
 As I am upon this subject, I would earnestly request this 
 arch hypocrite to examine his own heart, to ascertain whether 
 he has changed his prejudices with his profession, and his 
 virulent manner of speaking of those whose sentiments did 
 not concord with his ? Whether his heart is purged of iniqui- 
 ty and slander : I would ask him whether he can meet those 
 men whom he has so bitterly calumniated, and not blush 
 at his ungentlemanly conduct, and feel a disposition to fall 
 upon his knees and make confession for his guilt ? Whether 
 he recollects with what vehemence and acrimony he exclaim- 
 ed against our honourable and worthy divines, 
 Rev. Drs. MASON, ROMEYN, WILLIAMS, MILLER, 
 M'CLAY, SPRING, MILLEDOLER, M'LEOD, PERINE, 
 and many others, ivhen they were declaiming with boldness 
 and justice against the pernicious effects of theatrical representa- 
 tions ? Whether he recollects, that with a heart breathing 
 the most rancorous hatred and animosity against them, be- 
 cause he shuddered lest they should expose to merited detes- 
 tations, the schemes and artifice of such impostors as he, 
 he called " them fools and hypocrites, and their 
 
 LANGUAGE, FLIMSY JARGON, STUFF WHICH WOULD 
 TICKLE THE EARS OF AN IGNORANT AND VILE CON- 
 GREGATION, A NEST OF KNAVES FOLLOWING THEIR 
 HYPOCRITICAL MASTERS TO THE DEVIL." This Was Well 
 
 said, arch hypocrite ! well said for one who was a teacher of 
 youth ! fine language indeed to make use of against the heads 
 of our churches, the most learned and useful men in our 
 j country, to speak of a religious and zealous congregation. — 
 This was the language, the mark of his Christianity and wis- 
 dom, this was his weapon, which in the madness of folly, 
 he supposed would prostrate to the earth these reverend am* 
 
72 HRFORMER. 
 
 logical profession. Far be it from me. My observa- 
 tions only apply to those who disgrace their profession 
 by their crimes. Theological institutions when con- 
 ducted by pious and qualified meD, are of the greatest 
 importance to society, both with respect to spiritual 
 and secular crimes. Without them the consequences 
 would be peculiarly injurious to society. Gross super- 
 stition, ignorance, depravity and idolatry, would over- 
 
 bassadors of Christ, ennobled by every charm of virtue and 
 goodness, possessed of minds polished by meditating on the 
 sacred scriptures, and those volumes which have stood the 
 test of time, infidelity, scurrility, and satire, and sharpened 
 into a quick penetration of vice, under whatever form it may 
 exist, by watching' the featmes of conscious depravity 
 and baseness of heart. Say, hypocrite, do you at present 
 consider these men such vile characters as you have often- 
 times stated them to be ? Do you consider them such mon- 
 sters of folly and wickedness, while you profit by their pri- 
 vate conversation, and are entertained at their tables as a 
 man of honour and virtue ? Base and vile must be that 
 man who, with a mock profession of goodness, and with a 
 sanctified face, will swallow the bread of those men to whom 
 he has been, and perhaps is, their most bitter and rancour- 
 ous enemy ! Go on hypocrite in the plenitude of depravity ! 
 you may for a short time conceal your deception from mortal 
 •yes, but remember there is an all -seeing judge ! Remember 
 mimI remember «im! 
 
 Speaking of hypocrisy, of which I spoke in the preceding 
 note, Fielding proceeds with this truly judicious idea. " On the 
 contrary, it is with a view to their service, that I have taken 
 upon me to record the lives and actions of two of their false 
 friends and pretended champions. A treacherous friend is 
 the most dangerous enemy ; and I will say boldly, that both 
 religion and virtue have received more real discredit from 
 hypocrites, than the wittiest profligates or infidels could ever 
 cast upon them : nay, further, as these two in their purity are 
 rightly called the bands of civil society, and are indeed the 
 greatest blessings, so when poisoned and corrupted with. 
 fraud, pretence, and affectation, they have become the worst 
 of civil curses, and have enabled men to perpetrate the most 
 cruel mischiefs to their own species- 
 
 Fielding's Tom Jones. 
 
REFORMER. ^3 
 
 tvhelm the world : But as this must be obvious to 
 every person of common sense, there can be no ne- 
 cessity of adding any thing more upon this subject. 
 
 For what reason parents still persist to entrust their 
 offspring to men. who wantonly abuse the guardians 
 of the public safety, who should in the place of vile 
 insinuations ancl libels, enforce the wholesome doc- 
 trines of religion and morality, I cannot conceive ; un- 
 less it be to have their children perfected in the enor- 
 mous crime of destroying the reputations of the inno- 
 cent part of the community, without cause or mercy. 
 If this be the case, as it pretty evidently appears, I 
 shall be led to conclude, that those patrons are par- 
 ticularly partial to such modes of education, because 
 they most coincide with their feelings and sentiments. 
 
 I repeat it therefore that, from what I have seen 
 and heard, I feel it as an act of duty to proclaim to 
 the public, that many of our instructors are much ad- 
 dicted to these abominable vices; that they even ar- 
 raign truth in their pretended seats of learning, and 
 that their pestilential breath, like the pestiferous blast 
 of Hades, poisons the vegetation, the progress and 
 growth of the mind. Yet unhappily we dayly engage. 
 such men. We have neither estimated, nor do we 
 seem to wish to estimate sufficiently the merits of 
 scrupulous teachers. But on the contrary we appear 
 to hold, in a kind of veneration those men, whose ig- 
 norance and vices have arrived to such a superlative 
 height, that they receive no disadvantage from a com- 
 parison with those of the former, and who are altogeth- 
 er strangers to the blessings of a clear conscience, 
 G 
 
74 REFORMER. 
 
 Their character exactly corresponds to that given to 
 some of their prototypes by one of the most austere 
 satyrists of antiquity : 
 
 * " Slupet hie vitio, et fibris increvit opimum 
 Pingue, caret culpa, nescit quid perdat, et alto 
 Demersus summa rursum non builit in unda." 
 
 JPersius. 
 
 Say, invidious calumniators ! think ye, that the en- 
 vious and malicious breath of calumny or falsely prop- 
 agated rumours, will ever injure or sway the breast 
 that is fraught with conscious worth? No! 
 
 The wintry blast of envy- 
 Kills not the buds of virtue : they spread 
 Beneath the influence of brighter suns, 
 Through endless ages, into higher powers. 
 
 And now, ye slaves to detraction, let me tell you, 
 who are revelling in all the scenes of slander, that if 
 you still deem it consistent with yourselves to rise up in 
 your schools and abuse your fellow teachers, you will 
 never thrive in your business. You will find that your 
 pecuniary resources will fall short, that your supposed 
 friends will desert you, and that you will be left unas- 
 sisted, to gain a livelihood by your acquired expert- 
 ness at calumny. 
 
 * "He is become insensible by long habits of vice, and 
 the heart of the man is waxed fat and gross ; he is placed 
 beyond the imputation ot guilt, he has nothing to lose, and 
 is plunged so deep, that he cannot rise, even to bubble on 
 the surface of the stream." 
 
REFORMER. 75 
 
 "Whose head is sharper than the sword, whose tongue 
 Out-venoms all the worms of Nilus, whose breath 
 Rides on the posting winds to heav'n, and doth belie 
 Ail corners of the world. Kings, Queens, and States, 
 Maids, Matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave 
 This viperous slander enters." Shakespeare, 
 
 To such, therefore, I would earnestly recommend 
 this adage, " Keep your school, and your school will 
 keep you." "A strict observance of these words will, 
 I am sure in time, gain you estates and characters in 
 an honourable way. Industry is the road to wealth, 
 honesty to happiness, and they who strenuously en- 
 deavour to pursue both, may never fear the critic's 
 lash, nor the sharp cries of penury and want." " No 
 faith," says Pindar, " can be reposed in those who 
 have violated their integrity." 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 As truth and falsehood seem to come under what I 
 am now speaking of, I shall take the liberty of saying 
 a few words concerning them. They are so incom- 
 patible with each other, that the man, who enlists un- 
 der the shattered banners of the latter, may be said, 
 without the least hesitation, to have no regard to the 
 dignity of human nature. He is absolutely a stranger 
 to the charms of truth ; indeed, he is an utter stran- 
 ger to all the benefits which accrue from this celes- 
 tial boon : he is unacquainted witlr the blessings she 
 bestows, the peace which she infuses into every pos- 
 sessor. Truth is the offspring of heaven, falsehood of 
 the Cerberian cave, that teems with unceasing mise- 
 ries. The villanous liar is a blot on nature's brow. 
 
76 REFORMER. 
 
 The outlawed robber, the corrupter of virgin inno- 
 cence, the midnight murderer, all among their hell- 
 born crews, keep the word of promise to each other, 
 ?,nd are respected by their fellow-comrades, so long 
 as they retain the inviolable bond unbroken. But the 
 malicious liar is despised, disowned, and treated as an 
 outcast from the world. He cannot, if he has any con- 
 science) after he has propagated his foul reports, re- 
 turn with a mind embalmed in the slumbers of peace 
 to his mansion, which to every honest man will appear 
 as an asylum or place of repose; he cannot smile upon 
 his lovely innocents, without shedding a tear of sym- 
 pathy for their worthless father. Nemo malus fclix* 
 " He has no circle, to which he may retire, where his 
 crimes may stand in the place of virtues ; but is given 
 up to the hisses of the multitude, without a friend, 
 without an apologist. It is the peculiar condition 
 of falsehood, to be equally detested by the good and 
 bad. " The Devils/' says Sir lliomas Broivn, " do 
 not tell lies to. one another, for truth is necessary to 
 all societies ; nor can the society of hell subsist with- 
 out it." 
 
 " There is," says Dr. Johnson, " an ancient law of 
 Scotland, by which teazing making was capitally pun- 
 ished. It would have been better, had the framers of 
 that law substituted the words lying and calumny. I 
 am (continues he) far from desiring to increase the 
 number of punishments in this country ; yet I cannot 
 but think, that they, who destroy the confidence of so- 
 ciety, weaken the credit of intelligence, and interrupt 
 the security of life ; harass the delicate with shame. 
 * No bad man is happy. 
 
REFORMER. 77 
 
 and perplex the timorous with alarms, might very 
 properly be awakened to a sense of their crimes, by 
 denunciations of a whipping-post or pillory ; since 
 many are so insensible of right and wrong, that they 
 have no standard of action but the law j nor feel guilt, 
 but as they dread jmnishment." " Ignavissimi homi- 
 nes, aliud clausum in pectore, aliud promptum in lin- 
 gua habere ; atmcitias, ini?nicitias, non ex re, sed com- 
 modo estimare ; magisque vultum quam ingenium bo- 
 num habere."* 
 
 Can the breasts, therefore, of such persons ever be 
 fraught with the consciousness of a well done action ; 
 can they ever 'feel the compunctious visitings of na- 
 ture,' for past crimes, which swell the catalogue of 
 human woes ? No, they will still glory in the friend- 
 ships which they dissolve, the miseries which they 
 create j in a word, they would rejoice to behold the 
 mighty and immense fabric of moral, social, and in- 
 tellectual virtues, perish in the grave, prepared by the 
 fell hands of a slanderer, a deist, or an atheist. 
 
 The difference between the three, is, if any, very 
 little, as to the effects they have upon the rising gen- 
 eration. Of the former, I have already spoken. As 
 the two latter tend to render the churches of our God 
 and religion despicable in the eyes of our youth, des- 
 troy the harmony of society, violate the inviolable seal 
 of an oath, and degrade man to the lowest depth of 
 
 *' " Most dastardly men — they have one thing" concealed in 
 their heart, and another at their tongue's end. They enter- 
 tain friendship or enmity, not according' to their real senti- 
 ments, but according to convenience. They have rather a . 
 good outward appearance, than a good disposition." 
 
 G 2. 
 
78 REFORMER. 
 
 which he is susceptible, so does the_former prepare 
 the way for those who are yet in a state of compara- 
 tive innocence, to become such loathsome characters. 
 
 Yet such, I repeat this truth often, nun~quam nimis 
 dicituV) quod nunquam satis dicUurf are they, to whom 
 our youth are entrusted, and I fear years must elapse 
 before the community will open their eyes, and inquire 
 into the characters of those, who superintend their 
 children's education. 
 
 I would wish it, however to be understood, that I d& 
 not think all our instructors subject to censure : 
 by no] means. There are conscientious, capable and 
 highly meritorious preceptors, who fire eminently pat- 
 2'onized by the enlightened and virtuous part of the 
 community. And I am persuaded, that as long as 
 they support the honourable profession, in the manner 
 they have done heretofore, they will meet that encour- 
 agement which they so amply deserve. I do not deem 
 it requisite to mention them, as they speak for them- 
 selves. 13ut agreeably to what I have already obser- 
 ved, I feel myself constrained to say, and I say it with 
 reluctance, that there are too many teachers amongst 
 us, who are just as well qualified to inculcate, upon 
 the rising generation, the principles of moral rectitude, 
 as Thomas Paine. Their principles are equally as 
 dangerous, as those of this arch Theomachist. For 
 my own part, I would as willingly permit that a God- 
 win, a Mirabeau, or a Voltaire, should oversee my chil- 
 dren's moral and religious education, as many of our 
 tutors ; particularly some of those, who come from the 
 
 * "That is never said teo often, which can never be said . 
 •ften enough." Seneca. 
 
REFORMER. 79 
 
 eastern continent. Many of them were obliged to 
 leave their native land, in consequence of their perfidy 
 and crimes, and were driven hence by the loud sound- 
 ing voice of the virtuous and intelligent, but deeply 
 aggrieved part of the community, aye and some of 
 them were absolutely fugitives from the officers of 
 justice, from whose hands they made a very narrow 
 escape. But it is deeply to be lamented, that in their 
 flight from their native country, they took along with 
 them all these detestable principles, which rendered 
 them so obnoxious at home : and no sooner had they 
 landed on our peaceable shores, than they sounded the- 
 tocsin of infidelity, and began to make proselytes far 
 and wide. Yes, in the happy land of America, once 
 so pre-eminent in every moral and social virtue, and 
 so peculiarly distinguished for its steadfast adherence 
 to truth, and to pure and undefined religion. But, 
 alas! these halcyon days are passed with the years- 
 beyond the flood. Ah i when will these happy days 
 return. " Grave virus munditias fiefiulit."* The vir- 
 ulence of the infection has corrupted and destroyed 
 ail that was sound, beautiful and healthy. 
 
 Sixty years ago, there was more than sixty times 
 the attention paid to the government and the religious 
 education of youth than there is at present. In those 
 days of innocence infidels were almost unknown. If 
 there were any who doubted the Divinity of Christ, 
 and of course the authority of the sacred volume, they 
 found it expedient to keep their unhallowed thoughts 
 concealed within their own breasts ; for such men 
 would, in those days, have been universally despised, 
 * Horace's Epis. ad August. 
 
gQ REFORMER. 
 
 But now infidelity triumphs over shame, appears un- 
 disguised, blasphemes our God, ridicules our holy re- 
 cesses, and rejoices to see the Cross of Jesus pros- 
 trate in the dust. And what is the cause of this infi- 
 delity ? It is manifestly owing to the unfaithfulness 
 of parents to the moral instruction of their children', 
 aided by the instrumentality of these illiterate and de- 
 praved schoolmasters. It is a melancholy considera- 
 tion, when we come to reflect upon the subject, that 
 those, who ought to rear up souls by their precepts 
 and good example, for a life of immortality beyond 
 death and the grave, have contributed to strengthen 
 the infidel host, and crush the glory of all nations, the 
 prime fountain from which all our earthly as well as 
 celestial pleasures emanate. We are touched with 
 commiseration; Oh 1 shall we not exclaim, " tell it 
 not in Goth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon^ 
 lest the daughters of the uncireumcised triumfih" 
 
 For my own part, I have not the least idea, let their 
 literary talents be ever so eminent as teachers, of pa- 
 tronibing any of them unless I consider them as men of 
 probity and honour. Much less would I be prevailed 
 upon to espouse the cause of such teachers as are the 
 most abandoned miscreants. Nay* I would rather that 
 my children should remain totally ignorant of every 
 branch of science and polite literature, than subject 
 myself and them to the displeasure of a justly offend- 
 ed God. 
 
 Learning and religion differ widely from one anoth- 
 er; though learning, when rightly employed, is the 
 firmest pillar of Christianity. When the former de- 
 cays, the latter -will also feel its power and want. 
 
REFORMER. gj[ 
 
 These bonds of society cannot be kept sacred in the 
 hands of Atheistical, Deistical or corrupt men. The 
 public, therefore, should particularly inquire into the 
 characters of those, who advertise as being fit to be 
 the guardians of our offsprings' education. If this is 
 done, these men must either become the defenders of 
 religion in appearance, or restrain their bitter and im- 
 pious invectives. This would be a powerful instru- 
 ment in preserving the minds of youth uncontamina- 
 ted : and until this be done, we may look in vain, to 
 see them growing up under the sacred influence of 
 the true faith, laying a firm foundation for the church 
 of Christ, and bidding defiance to the whole host of 
 Godwins, Mirabeaus, Pains, Volneys, and Voltaires.* 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 If any of my sentiments seem to be too freely or ac- 
 rimoniously expressed for any of those casuistical advo- 
 cates, it must be remembered, that they are expressed 
 in the ardour of conviction of their truth. Blasphemous 
 language or viilanous acts must be condemned in the 
 style of energetic reproach, if we wish our efforts to 
 have any influence. The soft tones of sycophancy 
 will not answer at this critical juncture. I will not 
 stoop to please parasites ; they are a disgrace to hu- 
 manity; they know not the dignity of their origin. 
 Adulation, perhaps, might have pleased those who are 
 deceived by these impostors. Men of noble minds, 
 unfettered by the manacles of narrow prejudice and 
 gothic ignorance, rejoice to see essays from those, 
 
 - * « Mendici, mimi, balatrones." Horace. 
 
 " Beggars, players, and yarlets of every description." 
 
§2 REFORMER. 
 
 who will not pen to humour the follies and caprices of 
 the multitude, to be softened by the plausible sayings 
 of pedagogues, or terrified at the hireling critic's lash. 
 They exult in seeing those, who would impose upon 
 the understanding and good nature of the public, ar- 
 raigned and condemned by the fiery ordeal of the peo- 
 ple. They cannot suffer the apprehension, that the 
 least interval of time should elapse, before they may 
 behold these characters, the objects of their indigna- 
 tion and contempt, and doom them to that punishment 
 which they claim, from their supreme eminence in 
 depravity and licentiousness. In a word, if we were 
 fully able to comprehend the arcana of their hearts, 
 which are by many covered under the veil of religion, 
 we should see breasts fraught with crimes deposited 
 there, for future acts of villany, and preserved without 
 the hazard of diminution* The " odia in longum jaci- 
 ensf qua rccond.-ret) auctaque firomeret" I once im- 
 agined, applied only to the heathen bosom, which had 
 publicly renounced the existence of the true God, and 
 all moral obligation. " The text is in Tacitus ; those 
 referred to, know best where to look for the commen- 
 tary."! 
 
 To conclude. — It is now full time to begin to brush 
 away the insects which flutter round our seminaries of 
 education, whether creeping or fluttering, they have 
 too long crawled over and soiled the intellectual 
 
 * Junius' Letters 
 
 ■\ " Sic funis Caci mens effera ; nee quid inausum aut in- 
 tractatum selerisve, dolive," Virg: JEn. 8 
 
 11 So ferocious and infuriate was the soul of Cacus. He 
 left not a species of crime, trickechiesg, treachery or fraud zmat- 
 tempted or untried" 
 
REFORMER. g$ 
 
 ground of our country. " It is high time to shake the 
 little sickly stem of many a puny plant, and make its 
 fading flowers fall. And ill, indeed, does that man 
 deserve the notice or the respect of the public, who 
 suffers himself to be intimidated by the war-whoops of 
 disappointed teachers, or moved by the feeble shrieks 
 of witlings and poetasters ; who permits himself to 
 be drawn aside for a single moment from the path of 
 justice and truth, by mistaken notions of kindness, by 
 the whining cant of affected candour, by the miserable 
 grimaces of mawkish humanity, which discerns no dif- 
 ference between wisdom and ignorance, between intel- 
 lect and stufiidity. It is the duty of every man, while 
 life beats in his bosom, to plead in behalf of learning, 
 and the cause of his country." And may the vices 
 and incapacity of these sanctified hypocrites be detect- 
 ed, and they meet their just reward. From the sin- 
 cerity of my heart, too, I desire, that when the flight 
 of years begins to envelope this period under the 
 misty veil of fable; when the loud trump of science 
 shall be heard in every quarter of the globe, the vices, 
 the depravity, the inattention- and the inabilities of 
 the present age to the instruction of our youth, may 
 mber in oblivion ; and if ever the story of the pas- 
 g times be told, may it be reiterated with a tear of 
 npathy for the rising generation. 
 
34 REFORMER. 
 
 OK THE EVIL TENDENCY OF THEATRICAL REP- 
 RESENTATIONS AT SCHOOL. 
 
 * * Age vero, quern tu mihi comaedum, quern circulatorem 
 apectare malis, quam istos in concionibus rhetoricantes orani- 
 no ridicule, sed tamen suavissime imitantes ea, quae rhe- 
 tores de dicendi ratione tradiderunt ? Deum immortalem ! 
 ut gesticulantur, ut apte commutant vocem, ut cantillant, ut 
 jactant sese, ut subinde alios atque alios vultus induunt, ut 
 omnia clamoribus miscent !" Erasmus. 
 
 " Now, what comedian or mountebank had you rather see, 
 than these gentlemen flourishing away in their discourses 
 mest laughably ; but yet most sweetly following all the 
 rules laid down by the lecturers on the art of speaking. 
 Good God ! what gesticulations they make, how aptly they 
 change the tone of their voice ; how they seem to sing it out ; 
 how they throw themselves about, what faces they make, 
 what attitudes they assume, and how they confound every 
 thing with their vociferations !" 
 
 There is no topic on which the pens of literary 
 and scientific men have been better and more justly 
 employed, and which they have handled with greater 
 severity, than that of reciting or acting* plays in our 
 initiatory or elementary schools. Teachers, who have 
 engaged in its cause, have felt the sting of their satire, 
 and, by their feeble resistance, fallen under its severity. 
 The advantages which they, as well as their patrons, 
 supposed would accrue from this silly and preposter- 
 ous practice, have proved so immaterial, that it ap- 
 peared highly improbable, that these juvenile play- 
 houses would be again revived by preceptors or sup- 
 ported by the multitude. Yet such has been the case, 
 
REFORMER. g5 
 
 and parents in general, do not see the ill effects, which 
 theatrical representations have upon the minds of chil- 
 dren, nor endeavour to crush a process of education so 
 glaringly absurd and so obviously detrimental. 
 
 At present, the modes of inculcation are, with some 
 new-fangled teachers entirely different from those of 
 past time. Then the importance of educating chil- 
 dren well, to fill their minds with the seeds of sound 
 and wholesome knowledge, to strengthen their morals 
 and intellectual powers, was considered the prime ob- 
 ject. Preceptors pursued a method of instruction, 
 from which the greatest benefit might be expected^ 
 and which, in time, always produced a rich reward- 
 They recommended and chose for youth such aathors 
 as had received the sanction of public approbation. 
 But the day has undergone a change unfavourable to 
 religion and manners. Manly and rigorous modes of 
 education are relaxed, and novels or plays* and their 
 exhibitions have usurped their place. Considered in 
 themselves, their effects are highly deleterious to those 
 who are unhappily their objects. 
 
 The practice, prevalent as it is, meets not only 
 the approbation of the higher ranks of society, but: 
 also finds an abundance of advocates, among the low- 
 er. By the former, I mean such as have acquired 
 a fortune by dint of labour, but are without the advan- 
 tages of a good education; by the latter, those who 
 
 * I speak not of the excellencies of some novels and plays; 
 only of their effects upon voung- minds. Shakespeare, Rowe, 
 and Otway's tragic muse sufficiently recompense readers for 
 their perusal of them. Johnson's Rasselas, Goldsmith's Vicar 
 of Wakefield, &c &c. still retain their place among" the vol- 
 umes of the moral and christian man. 
 
 H 
 
8(5 REFORMER. 
 
 are without either learning or fortune. People of these 
 classes have had little or no opportunity of acquiring 
 knowledge, their tastes have never been improved by 
 the study of the beauties of Nature and Art; they 
 have seldom read any works of established literary 
 merit, and consequently are strangers to that superi- 
 ority, which the expansion of the mental powers, gives 
 one man over another. They cannot, therefore, have 
 any conception of that greatness of mind, of which 
 men are susceptible, when properly managed, and 
 which exalts and dignifies the human character : but 
 without which it moulders by inaction and degenerates 
 into crudities and ill humours. Hence they are inca- 
 pable of forming just ideas upon the process of educa- 
 tion necessary to be pursued to render the ascension 
 to Parnassus easy and pleasing. They are exposed to 
 every imposition in literature, and charmed with every 
 chimerical mode, which has the appearance of accel- 
 erating the progress of their offsprings' literary at- 
 tainments. 
 
 " O quam contempta res est homo, nisi supra humana se 
 erexit."* Seneca. 
 
 As the credulity of the many is apt to be imposed 
 upon by preceptorial artifice, I shall offer my reasons, 
 why I disapprove of exhibiting children upon the stage. 
 It has been deemed by some, who, in other respects, 
 seem not to be destitute of judgment, that it was re- 
 quisite to bring them forward in public, not only with 
 a view of making them appear bolder in company ; 
 
 * " O how contemptible a thing is man, unless he raise* 
 himself above human things." 
 
REFORMER. 87 
 
 but also to render them proficients in the art of elocu- 
 tion. Each of these requisites, I will answer in its 
 proper place. 
 
 Suppose that one piece shall have been complete- 
 ly learned, will it have the least tendency to assist 
 them in another of a dissimilar nature ? No ! If they 
 gain the fleeting sound of applause at one of these ex- 
 hibitions, will that enable them to appear to better ad- 
 vantage abroad ? Will it not rather tend to engender 
 self-sufficiency, than which nothing is more disgust- 
 ing ; to attract their attention to what finally gives 
 them a frothy mode of thinking, or rather to make 
 them cease to think at all ; to induce them to imagine 
 themselves wise, whereas in reality they know nothing, 
 and lastly, will it not have a tendency to render them 
 liable to be defeated in every branch of study, upon 
 which they may undertake to converse ; even on the 
 very branch, to which they and their instructors have 
 paid the greatest attention. 
 
 Neither is it, says a learned author, desirable, that 
 boys should acquire that love and habit of declaiming, 
 which may introduce them to spouting clubs, or dis- 
 puting societies. If we may believe report, little else 
 than Infidelity is learned in some of those schools of 
 oratory. Nor can it be supposed, that elegance of 
 diction, or of utterance is often found in such unse- 
 lected associations. " Nee eloquent em^ says Petrarch, 
 quidem efficiunt, sed loquacem."* 
 
 * " They do not render a man a good speaker, but merely 
 a prater." 
 
 " Malo indisertam prudentiam guam ioquacem stidtitiam." 
 I prefer good sense, without the talent of fine speaking, to 
 talkative folly. Cicero, 
 
§8 REFORMER. 
 
 Another ill arising from their learning plays is, that 
 they cannot study them as they ought, without the as- 
 sistance of the best teachers of elocution, who are 
 very rarely to be found ; consequently, parents spend 
 their money for nothing, and the children obtain for 
 their labour* a few fleeting and vague sounds, the 
 meaning of which they cannot comprehend, nor apply 
 correctly in the most familiar conversation. Nor is 
 this all. I think, that this mode of instruction is one 
 of the greatest obstacles to their future advancement 
 in learning, that can well be imagined, as it has lite- 
 rally obliged them to commit to memory things which 
 they cannot understand, in their boyish years, and of 
 which there is no possibility of making use as a key 
 to the acquirement of any valuable study at any future 
 period. It may, indeed, tend to strengthen their mem- 
 ories ; but, in the mean time, under such inauspicious 
 circumstances, their judgments must lose the use for 
 which they were designed. If parents, would rathe:*, 
 
 " Loquax ?nagis quam facundus" 
 
 A talkative rather than an eloquent man. 
 
 u Satis eloquentice , sapientice pmim." Sallust. 
 
 Garrulity enough, but rather too little good sense. 
 " To speak well, says the learned Dr. Knox, depends mor« 
 «m the corporeal endowments, than any other accomplish- 
 ments. Whatever learning and judgment, the mind may 
 have acquired, yet unless nature has formed the organs of 
 speech in perfection, and unless she has given the student a 
 considerable degree of bodily strength, he will seldom be- 
 come a distinguished speaker. Art may, however, assist 
 him ; and, if they enable him to speak slowly and distinctly., 
 they will have done him great service. Dr. Knox further ob- 
 serves, that, alter all that has been said on the great import- 
 ance of speaking, the first attention should be given to the 
 acquisition of a sound judgment and good sense, and words 
 will follow in course; " no?i inopss rerum mug a: que canor i ei. J ' 
 Not what the French call verbiage." 
 
REFORMER. 3$ 
 
 that their offspring should possess the power of re- 
 tention, and a superficial knowledge of the various 
 branches, which constitute the elegant scholar, I would 
 by all means, advise this process of instruction. If not, 
 it should be immediately dropt, and lessons suitable to 
 the students' capacities be introduced. They would, 
 then, take the greatest delight in learning, and obtain 
 double the portion of knowledge in half the length of 
 time, which is occupied in teaching them to perform 
 dramatical pieces. If youth be permitted to proceed 
 superficially in the study of their vernacular language, 
 if it be tolerated in the least, it will open a way to the 
 same inaccuracy in every future branch of learning, to 
 which they may be required to direct their attention ; 
 and as all have an absolute dependance upon each 
 other, they should not be permitted to learn any thing 
 without attaching to it a definite idea and correct 
 sense. This method, because a little laborious, is not 
 practised in most of our seminaries. Many, thus ru- 
 ined in the first stages of their education, spend their 
 lives on the threshold of learning, without ever enjoy- 
 ing the pleasure arising from that conscious superi- 
 ority which men of letters enjoy over the ignorant 
 part of the community, and those faculties designed 
 for far nobler ends, corrode by inactivity, and prove a 
 source of unceasing misery. 
 
 Indeed, I am astonished upon a retrospect of this 
 mode of procedure ; that parents have not long ago 
 decryed such a silly and irrational practice, and sought 
 for academies, where their offspring may be instruct- 
 ed in the principles of pure morality and religion ; and 
 where instead of concealing the latent sparks of ge- 
 H 2 
 
§0 REFORMER 1 . 
 
 nius, by rattling over the absurdities often contained in 
 dramatic works, they would be instructed in the rudi- 
 ments of English Grammar.* This tends to expand 
 the human mind more than the dry, abstract reason- 
 ings of philosophy ; and prepares them at a maturer 
 age to descend into the depths of science, by means of 
 which, they, at a future period, become ornaments to 
 themselves and parents, and useful members of society. 
 The reason may be asked, why teachers instruct 
 their pupils in such ridiculous stuff. The answer 
 is easy. Many teachers are so intolerably ignorant of 
 the first principles of that highly important science, 
 and indeed of almost every other ; that they endeav* 
 our, by every possible means, to veil their incapacity 
 by a luxuriance of show, and permit their students to 
 
 * " Adeo in teneris consuescere maltwn est." Virg. 
 
 Of so great consequence is it to habituate him in his ten. 
 der years. 
 
 " At great Grammar schools, little attention can be paid to 
 the impatience of the injudicious parent. A regular plan is 
 usually there established ; such a one, as, from the earliest 
 times, has been attended with success. The great and lead- 
 ing principle of that plan is, to lay a firm and durable 
 foundation in grammar. I hope no parental indul- 
 gence, and no relaxation of discipline, will avail to bring 
 into neglect this less splendid, but indispensably necessary, 
 attainment. When the grammar is learned inaccurately, all 
 other juvenile studies in polite literature, if prosecuted at all, 
 will be prosecuted inaccurately; and the result must be, im- 
 perfect and superficial improvement. The exercise of mind, 
 and the strength of mind acquired in consequence of that ex- 
 ercise, are some of the most valuable effects of a strict, a 
 long, and a laborious study of grammatical learning, at the 
 puerile age. At that age grammar studies must be difficult; 
 hut the difficulty is every day conquered, and the conquest 
 has given additional strength and confidence, and facilitated 
 the acquisition of farther victories." 
 
 Dr. Knox Lib. Edn. 
 
REFORMER. §J- 
 
 proceed to the most difficult parts of knowledge, with- 
 out understanding what they have learned in any of 
 the initiatory branches. When they have obtained it, 
 by heart, as it is called, they are in the same situation 
 as before, for their preceptors cannot explain it to 
 them. Thus children are deprived of their invaluable 
 time, and parents of their money. Were men to lend 
 a more attentive and unprejudiced ear to the reputa- 
 tion of some of our schools, perhaps they would not 
 be so frequently deceived by those, who make great 
 pretensions to science, and yet scarcely possess com- 
 mon sense. If a man, in modern days, barely mention 
 a few names of eminent authors, and flatter parental 
 imbecility and ignorance, he is set down as a learned 
 man indeed^ and a candid and open hearted friend. 
 But, in the ordinary course of things, they who scan 
 not the artifice of teachers, with respect to talents, 
 will be often deluded ; their offspring's morals* cor- 
 rupted, and their talents blasted. 
 
 All this can be remedied, or, at least, in a great de- 
 gree, would parents duly consider the tendency of 
 learning memoriter, and make careful inquiries into 
 the literary and moral qualifications of those, whom 
 they engage to superintend their children's education. 
 By employing men competent, and conscientious in 
 the discharge of their truly important duties, men 
 who would ground the children committed to their 
 care, in the principles of religion as well as of science ; 
 though their proficiency might be slow, in the begin- 
 ning, yet in the end it would amply recompense pa- 
 rental anxiety and attention. It should be remem- 
 bered, by preceptors and parents, « that it is not the 
 
92 reformer^ 
 
 quantity, but the quality of instruction impressed on 
 the mind,"* not merely the going over a lesson, that 
 makes sound scholars; but the explaining and render- 
 ing every thing clear, easy and familiar. " All errours 
 in education, says Locke, should be less tolerated than 
 any other ; for these, like faults in the concoction of 
 any article, that are never mended in the second or 
 third, carry their afterwards incorrigible taint with them 
 through all the subsequent parts of life." 
 
 I cannot, in the least, conceive any advantage which 
 can be derived from learning plays by rote indiscrim- 
 inately, together with the grimaces and obscure ex- 
 pressions which characterise some of them, and the 
 bombast so conspicuous in others. It is true, that 
 they have the appearance of teaching the learners to 
 speak fluently and elegantly ; to furnish them with an 
 abundance of words, which however, they unhappily 
 do not comprehend. If a sufficient copia verborum 
 could be obtained, by this new-fangled way, it would 
 indeed be a very great improvement upon our Lexi- 
 cons, and add a great lustre to the pupil's address ; 
 ** there being nothing which designates the scholar 
 and gentlemen more than a good fund and selection of 
 words ;" but unfortunately the result is diametrically 
 opposite. 
 
 As the children are brought forward, the audience 
 must rationally suppose, that they are, by the precep- 
 tor's help, properly prepared in all the mazes of orato- 
 ry, and dramatic representation. But great, indeed, is 
 the mistake. I have seen it always prove the contrary, 
 and observed that the dramatis persona have exposed 
 * A Picket's Mirror. 
 
REFORMER. 93 
 
 themselves to the contempt of those present. « Good 
 nature seemed to lead the hearers to conceal their dis- 
 pleasure from the boys ; but it was evident to others. 
 None seemed to have approved of it, except the more 
 illiterate. " 
 
 In what a pitiable situation, therefore, must those 
 boys be placed, who mount the rostrum to excite the 
 laughter of the audience? At that tender age, in which 
 they are most played the puppet with, they have very 
 little knowledge, if any, of those subjects, which they 
 generally pronounce. They must, therefore, set their 
 inventions on the rack to say something, when in real- 
 ity they know nothing, to murder, as it were, those 
 pieces with the most uncouth gestures, which are 
 in reality none of their own ; but the invention of the 
 teacher ; such skilful rhetoricians have we engaged 
 in the cause of literature. But may not this be con- 
 sidered as a sort of Egyptian tyranny, commanding 
 them to make brick, before they have procured the 
 materials ? Before they can recite pieces to any ad- 
 vantage, they ought to be able to enter into the spirit 
 ©f them 5 know what the authors mean ; where to lay 
 the emphasis ; how to modulate the voice ; where and 
 how to gesticulate ; otherwise it is as absurd, to en- 
 deavour to command the naturally languid feelings of 
 an audience, listening to these giant-killing exhibitions, 
 as it would be to give an idiot the use of his reason. 
 Thus this grand parade, this fantastic dream of igno- 
 rance and folly will avail nothing to the young votaries 
 of Thespis. — It is a wonder to me, how boys of active 
 and generous feelings, can waste their time over such 
 sftsipidity, which will prove in the end an idle dream. 
 
96 REFORMER. 
 
 repeating of plays or pieces at so early an age, will 
 have the least tendency to exalt the young actors to a 
 higher standing in the world ? Can it be imagined, 
 that they are able to comprehend the meaning of those 
 selections from Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Goldsmith, 
 Addison or Johnson and inforce them before an audi- 
 ence with the proper emphasis, pause, tone, and ges- 
 ture, which are the very essence of good reading and 
 speaking ? Neither can it be thought, that those men, 
 who undertake the Herculean task of infusing, into 
 the youthful mind, the soaring spirit of Demosthenes 
 or Cicero, can have any skill in the divine art of elo- 
 cution, or that they have any knowledge of human na- 
 ture ? For they surely must suppose, that all children 
 are endowed with the same faculties, and consequently 
 that all may be orators, all play-actors, all poets, 
 all musicians, or all sculptors. It is this false notion 
 among teachers, of confining all their scholars to the 
 same branches of study, which is productive of so 
 much ignorance among youth, and causes so much 
 difficulty in the first years of their instruction. The 
 unnatural bent of their mind struggles to get free and 
 apply itself to that which is most congenial g to it. To 
 cramp genius is to ruin its energy. When the powers 
 of the mind are exerted upon any science or art, which 
 is natural to it, they never fail, at some future period, 
 to elevate the proprietor to the notice and admiration 
 of the public. If parents therefore could be induced 
 to foresee in time, what must be the termination of a 
 superficial mode of instruction, they would not so of- 
 ten be surrounded by filial illiteracy, nor be imposed 
 upon by preceptorial artifice. 
 
REFORMER. §J 
 
 I would ask the patrons of virtue and genius, 
 whether these theatrical exhibitions tend to polish 
 the understanding, and assist the cause of morality 
 and religion. The ends of education are these, and 
 no modes whatever, which are not .auxiliary to these, 
 should be patronized. Theatrical representations are 
 injurious to the cause of both. For as we are. natu- 
 rally bent on what is evil, and as vice is pourtrayed 
 with such infatuating charms in almost all dramas, the 
 young are unable to resist its influence, and conse- 
 quently fall an easy sacrifice. In most plays, intrigue 
 is the basis, and the villain, who walks through the 
 path of licentious and unmanly pleasures with the 
 greatest ease, in the end, meets with as much ap- 
 plause, as he who walks according to God's holy laws.* 
 
 * The immortal and divine Watts, speaking of play- 
 houses, proceeds thus: "It is granted that a dramatic rep- 
 resentation of the affairs of human life, is by no means sinful 
 in itself: lam inclined to think, that valuable compositions 
 might be made of this kind, such as might entertain a virtu- 
 ous audience with innocent delight, and even with some real 
 profit. Such have been written in French, and have in times 
 past, been acted with applause. But it is too well known, 
 that the comedies, which appear on our stage, and most of 
 the tragedies too, have no design to set religion or virtue in 
 its best light, nor to render vice odious to the spectators. In 
 many of them, piety makes a ridiculous figure, and virtue is 
 drest in the habit of folly ; the sacred name of God is fre- 
 quently taken in vain, if not blasphemed; and the man of 
 flagrant vice is the fine gentleman, and the poet's favourite, 
 who must be rewarded at the end of the play. 
 
 "Besides, there is nothing will pass on our theatres, that 
 has not the mixture of some amorous intrigue : lewdness it- 
 self reigns and riots in some of their scenes : sobriety is put 
 quite out of countenance, and modesty is in certain danger 
 there : the youth of serious religion, that ventures sometimes 
 into this infected air, finds his antidotes too weak to resist 
 the contagion. The pleasures of the closet and devout re- 
 tirement are suspei/ied at first, and then utterly vanquished 
 I 
 
98 # REFORMER. 
 
 Like the Epicurean philosophy, adorned by the poetic 
 elegance of Lucretius and Virgil, sanctioned by the 
 sceptical Cicero, and embraced by Caesar and Atticus, 
 they have undermined the morals of the young, des- 
 troyed the vital principles of religion,* and proved the 
 bane of the nation. This was the case in ancient days. 
 After the manly exercises of the degenerate Romans 
 
 by the overpowering influence of the last comedy : the fancy 
 is all over defiled, the vain images rise uppermost in the 
 soul, and pollute the feeble attempts of devotion, till by de- 
 grees secret religion is lost and forgotten : and in a little 
 time the playhouse has got so much the mastery of con- 
 science, that the young christian goes to bed after the eve- 
 ning drama with as much satisfaction and ease, as he used 
 to do after evening- prayer. 
 
 " If there has been found two or three plays, which have 
 been tolerably free from lewd and profane mixtures, there 
 are some scores or hundreds that have many hateful passa- 
 ges, for which no excuse can be made. And when all the 
 charming powers of poesy and music are joined with the gay- 
 est scenes and entertainments, to assault the senses and the 
 soul at once, and to drive out virtue from the possession of the 
 heart, it is to be feared, that it will not longkeep its place and 
 power there. What a prophet of their own says of the court, 
 may with much more truth and justice be said of the Theatre. 
 " It is a golden, but a fatal circle, 
 Upon whose magic skirts a thousand devils 
 In chrystal forms sit, tempting innocence, 
 And beckon early virtue from its centre." 
 
 Again. 
 " It would be endless to trace all the vice 
 That from the playhouse takes immediate rise, 
 It is the inexhausted magazine, 
 That stocks the land with vanity and sin. 
 
 By flourishing so long, 
 
 Numbers have been undone, both old and young, 
 And many hundred, souls are now unblest, 
 Which else had di'd in peace, and found eternal rest." 
 Jf'atts on the JWind. 
 * To this cause, the obscenity and irreverence to Godj so 
 conspicuous in most of our English tragedies and comedies, 
 the French philosophers ascribe the prodigality of the Eng- 
 lish nation. 
 
REFORMER. 99 
 
 were overwhelmed by dissipation and forgotten, and 
 the Hippodrome, theatrical amusements, and gladia- 
 torial shows had usurped their place, the Roman 
 youth became so debauched and effeminate that they 
 seemed to have lost all that iire and spirit, which char- 
 acterized their immortal ancestors. The modes of 
 education being altered, the spirit of the people was 
 lost. The change was fatal. The descendants of the 
 warlike Romulus and his successors who had expelled 
 loose and unrestrained enemies from their homes, who 
 had fought for the temples of their Gods and the sep- 
 ulchres of their fathers, now sunk upon the bed of lux- 
 ury, and heard the trumpet of battle with dismay. 
 The lustre of her former victories was darkened by 
 the inability of servile talents. Rome sunk from her 
 elevated grandeur into insignificance, and she stands, 
 to this day, a monument to nations, that when rig- 
 orous modes of education are relaxed, the prime sup- 
 ports of a nation, religion and virtue, feel their want 3 
 and that the ill-fated country soon degenerates into 
 Pagan barbarity, ignorance, and superstition. 
 
 To show the more dangerous effects that Dramas 
 have upon juvenile minds, and even on persons, who 
 are old enough to be capable of distinguishing between 
 the loveliness of virtue, and the deformity of vice, we 
 frequently see, that theatrical performances seize upon 
 their minds, and from seeing vice so beautifully ar- 
 rayed (as I have already observed) they naturally as it 
 were, fall in love with it, and henceforward pursue ways 
 equally detrimental to morals and the understanding. 
 Since mature age is so easily led astray, how much 
 more liable must children be to be imposed upon by 
 
 fLofC. 
 
100 REFORMER. 
 
 their plausibilities ? They inflame their minds, and 
 like the Upas tree, diffuse their poisonous vapour all 
 around, dealing death to every thing which comes 
 within its destructive vortex. The fairest flower in 
 this inhospitable region soon droops and dies. Such 
 is the inevitable effect of that infatuation, which leads 
 both men and women, old and young to theatrical rep- 
 resentations. I may also assert, that even the commit- 
 ting plays to memory, for the use which I have men- 
 tioned, has a very dangerous tendency ; as it turns 
 their attention, to the despicable means of obtaining a 
 livelihood by play acting, of which we have had sev- 
 eral instances.* The concomitants of this mode of 
 life are well known. We may form a pretty accurate 
 conclusion of the company which they will keep, of the 
 manner in which they will spend their time ; of the 
 strength of their constitution after a few years, and 
 finally of their end ; for it is one of the rarest things 
 in nature, that we see a player of temperate habits, or 
 one who has amassed any considerable sum ; it is sel- 
 dom that he discovers mines of gold and silver, in the 
 midst of riot and debauchery. He lives in an unpleas- 
 ant atmosphere and in a barren soil. 
 
 The reading of a judicious and instructive volume, 
 by one whose chief attention is fixed on the theatre, is 
 
 * I can vouch for the truth of this assertion. Several per. 
 sons whom I knew, were taught, while at school to speak 
 pieces, and fell so ardently in love with theatrical declama- 
 tion, that they in a few years, took to the stage for suppoT-t. 
 If, on the other hand, they had been accustomed to recitf 
 nothing but pure and moral sentiments, free from theatric 
 gesture, the effect might have been the contrary. 
 
 " Chuse the best life, and custom will render it agreeable.*- 1 
 
 Pivtareh 
 
REFORMER* 101 
 
 attended with little, if any, edification. His mind be- 
 comes roving and distracted. He cannot compose 
 himself to any serious labour, and the repository for 
 useful knowledge now becomes the repository of tri- 
 fles. This intellectual dissipation has, no doubt, been 
 one great cause of that superabundance of ephemeral 
 novels and romances, these great perverters of taste 
 and morals, which have of late been issued in greater 
 numbers from the press than any other species of com- 
 position. And to our disgrace be it said, that notwith- 
 standing the many irrefragable arguments, which have 
 been adduced against them, they have for many years, 
 occupied the most conspicuous place in the annals of 
 literature* Should we, in the course of our perambu- 
 lations, accidentally fall in with one of these admirers of 
 the theatre, and, at the same time, put into his hands, 
 one of the volumes, which contain the profound, 
 chaste, and philosophical reasonings of an Addison, a 
 Johnson, a Locke, a Bacon, a Reid, or a Stewart, 
 we would be treated as visionaries, and the contents 
 of the volume would be laughed at as the effusions of 
 ignorance and fanaticism ; while the writings of Shake- 
 speare and Rowe, and even of dramatic authors of a far 
 inferiour class, would be extolled to the skies and every 
 encomium heaped upon them, which an infatuated and 
 perverted imagination could possibly bestow. Such 
 men can say nothing, as it respects literature in general, 
 or the beauties of any one author in particular; nor can 
 they speak upon any other literary subject, except it be 
 respecting their favourite bards, or the legendary tales 
 of some romantic lover. They deem philosophy and 
 Christianity as useless appendages to the human char- 
 I 2 
 
102 REFORMED. 
 
 acter ; but were they only to reflect, they might soou 
 be satisfied, that if they should live so long as to be 
 assailed with old age and disease, they would then'find 
 that these two inestimable treasures would be the only 
 sources, from which they could derive either pleasure 
 or consolation, and that the satisfaction, which they 
 would then receive, would afford ample compensa- 
 tion for all the time and attention, which they might 
 have devoted to these truly interesting subjects. To 
 this, it may be added, that if these were studied with 
 that due attention, which their vast importance re- 
 quires, we should not so often be under the painful 
 necessity of shedding the sympathetic tear over the 
 depravity of our fellow mortals : nor should we behold 
 vice and immorality openly parading our streets, and 
 visiting our nocturnal assemblies; but on the contrary 
 men would in the evening be engaged in the solemn wor- 
 ship of God in their closet, cr under the wide extended 
 canopy of heaven, in some retired spot, or under some 
 shady bower, employed in meditating on the grandeur 
 and sublimity of the works of Creation and Providence. 
 Compared with this, how paltry, how insignificant are 
 all the pleasures of sense ! 
 
 I have already mentioned a few of the most promi- 
 nent evils, which attend a too strict adherence to the 
 business of acting plays at schools, or indeed of acting 
 them any where ; but it is impossible for me to enu- 
 merate one half of the evils, which accrue from this 
 truly detrimental practice. Misery attends the votary 
 of the theatre in all his steps. He is so much en- 
 gaged ill trifling and insignificant amusements, that he 
 is tendered totally unfit for any thing useful to himself 
 
©r society. He has no real pleasure. This earthly par- 
 adise seems " to him a quintessence of dust," and all 
 the beauties of nature appear created for no purpose. 
 He is now, after having shattered his constitution by 
 dissipation during his younger years, about to enter on 
 the active scenes of busy life ; at every step he meets 
 with impediments ; and he must meet with losses, of 
 which he never dreamed, in consequence of his total 
 ignorance of business. He will see his virtuous ac- 
 quaintance struggling against the storms of fate, and 
 riding triumphant over the tumultuous billows ; while 
 every gale seems ready to overwhelm his unruly bark; 
 but his malady is beyond a cure. He is, at last, seized 
 with despair and rushes precipitately into the arms of 
 death. Unfortunate man ! to fall thus, in the prime 
 of years, a curse to thy parents, and leaving nothingj 
 which can live behind thee, but a detested name. 
 
 Yet, in despite of experience, we have teachers 
 amongst us, who wear the form of men, continually 
 thundering in our ears, with their usual vociferation, 
 that dramatic performances are of the most valuable 
 use. Youthful morals, in their noisy clamour, are un- 
 eonsulted and left to seek a sanctuary for themselves. 
 And those unhappy youths, who cannot find it, soon 
 sink into the devouring flame of dissipation ; and when 
 arrived at maturity, they come creeping from their 
 tufted huts, covered with shame and sorrow. Sunk 
 in ignorance, they enjoy none of the beauties of this 
 earthly paradise. At last after a short life of shame 
 and misery the fell scythe of death, which spares nei- 
 ther age nor sex, cuts them off, and they are hurled 
 into the oblivious ocean of eternity. 
 
XQ4 REFORMER. 
 
 In vain, therefore, do those, who perceive the evil 
 effects resulting from those superficial and fatal modes 
 of education, which have already been pointed out, 
 endeavour to diffuse a general knowledge of the use 
 of discipline and sound inculcation, and to banish this, 
 deleterious practice from the fair fields of science. 
 The voice of reason is crushed by the artful declama- 
 tion of the vain pedant, who employs his scanty func- 
 tions to dazzle the imagination with a gorgeous display 
 of absurdities. The rigid exercise of mind recom- 
 mended and practised by our forefathers is of no avail. 
 Those who are endeavouring to revive the system, 
 which produced the brightest luminaries in literature, 
 are treated with the greatest insolence and contempt. 
 
 Frequency of report upon any subject gives it the 
 appearance of truth. This, theatrical innovators well 
 know, and by often and unjustly condemning consci- 
 entious and capable instructors, and severe modes of 
 education, they gain the affections of the populace and 
 secure a periodical revenue. But let men of this des- 
 cription recollect, that the triumph of the wicked can 
 only be of short duration ; that though they may have 
 been successful, for a time, in deceiving a great part 
 of the community, the bubble has already begun to 
 burst, and the people are rapidly recovering from the 
 delusion, under which they have so long laboured. 
 Upon the complete recovery of their senses (and from 
 present appearances, it cannot be long before this de- 
 sirable event will take place) these pedantic impostors 
 must revert into their original insignificance. They 
 will full into the pit, which, for so many years, they 
 have, with the greatest craft and cunning, been dig- 
 
REFORMER. 105 
 
 ging for others. Education will then flourish. Men 
 respectable for their good sense, extensive erudition, 
 and irreproachable morals, will be caressed, as the on- 
 ly persons, who ought to be employed " to teach the 
 young idea how to shoot," whilst these illiterate and 
 immoral pretenders will be obliged to hide their di- 
 minished heads. The good old mode of teaching 
 children, orthography, English grammar, arithmetic, 
 geography, history, composition, &c. and above all, 
 that most excellent plan of causing them to understand 
 completely whatever they learn, will be universally 
 restored, and all visionary and mischievous projects of 
 education will be, it is hoped, for ever exploded from 
 our youthful seminaries. Of so happy a change, the 
 literary world would soon find the good effects ; the 
 morals of the people, particularly of the younger part 
 of them, would, in a very short time, be greatly im- 
 proved, and the cause of God would find an abundance 
 of advocates. 
 
108 REFORMER. 
 
 mind and the opulent in gold ; the immense ascension 
 or descension of man in the scale of human beings. 
 Indeed it is impossible, for persons'of ordinary under-, 
 standing, to peruse them, with any degree of attention, 
 N without experiencing some refinement of taste, and 
 imbibing some of the most noble sentiments, which 
 ever inspired the human heart. Who, for example, 
 can read the works of a Plutarch, a Homer, a Xeno- 
 phon, a Demosthenes, a Virgil, a Terence, a Tully, a 
 Tacitus, or a Longinus, and not derive improvement 
 both to his heart and understanding ? — And insensible, 
 indeed, must be that man, who cannot spend hours in 
 the contemplation of the beauties, which abound in 
 almost every page. 
 
 The sordid and ignorant, cannot, by the most direct 
 reasoning, be made to comprehend the value of these 
 studies, the most important object of which, is to pu- 
 rify the taste, 'harmonize the affections, improve the 
 understanding and heart, and enhance the dignity of 
 human nature. They naturally imagine, that it is the 
 external appearance which makes the true gentleman, 
 that all qualifications are subservient to frippery of 
 dress, and that gold supplies the place of internal 
 sources. But they are sadly mistaken : intrinsic mer- 
 it contributes to external grace ; and the brightest 
 natural powers, will not make a person agreeable, nor 
 scarcely respectable in polished company, if he be to- 
 tally a stranger to that liberality of mind, of which a 
 familiar acquaintance with Grecian and Roman litera* 
 ture is so abundantly productive. 
 
 The followers of fashion, who have merely passed 
 the surface of classic lore, and even touched that su- 
 
REFORMER. 109 
 
 perficially, may, indeed, deny all these excellencies, by 
 producing themselves as examples, of the little advan- 
 tage to be derived from the study of those immortal 
 productions. It is unhappily too true. They have not 
 improved their time, and the faculties which God, in 
 his bountiful mercy, has been pleased to give them. 
 Their ignorance of the beauties of the ancient writings 
 arises, either from their not being kept at the grammar 
 school or College a sufficient length of time, from 
 dull intellect, or from their fondness for the amuse- 
 ments of folly and dissipation. These obstacles to lit- 
 erary progress are powerful enough to obstruct all 
 proficiency in studies of any kind. — They may urge in 
 lieu of the possession of classical knowledge, that they 
 have a good English education, and that this is all 
 which they want ; as it will teach them to accumulate 
 riches ; and that they can relish the beauties of Eng- 
 lish composition as well as those, who have formed 
 their taste upon classical models. 
 
 This I deny, and my denial is confirmed by the 
 most intelligent writers, not only of past ages, but 
 also of the present. We find few, if any of those 
 who have risen to eminence, who have not followed 
 the advice of Horace. 
 
 " Vos exemplaria Graeca 
 Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna."* 
 
 " Make the Greek authors your supreme delight 
 Read them by day, and study them by night." 
 
 Francis. 
 " Graiis ingenium, Graiis dedit ore rotunclo 
 Musa loqui, praeter laudem nullius avaris, 
 
 K 
 
HO REFORMER. 
 
 Dryden, Pope, Addison, Johnson, Goldsmith, Ar~ 
 buthnot, Atterbury, Stewart, Reid, Beattie, Campbell, 
 Gerard, Blair, Allison, Berkly, Ariosto, Tasso, Pe- 
 trarch, Boilean, Fenelon, Bossuet, Moliere, Corneilie, 
 and many others, who are esteemed by the world as 
 amongst the greatest men, that ever adorned an age, 
 seem to have been perfectly acquainted with those el- 
 egant languages. The time of those men in the ac- 
 quisition of their classic knowledge was not mispent, 
 for their writings are possessed of as much taste and 
 judgment, as those of the ancients. If this have been 
 the consequence of a careful perusal of the volumes 
 of antiquity, as it really has, we may look with con- 
 tempt upon the idle declamation of those, who cannot 
 relish those glowing descriptions, which abound in 
 every part of the works of those admirable writers. 
 And may we not justly add, that miserable indeed 
 must that man be, who cannot retire, after the accu- 
 mulation of opulence, to enjoy his remaining years, in 
 tranquillity and quiet. And surely life never passes 
 away more cheerfully, than when a man has it in his 
 power to withdraw to his bed-chamber, and read and 
 muse on the lives of those, who have filled all time 
 
 Romani pueri longis rationibus asscm 
 Discunt in partes centum diducere." 
 
 Horace. 
 " To her lov'd Greeks the mu;e indulgent gave, 
 To her lov'd Greeks, with greatness to conceive, 
 And in sublimer tone their language raise — 
 Her Greeks were only covetous of praise. 
 Our youth, proficients in a nobler art, 
 Divide a farthing to the hundredth part ; 
 Well done ! my boy, the joyful father cries, 
 Addition and subtraction make us wise." 
 
 Frcmcik, 
 
REFORMER. Hi 
 
 with their renown ; who have been in simila? situa- 
 tions to himself; have felt the storms of adversity, and 
 the calms of prosperity ; who have performed their 
 destined part in life, and slipped from this busy scene 
 into the ocean of eternity. Old age needs consolation ; 
 and this can best be attained by religion and an ac 
 quaintance with polite literature. 
 
 With respect to the assertion of those superficial 
 latinists, that they relish the beauties of the English 
 language, I boldly maintain, that they cannot feel 
 those elegancies of which they speak, with half that 
 zest, as they, who have studied the classic writers at- 
 tentively. A perfect and critical knowledge of our 
 own language, and consequently of the most polished 
 beauties of English literature, cannot be obtained with- 
 out a pretty accurate knowledge of the Grecian and 
 Roman writings, from which most of our polysyllabic 
 and other words are derived. Cadunt Grceco et Lat- 
 ino fonte. Independent of this consideration, as I have 
 before observed* we find contained in their works some 
 of the most exalted and refined sentiments of morality, 
 the most glowing and exuberant productions of poetic 
 fire, and the most interesting and valuable events of 
 ancient and modern history. These, to be enjoyed, 
 with any degree of pleasure, must be perused in the 
 originals ; all translations falling infinitely short of the 
 spirit and expression of any sublime composition in an 
 exotic tongue. 
 
 With respect to the selecting of Latin and Greek 
 books proper to be read in schools, no judicious and 
 experienced master will need directions. I do not 
 presume to urge my opinions as the unerring dictates 
 
112 REFORMER. 
 
 of wisdom and experience ; but beg leave to offer my 
 sentiments upon so important a subject. 
 
 The pupil, after he can go through the inflections 
 of the verbs, nouns, pronouns and adjectives, exclu- 
 ding the minutiae of the grammar on his first going 
 over it, I think it expedient for him to commence 
 Hardie's Cordery's Colloquies, or Historia Sacra. The 
 teacher should at this time, read some little of the 
 author, to give his disciple an idea of the manner in 
 which he ought to proceed ; not leaving him to strug- 
 gle with unnecessary difficulties on the very threshold. 
 I have known several teachers to begin in this way, 
 the consequence of which has been, the scholar in a 
 short time became disgusted, and never after would 
 make any proficiency in the Roman language. The 
 viva vox and his dictionary must be the only assistants 
 in his reach. I have, for a long time been inclined to 
 believe, that translations were at first introduced by 
 illiterate innovators for the purpose of veiling their ig- 
 norance and idleness, and by the translators for the 
 sake of promoting their pecuniary aggrandizements. 
 I am decidedly of opinion, that though they may give 
 the appearance of accelerated proficiency, yet they 
 tend ultimately to retard the business of classical edu- 
 cation, and, at most, give the learner only a superficial 
 knowledge of the beauties and elegancies of Roman 
 and Grecian literature. At the revival of learning, none 
 of these artificial helps were to be had, and the great- 
 est ornaments in the various department of science and 
 literature were produced. And why not at present ? 
 The genius of men for the Belles-lettres was not at 
 that time brighter than it is at present, nor were their 
 
REFORMER, 113 
 
 minds more capable of expansion, and yet in late times, 
 we have scarcely any classic scholars who can be com- 
 pared with those who flourished immediately alter lit- 
 erature had resumed her reign. It is, I say, by these* 
 artificial helps, the auxiliaries of dull intellects, that the 
 knowledge of those transcendent languages has been 
 obstructed; and by innovators and pedants brought 
 into disrepute. 
 
 It is here worthy of remark, that many teachers 
 neglect the elementary parts, and by premature ad- 
 vancement, hasten their scholars on to the highest 
 branches, to give them the appearance of great pro- 
 ficients, without laying a permanent basis, upon which 
 may be raised a superstructure grand and elegant.* 
 
 The results arising from facilitating and superficial 
 processes, are too manifest not to be immediately per- 
 ceived, and too detrimental not be feared and avoided. 
 I therefore deem it highly important, that the learners, 
 be daily exercised in the Rudiments, and Hardie's 
 Cordeii or Historia Sacra, and in some easy and fa- 
 miliar examples, till they can give indubitable proof 
 of their being well acquainted, in what may be called 
 the basis of the Latin tongue.f 
 
 * " Eastigia spectantur, latent fundamenta. — Non sunt con- 
 lemnenda, quasi parva, sine quibus magna constare non pos- 
 sunt. — Nee siquid discere satis non est, ideo necesse non est." 
 
 Qidntillicm. 
 
 The roofs of buildings are seen by every body, while the 
 foundations escape notice.— Things are not to be despised as 
 little, without which great ones cannot be produced. 
 Nor are we to reject any thing as unnecessary, because 
 it is not in itself sufficient, and is only conducive to some oth- 
 er purpose. 
 
 j The Rev. W. Shepherd, the Rev. J. Joyce, and the Rev. 
 Lant Carpenter, L. L. D. speaking of the Latin Rudiments, 
 
 K 2 
 
1 14 REFORMER. 
 
 The next book which the scholar will commence, 
 is Viri RoMiE.* This I think far preferable to. Jus- 
 tin and Eutropius for beginners. Indeed, I do not ap- 
 prove of these works. " The former is merely a dry, 
 chronological table of events ; and the latter is per- 
 haps the most wretched attempt at universal history, 
 which was ever written, in any language. I am not, 
 therefore, apprehensive of incurring the censure of 
 any man of taste by rejecting both," and introducing in 
 their stead, Viri Rom^e, or Hardie's Selects e 
 Veteri. 
 
 Previous to the scholar's entering upon C^sar or 
 the. Fasti and Metamorphoses of OviD,f books, 
 
 proceed thus : " But the student must observe that he ought 
 to keep himself, in the constant exercise of analysis or pars- 
 ing-, i. e. declining- the nouns and pronouns, forming the verbs 
 which occur, and investigating in the rules of syntax, the rea- 
 son of the cases, genders, modes, &c. This will appear at 
 first irksome, but it will soon become easy ; and in the for- 
 mation of verbs, and the declension of nouns, he will find 
 much assistance in Hoole's terminations." — To which the 
 same writers observe in their treatise on systematic educa- 
 tion, speaking of indexes and ordos : "We are firmly per- 
 suaded, that more real progress in a knowledge of the Latin 
 tongue, will be made by the patient, unassisted investigation 
 of ten lines, than by the perusal of fifty lines thus facilitated 
 by special indexes or ordos." 
 
 * " ft is strange that masters should teach children so 
 early, Tally's Epistles, or Orations, or the poems of Ovid or 
 Virgil, whose sense is oftentimes difficult to find, because of 
 the great transposition of the words ; and when they have 
 found the grammatical sense, they have very little use of it, 
 because they have scarce any notion of the ideas and design 
 of the writ r, it being so remote from the knowledge of a 
 child ; whereas little common stories and colloquies, and the 
 rules of a child's behaviour, and such obvious subjects, will 
 much better assist the memory of the words by their ac 4 u alli- 
 ance with the things." Watt's Improvement of the Mind. 
 
 f " It will also be necessary, for the student to procure 
 ■ priere's classical Dictionary. This work will throw great 
 
REFORMER. 1|5 
 
 which are generally used about this time, he should 
 have commenced the amending of bad Latin, from 
 Clarke's or Mair's Introduction.* The Commenta- 
 ries of Caesar need no eulogy ; but I do not deem 
 it proper that Ovid's works indiscriminately should 
 be put into the hands of uninformed youth. His 
 obscenities and indecencies will be apt to corrupt the 
 youthful mind, and are, therefore, highly improper 
 works for a foundation, on which to raise a superstruc- 
 ture of true taste, and refined morals. During the time 
 that the student is engaged in the perusal of those au- 
 thors, I think, that it is indispensably necessary, that 
 he continue the exercise of analysis. It cannot be too 
 much impressed on his mind, that unless he is active 
 in this part of his study, he never can become a good 
 Latin scholar, and of course cannot relish the beauties 
 of sentiment and of style, which are found in the pages 
 of the classics. 
 
 After the student has considerably progressed, in 
 the works I have mentioned, and in the amendments 
 of bad Latin, he may commence the Greek Grammar, 
 confining his attention, at first, particularly to the de- 
 clensions, and verbs, and exemplifying them by easy 
 and familiar examples from the Greek Testament, 
 Collectanea Graeca Minora,! select sentences from the 
 
 light on the mythological and historical allusions which 
 abound in every page of Ovid. Cellarius' maps too will af- 
 ford him a correct idea of ancient Geography." 
 
 Systematic Education, by Shepherd, Joyce & Carpenter. 
 
 * I would by all means, advise the student to exercise 
 himself in double translations, i. e. translating from the Latin 
 into English, and from the English into Latis. 
 
 f I cannot here omit the inserting of the observations of 
 the Rev. Shepherd, Joyce 3 and Carpenter, on the merits of 
 
115 REFORMER. 
 
 pure and elegant Greek of Xenophon and Ludi&n. 
 The scholar having made himself pretty well ac- 
 quainted with these authors, the teacher may at this 
 time, if he deem it expedient, put Huntingford's 
 
 WELL COMPILED INTRODUCTION TO THE WRITING OF 
 
 Greek into his hands. Thence he may pass to Mr. 
 
 Mr. Dalzel's Collectanea Grxca Minora and Majora. In the 
 joint production of these gentlemen, there are many excel- 
 lent ideas upon the proper manner of studying the Latin, 
 Greek, and English languages ; the mathematics, &c. Had 
 I have seen the work in time, I should have availed myself 
 of some of their sentiments to confirm mine in some of my 
 other essays ; but I was not so fortunate as to obtain it, un- 
 til a great part of my labours were printed. 
 
 " When the student (say they) has thoroughly drilled him- 
 self in the Greek grammar, he may proceed to the study of 
 Dalzel's Collectanea Grxca Minora ; a work of modest pre- 
 tensions, but of transcendent merit, whose author possessed 
 the rarely united accomplishments of profound erudition, and 
 a happy faculty and benevolent desire of communicating in- 
 struction. Though qualified to expatiate in the widest field 
 of Grecian literature, he condescended to sympathize with 
 the tyro — he felt his difficulties, he perceived the obstruc- 
 tions that stop his progress, and skilfully and satisfactorily 
 removed them. His diligent fidelity, and his careful minute- 
 ness of explanation, are beyond all praise, When to all these 
 recommendations is superadded the elegance of his selection 
 from the purest Greek authors, v/e may congratulate the stu- 
 dent on the occurrence of an introductory book of such su- 
 periour excellence. The index subjoined to this volume su- 
 persedes the use of a Lexicon. 
 
 " Whether the tyro wishes to pursue his studies by the 
 perusal of prose or verse, he is happy in the further assist- 
 ance of Mr. D:tlzel. In that gentleman's two volumes, en- 
 titled Collectanea Grxca Majora, he will find a treasure of 
 explanatory notes, in which lite peculiarities of the Greek 
 idiom are accurately developed. 
 
 " In the use of prose Collectanea, it will be adviseable to 
 adopt the plan suggested by the editor in his preface, viz. to 
 begin with the extracts from easier authors, such as Xeno- 
 phon, and JEtian, and afterwards to make trial of Herodotus, 
 Polyaenus, and Thucydides; and last of all, to peruse the 
 passages selected from the philosophers, orators, and critics. 
 
REFORMER. H7 
 
 DalzePs Collectanea Graeca Majora, Xenophon, De- 
 mosthenes, Homer, Virgil, Cicero's orations, and his 
 golden treatises De Amicitia and De Senectute. 
 The tutor or student may vary this order, as his judg- 
 ment may direct, I only offer it as my opinion that an 
 order such as I have suggested would not be found 
 
 " Till he has formed a tolerably familiar acquaintance with 
 the Greek radicals, he will find Hedericus' Lexicon the best 
 adapted to the exigencies of the general study of Greek au- 
 thors. In process of time, he will derive more pleasure, as 
 well as profit, from the philosophic arrangement of Scapula. 
 
 " When he has read the historical extracts from Xenophon ; 
 he may, by way of variety, apply himself to the study of the 
 poetic Collectanea. This elaborate work is introduced by 
 extensive extracts from Homer's Odyssey. The diligent pe- 
 rusal of these extracts will, with the assistance of Mr. DaU 
 zel's copious annotations, give him a very competent ac- 
 quaintance with Homer's style. The constant consultation of 
 the Iabella Dialectorum, in the Eton Grammar, will soon famil- 
 iarize him to the variations from the standard, that is, the 
 Attic dialect, which perpetually occur in the works of the 
 mighty master of epic song. 
 
 " When he has carefully studied the extracts from the 
 Odyssey, he will be well qualified, and, in all probability, in- 
 clined to read the Iliad. The Lexicon of Schrevelius wa3 
 drawn up with a particular reference to this work : and to 
 the unassisted reader of Homer, this manual will frequently 
 be found of great service. The most convenient edition of 
 the Iliad is Keynes', two vols. 8vo. Many of Clarke's notes 
 are very instructive, but the dangerous allurement of a Latin 
 translation, renders his edition a very ineligible book for a 
 tyro. 
 
 <{ During the perusal of the Iliad, however, considerable 
 portions of DalzePs two volumes of Collectanea Grseca Ma- 
 jora, should be daily read. These books, the Greek student 
 may be earnestly exhorted. 
 
 "Nocturna versare manu, versare diurna." 
 
 " When the first volume has been thoroughly digested, the 
 student will be able with ease and pleasure to read Xeno- 
 phon's Anabisis. The most useful edition of this interesting 
 work is that printed at Oxford, in 1788, in octavo. In the 
 notes, and especially in the Index Graecitatis, they, who are 
 yet inexpert in the Greek tongue, will find many difficulties 
 
118 REFORMER. 
 
 improper. The students will now be capable to pros- 
 ecute their studies without literal or any kind of trans- 
 lations, which destroy the vigour of the mind, " which 
 were first introduced by the phrenzy of innovation, and 
 have been since continued by ignorance, disingenuity 
 and prejudice." 
 
 When the -pupils commence the reading of Virgil, 
 Horace, Livy, Sec. it is necessary, that they should 
 be made acquainted with the merits of the ancients, 
 their excellencies, which ought to be imitated, their 
 defects, which ought to be avoided ; and where de- 
 ficiencies might have been supplied. 
 
 It is now high time for them to commence Latin 
 and Greek Prosodies,* the knowledge of which may 
 
 elucidated, and many uncommon senses of words and pecu- 
 liarities of phrase satisfactorily explained- 
 
 "During the whole of the course of reading which. has. 
 been delineated, it is indispensably requisite that the student 
 should daily exercise himself in parsing. Inattention to this 
 exercise will be ruinous in its consequences. The method 
 of double translation recommended in the study of the Latin 
 tongue, may with advantage be practised in the study of 
 Grecian literature. Bos's Ellipsis Grsecx, and Vigerus de 
 Idiotismis, should be always at hand, as they exemplify and 
 interpret a vast variety of instances of difficult phraseology. 
 
 " It is presumed that this course of introductory study will 
 qualify the scholar to extend, in almost any direction, his 
 researches into Grecian literature." 
 
 * " The prosody," observe the authors of " Systematic Ed- 
 ucation," " contained in Owen's grammar is compendious 
 and satisfactory, but that contained in Vulply's Latin gram- 
 mar is still more. By committing the latter to memory, and 
 applying its rules to Virgil's verses, he will, in process of timf t 
 be able to read Latin verse correctly. In order to assist his 
 more early pronunciation, the Gradus ad Parnassum, or La- 
 ble's Catholici Indices Erudite Pronunciationis, will be found 
 of signal benefit." 
 
 Peter Wilson, L. L. D. professor of the Latin and Greek 
 languages in Columbia College, has written a treatise on the 
 Greek prosody. Though not altogether free from defects. \ c t 
 
REFORMER- 119 
 
 be acquired by diligence and perseverance in a few 
 months. Without an acquaintance with the rules of 
 Latin and Greek versification, it is impossible to per- 
 ceive the beauty of these elegant languages. Any ig- 
 norance in this respect, in one, who professes a famil- 
 iarity with the Ancients, is wholly unpardonable, and 
 ought to render him totally unfit to superintend a clas- 
 sical seminary. 
 
 After this, I would recommend, that Virgil, Horace, 
 Homer, Pindar, Anacreon, and other ancient Poet* 
 should be attentively perused by the learners until they 
 become active in scanning, and accounting for the rules 
 ■of quantity. Transposed Latin and Greek verses should 
 then be given them, " to be reduced to their former 
 poetical order." Such exercises, would for the present, . 
 answer equally as well as the making of nonsense 
 verses.* Indeed I do not altogether approve of this; 
 
 itls far superiour to the generality of those which have been 
 used in our classical seminaries. As we have been much in 
 want of a good treatise on this subject, and as Dr. Wilson's 
 is used in Columbia College, and many of our most eminent 
 classical grammar schools, I recommend it, as worthy of at- 
 tentive perusal, to those young gentlemen who are desirous of 
 obtaining a knowledge of Greek prosody. — If I am not mis- 
 taken, he has also written a treatise on the different meas- 
 ures of Latin verse. 
 
 * " But, says a writer, for him (the master) to oblige his 
 pupils to versify, whether they have any taste for it or not, 
 merely because they read the poets, every unprejudiced 
 reader will surely agree with me, is a miserable abuse of 
 their valuable time, and an incontestible proof of his want of 
 judgment ie this particular. 
 
 If I have the authority of Cicero against me upon this 
 point, whom we find settling quantities and measuring words, 
 with a degree of pedantry unwor;hy of so great an orator, 
 J can produce the name of Addison and others, who thought 
 it highly wrong for boys to be employed in the arts of versi- 
 fication, if they did not discover any marks of the genius of* 
 true poet." 
 
120 REFORMER. 
 
 the talents of the scholar must be well consulted. 
 Yet I will here observe, that when they enter upon 
 the writing of nonsense verses, it may be useful at 
 the commencement to permit them the use of a Gra- 
 cilis ad Parnassum and of MoreWs Thesaurus Graces 
 Poeseos. This observation is, however, limited. — . 
 " These books will not relax his efforts ; and we should 
 always avoid, but more especially in the introductory 
 parts of literature, the equally dangerous extremes of 
 favouring indolence, and leaving genius to struggle 
 with unnecessary difficulties." 
 
 By this time, the students will have attained to a 
 considerable knowledge of the Latin and Greek wri- 
 ters, whence it now becomes necessary to regulate 
 their studies, not only with an intention to render them 
 more familiarly acquainted with the construction of the 
 sentences and idioms peculiar to those languages, " but 
 to methodize and discriminate ideas ; to arrange in 
 proper order the materials of knowledge, and to form 
 their taste for composition. The attainments of these 
 important ends will be greatly facilitated by reading the 
 classics in the following order." 
 
 Fables. In Greek, those which are ascribed to 
 JEsofi, and in Latin, the elegant compositions of Phx- 
 drus. Pastorals. In Greek, the idyls of Bion, Mos- 
 chus, Theocritus : In Latin, the Bucolics of Virgil. — 
 Epic Poetry. In Greek, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey : 
 In Latin, Virgil's Mneid. Lyric and Elegiac Po- 
 etry. In Greek, Anacreon and Pindar : In Latin, 
 the odes and epodes of Horace, and the common se- 
 lections from Ovid and Tibullus. Tragedy and Com- 
 edy. In Greek, Euripides, Sophocles, JEschyluss, 
 
REFORMER. £21 
 
 grid Aristojihanes : In Latin, Plqutus, and Terence. 
 Didactic Poetry. In Greek, Hesiod : In Latin, 
 Horace's Satires, Epistles and art of Poetry : the 
 Georgics of Virgil : the Satires of Juvenal and Per- 
 sius: the philosophical Poem of Lucretius. Episto- 
 lary Writing. In Greek, no beautiful collections 
 of this kind remain : but, in Latin, the Epistles of 
 Cicero and Pliny. Biography and History. In 
 Greek, Thucydides, Xenofihon, Herodotus, and Plu- 
 tarch : In Latin, Cesar, Cornelius JVefios, Sallust, 
 Livy and Tacitus. Philosophy, Oratory and Crit- 
 icism. In Greek, Plato, Lysias, Demosthenes, Is a- 
 crates and Longinus : In Latin, Cicero, and Quintil- 
 Han.* 
 
 " In this course of reading, the principles of Poetry 
 will be naturally unfolded : the distinctive excellencies 
 of the most celebrated Latin and Greek authors point- 
 ed out, and contrasted with critical nicety ; the young 
 student's emulation roused, and all his native powers of ' 
 genius called forth, exercised, invigorated, and expand- 
 ed to the utmost stretch of possible perfection, by fre- 
 quent attempts, not only to transfuse into English ver- 
 sions the spirit of those divine writers with undimin- 
 ished grace and energy ; but also to exhibit, in imita- 
 tive essays, their most striking beauties, re-produced, 
 as it were, with a nobler intermixture of rival origin- 
 ality." 
 
 In the collected wisdom of the ancient ages, is every- 
 thing great and glorious, and by a careful imitation of 
 their most glowing beauties, their genuine spirit has 
 
 * I' am indebted to Mr. Milns for the above arrangement 
 -of books, as also for several ideas contained in this essay. 
 
122 REFORMER. 
 
 been transfused into several of our modern writers. — 
 The genius of Homer wings its lofty flight in Milton ; 
 of the Mantuan and Venusian bards in Dryden and 
 Pope ; of Sophocles, iEschylus, Plautus and Terence 
 in the immortal Shakespeare ; of the martyr Socrates 
 in Addison ; of the divine Plato in Bacon ; of Aristotle 
 in Lock, Reid, Stuart, Beattie, and Campbell ; of Livy 
 and Sallust ha Hume ; of Cicero and Demosthenes in 
 Pitt and Burk. And shall we, then, after such lumi- 
 naries in Literature have been produced by their means, 
 reject the study of these great originals, because a few 
 hot headed innovators and superficial Latinists, igno- 
 rant of their beauties, and incapable of tasting their 
 luscious sweets, condemn classic lore as useless ? I 
 hope not. But, may this, and succeeding generations, 
 emulous to rival their great masters,* cacch the celes- 
 tial flame, and prove to after ages, that they have not 
 lived in vain. 
 
 * The commonwealths of Greece, while they maintained 
 their liberty, were the most heroic confederacy, that ever ex- 
 isted. They were the politest, the bravest, and the wisest 
 of men. In the short space of a little more than a century, 
 they became such statesmen, warriors, orators, historians, 
 physicians, poets, critics, painters, sculptors, architects, and 
 last of all philosophers, that one can hardly help considering 
 that golden period as a providential event in honour of human 
 nature, to show to what perfection they might ascend. 
 
 Harris's Hermes. 
 
REFORMER. 123 
 
 ON FExVIALE EDUCATION. 
 
 Corporum nutrices, animarum novercse. Tam stulte filias 
 diligimus, ut odisse potius videamur. Corporis cura mentem 
 obruerunt. Cardanus and Quintillian. 
 
 Fond nurses of the body are mothers-in-law to the mind. — 
 We love our daughters so foolishly, that it looks as if we 
 hated them. By too much care of the body, they have over- 
 whelmed the mind. 
 
 Tunc, cum ad canitiem — tunc, tunc, ignsscere— 
 Nolo. Persius, Sat t 1. 
 
 What ? when the hair is absolutely grey with years, do you 
 ask me to overlook such folly ? No, no, no. 
 
 Females being possessed of rational souls as well 
 as men, equally as great care should be bestowed up- 
 on the culture of their understanding as upon men's. 
 I do not mean, that the same kind of education should 
 be given to women as to men ; but that the education 
 which they do receive should be of a sound and whole- 
 some nature, and correspondent to the situations which 
 they are to fill in life. 
 
 The processes generally practised at present, are 
 not calculated to strengthen their mental powers : but 
 rather to enervate them, and to render them, in a 
 great measure, incapable of attending to domestic af- 
 fairs. The intellectual functions of the females are 
 wrapped in a perpetual cloud of darkness, because the 
 opinion is too firmly established, that women do not 
 need solid understandings. And, indeed, the confir- 
 mation of this doctrine, strange as it is, appears, when 
 
1^4 REFORMER. 
 
 parents instead of endeavouring to dissolve the vapour 
 ©f mental darkness, which rests upon their offspring, 
 are contented to entrust them to the instruction of 
 others, in the early stages of their life, without exam- 
 ining their moral characters, or consulting the modes 
 of education which they pursue. The injurious effects 
 of this practice may be best seen by noticing the bring- 
 ing up of youth in the decline of the Romans, when 
 they had lost their virtues, together with the liberties 
 of the ancient republic, and these generous cares, with 
 every other rational and laudable attention, gave way 
 to the fashionable dissipations of those degenerate 
 days.* 
 
 u The little child was then consigned to the care of 
 some paltry Greek female, in conjunction with two or 
 three other ignorant and vicious domestics, equally un- 
 qualified and ill disposed for the important office of tu- 
 ition. From the idle tales and gross manners of this 
 low and illiberal tribe, the soft and ductile mind was 
 suffered to receive its earliest and deepest impressions. 
 The parents themselves, indeed, far from training 
 their young families in the principles of virtue and 
 knowledge, were the first to lead them by their own 
 encouragement and example into the most luxurious 
 indulgences and most unprincipled licentiousness of 
 manners. A passion for horse racing, theatrical amase- 
 uzcntS) and gladiatorial shows, was sown in them, be- 
 fore their birth : and when the seeds of these contemp- 
 tible and unmanly pleasures have early taken root in 
 the heart, they necessarily over-run and destroy every 
 affection of nobler growth." 
 
 * Cicero I)e Senectute. De oratore. W. Mer- 
 
REFORMER. 125 
 
 That this picture of degenerate Rome bears some 
 resemblance to our times cannot be denied. The same 
 spirit for balls, theatrical amusements, low nurses, and 
 servile talents- and morals, exists at present, and pa- 
 rents themselves not only indulge their children in vis- 
 iting these places,* but even lead the example. 
 
 Cereus in vitium necti f Horace. 
 
 It is common among parents in tolerable circumstan- 
 ces, after their daughters are let loose from the nur- 
 sery, as it is called, to send them to some school, at a 
 distance from parental care, and even to continue them 
 there, after a certain age, provided that the said school 
 be noted, by report, for the superiority of its tutors, in 
 teaching dancing, music, painting, Sec. while they pay 
 little or no attention to the means by which their ex- 
 panding minds should be imbued with the sound prin- 
 ciples of morality and religion, the best and most cer- 
 tain protectors of female virtue. Indeed, we are suffi- 
 ciently taught by experience, that by these, they may, 
 in general, defend themselves against infidel opinions, 
 and the wiles of the circumspective seducer, when no 
 other weapons are near at hand, or can be of any avail. 
 For it is almost universally to be observed, that the 
 first step taken by these villainous characters, to un- 
 hinge female chastity, is to undermine their religious 
 
 * Nan est, non, mihi credite, tantum ab hostibus armatis 
 selati nostra periculum, quantum ab circumfusis undique 
 voluptatibus. Livy. 
 
 There is not, believe me, there is not so much danger to a 
 youth from a host of armed enemies, as there is from the al- 
 lurements of pleasure, which every where surround them. 
 
 \ Yielding- as wax to vice. 
 
 L 2 
 
126 - REFORMER. 
 
 and moral principles. If, therefore, these first of all 
 earthly concerns be but slightly impressed upon their 
 minds, they will, perhaps, with difficulty, escape the 
 snare which has been so artfVHy laid for them: they 
 will become the most abject and miserable wretches, 
 through the remaining part of their lives, and, at last 
 become tenants of those doleful regions of misery, 
 where hope never comes, and where anguish and de- 
 spair abide for ever. Upon thfcir first being betrayed 
 to leave the paths of virtue, they, for a short time, fol- 
 low the deluding Syren's voice, who speaks but to be- 
 tray, and allures but to render wretched. The least 
 deviation from the path of virtue, however, will sure- 
 ly, -at no distant period, carry along with it, its own 
 punishment. 
 
 I have never been able to answer the objections rais- 
 ed by many, against the improvement of the mental 
 powers of females ; but on the contrary have found ma- 
 ny advantages derivable from it to society, in general. 
 One of the strongest arguments for women's being 
 well educated, is, that it enables them to superintend 
 the education of their daughters in the early periods of 
 their existence, when the mind is so susceptible of 
 wrong or right notions. The care of infants falls to the 
 mothers, unless they are incapable from constitutional 
 infirmity of attending to the management of their dar- 
 ling pledges. If therefore the maternal conversation and 
 manners be not of a salutary nature, the infantile mind 
 will feel their baneful effects, and as it increases in 
 years, they will become more firmly rooted, till finally 
 / become almost incapable of being erased. On 
 
*E FORMER. l%f 
 
 the contrary, children educated by mothers* of solid 
 understandings, who approve of internal worth more 
 than of external accomplishments, have generally turn- 
 ed out useful members of society, and ornaments to 
 themselves and guardians. If they have not in mod- 
 ern, they did in ancient times, and I think were the 
 example of some of the Roman matrons f to be imita- 
 ted, we should not so often be vexed with an illiterate 
 and fretful wife, and depraved and ignorant childrem 
 
 The end of education, many parents think, consists 
 exclusively in ornamental accomplishments, and the 
 adorning of their daughter's bodies. Weakness of in- 
 tellect and habits of persevering ignorance prevent them 
 from seeing the fatal influence which these fripperies 
 of folly have upon the female mind. They do not re- 
 flect, that they are more apt, from their limited edu- 
 
 * Some ladies may be of opinion, that I assign them a task 
 rather too humble, when I urge the propriety of their educa- 
 ting their little ones in the first period. I can only say, that 
 I am justified in my advice by the example of the greatest 
 writers, and the best women of antiquity. And I 
 will ask, whether the important business of dressing and 
 going to public places, will be so satisfactory a few year3 
 hence, as the consciousness of having sown the seeds of vir- 
 tue, taste and learning, in the infant bosom of their own off- 
 spring. Dr. Knox, Lib. Education. 
 
 \ Jamprimum films ex casta parente natus, non in cella 
 emptce uutricis educabatur, sed in gremio ac sinumatris, cujus 
 
 prsecipua laus erat, tueri domum et inservire liberis Sic 
 
 Corneliam, Gracchorum, Aureliam, Julii Caesaris, sic Attiam, 
 Augusti matrem, prxfuisse educationibus liberorum accepi- 
 mus. 
 
 As soon as a son was born of a chaste parent, he was not 
 brought up in the cottage of some hireling nurse, but in the 
 lap and bosom of his mother, whose principal merit was to 
 take care of the house, and to devote herself to the service 
 
 of the children.. Thus are we told, Cornelia, the mother of 
 
 the Gracchi, thus Aurelia, of Julius Caesar, thus Attia, of Au- 
 gustus, presided over the education of their children, 
 
|23 REFORMER. 
 
 cation, and their flattered beauty to dive deeper into 
 folly than the male sex, and that this increases with 
 their years, till they become the objects of merited 
 contempt. The whole tenour of their instruction re- 
 commended by parents, and often by instructors, tends 
 to render young females ridiculous and illiterate. A 
 mind weakened by parental and preceptorial caprice 
 cannot excite much respect or attention. Creatures 
 who value themselves upon their form, and who have 
 no other ambition, but to . make a handsome appear- 
 ance, must possess a very shallow understanding, and 
 cannot scarcely deserve to be ranked among rational 
 beings. 
 * If parents desire, that their daughters should nil a 
 respectable place in society, it is necessary, in the first 
 place, to give them a correct knowledge of the true re- 
 ligion and the moral duties, to furnish their minds with 
 sound and practical information, to excite a relish for 
 reading, from which they will reap more exquisite de- 
 light, than in viewing the fantastic ornaments of the 
 body. To these, let there be added, a knowledge of 
 numbers, of orthography and English Grammar, that 
 they may not expose themselves to the ridicule of 
 those, with whom they hold a correspondence ; an 
 acquaintance with Geography, History and Biography, 
 or their conversation will be extremely limited. And 
 whoever has the misfortune to get a partner for life, 
 without some acquaintance with these accomplish- 
 ments, will consume many an hour with her in repi- 
 ning discontent ; pointing out her foibles and imper- 
 fections, when compared with the elegant and useful 
 attainments of those who are her superiours in virtue 
 
and information ; and descanting with acrimony upon 
 her deficiencies, in those qualifications which mark a 
 splendid and refined mind.* 
 
 But how, it may be asked, can these unfortunate fe- 
 males, whose moral and religious education has been 
 neglected, in their younger years, spend their vacant 
 hours ? The answer is in scandal : for to this abomina- 
 ble vice, those persons in general resort, who are in- 
 capable of conversing upon any rational subject, of 
 receiving amusement or instruction from books, or of 
 instructing persons of inferiour understanding. 
 
 Plays, romances, love-verses and cards are the com- 
 plete ruin of young girls. For, if they find any enter- 
 tainment in them, they must unavoidably give their 
 mind a cast, which can never be suitable to the useful 
 part of a female character, which is wholly domestic. 
 For, whatever the fine ladies of our age may think of 
 the matter, it is certain that the only rational ambition 
 which they can have, must be to make obedient daugh- 
 ters, loving wives, prudent mothers and mistresses of 
 families, faithful friends and good christians ; charac- 
 ters much more valuable than those of skilful game- 
 sters, fine dancers, singers, or dressers, or even than 
 sculptors or painters.f 
 
 | Many evil effects attend the preposterous practice 
 ©f parents' putting novels and romances in the hands 
 
 * '* It is, I think, impossible, that they who are engaged in 
 little and mean actions can entertain great and manly senti- 
 ments ; as on the other hand, they who are conversant in hon- 
 ourable and splendid employments, cannot think in a little 
 and low manner." Demosthenes. 
 
 f Burgh's Dignity of Human Nature. 
 
 t I have known many parents to put novels and romances, 
 . indiscriminately, . into the hands of their children, before- the 
 
130 REFORMER. 
 
 of their daughters. Their contents have the most 
 powerful influence upon their minds. Indeed, nothing 
 less, in general, than the highest degree of affectation, 
 follows a pretty close perusal of them, exclusive of 
 many other evils, of Which they are so frequently pro- 
 ductive. They vitiate the taste : hence the beauties of 
 the most elegant and profound authors pass unnoticed. 
 Indeed, we cannot reasonably suppose, that those, who 
 spend their time in the perusal of such trash, can 
 have imbibed that elegance of mind, which almost in- 
 evitably results from an attentive perusal of the Eng- 
 lish classics. These may be considered as fountains 
 of sublimity and grandeur, and will, to persons of taste 
 and judgment, afford far more interest than the fungus 
 growth of all the novels and romances, which were 
 ever written : for these last, instead of promoting the 
 progress of the human intellect, overthrow the empire 
 of reason and render the fairest form loathsome and 
 disgusting. 
 
 It is well known, that internal elegance adds beauty 
 to external grace. " I believe it will also be favour- 
 able to virtue, and will operate greatly in restraining 
 from any conduct grossly indelicate and obviously im- 
 proper. Much of the profligacy of female manners 
 has proceeded from a levity, occasioned by the want 
 of a proper education. They who have no taste for 
 well written books, will often be at a loss how to spend 
 their time ;* and the consequences of such a state are 
 
 sacred volume. The consequences were, that their taste was 
 
 vitiated, their judgments weakened, and it afterwards become 
 
 almost impossible to restrain their immoderate desire for them. 
 
 * " How happy is it to know how to live with ones self, 
 
REFORMER. 131 
 
 too frequent, not to be known, and too fatal not to be 
 dreaded. 
 
 The present usual modes of education being produc- 
 tive of nothing which can make life pass more pleasant- 
 ly away, I would advise, that if parents feel disposed 
 to render their daughters happy, as well as useful 
 members of society, they would endeavour to bestow 
 upon them, such qualifications, as will add vigour to 
 life, and make them good mothers and mistresses of 
 families, so that when the empire of beauty and youth 
 is lost, when the youthful passions for the amusements 
 of folly have subsided, and when graver things claim 
 their attention, they may still find pleasure from inter- 
 nal sources. Learning and good sense, are more at- 
 tractive than beauty with ail her charms. For this fair 
 flower will, in time, decay, while- the former instead 
 of decreasing, increases by the rapid flight of years. 
 
 Nothing (says Fordyce) can fix esteem, but that 
 kind of beauty, which depends on the splendour of a 
 virtuous and enlightened mind. The least degree of 
 understanding will be disgusted at petulance, caprice 
 or nonsense, even in the fairest form. External ac- 
 complishments are continually losing ; internal attrac- 
 tions are continually gaining. A beautiful character 
 is, as the morning light, that shineth more and more 
 unto the perfect day. Sense, spirit, sweetness, are 
 immortal. All besides withers like grass. The pow- 
 er of a face to please is diminished every time it is 
 seen. When beauty of looks loses its power to please 
 
 to leave ones self with regret, to find ones self again with 
 pleasure ! The world is less necessary to one." 
 
 Marchioness De Lambert. 
 
) 
 
 £32 REFORMER. 
 
 (and this will as inevitably follow, as the night follows 
 the day) the soul will seek a soul ; it will refuse to be 
 satisfied with any thing else. If it find none, in vain 
 shall the softest eye sparkle, in vain shall the softest 
 eye entice. But if a mind appear, and wherever it re- 
 sides, a mind will appear, it is recognized, admirejd 
 and embraced ; even though the eye possess no lus- 
 tre, and smiles, at the moment, be banished by sor- 
 row. 
 
 Mind, mind alone, bear witness earth and heaven ! 
 
 This luring- fountain in itself contains 
 
 The beauteous and sublime ! Here hand in hand 
 
 Sit paramount the graces. JUcensitte. 
 
REFORMER. 133 
 
 ON SCHOLASTIC EXAMINATIONS. 
 
 ■Stimulos dedit <emula virtus ; 
 
 Nee quemquam jam ferre potest Cjesarve priorem 
 Pompeiusve parem." Lucan. 
 
 'Twas emulative virtue spurr'd them on ; Caesar no longer 
 % superiour brooks, and Pompey scorns a rival. 
 
 " The fabric of the human mind (says Di\ Reid) is 
 curious and wonderful, as well as that of the human 
 body. The faculties of the one are with no less wis-, 
 dom adapted to their several ends, than the organs of 
 the other. Nay it is reasonable to think, that as the 
 mind is a nobler work, and of a higher order, than the 
 body, even more of the wisdom and skill of the Divine 
 Architect hath been employed in its structure. It is, 
 therefore, a subject highly worthy, on its own account ; 
 but still more worthy on account of the extensive in- 
 fluence, which the knowledge of it hath over every 
 other branch of science." 
 
 Rejecting, as Dr. Reid does, the various and con- 
 tending hypotheses of philosophical writers on the anal- 
 ysis of the human mind, I deem it worthy of notice, 
 that as a proper acquaintance with the powers of the 
 mind is deserving of the greatest attention, as it is the 
 sole director of intellectual exertions, and as literary 
 eminence depends upon it alone, so it is of the great- 
 est importance, that its bent should be given a right 
 turn, and never suffered to sink into indifference or 
 iounge on the couch of corroding inactivity ; but on 
 M 
 
134 REFORMER. 
 
 the contrary, that every means should be used which 
 will tend to put its powers in operation. To which I 
 would add, that without a strict adherence to the dic- 
 tates of religion, the emanations of an expanded mind, 
 will disturb the possessors' intermundane happiness, 
 corrupt the morals of the present generation, and ex- 
 tend their destructive influence to ages yet unborn. 
 
 By introducing public and critical examinations in 
 our initiatory schools, much benefit would result, pro- 
 vided they were conducted in a proper manner. It i9 
 to be regretted, however, that as they are managed, at 
 present, examinations, instead of answering a salutary 
 purpose, are too often productive of consequences di- " 
 rectly the reverse : instead of exciting a spirit of em- 
 ulation among the pupils, they have a very strong ten- 
 dency to encourage inattention and sloth, and have, in 
 most of those seminaries, where they have been and 
 are practised, degenerated into a mere farce. 
 
 Assertions so strong may, at first sight, appear to 
 be harsh and illiberal : but a little reflection will sat- 
 isfy those, who choose to take the subject into consid- 
 eration, that they are not more severe than just. The 
 truth is, the promptitude and accuracy, with which 
 children, in general, answer the questions proposed to 
 them by their teachers, on these occasions (although 
 highly gratifying to many unthinking relatives, and 
 others, who may be auditors) is so far from affording 
 a proof either of the preceptor's industry, or the pu- 
 pil's progress, that it ought to be considered as the ] 
 most palpable evidence of the most gross deception j 
 being practised by the former ; and the latter, though | 
 taught to make a great 9 How in regard to the task as- 
 
REFORMER. 135 
 
 signed him, is in reality entirely defective, as it re- 
 spects substance. 
 
 To elucidate the justice of these remarks, it is only 
 necessary to advert to the following particulars. A 
 teacher concludes, that it will he for his interest to 
 have a fiublic examination ; and in order that the same 
 may be conducted with all possible eclat, he, with great 
 solemnity, announces to his pupils, the period at which 
 it is intended to take place, at least several weeks pre- 
 vious thereto. To each class, a particular task is now 
 assigned, and on this, they are exclusively exercised 
 till the time of their public appearance. The ques- 
 tions, which, for so long a time, had been daily propo- 
 sed to them are then repeated, and as might naturally 
 be expected, their answers are not only accurate ; but 
 delivered without hesitation. The children are consid- 
 ered as uncommonly promising, whUe the ivily teach- 
 er is extolled as one of the most industrious and sue-* 
 cessful in the line of his profession. 
 
 But whilst this, or any similar mode of public exam- 
 inations, cannot be too severely reprobated, it is read- 
 ily admitted, that when properly conducted, they may 
 be made highly subservient to the cause of education. 
 Let children, instead of wasting their time in learning 
 by rote, the answers, which they shall give to a few 
 questions prepared for the purpose, be taught to di- 
 rect their attention to the acquisition of a general 
 knowledge, in the branches which they may have been 
 sent to acquire : and on the day of examination, let 
 them be questioned at large upon those branches ; not 
 only by their preceptor ; but also, by such other intel- 
 ligent gentlemen as may be present. By proceeding 
 
136 REFORMER. 
 
 in this manner, as the assidious part of a school cannot 
 fail to distinguish themselves, they will certainly be 
 honoured with that applause, to which, from their ex- 
 ertions, they are so justly entitled; while, on the other 
 hand, the slothful and negligent being made fully sen- 
 sible of their inferiority, will, in general, exert their 
 utmost endeavours to attain a more solid knowledge in 
 their respective studies, previous to another examina- 
 tion. 
 
 To excite emulation is to secure improvement ; but 
 all unjust means to obtain the ascendency, or palm of 
 praise, should be discountenanced. This emulation 
 will not terminate in bitter enmity, as canting moral- 
 ists say, if suitable methods be adapted, at first. By 
 pointing out the evil effects arising from this detest- 
 able passion, the minds of ingenuous youth will be 
 kept unpolluted. Let those, however who adhere to 
 •this sentiment remember, that this enmity, as they call 
 it, gave rise to the most illustrious actions and pro- 
 found writers in Greece and Rome, England, France, 
 and other countries. The exploits of Hercules fired 
 the breast of Theseus; the trophies of Miltiades stim- 
 ulated Thucydides to compose his immortal work. 
 And let them also remember, that this has urged them 
 on to the possession of the greater part of their lite- 
 rary attainments, to snatch the laurel from the brow 
 of those writers, whose works have registered their 
 names in the records of immortality. 
 
 Though emulation, as the source of envy, has been 
 the cry of moralizers in every age ; yet many men of 
 as much philanthropy, and of as liberal understandings 
 as they, — men, who are proficients in the arts and sci 
 
REFORMER. 137 
 
 enees, have held forth rewards to allure merit from 
 obscurity, and have frequently in the end, seen their 
 wished for object accomplished. Such is the consti- 
 tution of man, that unless he has something in view, 
 some hopes of obtaining a recompense for his labours, 
 the love of idleness and listliness so congenial with his 
 nature, will gain the ascendancy over his active and 
 reasoning faculties, and fetter him down in gothic ig- 
 norance. The love of fame acts as a powerful incen- 
 tive upon every mortal. " Rivalry and competition add 
 a potent spur to the minds of men, and are particular- 
 ly efficacious among candidates for public distinction ;" 
 nor do they often fail of leading forth the sons of ge- 
 nius to the temple of fame, who, had no competition 
 existed, might have languished for a while, and then 
 sunk unheeded and unknown to the public, into the 
 abyss of oblivion. 
 
 Ut ssepe summa ingenia in occulto latent.* Plant. 
 
 A certainty of obtaining a reward at examinations, 
 which almost every scholar entertains, throws down 
 every barrier which obstructs his progress. Here 
 then are hopes of improvement. He is gaining 
 knowledge of which nothing but disease or death can 
 deprive him ; he has obtained the habit of study and 
 close investigation which, in the end, will remunerate 
 him for his labour, by keeping him from idleness, and 
 restraining those vicious propensities, in which, if he 
 be permitted to indulge, little solid improvement in 
 literature or morals can be expected. 
 
 f How oft the greatest genius lies concealed. 
 
 M.2. 
 
138 REFORMER. 
 
 Scholars, who have arrived at an eminent degree of 
 excellence, have generally been actuated by the pow- 
 erful influence of emulation. It is this noble passion 
 which infuses into every breast the hopes of being ex- 
 alted in the opinion of the world, and which if proper- 
 ly managed, will not fail of making them patterns' of 
 learning and virtue, and worthy patriots, dear to God 
 and beloved by all good men. 
 
 " After the important point is gained, of making the 
 pupil feel the love of letters, and an ambition for lite- 
 rary fame, improvement is secured. He will make 
 his own way even under disadvantages ; but with en- 
 couragements, assistancies and opportunities, he can 
 scarcely fail of arriving, at what few reach, distinguish- 
 ed excellence." 
 
 Perhaps, the best way of rousing the spirit of dis- 
 tinction is to exhibit children occasionally to their pa- 
 rents, guardians, relations and friends. To gain the 
 applause of the audience, they must be well prepared, 
 which cannot be done unless they have previously ex- 
 erted themselves in the acquisition of knowledge.— 
 And though, perhaps the performance of few, may at 
 first be deserving of encomium, yet, in the end, it will 
 be found, that the temper of rivalry is excited, and 
 that the desire of public distinction has seized upon 
 others: for, as Dr. Johnson observes, " they who would 
 probably rest in a lower degree of excellence, where 
 they have no rivals, will be urged by their impatience 
 of inferiority to incessant endeavours after great attain- 
 ments." To which the samewriter adds, " these stim- 
 ulations of honest competition are, perhaps, the chief 
 
REFORMER. 139 
 
 effects of academies and societies ; for whatever be the 
 bulk of their joint labours, every single performance 
 is always the production of. an individual, that owes 
 nothing to his colleagues, but the contagion of dili- 
 gence, a resolution to write, because the rest are wri- 
 ting, and the scorn of obscurity while the rest are il- 
 lustrious. " 
 
 I shall conclude this essay with a few remarks from 
 Dr. Knox's writings on examinations. " Periodical 
 examinations," (says he) " at short intervals, will 
 cause the mind to retain what it receives.* The mind 
 is prone to indolence, and will suffer that to escape, 
 which no immediate hopes or fears induce it to pre- 
 serve. But when it foresees the certainty of a strict 
 inquiry into its acquisitions, it will not only retain 
 much, which it would otherwise lose, but will retain 
 it with accuracy. Periodical examinations wijl also 
 furnish occasion for the display of excellence, and will 
 consequently excite a desire to make a good appear- 
 ance. Praises, rewards and punishments, bestowed in 
 a serious manner, on a solemn occasion, in the sight 
 ©f the whole school, will have a better effect than when 
 given separately, and in private." 
 
 " By being accustomed to give unpremeditated re- 
 sponses to unexpected interrogations, the mind will ac- 
 quire those valuable habits, a quickness of recollection, 
 and a readiness of reply." 
 
 " So many, indeed, and so important are the bene- 
 ficial effects of this practice, that I will for once most 
 
 * This I am happy to state, actually takes place in some 
 of our best seminaries every few weeks, and one general 
 ©ne, annually, at which the parents and friends are present, 
 
140 REFORMER. 
 
 confidently recommend it to all, as securing and in- 
 creasing improvement in every stage of the scholar's 
 progress, and in every part of his pursuits, while un- 
 der scholastic or academical authority." 
 
 Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere naetam, 
 Multa tulit fecit que puer. Hoi\ 
 
 The youth, who hopes the Olympic prize to gain, 
 
 All arts must try, and every toil sustain. 
 
 Francis. 
 
REFORMER. 141 
 
 ON RECOMMENDING MEN AS TEACHERS. 
 
 ** Salva res est ; philosophatur quoque jam ; 
 Quod erat ei nomen ? Thesawrochrysonicochrysides," 
 Plant. Captiv. A. 2, S. 2. 
 
 "The matter is all safe ; he actually is setting up for a phi- 
 losopher ; pray what is his name ? a strange one."* 
 
 " Such is the power of insinuating flattery ; it steals away 
 the understanding of the best and the wisest." 
 
 Homer Trans. 
 
 Scholastic institutions being formed for the good 
 of society, it is self evident, that nothing useful can be 
 elicited from them, unless they are superintended by 
 qualified instructors. In all countries, where this has 
 been the case, the benign rays of literature, have been 
 diffused among the people, and been productive of in- 
 numerable benefits. On the contrary, when ignorance 
 and its train of consequences, were placed at the head 
 of those places which are intended to enhance the dig- 
 nity of human nature, the result has been, that the in- 
 habitants were rendered extremely miserable, and were 
 ready to bow to the mandates of a vicious and super- 
 stitious race of nobles and kings. The present state of 
 Turkey confirms this observation. In former times, 
 when eloquence, poetry and philosophy were cultiva- 
 ted, and the minds of her citizens consequently en- 
 lightened, they were free, happy and illustrious. But 
 
 * The name in the original Latin cannot be translated with 
 any effect, as the word is compounded ludicrously. An ex- 
 planation would serve no purpose whatever. P. of L. 
 
142 REFORMER. 
 
 as soon as they were vanquished by the barbarians of 
 the North, ignorance took her seat amidst scenes of 
 splendour, and broke into pieces the fabric of freedom 
 and happiness. Superstition followed as a necessary 
 consequence, and the melancholy gloom of despotism, 
 hovers over the country. Thus we see, that wherever 
 ignorance prevails, the country is miserable ; wherev- 
 er learning, happiness beams upon every countenance. 
 Rome, through the medium of literature, which di- 
 rected her generals in the field, and gave energy to 
 the voice and councils of the Patres Conscripti, be- 
 came the rival of Greece, not only in arms but in 
 learning, as soon as she had burst the shackles of illit- 
 eracy. She rose to the highest eminence, and spread 
 a blaze of glory upon those nations which were wrap- 
 ped in mental darkness, and continued thus, till a de- 
 cadence in letters took place, and the minds of her 
 sons were enervated by luxury, which exposed them 
 to the inroads, and finally to the submission of the 
 Huns and Vandals. 
 
 That it should ever be denied, even by the most il- 
 literate, that properly managed seminaries from which 
 are derived the most substantial blessings, seems alto- 
 gether incredible; yet this strange contradiction really 
 appears to be the opinion of many of our countrymen. 
 They do not in words deny their utility, yet by their 
 actions consent to so great an absurdity." And what is 
 indeed paradoxical, many of them without hesitation 
 declare their extensive usefulness, but seem determin- 
 ed, that their children shall pursue that way which is 
 sure to lead to the grossest abuse of the intellectual 
 powers. They who adhere to such inconsistency? may 
 
REFORMER. 143 
 
 with great propriety apply the following beautiful and 
 just expression of Ovid to their own conduct. 
 
 u Videor meliora proboque, deteriora 
 Sequor." 
 
 Though we might expect such absurdity from 
 the illiterate, yet many who make great pretensions 
 to solidity of judgment, delicacy and correctness of 
 taste, an acquaintance with the most classical au- 
 thors both ancient and modern, and a knowledge of 
 human nature, may be charged with the same self- 
 contradiction. They are very charitable to a pre- 
 ceptorial petitioner, and forgetting " the old adage, 
 that charity begins at home," they without due exam- 
 ination, entrust their offspring to any man, who can 
 repeat the names of a few learned men, talk a little 
 Latin and French, and produce the recommendations 
 of men, who frequently recommend without knowing 
 anything of him who has applied for their testimonials. 
 This is a growing evil in the city of New-York, &c. 
 and demands the unqualified disapprobation of every 
 citizen, who is friendly to the cause of literature, the 
 education of our youth and the stability of our country. 
 On the state of learning in any nation, much of its 
 happiness and durability depend. As long as she has 
 men who are faithful, and capable of guiding govern- 
 mental affairs, warriours to fight her battles, and 
 orators and poets to rouse her youth to the defence 
 of her liberties, so long will she be able to withstand 
 the power of her enemies, and hurl despotism and ty- 
 ranny from her shores. With men of learning and ge- 
 nius, she can controul the destinies of nations. Cicero 
 
144 REFORMER. 
 
 crushed a Catalinarian conspiracy by his eloquence, i 
 u which flashed like the lightning of Heaven, blasting 
 where it smote and withering the nerves of opposition I 
 and corruption."* Pericles by his persuasive accents 
 gained the Grecian throne. jEschines, bribed by the I 
 Macedonian Philip, employed his voice to swell the I 
 triumphs of the conqueror ; he won to a tyrant those i 
 people, who had hung with delight upon the accents of j 
 Demosthenes, whose animating and decisive counsels 
 had upheld the fabric of Athenian freedom ; and whose I 
 downfall crushed its supporter and defender in its ruins, l 
 The bards of Erin kept alive the spirit of freedom ; ,. 
 the songs of the muse roused Caledonia's sons to as- 
 sert her rights ; the fire and enthusiasm of the inspired L 
 bards of Cambria, kindled the dying embers of liberty 
 in the bosom of her sons. Such indeed was the effect 
 produced on the minds of those hardy mountaineers, j. 
 by the song of the minstrel, that Edward of England j 
 found it his interest, before he could subdue the sol- i 
 diers of Wales, to doom to death every man whose i 
 hand could sweep the chords of the shrill enrapturing 
 lyre. 
 
 Thus we see, in this slight view, the influential 
 effects which literature has upon the inhabitants of a j 
 country. Arising to such eminence as the ancient | 
 Romans and Greeks did, there must have been ample j 
 cause ; and that cause was their instructors, among 
 whom we find a Plato, a Xenophon a Socrates, an Ar- 
 istotle, a Pythagoras, a Thales, an Archimedes, and a 
 Crates. These men enhanced their characters, not by j 
 the talents of others, but by their own. They reject- ! 
 * Gibbon's History. 
 
REFORMER. 145 
 
 cd with indignation, the appellation of sophists or wise 
 men, and the testimonials of public esteem, until they 
 had done something to merit them. How great the 
 dissimilarity between ancient and modern teachers ! 
 Formerly, modesty and knowledge were the predom- 
 inant characteristics of tutors ; now ignorance and pre- 
 sumption. 
 
 To recommend one man in preference to another, 
 to endeavour to engage the public attention in favour 
 of those who have never done any thing extraordinary, 
 on any occasion, either in the senate, the pulpit, at the 
 bench, or in the common concerns of life, is unjust to 
 a very great degree, and still more unjust to recom- 
 mend him who is wholly unknown. And here it may 
 be observed, that they who are destitute of those high 
 toned qualifications, which are essentially requisite in 
 preceptors, are the ones who most frequently flatter 
 men into measures to assist their own aggrandizement. 
 Fearful of the inability of their own talents, they dare 
 not trust to them to " raise a school." Their abilities 
 however are sufficiently good to lay a snare to entrap 
 the illiterate, and those who are fond of seeing their 
 names in print, at the risk of their literary and moral 
 characters. In recommending a man, every one be- 
 lieves that they who publicly announce him, in every 
 degree accomplished to superintend an office of im-" 
 portance, must have been well acquainted with him, 
 before they could form a proper estimate of his qual- 
 ifications. If the public therefore are deceived in the 
 person who has been pompously puffed by a long list 
 of names, they will impeach the judgment of those who, 
 hold up their friend as a pattern of perfection, despise 
 N 
 
146 REFORMER. 
 
 their principles, and abhor the man who has leagued 
 with them to wheedle them out of their money, and 
 their children out of their time. This circumstance 
 ought, in some degree, to prevent persons from re- 
 commending teachers upon the personal declarations of 
 their own goodness and learning, which are frequently 
 snares to entrap those, whose intention it is to assist 
 them as much as lies in their power.— -To this recom- 
 mending system I am no friend. I have known men 
 come into this city, and exalt each other, till their pe- 
 cuniary purposes have been answered, and have then 
 divulged their true characters, by committing acts 
 which excited the indignation of an injured public, and 
 condemned the offenders in the eyes of justice and all 
 intelligent beings. 
 
 In recommending, we generally recommend men 
 possessed of impudence and ignorance in the extreme. 
 Men of noble minds and conscious of their dignified 
 talents, scorn to solicit paper testimonials from 
 any man. They consider it a disgrace to themselves 
 to depend upon the abilities of others, to enhance them 
 in the opinion of the public, before they have done any 
 thing, to merit their applause. Thus circumstanced, 
 they open a school, and unaccustomed to adulation and 
 flattery, they disdain to solicit scholars. They remain 
 unnoticed, and virtues and abilities, which would adorn 
 any station, avail them nothing. They do not collect 
 a large school. The multitude believe, that they are 
 incapable of conducting one; for they generally judge 
 of the talents of instructors, from the number of pu- 
 pils belonging to their seminaries. This indeed is a 
 pretty correct criterion, when men of the first stand- 
 
REFORMER. 247 
 
 ing, both as it respects literature and wealth, patron- 
 ize the superintendent of a scholastic establishment.* 
 But those men who are so unfortunate as not to be no- 
 ticed by men of eminence, who frequently receive but 
 a trifling compensation, and whose talents, therefore, 
 we cannot rationally expect will be called into active 
 service, soon sink into disrepute, feel the sharp cries 
 of penury and want, hear from every mouth their tal- 
 ents condemned, and see with indignation, that they 
 
 WHO HAVE THE MOST AUDACITY AND IMPUDENCE, 
 GENERALLY MEET THE APPLAUSE AND ENCOURAGE- 
 MENT OF THE MULTITUDE. 
 
 In recommending men we are liable to be deceived 
 by their appearance of virtue and talents. I have 
 known men recommended by a long list of names 
 as teachers of youth, turn out to be the greatest drunk- 
 ards and rakes, and " laugh to scorn," those who per- 
 haps from interested motives, or from benevo- 
 lence, have put their signatures to papers, sure in 
 time to bring them into disgrace, and to excite the 
 public voice against them. 
 
 The surest way to judge of men's talents is to let 
 them collect a school by their own abilities. If 
 they be capable of instructing youth, the public should 
 
 * There are several Classical and English schools in this 
 city, patronized by some of our worthiest men, where the 
 principles of moral rectitude, as well as of literature, are in- 
 culcated on the youthful mind, which I could mention ; but I 
 do not deem it proper to particularize the merits of any sem- 
 inary at present, as it would have a tendency to excite 
 the bitter animosity of low and illiterate teachers against 
 those preceptors who are esteemed as good, if not the best 
 in the United States, and render the writer liable to the im- 
 putation of partiality and prejudice. 
 
148 REFORMER. 
 
 extend the liberal hand of patronage towards them ; 
 if on the contrary, they be destitute of those qualifica- 
 tions which are requisite in teachers, the public should 
 expel such men from the community whose life they 
 have endeavoured to destroy by poisoning the foun- 
 tains by which it is nourished and supported. 
 
&E$ORMK&» 149 
 
 THE HISTOEY OF A QUACK PEDAGOGUE. 
 
 Proposals for the opening of a school on new and 
 rational principles, designed to assist youth in acqui- 
 ring a knowledge of their vernacular tongue, with 
 greater facility, than any heretofore practised. 
 
 By SQUAB SLENDERHEAD. 
 
 Fabricando fabrifieri discimus, Morhof, 
 
 By working" in the art, we learn to be artists. 
 
 In nations removed from a state of barbarism, the 
 right education of youth has ever been considered as 
 an object of so inestimable value, that different nations 
 may be said to assume an ascendency over each other, 
 in proportion to the vigilance and attention, with which 
 they superintend this interesting subject. 
 
 As might, therefore, be naturally expected, in such 
 a country as the United States of America, where ge- 
 nius may rise to the most honourable and important 
 offices \\\ Church and State, I have, for some time 
 past, seen the papers of our cities, groaning under the 
 weight of School Advertisements, proposing to in- 
 itiate and- perfect in the various branches of literature, 
 all gtixDS of children, by means of some new invent- 
 ed sffhemes of instruction, so that they may soon be 
 capable of assuming the dignified profession of the 
 Lawyer,, tne^ivine, or the Statesman. This, my in- 
 tended friends, has been an exceedingly great source 
 of grief to me. They have professed more than they 
 were enable of performing. But this shall not be the 
 t^H^ tc$ h me ; for, in order that the public may be 
 N 2 
 
150 REFORMER. 
 
 enabled to judge of my pretensions to literature and 
 integrity, I intend to give a catalogue of the branches, 
 I am now able to teach, the methods and machines, I 
 have invented, which certainly are calculated to ex- 
 pand the ripening faculties to their most susceptible 
 degree, and prove the proprietors to be ornaments to 
 their country. I hope the American youth will receive 
 great advantage from them. I do not wish to deceive 
 the public by flattering promises and noisy show ; yet 
 still I cannot help thinking, that I should pronounce, 
 in justice to myself, that I AM AN UNCOMMON 
 M AN. The community may really depend upon what 
 I say ; for if I know myself, I am not vain, nor am I an 
 impostor. Since then, part of my character is known, 
 and teachers are so deficient in qualifications, I must 
 openly avow, that I know of no effectual means to des- 
 troy their future and ill directed exertions, except by 
 introducing something of my own, which my con- 
 science approves, reason dictates, and at which folly 
 and envy must retire behind the curtain, the one to 
 ridicule, and the other to gnash her poisonous teeth. 
 
 I am extremely sorry to assert these things as true, 
 much more to apply them to the generality of Ameri- 
 can preceptors. They are facts, however, which men 
 of common understanding have seen and cannot, with 
 any degree of veracity, deny. My interested notions 
 in behalf of the rising hopes urge me to expose their 
 impolitic modes, and present my readers with a con- 
 cise history of my life ; " hair breadth escapes and im- 
 minent dangers," from immorality, which has ruined 
 thousands, so that they may be able to form a just 
 estimation of my virtues, erudition, and lastly, of the 
 
REFORMER, |5I 
 
 basis of all solid improvement, uncommon natural sense. 
 I, my clear friends, possess all these admirable quali- 
 ties in the highest perfection, and think you cannot be 
 too lavish of your thanks to all-bounteous Providence, 
 for providing a man so competent to inculcate the 
 moral and social virtues, and in a word, to render so- 
 ciety fit for what it was intended. In this city, where 
 I now reside, you will shortly see encomiums upon 
 my abilities, from the hands of some of our most em- 
 inent literary characters j hear my scholars pronoun- 
 cing their own orations, while hundreds listen to the 
 harmony of the numbers, and the correctness of their 
 sentiments. In the mean time the spirit and energy 
 of their eloquence, shall rouse to martial deeds the 
 young and aged, nations shall tremble at their thunder? 
 while their accents, as they fall, shall be caught by 
 every ear, and uttered in strains of rapture. Their 
 wonder-working' powers shall not merely resound to 
 the passing moment; but the present age shall trans- 
 mit them to posterity, and when the mist of fable be- 
 gins to envelope this period, their writings shall stand 
 in competition with the greatest masters of antiquity, 
 Cicero, Demosthenes, Csesar, Hortensius or Hyperides. 
 Yes, my friends, I am the person, to whom Providence 
 has assigned this glorious, this immortal task ; I am 
 the man who shall be loved and adored, when this ten- 
 ement of clay shall have mouldered away, and its dust 
 be mingled with that of the strumpet, the beggar, and 
 the blockhead. For the former two, I am not con- 
 cerned, but for the latter, such is my detestation of ig- 
 norant men, that I cannot bear the idea of reposing 
 even my bones with theirs, and I know not, but that 
 
152 REFORMER. 
 
 my airy spirit, disturbed at this unusual division of 
 merit, will descend upon the earth, unite with my 
 body, though dust, and ascend into the upper regions 
 amidst the plaudits of millions. 
 
 As I have promised jjhosc, who mean to be my 
 friends, so I s) J$$& veritably on all the sub- 
 
 jects worthy cr^ct>ini^jit^not; eulogy. I shall deliver 
 my thoughts in a style sulte«^&the occasion, clothed 
 in all the pomp of langua§e,^£3. elegance of meta- 
 phorical allusions, which my imagination can furnish ; 
 intermingling some of the beauties of poetry, with a 
 little philosophy and considerable Latin (for I am very 
 partial to the classics) but no Greek. This is my 
 opinion of fine writing, though many dissent from the 
 latter part, that is, of inserting Latin and philosophy in 
 essays, two things, which are condemned by those who 
 do not understand them* 
 
 Damnant, quod not intelligunt. 
 They condemn that which they do not understand. 
 
 But I shall not be directed by the ignorant ; I ask 
 not their voice in my councils. The approbation of the 
 wise is sufficient authority for me, and they say as I 
 do, stick your Latin and all you know in every part of 
 your writings; it is of no use except for show. What 
 is the value of a man's knowledge, unless others know 
 that he is learned ? 
 
 As I have pledged my word, to adhere most scru- 
 pulously to truth, I deem it expedient to state a few 
 remote circumstances in defence of my preceptorial 
 reputation, as I am confident, that the lash of satire, 
 will be pc.rseve«r.ingly applied by teachers privately, if 
 
ftEFORMER. 153 
 
 I! not publicly. It has often happened to the most con- 
 | seientious instructors of youth, as well as to myself. 
 ! It is a common practice among the lower orders, to 
 j scandalize each other's characters and talents without 
 provocation. I hope, however, that I am free from an 
 | imputation of this kind. As it is not my intention, at 
 I present, to say any thing which can wound their feel- 
 | ings, I shall proceed to the object in View without far- 
 f ther comment, and leave the public to judge of my 
 i intentions. 
 
 " Veritas odium parit." 
 Truth occasions hatred. 
 
 In pursuance of what I first observed, the commu- 
 nity must know, that America is comparatively a new 
 settled country, and led in benevolence to mankind, I 
 determined to cross the bleak Atlantic, leaving my 
 native home, my friends, my wife and children. I had 
 however, ascertained to a certainty, that this part of 
 the habitable globe was. yet too young to furnish in- 
 structors competent to expand the bud of genius,* to 
 that degree, of which it is susceptible, by proper meth- 
 ods and well regulated schools. 
 
 On my arrival I visited several cities, which cer- 
 tainly have arisen to great eminence since the first 
 dawn of civilization, and determined to fix my resi- 
 dence in New-York, upon which the citizens of other 
 places " might look and weep," for I had fixed an 
 unalterable resolution to revolutionize all the schools, 
 I immediately discovered the incapacity of my frater- 
 nity, and keeping in mind an extract from Stewart's 
 Philosophy of the Mind, which says, " if the business 
 of education were more thoroughly and more general- 
 
154 BEF0RMER. 
 
 \y understood, it would be less necessary for individu- 
 als, when they arrive at maturity, to form plans of 
 improvement for themselves," I forthwith went to work ; 
 but soon perceived that there was much to be clone, 
 and wrote to the place of my nativity for a man of ex- 
 traordinary abilities to come out and assist me in the 
 arduous task of " teaching the young idea how to 
 shoot." I failed in my project. He wrote that it 
 would be a Herculean task, and therefore declined to 
 accept my offer. Although I felt mortified by his de- 
 nial, yet I determined to " pluck up courage" and not 
 shrink from the tremendous duty before me, and ac- 
 cordingly commenced a new era in American liter- 
 ature. The first step taken, was to introduce the man- 
 ners and methods practised by our Grub- Street school- 
 masters. I obtained a room situated in a very pleasant 
 and commodious part of the city ; then proceeded to 
 outdo the present preceptors, as many supposed my 
 rivals. Pshaw ! thought I, these men have no preten- 
 sions to morality, erudition, wit or decency. They 
 pretend to teach what they know little or nothing about. 
 They are to be sure, men of very uncommon talents, 
 but I am certain that they have very little regard for 
 the public welfare ; their whole object being to ob- 
 tain money. Convinced of the truth of these reflec- 
 tions, I instantly circulated my prospectus, informing 
 the public of the various branches which I proposed 
 to teach, and the methods which I should pursue in 
 my mode of tuition. First, I was to teach spelling, 
 on which I made some elegant and profound comments, 
 showing its inestimable use before the scholar proceeds 
 to the higher branches of literature. But by the bye, 
 
HEFORMER. j.55 
 
 as I am bound to speak the truth, especially of what 
 I ONCE WAS, I cannot omit one or two circumstan- 
 ces which happened, and very bad ones they were : 
 viz. : in my observations on the usefulness of correct 
 spelling, I spelled more than half of the words wrong. 
 But this early defect in my education I have since 
 remedied ; for I have read Webster's Spelling-Book 
 through so often, that I have learned it all by heart. — > 
 I next proceeded to point out the graces of writing, 
 and spoke of it in the highest terms of praise ; because, 
 I know, that many persons prefer a a good hand 
 -writing, to a good sound head, or in other words, 
 many parents would rather that their children should 
 understand the penman's flourishes, than possess a good 
 fund of solid information. Of my skill in this useful 
 art, my handbills bear record. Here, however, I was 
 doubly mortified, for I spelled incorrectly again, and 
 had several pieces returned with samples of various 
 hand writings, asking whether I, in reality, thought 
 that I could surpass them. Confident of my passing 
 wonderful talents in this, as w r ell as in other branches 
 of education, I challenged my competitors to a trial of 
 skill ; but, to my extreme disappointment, found them 
 all far superior to me in this kind of manual operation. 
 I began, by this time, to see that the American peo- 
 ple had a little sense, and that our English voyagers 
 and travellers had told as many fictitious stories as are 
 contained in the wonderful travels of Gulliver, Baron 
 I^taunchausen, the Persian Legends, or in the Meta- 
 morphoses of Ovid, who may justly be called the fa- 
 ther of lies. I requested my antagonists to keep se- 
 cret all which they had heard and seen, and this, they ? 
 
156 REFORMER. 
 
 with flattering promises, said that they would. But 
 my intended friends deceived me, in the manner which 
 is always to be expected from knaves, and proved my 
 most bitter enemies. They propagated my disgrace 
 far and wide, and I was henceforth pestered to death 
 with thousands of scraps of writings which I was confi- 
 dent that I could surpass, although outstripped by a 
 few of their best penmen. But, courteous reader, be 
 not surprised ; for I have amended this glaring over- 
 sight of my younger days by committing to memory, 
 the principles of every writing master from the Dis- 
 trict of Maine to Georgia ; together with a number of 
 the directions on the same subject, which have been 
 composed by some of my countrymen, and I am now 
 confident, that no one can equal me in this city. My 
 grammatical examination was, indeed, illy performed, be- 
 cause I had always thought that the science of grammar 
 would be of no use to myself, and therefore of none to 
 others. I missed the most simple question. How many 
 parts of speech are there ? But on this subject, I wish 
 to say, nor think no more, as I have sustained too much 
 mortification on the subject already. Next came my 
 comments on the worth on Geography. Here again I 
 was thrown into confusion, turned pale, blue, and lastly 
 red ; but as a Pagan philosopher says, Dum erubuit^salva 
 res est j " while he blushes all is safe." And I always 
 consoled myself with the above saying, whenever I 
 was in the least disconcerted in my schemes. I had 
 a very good knack of blushing; but I really know not, 
 by which muscle it was, that I used to perform this ru- 
 bied operation of the face. If I failed in any thing, 
 like Cardinr.l Dc Retz, I always persuaded myself, that 
 
REFORMER* 157 
 
 In reality I had not. But, gentle reader, be not sur- 
 prised at all this, it is not half of my misfortunes. $ 
 have completely purged my mind of geographical and 
 grammatical ignorance, as I have learned all Morse's, 
 Guthrie's, Goldsmith's, and Cumming's Geographies by 
 rote, as also, all Ash's, Webster's, Loivth^s^, Murray's, 
 Jaudon's, and Comely' s English Grammars, and am al- 
 most certain that I can analyze the following simple 
 sentence, " I love wine." 
 
 It would take a number of pages to recapitulate the 
 whole list of my various blunders and misreckonings, 
 I shall therefore, only attempt a. brief sketch of them. 
 Next came on my examination on Arithmetic, pure 
 and mixed mathematics, and here I miscalculated in 
 almost every instance and was most shamefully ex- 
 posed. To obviate this evil, I learned all Euclid by 
 heart, and can therefore do any proposition in it. In 
 my Latin I translated in a most shocking manner, and 
 was laughed at by all who were present. Finally hav- 
 ing gone my round, like a cart horse, by mismanage- 
 ment, I was obliged to bring up play-acting as a nov- 
 elty. In this too I failed, and my creditors becoming 
 impatient, I was put in jail for debt. I contrived, how- 
 ever, after some time, to get out, began the world 
 anew, issued proposals for opening a new school, and 
 sent round my circulars. 
 
 I will pledge my honour to the public, that the plan 
 which I shall pursue in f -/;ure, will be productive of 
 far greater benefit 10 the rising generation, than any 
 heretofore practised. It will be worth more than any 
 other method, for this one reason, viz. : that it makes 
 all wise who come within its influence . I first took 
 O 
 
158 REFORMER. 
 
 the hint from the system recommended, and practised 
 -with so much success, by Timothy Quack, Esq. who 
 taught school in Middle Pedagogue-Street, No. 96.-— 
 It is one of the best plans which I ever saw. My read- 
 ers must not let the name of the writer militate against 
 his doctrine. 
 
 The following is his advertisement, after which I 
 will give mine. 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 Seeing that almost every column of the news-papers 
 in this city, is teeming with notices of schools and se- 
 lect academies, holding forth the great improvements 
 made, or about to be made, in the art of education, 
 I take the liberty of squeezing into the vehicle of pub- 
 lic information, the wonderful and astonishing discove- 
 ry which I have most fortunately made. I have learn- 
 ed, from long experience, that a perfect knowledge of 
 all the Arts and Sciences may be communicated to 
 youth in one half of the time, which is usually devoted 
 to that purpose. My plan of instruction is perfectly 
 simple, attended with no labour or pains to the learn- 
 er, and yet it is more efficacious than any other what- 
 ever, being performed with the greatest facility and 
 correctness imaginable. Here it is. I have provided, 
 at no inconsiderable expence, a box in magnitude suf- 
 ficient to contain the Encyclopedia Britanica, or even 
 the New-York City Library. The apartments of this 
 are so arranged, and the books so adjusted, as to admit 
 a free circulation among them. This is done in order 
 that the essence or spirit of the various scientific works 
 may impregnate the air, and be conveyed into the mind 
 
REFORMER. ] 59 
 
 of the learner, in the following manner. The pupil has 
 only to put his ear to a tube, which is let into the box 
 already described, through which he is to receive a 
 gentle puff from my mouth, which will at once blow 
 a perfect knowledge of literature and science into his 
 understanding. The terms for each puff are % 60. 
 
 Ail this apparatus I have been at the expence of pur- 
 chasing. To perfect the learner, I have only to take 
 him into my " Labratory" and — puff. 
 
 My advertisement is below, and the reasons for my 
 advertising. 
 
 TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS. 
 
 Two motives induce me once more to make known 
 my abilities. The one is to endeavour to bring into 
 deserved notice my new publication, Squab Slender- 
 head's Spelling-Book, and the other (and a noble one 
 it certainly is) to inform those, who know the value of 
 the inculcation of sound and wholesome knowledge, 
 where they may be served to the utmost of their rea- 
 sonable wishes, viz. : at Squab Slenderhead's School- 
 house, No. 104 Soft-Street. 
 
 My Spelling-Book is acknowledged by the best 
 judges, to be the most finished compilation, that has 
 ever appeared. I will venture, therefore, to recom- 
 mend it to the public upon our combined judgments. 
 It is English pronunciation complete, and I do not on- 
 ly hope, but am certain, that American youth will 
 derive more solid information from it, than from any 
 before the public. As to my school, I have not much 
 to say. Timothy Quack's plan will always be suffi- 
 cient to reward its patrons. I am master of every sci- 
 
160 REFORMER. 
 
 ence which / undertake to teach, and of this the pub- 
 lic can bear the strongest testimony, after they shall 
 have submitted their children to my infallible judg- 
 ment and skill. 
 
 SQUAB SLENDERHEAD, Esq. 
 
 N. B....I have deviated from what I first said, viz. : 
 that I was not to make use of self praise. But I must, 
 in this respect, imitate the example of the famous Don 
 Quixotte De La Mancha, Knight of the rueful counte- 
 nance, or as he afterwards called himself, Knight of 
 the Lions, that is, I cannot help eulogizing myself, 
 when the whole world knows, that I so much de* 
 serve it. 
 
REFORMER- 161 
 
 EXHIBITION OF A TRAGEDY BY SCHOLARS. 
 
 I call no man an ape or ass, 
 
 'Tis his own conscience holds the glass. 
 
 Gay's Fables 
 
 O tempora ! O mores ! Cicero, 
 
 O the times ! O the manners ! 
 
 Dear Friend, 
 
 The promise, which I made to you in my last 
 letter, I have at length performed. I have attended 
 the exhibition of that extraordinary man, who makes it 
 his exclusive business to initiate and perfect all kinds 
 of children in all the blandishments of the orator. My 
 ears were assailed, every day, and I could not walk 
 five steps in the street or house, without hearing of the 
 great good which he was doing to the public. Though 
 I have never made it a practice of visiting any place, 
 where I should hear a Longinus or Hyfierides, pleading 
 in the most animated strains, in the cause of his beloved 
 country, or where the orator's weapons were handled 
 with all the vigour of an inspired imagination ; yet, by 
 the repeated solicitations of the advocates and friends 
 of this more than mortal man^ I concluded to attend 
 the first of his very celebrated performances, where 
 I naturally expected to see all the scenes of our best 
 dramatic writers, touched with the magic breath of a 
 Garrick, a Kemble, a Cooke, or a Cooper. 
 
 One evening, as I sat grieving (being a teacher of 
 elocution myself, who, however, was unwilling to allow 
 myself to be actuated by envy at his oratorical talents) 
 O 2" 
 
162 REFORMER. 
 
 and ruminating on his unbounded fame, his extraordina- 
 ry faculties, his knowledge of human nature, and above 
 all, his supernatural power of supplying the defects of 
 nature, I was startled by a sudden rap at the door. It 
 was a friend of mine who came to let me know, that 
 this passing wonderful instructor's [scholars were to 
 perform Addison's celebrated tragedy of Cato. I dres- 
 sed myself in my best habit, as soon as possible, and 
 hastened to the fatal spot, from which I arose with 
 little edification or delight, and really hope " I ne'er 
 shall look upon its like again." You may rest assured, 
 that from the reputation which he had, heretofore, sus- 
 tained, it was not long before I reached the intended 
 place.-— A stage was erected — people were flocking 
 in — the actors were strutting across to show them- 
 selves and their dress, and these were all which they 
 did show. — The ladies and gentlemen were scramb- 
 ling for scats, and the girls and boys were striving 
 with each other, who should be foremost. I could 
 plainly discover that Ovid had not penned this line in 
 vain. " Light trifles please light minds."— The mu- 
 sicians struck up " Yankee Doodle" I was astound- 
 ed. 1 — ' O Lord !' said I, < this lets me into a most fatal 
 tragedy to come.' — The applauding commenced. — Ail 
 1 could compare it to, was the celebrated concert of 
 Tegg's cats. And at the time, when the curtain rose, 
 such was the pother and uproar, that I began to think, 
 that Jupiter and Nefitujie were contending, who should 
 be the mightiest. Yes, 
 
 " Such a noise arose 
 
 As the shrouds make at sea, in a stiff tempest, 
 \s loud, and to as many times. Hats, cloaks, 
 
REFORMER. 163 
 
 Doublets, I think flew up ; and had their faces 
 Been loose, that day, they had been lost. Such joy, 
 I never saw before. Great belly'd women, 
 That had not half a week to go, like rams 
 In the old time of war, would shake the press, 
 And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living 
 Could say, this is my wife there ; all were woven 
 So strangely in one piece." 
 
 Shakespeare. 
 
 What ! said I to my friend ; for horrour had so over- 
 come him, that he clung to me, in fright, like the babe 
 to its mother's breast ; what does this rude commotion 
 of wind and water mean ? Why, said he, they are 
 venting their plaudits to the boys and their dress. 
 Do they make no distinction, then ? replied I. — But— 
 Stop ! — The jabbering begins. A half snapped Scotch- 
 man sings out, " speak louder ;" out squeaks the little 
 fellow ; hands rattle, spit flies. Why, exclaimed I, 
 who was almost deprived of my hearing (my auricu- 
 lar nerves being wounded by the shouts of applause) 
 to my over anxious friend, what does all this mean, 
 that such a foolish man should undertake to impose 
 upon the people's understanding thus ? — Silence ! — • 
 hear it out, and then comment on this glorious night's 
 performance. — I could scarcely bridle my rage to see 
 persons made dupes to such folly.— At length out popt 
 another mannikin. I never heard so severe a crack ; it 
 was among the girls ; but how they could contrive to 
 make such a noise, is to me a mystery, as it was of 
 such a kind as I had seldom heard before. This scene 
 and the remainder of the play went on in the true tra- 
 gic style, ranting and storming, crying and kissing ; 
 
164 REFORMER, 
 
 except the one in which Sempronius is killed. " Si- 
 lence now commands, as though nature were at rest. 
 But as we often see, against some storm, a silence in 
 the heavens, the rack stand still, the bold winds speech- 
 less, and the orb below as hush'd as death : anon the 
 dreadful thunder doth rend the region : so after a short 
 pause, their roused spirits set them new at work, and 
 never did the, Cy clop's hammers falling on Mar's ar- 
 mour, forged for proof eternal, cause half the noise," 
 as did their hands, their feet, and slavering mouth's. — 
 I was lost in this earthly judgment. Men were eulo- 
 gizing the performance. I, even I myself, my friend, 
 was so enraptured, that I called unknowingly (as I was 
 afterwards told) upon the shade of Addison, to look 
 down and give his decided approbation on this admira- 
 ble performance ; upon the muse of Shakespeare, " to 
 hold my heart, and to my sinews to grow not instant 
 cold but bear me stiffly up." — Can I forget thee poor 
 Sempronius, I mean poor player ? No ! " While mem- 
 ory holds a seat in this distracted globe." Forget thee 1 
 No ! From the table of my memory, I'll wipe away 
 all forms, all pressures past, and thy poor playing, all 
 alone, " shall live within the book and volume of my 
 brain, unmixed with baser matter: yes by heaven !" — 
 But alas ! my friend, how quick is the transition from 
 pleasure to pain. My eyes were attracted, as it were 
 magnetically, by the hideous spectacle of an old wo- 
 man, who had one or two stumps of decayed teeth, 
 just peeping through her stale lips, the wreck of for- 
 mer beauty, sighing and wringing her hands, and rolU 
 ing the whites of her eyes. Madam, said I, what's the 
 matter : Why do you wring your hands thus? " Ok 
 
REFORMER. 165 
 
 lah !" exclaimed the toothless old soul, " peace 5 « set 
 you down and let me wring your heart ; for I shall, if 
 it be made of penetrable stuff; if damned custom (she 
 meant perhaps the custom of teaching children the 
 principles of morality) have not brazed it so, that it is 
 bulwark against sense." Oh ! cease mother of bards, 
 hold your eloquent strains let my soul become calm. 
 She would have proceeded ; but I stopped her falling, 
 gentle accents. Why thought I, the towering genius 
 of the immortal bard of Avon pervades all ranks, all 
 sizes, all ages ; from the lisping infant up to the nau- 
 seous dame of seventy, all seem to have taken a strong 
 dose of his tragical spirit. 
 
 The awful, august and tragic scene being over, the 
 actors slain, and the audience having finished their 
 magic spell of grief, the encomiums on the players 
 were more profusely lavished than ever. Some were 
 pleased and others were not, as all expected to be 
 praised for their outdoing themselves. A great chat- 
 tering was heard among the old women, among whom 
 we generally find a great deal of garrulity, the privi- 
 lege of years. " My boy" said one, " got a great 
 sight of firaise ; did'nt you hear how they clapped and 
 hurraed^ when he said such a part ?" u Yes, I guess 
 they did." " Lah ! suz," exclaimed the other, to whom 
 she addressed herself, " he did'nt pesarve it. My 
 son and daughter beat 'em all. They got the most 
 credit ; for did'nt you hear, how the people laughed 
 and whistled ? when they hallowed so loud, and made 
 such perty faces ; and kissed so handsome, and show* 
 ed their white teeth, and waddled across the stage ?" 
 * Yes," answered a third, " I think that there young 
 
166 REFORMER. 
 
 lady, that does'nt look so beautiful when she a'nt paint- 
 ed and flounced off in so many silver-laced ruffles, ap- 
 peared the handsomest, and done the best, when she 
 polled the whites of her eyes out of sight, and grinned 
 so well, at meeting the counsellor Sempronius." — 
 " Mam," said the first dame, " you mus'nt insult my 
 daughter's reputation." " Is it your datur, mam, I 
 did'nt know, or I would not harm her." " Yes, mam, 
 you would," said the first. " No, mam, I would'nt," 
 said the second. " Yes you would mam, and I'll pros- '; 
 ecute you as the law directs for slandering my datur's 
 character." — From words they almost came to blows ; 
 I expected every minute that the battering would com- 
 mence. My surprise increased, and what added to 
 it, was, that each appeared to have been so cannon- 
 aded* by time's powerful battery, that their timbers .. 
 would not stand another discharge of round shot. — 
 What was to be done ? It was a pity for them " to .: 
 black each other's eyes," which was the natural con- \ 
 sequence after such a dispute (for it seemed as if they 
 had learned to weep, to fight, and murder, and spout, 
 from this and such other tragic scenes) and indeed 
 this was the case ; for 
 
 " To arms ! to arms ! the fierce Virago cries, 
 
 And swift as lightning to the combat flies. 
 
 All side in parties, and begin th' attack : 
 
 Fans clap, silks rustle, and tough whalebones crack ; 
 
 Heroes' and hetoines' shouts confus'dly rise, 
 
 And bass and treble voices strike the skies. 
 
 No common weapon in their hands are found, 
 
 Like Gods they fight, nor dread a mortal wound. 
 
 So when bold Homer makes the Gods engage, 
 
 And heavenly breasts with human passions rage ; 
 
REFORMER. 167 
 
 5 Gainst Pallas, Mars ; Latona, Hermes arms : 
 
 And all Olympus rings with loud alarms ; 
 
 Jove's thunder roars, heaven trembles all around, 
 
 Blue Neptune storms, the bellowing deeps resound : 
 
 Earth shakes her nodding towers, the ground gives way, 
 
 And the pale ghosts start at the flash of day." 
 
 Pope. 
 
 After a long and tedious fight, they were finally rec- 
 onciled by the friendly interposition of some neighing 
 steeds, who were accustomed to such " hair breadth 
 escapes and imminent dangers." 
 
 As novelty is one of the greatest sources of pleas- 
 ure, I did not remain long disengaged. My attention 
 was drawn to a fat bellyed man, who was lavishing 
 his encomiums on the exhibition of puppets. He 
 observed, it was the best thing of the kind he had ever 
 seen. " Thinks I to myself," that may be the case, 
 and still be bad enough. My eyes were almost riv- 
 etted on this would be great man (for you must know 
 that I am -very partial to such men) " whose reverend 
 visage (asj.he Memoirs of Martlinus Scriblerus say) 
 portrayed a profoundness of knowledge, on whom the 
 beautiful varnish of time ; — or rather (let me call it) 
 this precious aerugo, this venerable verdure of so many 
 years," had spread that mantle, which ought to com- 
 mand respect. On inquiry, I found it was the cele- 
 brated Dr. Squab, whose fame alone the stars can bound, 
 which can only die by the destruction of nature. 
 
 His praises, together with those of the insignificant 
 
 chap, with whom he was conversing, and the ideas of 
 
 the boys' acting, struck me so forcibly, that I could 
 
 | not help repeating Hamlet's famed speech to the play- 
 
•[68 REFORMER. 
 
 ers. I shall quote it, to demonstrate the effects which 
 they had upon me, and leave you, my friend, to judge 
 whether I have hit upon a right quotation or not.— - 
 « Oh, says he, there be players that I have seen play, 
 and heard others praise, that highly, — not to speak 
 it profanely, — that neither having the accent of Christ- 
 ian, nor the gait of Christian, pagan nor man, have so 
 strutted, and bellowed, that I thought some of nature's 
 journeymen had made men, and not made them well, 
 they imitated humanity so abominably." — All this oc- 
 curred to me, and surely, I, who stand on a pinnacle of 
 dust, compared to that on which the eminent Dr. Squab 
 is elevated, could not, within the bounds of thought, 
 have recollected the tenth part of any writings, so 
 appropos to the evening's entertainments, had they not 
 made a very deep impression on my mind. I can no 
 more. Oh 1 Confucius I what a head he must have. 
 
 But, my dear friend, this is not all. Some few days 
 after, as I was reading the news-paper, I saw, to my 
 astonishment, his advertisement, mentioning this dis- 
 tinguished performance, the praises which he receiv- 
 ed, and asserting that his new invented mode of in- 
 struction had met with the warmest approbation of the 
 public. He moreover stated, that as it was yet in its 
 infancy, they might reasonably expect something val- 
 uable in a short time, which would amply reward pa- 
 rents for their kind patronage, and him for his very 
 persevering attention to their offspring. — A circular 
 with such a mixture of flattery and fiction may seduce 
 a few, who are incapable of distinguishing between 
 sense and nonsense, and who are always sure to draw 
 wrong conclusions from right premises,— He further 
 
REFORMER. 169 
 
 informed the people of the city of New-York (for you 
 must know it has been a great institution in its time, 
 according to his story) that he intended to teach ev- 
 ery branch of education, which, in reality, I well knew 
 that he could not ; it being customary among quack 
 teachers, as well as quack doctors, to advertise to do 
 incredibles and mconceivables, merely with a view to 
 deceive the community ; and he, in the same para- 
 graph, expressed the liveliest sense of his gratitude 
 (as I have observed) to those, whom he had made 
 sufficiently credulous of his abilities, to attend to his 
 spouting exhibitions. His advertisement was written 
 in a style, from which I supposed that the dictionary 
 had been searched from end to end, and that the fair- 
 est fields of our best writers had been rifled of every 
 flower, and of every important figure ; for they dance 
 through this strange composition in all the confusion 
 of an untutored genius, and the wildness of a disturbed 
 imagination. In short, were you to peruse this marvel- 
 lous advertisement, you would be satisfied that his pate 
 was stored with the elaborate and profound sentiments 
 of that supereminent dramatic writer, John Minshull, 
 Esq. who precipitately embarked for his native coun- 
 try, leaving only his name behind : and because learn- 
 ing was not patronized in the American Republic, he 
 sought fair Britain's soil, the land of patriots, of tal- 
 ents, but now — the land of Bavius. Thus have we 
 been deprived of one of the wonders of the world, by 
 the lukewarmness which we have expressed towards 
 a man, who, surely, bade fair to become one of our 
 greatest ornaments, and whose genius led him whol- 
 ly to the sublime. — And now farewell, O literature 
 P 
 
170 REFORMER. 
 
 of America ! farewell thou champion of genius ! mayst 
 thou, when the iron hand of death shall snatch thy 
 spirit from thy un tempered body, be borne to the man- 
 sions of eternal rest, and may the fair virgins of that 
 country, in which thou mayst end thy days, chant thy 
 own epicediums over thee, and strow thy grave with 
 ever blooming laurels ; and may a literary thorn never 
 spring from it (and alas ! they never will, for thou wilt 
 remain untouched and unknown) to brand thy name, 
 thou noblest patron of science, thou genius of dramat- 
 ic poetry. 
 
 I have been able, heretofore, to wield my pen in 
 proportion to every literary display, which made its 
 appearance ; but I must confess that the flights of 
 which this man seems susceptible, exceeds my utmost 
 abilities, and doubt not, that there are many more, who 
 as well as I, will find themselves as unequal to the 
 task of commenting on the theatrical performance of 
 his pupils, as on the elegance of the diction of his 
 marvellous advertisement. 
 
 While sitting in my room, and wrapped in medita- 
 tion on a certain evening, a few days after this ex- 
 hibition was over, I was aroused by a knocking at 
 the door. It proved to be my worthy friend, who 
 had so earnestly requested me to attend the exhibi- 
 tion, and who, along with me, had not only seen the 
 representation, but also heard the strange reflections 
 which had been made on the performers. I certainly 
 thought to hear many encomiums passed upon the 
 performance. But I was mistaken. " To my utter 
 astonishment," exclaimed he, " I never was so much 
 disappointed in my life. I never beheld so much 
 ridiculous stuff, such mawkish imitations." He be- 
 
REFORMER. 171 
 
 gan pointing out the defects, and continued his philo- 
 logical observations, till it drew towards the hour of 
 retiring to the care of the God Morpheus. After his 
 departure, I concluded that it would be mispending 
 my time to expose preceptorial artifice, and to wound 
 his patron's feelings. For these reasons, I determined 
 to draw my essay to a conclusion. But, at that mo- 
 ment,, ill-fated instant ! I happened to turn my eye 
 to the paper, which contained his advertisement. — ■ 
 My indignation was instantly roused, to think, that he 
 should supplant me in the public favour, and injure 
 my reputation as a teacher of elocution. I sat down 
 and wept when I saw to my lasting mortification, his 
 paper informer, signed by some of our most exalt- 
 ed literary characters. Yes, my friend, such is the 
 case, the writings of a pretty acute genius are passed 
 over unnoticed ; he can get no recommendation. But 
 great men, on the contrary, almost without having seen 
 or read the productions of another great man, do not 
 hesitate to give their names to them as a sanction of 
 their approbation. They who signed his " inconceiv- 
 able" were men of eminence, and considered this 
 teacher as another man of eminence. To form a bet- 
 ter idea of their talents, here are the names of the 
 gentlemen, and probably some of them are known to 
 you, by fame at least. — Timothy Stromony, Esq. a 
 celebrated astronomer, Dr. Addlehead, whom you can 
 judge of by his name, Dr. Squab, a celebrated lin- 
 guist, Monsieur Paddlefoot, Tommy Silverpot, Jem- 
 my Gooselook, Johnny Classical, Horace Brumagen, 
 Dr. Spindle, Dr. Puff, Virgil Talkall, Sec. — Now my 
 friend., what could I say or do to remove this mountain 
 of abilities ? — I could do nothing. 
 
172 * REFORMER. 
 
 As to the first great man, " great let me call him/'" 
 for he has puzzled me, and thrown indissoluble chains 
 over my talents, I have only to observe, that those per- 
 sons signatures have exalted him above all praise. 
 
 I have given my opinion of this preceptor, and from 
 the peculiar situation, in which he has placed himself, 
 I shall leave it to the public to say whether my ob- 
 servations be true or not. And as for the others, they 
 cannot be so blind to the good order and harmony of 
 society as to refuse giving them their due share — of 
 
 WHATEVER THEY MAY THINK PROPER. I have be- 
 
 stowed mine very cordially and liberally : for I well 
 know into what hands I shall get, when the displeas- 
 ure of men of erudition is excited against me. It is 
 almost impossible to affect a reconciliation. — But it is 
 now high time to sum up. Well my friend, what do 
 you think of what I have said ? Do you not consider 
 such theatrical representations mere literary swindles? 
 I know you will say yes, and that is my opinion.' — I 
 should not have stooped to notice this droll stuff, this 
 cracking business, to rake from their muddy bed. these 
 drawlings and gestures of servility had they not been 
 recommended by the teacher himself, which savours 
 too much of pride unconscious of worth, and more 
 particularly, obtruded on the public by Dr. Squab, 
 who wishes all persons to send their children to this 
 Roscius (I call him so by way of pre-eminence) this 
 very elegant and polite scholar, who is not only mas- 
 ter of his own language, but also can write Latin and 
 Greek with as great purity and correctness as he does 
 the English, and may, for aught I know, be able to 
 speak them as fluently as Dr. Squab. 
 
REFORMER. 173 
 
 THE WONDERFUL ORATOR AND LOGICIAN. 
 
 " Omnis homines, qui sese student praestare csetecis am% 
 malibus, summaope, niti decet, ne vitam silentio transeant, ve- 
 luti pecora, quse natura prona atque ventri obedientia finxit. 
 Sed nostra omnis vis in animo et corpore sita est. Animi im- 
 erio, corporis servitio magis utimur ; alterum nobis cum diis, 
 alterum cum belluis commune est." Salhist. 
 
 It becomes all men, who aspire to excel other animals, to 
 labour with the utmost might, not to pass their life in silence, 
 as cattle, which nature has formed grovelling and subject to 
 the belly. Now, all our ability is seated in the soul and body. 
 In most cases we use the direction of the soul, the service 
 of the body : the former is common to us with the Gods, the 
 latter with the brutes. 
 
 I am one of those, who have, from an early age, 
 considered it as a sacred duty to devote my time, when 
 not necessarily employed in attention to private affairs, 
 to the improvement of my mind, and have found by- 
 experience, that this important object, cannot be so ef- 
 fectually obtained by any other mode, as by that of 
 making myself acquainted with the treasures contain- 
 ed in the sacred Scriptures, which constitute, as it 
 were, " a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path," 
 and with the valuable reflections and observations, 
 which are to be found in almost every page of the 
 writings of the venerable sages of Greece and Rome. 
 I have long held in abhorrence, that thoughtless and 
 truly indiscreet indifference with respect to time, 
 which, at present, characterizes a very large portion 
 ©f our fellow citizens, of every rank, age, and descrip? 
 P 2 
 
174 REFORMER. 
 
 tion ; but more especially those of our youth. In re- 
 gard to myself, I do in truth, consider the prodigality 
 or unprofitable expenditure of this invaluable and alto- 
 gether irredeemable article to be infinitely more det- 
 rimental to my interest, than the loss of money ; and 
 though I consider it my duty, on the score of prece- 
 dence and moral rectitude, to take due care of both ; 
 yet I would certainly deem myself much more culpa- 
 ble, in being thoughtlessly negligent in respect to the 
 former than to the latter. 
 
 Tempus prseterritum nunquam revertitur. Hor. 
 
 Time past never returns. 
 
 I am, therefore, desirous to improve every moment to 
 the best advantage, and for this purpose, I endeavour 
 to avoid, as much as possible, those associations or 
 assemblies, from which I have reason to apprehend, 
 that I can gain no mental improvement. I have an- 
 other reason for my opinion on this head, which per- 
 haps, may not strike every one at first sight, as it does 
 me ; but, which, I believe, to be nevertheless, strictly 
 correct. It is this. In morals and in refinement of 
 taste, there is no standing still. We must either pro- 
 gress, or, to -use the words of some celebrated trans- 
 atlantic generals, in speaking of the retreat of their 
 armies, we must " make a retrograde motion." 
 
 Upon principles, which I have already mentioned, 
 and upon others, which will naturally occur to the man 
 of intelligence, I therefore resolved most scrupulously 
 to avoid those associations or parties, or by whatever 
 name they were called, which might deteriorate the 
 morals ; but which could never amend them. Various 
 
REFORMER. 175 
 
 and happy effects resulted to me from this determina- 
 tion, so long as I adhered to it, amongst which, this 
 was not one of the least, viz. that I became quite a 
 domestic man, was delighted with my books and my 
 family, and found that peace, at home, which it was 
 in vain for me to expect any where else, and which it 
 is impossible for the world either to give or take away. 
 
 But as some young females, distinguished by a 
 number of graces, which are, in our times, deemed 
 peculiarly applicable to the formation of a modern fine 
 lady, had pressed me to honour them (as they called it) 
 with my company for only one evening, I, though with 
 great reluctance, consented to make one of the party, 
 I accordingly went ; but as I apprehended, so it hap- 
 pened, that I met with nothing which could be con- 
 ducive either to my amusement or satisfaction. Hence 
 I again and again wished myself to be at home and 
 engaged in poring over, in silent meditation, the sub- 
 lime maxims of the ancients, made more so by the* 
 flight of years, which have elapsed since their days. 
 
 To enumerate all the causes of my chagrin and dis- 
 gust would be, by far, too tedious. I shall, therefore, 
 content myself with mentioning a few of them. It was 
 the first time, that I had been, in what is called fash- 
 ionable company, and from every thing which I saw 
 and heard, • I was soon satisfied, that I should have 
 been more happy, if I had been with a few of those 
 well meaning and plain, but intelligent people, with 
 whom it had heretofore been my good fortune to asso- 
 ciate. 
 
 On entering the room (ill-fated moment to my re- 
 pose ; for I have thought of it ever since) I perceived the 
 
176 REFORMER. 
 
 company to be distributed into several groups. I ap~ 
 proached with an air, which certainly carried the marks 
 of a rustic genius, arising, as I have before observed, 
 from my being unaccustomed to the company of people 
 of quality and politeness. Keeping always in mind the 
 advice of Dr. Goldsmith to a poor man, whom he advises 
 to shrink into the room as fast as he can, and place 
 himself, as usual, upon a chair in a remote corner. I 
 soon stole off unperceived, to indulge myself in medi- 
 tating on some of those passages, which I had been 
 reading in the afternoon. This too, was, in my opin- 
 ion, performed to admiration, as I had always been ac- 
 customed to humble myself to my superiours in knowl- 
 edge and etiquette of manners. Though thus retired 
 from the main circle, I was frequently interrupted, in 
 the course of my reflections, by the conversation of a 
 young gentlemen (as he styled himself) with whom 
 the company seemed to be highly entertained and grat- 
 ified. He was continually endeavouring to display his- 
 talents to the best advantage ; disputing on cases of 
 law, on politics, and on religion ; which last, in par- 
 ticular, no man was ever less qualified, both from men- 
 tal imbecility and habitual depravity ; and with respect 
 to the two former, he was so extremely defective, that 
 he would have shown his prudence, if he had been al- 
 together silent. He was totally unmindful of those, 
 who were present, as long as he could hear himself 
 " chatter." Were any opinion advanced, however or- 
 thodox, if it did not coincide precisely with bis own, 
 the author of the sentiment was immediately addressed 
 by the appellation of "fool" or some other tifle equal- 
 ly delicate. But if a coincidence of sentiments, upon 
 
 1 
 
REFORMER. 177 
 
 any subject, existed between " this young gentleman" 
 and any other person in the room, that person was 
 deemed by him, a man possessed of a correct and 
 delicate taste, and a good understanding. It has been 
 observed, that almost every circumstance which takes 
 place in human life, may be made a source of instruc- 
 tion and amusement to the observer. This was plain- 
 ly verified, this evening, and here I learned this use- 
 ful lesson ; that, in discoursing with an illiterate and 
 self-conceited person, the best way to obtain his com- 
 mendations, and avoid his scurrilous invectives, is not 
 to contradict him, but to nod a seeming assent to whatev- 
 er he may say. Although, I esteem the opinion of one 
 intelligent man, more than that of a thousand block- 
 heads ; yet as self-conceited gentlemen sometimes have 
 considerable influence over the minds of their acquain- 
 tance, and these over theirs, I think it worthy of every 
 man's pains, to endeavour if possible, to escape the 
 censure of illiteracy and dogmatism, with which such 
 men are apt to charge those, who are, in fact, far su- 
 periour to them in mental refinement, and only esteem- 
 ed by the votaries of dulness and impudence, inferiour 
 in bodily accomplishments and- strength of mind. — » 
 It would not answer for any one to contradict the 
 " young gentleman" whom I am describing ; for the 
 intelligent at least, were certain of being doubly mor- 
 tified ; in the first place by the torrent of invective, 
 with which he assailed them, as he seemed determin- 
 ed to deter, not by cogency of argument, but by abuse ; 
 and in the second, from seeing a human being thus de- 
 grading himself by his own folly. These, indeed, are 
 Rot the characteristics of one only, but are generally 
 
178 REFORMER. 
 
 applicable to those, who have obtained a superficial 
 knowledge of a science, an art, or a book or two, or 
 of those, who from a state of ignorance and poverty, 
 have, by fortune, been elevated to ease and opulence. 
 This young man is a very apposite example, which, 
 with the addition of his flattered abilities, exalted' him 
 to an eminence, from which he looked down upon all, 
 as devoid of sense, of erudition, and in fact,, even of 
 human feelings. Nursed in penury, and pampered with 
 luxury when grown up, indulged by parents in idle- 
 ness, and consequently in ignorance, he had never 
 learned to set a right value upon the blessings of liter- 
 ature, and looked with scorn upon those, who dared 
 to arraign his opinions, or place themselves in the- 
 scales with him, in point of wit, learning, birth or 
 wealth. To ask him a reason for what he advanced 
 was to give offence, and the only answer that could be 
 obtained from him was, that he knew what he had said 
 was correct, from " his experience and observation *, 
 and more, said he, to firove, that I am not, nor cannot 
 be mistaken, I have examined every action and word, 
 for seven years past," and to conclude, to use his own 
 words, " he knew himself." Well done Chilo I 
 Very wise indeed ! Seven years experience ! A very 
 long time ! I who was seeking instruction, at these 
 sounds, began to prick up my ears, and listen more 
 attentively to this great and learned man, who, I be- 
 gan to think, was somehow (unknown to" us) akin to 
 the immortals ; drawing, at the same time, my chair, 
 along side of a very decent looking man, who sat near 
 me. 
 
 While I was lost in admiring this eighth wise 
 
REFORMER. 179 
 
 man, a speck of dust swelled into such an immense 
 bulk, that my mind might as well have attempted to 
 have grasped space, as his wonderful mental powers ; 
 the conversation happened to turn upon the immortali- 
 ty of the soul, and one of the company assuming more 
 than mortal courage, contradicted the premises whick 
 he had laid down. He proceeded to point out the un- 
 soundness of his observations, and having finished, re- 
 sumed his seat, with much pomp, at the same time 
 sticking up his ears, and looking as wise as a silly face 
 would let him. Upon which the learned gentleman 
 sprang upon the floor, assuming various attitudes and 
 grimaces, characteristic of an illumined mind, and be- 
 gan his speech, by observing, " that his opponent's 
 silly declamation, put him in mind of a country lawyer, 
 who being engaged to defend a suit, against a very 
 eminent councellor, and after having heard the said 
 eminent councellor, exclaimed, Gentlemen of the Jury, 
 I know you are men of no uncommon sagacity ; there- 
 fore, it is needless to address you upon the point, on 
 which my illiterate opponent makes so great a stand. 
 You may depend upon it, gentlemen, that all he has 
 uttered is not true : there was not a logical deduction 
 in the whole course of his speech. Logic ! I don't be- 
 lieve he knows what it means i What he has said nev- 
 er entered into any man's head but' his own. His lan- 
 guage is inelegant ; his — ■ his — his— I know not what 
 to call it ; but every thing is bad — But I suppose, that 
 you, Gentlemen of the Jury, know what I mean ; if I 
 can't name the technical phrases of the law, I will 
 leave it to Judge Blackstone or Lord Coke, whether I 
 can distinguish sense from nonsense or not. Hav- 
 
130 REFORMER. 
 
 ing confuted his ill fabricated hypothesis, Gentlemen 
 of the Jury, I retire, under a full conviction, that you 
 will decide against such a man, by giving the verdict 
 in favour of such a man. — I have done.'* 
 
 The company seemed panic -struck, and darted looks 
 of contempt at the opponent for his audacity in con- 
 tending with a man, so far superiour to half the human 
 race ; then viewed the prator with silent admiration, 
 nodding assent, and expressing their approbation of his 
 Ciceronian eloquence, and the seeming profundity of 
 his sentiments. They appeared highly pleased with 
 those sounds, which to me were altogether unintelligi- 
 ble. None of his arguments, during the evening, have 
 ever made so deep an impression on my mind, as the 
 one, wherein he contended, that the spirit of a dog, a 
 cat, a hog, or a monkey, was as immortal as a man's 
 soul, and I suppose, he meant, possessed of the ope- 
 rations of the mind, such as recollection, reflection 
 judging, &c. I draw this inference, because he gen- 
 erally drew no conclusions, from which cause his deep- 
 ness of penetration appeared so great to those present ; 
 that is, he made use of such high sounding words, un- 
 applicable to the ideas (if he had any) which he inten- 
 ded to convey to the mind of the company, that they 
 in reality, thought themselves deficient in understand- 
 ing, and paid homage to the depth of his learning, bor- 
 dering on adoration. While he was proceeding in his 
 horrid detail, (happy for me) he was sent for, " to set 
 ufi" with a sick person, who, in reality, was not half 
 so much diseased as himself. But before he departed, 
 it was essentially necessary for him to display some of 
 his sufijiosed rejined ivit, which I shall here recoid, 
 
REFORMER. 181 
 
 more for curiosity than for any other purpose. Indeed, 
 I never before saw " such a group" together, nor ever 
 witnessed more inconsistent sayings and false reason- 
 ings, affected sensibility, and ostentatious breeding, 
 so well suited to please a company, and pass away an 
 hour of merriment, as these good people so properly 
 called it. The instance of misapplied and false wit, of 
 which I am to speak, is this : at first he mistook the 
 landlady's daughter, for the landlady herself, which to 
 be sure, was no small mortification to the accomfilished 
 
 and beautiful Miss , at which some laughed at his 
 
 impertinence, some from the supposed knowledge the 
 Quack possessed (Quack let me call him, for there 
 are such curious things in Literature, as well as in 
 Medicine) and others through the fear of their becom- 
 ing the objects of his sarcastic humour. He then rid- 
 iculed Mr. 's abilities, to which, in truth, being 
 
 akin to those of an idiot, he did ample justice ; for 
 fools are sometimes, as apt to make and apply appro- 
 priate sayings as crazy people. To sum up, he pulled 
 out his snuff-box. (for it must be remembered that to 
 appear wise, it has become the fashion to appear sin- 
 gular) hit it two or three raps with his fingers, in a 
 a manner as if a new thought had just gleamed across 
 his mind, and bedaubed his nose, cheeks and eyes, so 
 full, that the poor fellow imitated with more propriety 
 the notes of a Pandean minstrel, than the sounds of a 
 rational being. This, to be sure, made him look very 
 wise and very witty. And lo ! the scene that followed ! 
 What blushing and fidgetting among the girls ; (and in- 
 deed this was a proper time, if ever, to show a little 
 modesty, and perhaps sense) stooping and cringing, 
 
 Q 
 
182 REFORMER. 
 
 creeping forward and going backward, winking and 
 nodding, so that one might have imagined that this 
 mock heroic scene had been hatching since the crea- 
 tion of the world. 
 
 Here vanity assumes her pert grimace, 
 
 And trims her robes of prize with copper-lace. 
 
 Perceiving that the company appeared to be delight- 
 ed even with this, " I began to imagine, that instead of 
 desiring to see things as they should be, they were 
 rather solicitous of seeing them as they ought not to 
 be. A cat wijh four legs is disregarded, though ever 
 so useful ; but if it have but two, and is consequently 
 incapable of catching mice, it is reckoned inestimable, 
 and every man of taste is ready to raise the auction. 
 A man, though in his person faultless as an aerial ge- 
 nius, might starve ; but if stuck over with hideous 
 warts like a porcupine, his fortune is made forever, 
 and he may propagate the breed with impunity and ap- 
 plause." * 
 
 The company at length being rid of such a thing 
 (for I know of no name to address him by) I could not 
 help observing to him who sat next to me, that he was 
 the greatest oddity I had ever seen, and inquiring who he 
 was. I learned that he was descended of low parent- 
 age, and that, by " good fortune," he had become rich. 
 Those present, yet continued to praise and admire his 
 talents. For my own part, I could not help grieving 
 to see human nature so degraded. Men of noble minds 
 and correct opinions are shocked at seeing any of their 
 
 * Goldsmith. 
 
REFORMER. 183 
 
 fellow mortals thus bent on rendering themselves ridic- 
 ulous, for the purpose of appearing singular and learn- 
 ed ; or who rather, through the means of a perverted 
 taste, and corrupt mind, having nothing but the outside 
 to distinguish them as men, thus assiduously study to 
 debase and degrade themselves. 
 
 Wishing the company a good night's rest,. I returned 
 home, being more satisfied than ever, that those sen- 
 tences of Sallust, with which I headed the present es- 
 say, are applicable to a much greater portion of man- 
 kind than is generally apprehended. 
 
334 REFORMER. 
 
 TO MENTIUS, &c* 
 
 •' Gaudet monstris, mentisque tumultu." 
 
 Lucan. 
 He delights in what is strange or monstrous, and in all the 
 tumult and confusion of the mind. 
 
 I have, according to your polite request, made my 
 appearance in the paper recommended. I am always 
 ready to defend whatever principles I advance, and 
 shall never shrink from an attempt to support them by 
 proper arguments. You well know the contents, as 
 well as the intention of my former essay. I need not, 
 
 ,* As this essay is local, it is deemed necessary, to make a 
 few observations on the cause which gave it existence. It 
 appears to be addressed to an individual ; but under the term 
 Mentius I intend to characterize a band of men, leagued in a 
 social compact to undermine the firmest pillars of a nation, 
 by destroying the vital principles of religion, and who gloried 
 in calumnies, which tended to injure the reputation of hon- 
 ourable, worthy and enlightened men. This band consisted 
 of fifteen or twenty Instructors of youth, who assembled at 
 what is called a "grog shop," for the purpose of carousing, 
 and contriving means by which they could most easily perpet- 
 uate those crimes of which I have spoken above. Not con- 
 tent with this, with a blaspheming heart, and wanton auda- 
 city, they jointly edited a paper, fraught with the bitterest 
 calumnies against a number of respectable citizens, and the 
 most virulent invectives against the church of Christ. But 
 thanks to God, it lived no longer than the triumph of auda- 
 ciousness and infidelity, God in his rig-hteous Providence, 
 quenched that fatal spark, which had involved Europe in war, 
 and sunk her into eternal infamy and scorn. The mighty 
 warriour against Christ fell — and in the agonies of death — 
 when his beamless eye portrayed the despair of his mind, 
 which had never excited him to fervency of prayer — uttered 
 confused and stifled curses against the avenger of sin — the 
 God of Heaven, the God of Mercy, at whose feet no penitent 
 soul ever sued for mercy in vain. — In vain did this man per- 
 ish— t&e tortures of bis mind— his dying irreverence to the 
 
REFORMER* 185 
 
 therefore, enter into a particular controversy concerning 
 the advantages to be derived from my communication. 
 Whether the style be an imitation of the most finished 
 productions in the time of Addison or Goldsmith, is 
 
 Lord of Hosts, had no effects upon the mind of those who 
 surrounded his bed and watched the guilty spirit till it flew. 
 They must wait till a more awful moment— that moment soon 
 arrived. Another of those frail mortals, who dared to ar- 
 raign the power of the Most High, Scoff and mock at his de- 
 nunciations against the violators of his laws and his just dis- 
 pensations — fell a victim to his wrath. This man, at his final 
 hour, died in agony, which wrung a few tears from his the- 
 omachan compeers. His death in part dissolved the union, 
 their principal leaders having passed into another world, 
 where all is happiness or where all is torment. Since the 
 idle business of their life is over, I will not speak of them in 
 terms which may bring to the recollection of their friends their 
 conduct in this narrow and imperfect state of existence. But 
 to the others, who live but to calumniate and injure man, and 
 all those who are allied to them in their conduct or sentiments, 
 I address this essay, leaving it to the world to see what vile 
 wretches exist, wretches who pretend to instruct our youth 
 properly, by inftising into their pliant minds such principles as 
 would assist them to avoid the same destruction which is in- 
 evitable to all those who perish in the plenitude of their guilt. 
 The Thersites of the ancient Greeks, extremely character- 
 istic of this band, is thus described by Mr. Pope ; and may 
 be applied to it with some little alteration. 
 
 I wish not to injure the character of enemies when dead, 
 and therefore bid them an eternal farewell. I prefer the 
 Athenian to the Egyptian custom. The former allowed no 
 tongue to utter truths which would derogate from the reputation 
 of the deceased ; the latter rigorously judged his character, 
 and if known to have been base and vile, was refused the 
 rites of burial. 
 
 " Thersites only clamour'd in the throng, 
 Loquacious, loud and turbulent of tongue 
 Avv'd by no shame, by no respect controul'd, 
 In scandal busy, in reproaches bold ; 
 With witty malice studious to defame ; 
 Scorn all his joy, and laughter all his aim ; 
 Spleen to mankind his envious heart possess'd, 
 And much he hated all, but most the best." 
 
 Uo?ner , s Iliad, _B. 2* 
 
 Q 2 
 
186 REFORMER. 
 
 another consideration ; the manner is deemed secon- 
 dary with me. It is the energy and correctness of the 
 sentiments, which attract public attention, and demand 
 admiration and applause. We do not consult style on 
 every occasion, nor consider it as the basis of solid 
 improvement. We require the effusions of a sound 
 understanding, which are alone sufficient to recom- 
 pense readers, for deficiencies in the choice of lan- 
 guage, elegance of figures, metaphorical allusions and 
 smooth periods. But these have altogether, as well 
 as correct principles, been little attended to by you, 
 and the opinions of a malignant heart, dressed in a 
 most fantastic garb, usurp their place. They appear 
 to be the dreams of a distempered imagination, or the 
 effusions of one racked by madness, under the influ- 
 ence of irritation and malevolence. " If you are not of 
 the kind of these ranting and foaming bedlamites, you 
 and your co-adjutors prove yourselves to be either of 
 the race of men, whose heads do grow beneath their 
 shoulders, or of the number of those unfortunate per- 
 sons, whose brain is shaken out of its natural position." 
 With respect to the sentiments which I have ad- 
 vanced, I have constituted the public my judge. If 
 they be unjust, let them perish. Let them follow the 
 illiberal invective and scurrility of Mentins, and his 
 bacchanalian compeers, to the grave. I do not wish 
 them to live, if they be productive of evil ; the regions of 
 oblivion are the proper receptacle for all injurious pub- 
 lications. But I believe that no man of common under- 
 standing, possessed of a virtuous education and clear 
 conscience, will contradict the assertion, that a private 
 theatre often proves a convenient chapel of ease to 
 
REFORMER. 187 
 
 Hymen. They who do not think my #eflections just, 
 will finally discover the natural and inevitable conse- 
 quence of boys and girls making love to one another 
 upon a public or private stage, particularly in a pri- 
 vate theatre. If it terminate in a runaway marriage, 
 the patrons of this kind of modern education, must 
 neither be surprised nor offended. If it end in an in- 
 trigue ; if the girls be seduced, and the boys enter in- 
 to life with the manners and morals of stage-players, 
 the parents have only, in either of these cases, to con- 
 demn themselves for their folly and inconsistency. 
 
 These are the sentiments, which I have laid before 
 the public, and these are they, which you call ridic- 
 ulous, and " productive of evil" With justice and 
 truth, therefore, I may assert, that the apparent con- 
 futation of them (if I ma}^ so call it) has proved at 
 once the weakness of your understanding and the 
 blackness of your heart. Nor do I intend, Sir, to re- 
 linquish them ; though you, or any other men of your 
 character, may use your utmost exertions in the vain 
 attempt of vindicating a practice so very detrimental 
 to the harmony and welfare of society, so opposite to 
 every feeling of humanity, and though you may be de- 
 sirous of laying a foundation, upon which, if you could 
 succeed in raising a fabric, it would be subversive of 
 all morality, religion and virtue. I am not to be ter- 
 rified by the demoniac, ill-natured sarcasms of those, 
 who are utterly strangers to the observing of Christ's 
 holy laws : nor am I to surrender my liberties, when 
 they are invaded by an immoral and insolent foe ; but 
 to use every means which God and nature have put 
 into my power, to expel deistical principles, and un= 
 
188 REFORMER. 
 
 logical deductions, and establish in their place, senti- 
 ments and opinions, which have stood the test of time, 
 of criticism, infidelity and satire. Falsehood may mis- 
 represent them ; but they are still intrinsically the 
 same. Religion, by her enemies, has been long mis- 
 represented and made a tool of malicious and fanatic 
 influence ; but her true nature is still the same, and 
 will continue the same, pure and immaculate, not only 
 when the works of- such men as you shall be forgotten, 
 but even when the most stupendous works of art and 
 nature shall be annihilated, when the elements shall 
 melt with fervent heat, and when, to close the awful 
 scene, the last signal trump shall arouse the sleeping- 
 world from their long dark slumber. Mentius, what 
 will then become of you ? I sincerely wish, that by a 
 well timed repentance and amendment of life, you may 
 yet be enabled, through the merits and mediation of 
 our blessed Redeemer, to avoid that dreadful sentence, 
 which, at that awful period, will be pronounced against 
 those, who shall have died finally impenitent and un- 
 converted — " Depart from me ye workers of iniquity 
 into everlasting punishment prepared for you before 
 the foundation of the world." 
 
 You are found to have done evil. Sophocles. 
 
 Hot headed champions like you, Sir, are ever ready 
 to engage in any cause, subversive of good govern- 
 ment and religion ; because they restrain you and oth- 
 er votaries of Bacchus in some degree, from execu- 
 ting your infamous designs ; a violation of which the 
 jurisprudence of our country would punish with a fate 
 correspondent to the crime. I know you well, but 
 
REFORMER. 189 
 
 for the sake of posterity, a veil shall be drawn over 
 your names. I should be touched with commiseration, 
 did I believe, that unborn ages would hear of the 
 malign war which you wage against the church of 
 Christ and his disciples. 
 
 But Mentius, let me caution you and your compan- 
 ions in sin, to take care how you persevere in your 
 high-handed career of wickedness and impiety ; for 
 be ye assured, that unless you can arrest the progress 
 of time, hurl the Most High from his throne, drive 
 religion out of this world ; procure the union of all 
 men in one cursed asseveration against the Father and 
 Son, and also in one general denial of the existence 
 of heaven and hell ; those who die finally impenitent, 
 will in vain, think of escaping the fierce indignation 
 of the Almighty. And be ye assured, that " it is a 
 terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God," 
 a God, who though merciful to the regenerate, will in- 
 fallibly punish those, who continue to the end, in the 
 determined violation of all laws both human and divine. 
 I would likewise admonish you, that though, by your 
 art and cunning, you may elude being brought before 
 an earthly tribunal for the crimes, which you may 
 have committed against your fellow-men, by which 
 means, you may not receive the punishment, which is 
 justly due to you in this world; yet, Sir, let me tell 
 you, that you will at last have to appear before an all 
 seeing judge^ " who will reward or punish every man 
 according to his works." This is a judge, whom no 
 man can possibly deceive, as he not only knows all 
 our words and actions, but even the very thoughts of 
 *ur hearts. These are most serious reflections, and 
 
190 REFORMER. 
 
 I wish that they may meet that consideration, which 
 their importance requires. 
 
 But it is not because you have misrepresented or 
 styled my arguments absurd or trivial, that I have 
 come forward to vindicate them. They want no vin- 
 dication. They speak for themselves. But it is be- 
 cause you have propagated atheistical doctrines, and 
 endeavoured to shake the principles of our youth, and 
 sever them from the cause of Christ, and social so- 
 ciety. It is because you have persecuted an innocent 
 man, both in public prints and private conversation, 
 vilified his learning, and imputed to "him the worst of 
 motives. Calumny stalks at large in your converse, 
 and blasts the character of your friend. Not satisfied 
 with this, it arraigns his wife and children at its inW 
 hallowed tribunal, and wounds parental and filial affec- 
 tion. It emits its pestilential breath, and the fairest 
 flower soon droops and dies. Though the laws assume 
 in some points, the guardianship of a man's reputa- 
 tion ; yet they cannot shield a man's feelings. They 
 are a natural gift, and the power of law has no control 
 over them. Few things are more worthy of preserv- 
 ing than personal reputation. This, Sir, you have 
 endeavoured to asperse, and wrong the man, who has 
 to you proved himself a father. It is characteristic | 
 of you, however, as filial ingratitude still adheres to 
 you with all its natural malignity.— -Though the eflfu- | 
 sions which occupy your essay, are from the pens of 
 the most infamous, abandoned and despicable of man- 
 kind, yet they are never without the power of ill con- 
 sequences. They will add weight to hostile animad- i 
 versions, weaken the confidence of his friends, and 
 
REFORMER. j[Q^ 
 
 darken the lustre which shrouds his character. They 
 are the offspring of a heart laden with iniquity, ready 
 to disgorge itself upon the virtuous and learned. You 
 have by them acknowledged your depravity, though con- 
 trary to your intentions ; and invented slander, which 
 you intended should ruin an honest man,, but have 
 brought the murky storm, which has long been gath- 
 ering, on your own heads, exposed your dishonest arts 
 and malignant intentions, and cited yourselves before 
 the unerring judgment of your country, which demands 
 you to be made a public sacrifice. She would lose 
 nothing, but gain much. It would be an example to 
 your proselytes. And if the hour has not arrived, it 
 soon will, when your disingenuous, designing and ca- 
 lumniating soul shall be arraigned before the tribunal 
 of your native realms, and suffer a punishment worthy 
 of the accumulated crimes, preserved without the hazard 
 of diminution in your iniquitous breast. You then 
 will have no asylum, to which you may fly to shelter 
 you from the vengeance of a justly incensed public 
 and God ; no refuge where your enormities may plead 
 the place of virtues ; no place, which will not reproach 
 you with the want of religion and moral obligation ; no 
 place, which will not seem a hell to you. You may then 
 pertinently exclaim in the touching accents of Satan 5 
 
 f< Me miserable,which way shall I fly, 
 
 From infinite wrath and infinite despair ? 
 Which way I fly is hell. Myself am hell, 
 And in the lowest depth, a lower deep, 
 Still threatening 1 to devour me opens wide, 
 To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven." 
 
 Milton. 
 
192 REFORMER. 
 
 I have a right to retort the language, which you 
 have thought it expedient to use. The contemptuous 
 and virulent sentiments which you have deemed prop- 
 er to adopt, while they cannot degrade you in the pub- 
 lic estimation, I hope, may never affect the object of 
 your unjust and unprovoked abuse, nor the guardians of 
 youth , though it may, for a moment, wound their 
 feelings; for you must consider, if you never have 
 heretofore, that all do not possess the same cynical 
 nature with yourself. Their grief then will not arise 
 from the opinions,* which such poor wretches as you 
 entertain concerning them ; but from seeing you act 
 so incompatibly with the dignity of human nature, and 
 debase yourselves to a state as low and degrading as 
 that ever occupied by the meanest and most worthless 
 men, who either at the present or any former period, 
 have disgraced society. 
 
 Were you therefore to insinuate, Messrs. Mentius, 
 and Co. that I expect to enhance my reputation by an- 
 swering the scurrilous invectives, which blacken ev- 
 ery line of your silly essay, it would be an imposition 
 on the dullest understanding. It would be the prime 
 cause of its non-existence, and your vile names would 
 blast the present hopes entertained ; the bubble would 
 vanish like a meteor in a storm, and they would encum- 
 ber it, as it floats on the silent current of time. Neither 
 will I compare your virtues to the man's greatest foi- 
 bles, whom you have abused, " for his failings lean 
 to virtue's side." But should I, Mentius, &c. apply 
 
 * Opinions or sentiments of any kind, however injurious, 
 if contained in the proprietor's breast alone, cannot injure any 
 but himself. 
 
REFORMER. 193 
 
 the name of virtue to you, the prostitution of her char- 
 acter, would be a reproach t© my reputation to the la- 
 test posterity. She would wither at the thought. It 
 would be tarnishing her name without cause, without 
 provocation. 
 
 If you are dissatisfied with this delineation of your- 
 self and your fit associates, appeal to the public for 
 their opinion and support, They will soon determine, 
 and justly too. But your reference must be made to 
 those stampt after the image of yourselves. You will 
 among them obtain a willing audience. You there 
 may look for a sort of protection. But do not appeal 
 for your own, as well as others' sakes, to men of hon- 
 our and sincerity ; for their names offered by your pol- 
 luted hands at the temple of virtue would be rejected 
 with scorn from the un worthiness of the donors, 
 
 " Jamne vides, bellua, jamne sends, quae sit hominum 
 querula frontis tuse ?" * Cicero. 
 
 Though the whole of your essay has no demands 
 upon common sense ; yet such as it is, I will give my 
 opinion of it, without reserve or disguise. I will how- 
 ever remark, that you may not be disappointed, as to 
 the claims your composition has upon the public, that 
 what Cicero observes of Hegesias the IVIagneeian, in 
 his Orator, may be very justly applied to men of your 
 class. " He is faulty," says he, « no less in his 
 thoughts^ than his expressions^ so that no one, who 
 has any knowledge of him, need ever be at a loss for 
 a man to call impertinent." 
 
 * Dost thou not see, blockhead, dost thou not now perceive 
 what complaints are made of thy impudence ? 
 
 R 
 
194 REFORMER. 
 
 As the practice of attempting to criticise has become 
 very fashionable of late, I am by no means, surprised 
 to find such superficial men as you among the number. 
 If you had ever given any certificate of four philological 
 abilities worthy of notice, you might expect a little pal- 
 liation for your compound of absurdities ; though your 
 motives would be universally condemned. It immediate- 
 ly appears, upon a. perusal of your communication, that 
 you and your impartial brothers, were instigated, not 
 by any laudable intention ; but by personal animosity 
 and envy. Your animadversions are aimed at a man's 
 superiour literary attainments ; it is the cause of all 
 your scurrility and abuse. You, therefore, must be 
 depraved, indeed, who would banish from your breasts 
 every sentiment of honour, every feeling of humanity, 
 to humiliate him on account of his eminent standing in 
 society. Had you been spurred on with the desire of 
 accomplishing a commendable reformation in any par- 
 ticular follies or vices, the silly wit, which pervades 
 your despicable compilation (it may be justly called so, 
 as I shall directly show) would have had the merit of 
 good intention. This may be done in order to produce 
 good effects. But, Mentius, blush for your deformities 
 of mind. — Yet I know that there are many, who will co- 
 incide with you in your censure, and captiously object 
 to all I have said. Captious ignorance however will 
 object to every thing, which is praise-worthy. Those 
 men, who are opposed to the dissemination of pure 
 doctrine and solid improvement, owe their prejudices 
 and false notions to such preposterous methods, as yon 
 have recommended. Allured by the gaudy shows of 
 fantastic and superficial knowledge, they have made 
 
REFORMER. 195 
 
 no sound proficiency. Among the whole host of your 
 acquaintance, you will find none possessed of any of 
 the requisites of a scholar and gentleman, who does 
 not despise your sentiments upon such an important 
 subject; if not, I who am not single in the opinion, 
 would not hesitate to rank him with that, wittiless class 
 of men, who„ condemn what they do not understand. 
 
 " DamnanV quod non intelligunt." 
 
 You, admirable critic, after lavishing your termsr of 
 reproach with a very liberal hand, commence with this 
 wonderful assertion, and continue your remarks some- 
 what similar, throughout your supereminent perform- 
 ance. Thus say you, " there are many things in my 
 adversary's essay, entirely ludicrous and impertinent.'* 
 Of the acute observations, of you second Longinuses, we 
 have one of your best specimens. Now, here I would! 
 observe, that I never published any essay whatever, 
 previous to the one, under your critical pens, nor have 
 I alluded to any particular person or persons. " It 
 must, therefore, of necessity require much invention, 
 or perversion of mind, to prove that one man can be 
 an adversary to another, who is equally ignorant of his 
 person and writings." I never thought of you, com- 
 ical heroes, and as to adversaries, I have indeed, found 
 you a very wittiless and harmless sort of animals. 
 
 It would have been happy for you, all-learned wri- 
 ters, had you let your criticism stop here, "you would 
 have saved yourselves and friends much additional 
 contempt." " You say, with some christian self-com- 
 placency, have you (I will stake the whole cause 
 upon this issue) invariably done unto others, as you 
 
196 REFORMED. 
 
 wish that others should do unto you ?" I will here 
 again remark, that the greater part of your observa- 
 tions have been extracted from a defence of the Pur- 
 suits of Literature, a highly estimable satirical Poem, 
 but with this additional and sufieriour emendation, that in 
 your plagiarism, you have proved yourselves totally ig- 
 norant of grammatical construction. And as you have 
 thought fit to take such passages from this work, after 
 such alterations as you deemed, would, in your opinion, 
 render them subservient to your base designs, I hope, I 
 shall be allowed the same privilege of continuing the 
 P. of L's remarks, as they answer my purposes ex- 
 tremely well. In reply, then, to the present plagiar- 
 ized sentence, I say, " that whoever feels the infirmity 
 of- human nature, has already answered the question 
 and borne testimony to the folly of the man, who has 
 been weak enough to propose it. But the intention of 
 the o^iestion, and the region to which you would fain 
 consign me, are easy to conjecture. You remind me 
 of the Night-walker, or little thief, in the comedy of 
 Beaumont and Fletcher, who has his nurse, servants, 
 l-cll-ringers, and sexton all ready for his interment. 
 Nay you seem willing to follow me to the w r orld un- 
 known, and even to anticipate my sentence." 
 
 " Still there is always something unfortunate in the 
 imitations of inferiour writers. Indeed, they seldom 
 discover the proper object of imitation. Sir William 
 Draper was an ingenious man, and a good scholar ; but 
 imprudent in his conduct. He had zeal without knowl- 
 edge, and boldness without discretion. He volunta- 
 rily attacked Junius, " whose shoe's latchet you my ad- 
 versaries declare, I am not worthy to unloose." That 
 
&EFORMEB.. 197 
 
 is, you mean yourselves, not Junius, Here it seems 
 you have another peep at the P. of L. but have not 
 acknowledged it. " But the wanton and impious lev- 
 ity of the allusion, I leave you to reconcile with deco- 
 rum. You are here unhappy rivals of Sir William, 
 in putting- questions from the Scriptures. I shall say 
 with Junius, " Such a question, Sir, may perhaps dis- 
 compose the gravity of my muscles ; but I believe it 
 will little affect the tranquillity of my conscience." 
 
 It would be a Herculean task for me to analyze your 
 farcical composition, produced by your conjoined la- 
 bours. I will, therefore, make a few observations, up- 
 on the motives which gave rise to it. As to the senti- 
 ments themselves, which I have advanced, you (won- 
 derful philologists) merely assert that they are triviaL 
 Such a reply needs no refutation; it carries on its face 
 its own condemnation. It is a piece of criticism (if I 
 inay-so call it) that puzzles me as much to form a con- 
 ception of, as the incongruous combination which Lord 
 Bolingbroke calls a mixture of theism and atheism ; a 
 co-operation of God and chance. You farther observe, 
 that " you have not investigated the subject, and (a lo- 
 gical deduction for once) consequently, are inadequate 
 -to judge concerning it." I agree in opinion. Now 
 what addle-headed fellows you must be, to undertake 
 the refutation of any principles, without having first 
 duly investigated them. It is a very common way of 
 pacifying the ignorant part of the populace. It is also 
 a common mode with the votaries of atheism to answer 
 passages of the Holy Scriptures. This very just re? 
 mark of yours implies one of these two things, First, 
 R 2 
 
19S REFORMER. 
 
 that you were incapable of giving a just reply (which, 
 indeed, appears to be the case) or second, that the 
 sentiments were so palpable, so self-evident, that you 
 were conscious they could not be confuted, and that 
 personal abuse was the only instrument which could, in 
 the least, affect them in the eyes of the public. Now, 
 Sir, what motive induced you to attempt to vindicate • 
 a practice, which has prevailed among none, but the 
 most illiterate, or amongst those, whose folly and ina- 
 bility, in arrogating to themselves the highly respon- 
 sible office of rigid education, have been the cause of 
 their inveighing against those pure opinions which ev- 
 ery christian and enlightened person will support ? If 
 you did not wish to confute principles, what other cause 
 is, left to assign except an inveterate hatred. Your 
 Philipic assertions will, therefore, have little weight 
 upon charitable minds. If you cannot prove my opin- 
 ions erroneous, why have you written ? and if princi- 
 ples be not proved, what remains but a play upon 
 words, or perhaps, as you mighty scribblers in prose 
 are pleased to term it, wit. Surely, therefore, such 
 opinions as yours, and none but such, would come from 
 the pens of any men, unless they had been stewed in 
 corruption, and were endeavouring to purge them- 
 selves of such base notions,at the expence of other men's 
 moral and literary reputations. You have attempted to 
 ridicule truth, and thereby rendered yourself contempti- 
 ble. God himself may be ridiculed. But who are they 
 who would dare do it ? None but Mentius and his 
 
 BAND OF CO-ADJUTORS. 
 
 My remarks were not aimed at any particular per- 
 son, but at the man, who would make fool enough of 
 
REFORMER, 199 
 
 himself, in undertaking to inculcate that which cannot 
 be taught, or in other words, by attempting to supply 
 the defects of nature» 
 
 I should here like to make one inquiry. Since so 
 much cockney wit pervades the whole of your com- 
 munication, I should like to know, under whose sa- 
 gacious tuition you learned it Was it under that of 
 Johnny Minshull, who has gone to Europe to diffuse 
 his classic lore, because learning was not patronized 
 by the American community ? If so, since you enter- 
 tain a notion of becoming the rival of that matchless 
 genius, I beg you will seek that literary shore also s 
 to preserve your flights of wit, and leave something 
 to posterity to manifest the powers of your boundless 
 imagination ; for they cannot live among your " fel= 
 
 LOW TEACHERS HERE." 
 
 As to the pertinacity of your remarks, no one can 
 now remain in doubt of your Bavian mental powers, 
 nor will any doubt of your intentions. You (in a word) 
 have totally left the subject under consideration. Like 
 the snarling cur you have attempted to fix your ma- 
 lignant fangs in the heart of a man, who is wholly ig- 
 norant of my communication. No one but the writer 
 knows it. Your baleful eyes have singled him out, 
 and malice with its hydra tongue inflicted a wound 
 which ought to rankle in your insatiated bosoms, till 
 the grave claims its victims. 
 
 When two dogs are fighting in the streets, 
 With a third dog, one of the dogs meets, * 
 With angry tooth he bites him to the bone, 
 And this dog' smarts, for what that dog has done. 
 
200 REFORMED. 
 
 It is evident from the abusive language which you 
 have used, that you have been stung by the truth of 
 the sentiments, and finding no way to disprove them, 
 you have, like all weak and malicious men, endeavoured 
 to ridicule that, which you cannot confute. The mot- 
 to, " that ridicule is the test of truth" has failed here. 
 It may answer in some cases, but handled by you it 
 would defeat its purposes. Your folly and invective 
 may tickle the ears of the vulgar and illiberal ; but 
 cannot be overlooked by the virtuous and learned. — 
 Had you employed what little you know, upon any thing, 
 except vindicating the practice of acting obscene 
 plays at school, with the non-appearance of malig- 
 nant intentions, I should have considered your attempts 
 both pardonable and praise-worthy. The low ribaldry 
 which pervades your Maevian composition, if nothing 
 else were added, is sufficient to explain your motives. 
 The free and indiscriminate use of low epithets, so 
 utterly inconsistent with decorum, which characterize 
 your sufieriour intellectual and moral refinement, mark 
 your fertile minds, and your collected scraps show you 
 to be men of as much taste as judgment. 
 
 a To conceive that such men as you can confer praise 
 on any man, is an insult to any understanding. The pub- 
 lic do not expect to discover what is eloquent and spir- 
 ited from such wooden oracles* The state will ac- 
 knowledge their best friends, and literature its best 
 defenders, without your assistance or direction. Such 
 men (as you) have neither part nor lot in the region 
 of the learned. In the temple of immortality, your 
 voice cannot be heard. Even the names you would 
 
HEFORMEH. ^01 
 
 fain present to the guardians of that temple, would be 
 rejected from the unworthiness of the votaries." 
 
 As to the flimsy stuff, which pervades the sixth par- 
 agraph, concerning the state of an infant's mind at its 
 birth, I shall not give a more satisfactory answer than 
 this: as you are philosophers, that is, pseudo phi- 
 losophers, I advise you to read Lock, Stewart, Reid, 
 Berkly, Shrew, Condillac, &c> you will there find, what 
 1 have advanced is supported by the most consummate 
 philosophical writers, 
 
 And now, you composition of Bavius and Msevius,* 
 as one good turn deserves another, I would advise, in 
 the place of drowning such harmless things as puppies 
 (this indeed is very applicable to the subject of acting 
 plays at school) that you crawl to your bed-chambers, 
 and ponder over the subject of which you acknowledge 
 yourselves ignorant, so that you may hereafter be ca- 
 pable, either to justify or confute my sentiments ; till 
 which time, oh, ye tinsel writers ! I bid you adieu, 
 
 Semel causam dixi (vel iterum dicturus) quo semper agere 
 solitus sum, accusatorio spihitu. Livy. 
 
 " I have once spoken in this great cause (prepared to re- 
 peat my words, if required) with that spirit which I am ever 
 wont to assume, the spirit of an accuser." 
 
 N. B... .Notwithstanding considerable attention has 
 been bestowed in correcting the typographical, &c. 
 errours, yet several have escaped the author's notice, 
 which he intends (Deo volente) to amend in the 
 next edition. 
 
 * Two stupid and malevolent poets in the age of Augustus, 
 who attacked the superiour talents of the cotemporary wri=> 
 terg, Virgil. 
 
 FINIS, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Preface, - 3 
 
 Introduction, - - - - - - 13 
 
 Remarks on Education, Parents, Instructors, &c. 
 
 Chapter 1, ... 25 
 
 Chapter 2, . _ - - 35 
 
 Chapter 3, 43 
 
 Chapter 4, 58 
 
 Chapter -5, .. - . 65 
 
 Chapter 6, 75 
 
 Chapter 7, - - - _ 81 
 On the evil tendency of theatrical exhibitions 
 
 at school, - 84 
 
 On the study of the Latin and Greek Languages, 106 
 
 On Female Education, - - - - 123 
 
 On Scholastic Examinations, - - 133 
 
 On recommending men as Teachers, - - 141 
 
 The history of a Quack Pedagogue, - - 149 
 
 Exhibition of a Tragedy by Scholars, - - 161 
 
 The wonderful Orator and Logician, - • 173 
 
 To Mentius, Sec. ----- 184 
 
Library of Congress 
 Branch Bindery, 1902