Part 45 (1/2)
_History_ will show the wonderful Effects of ORATORY, in governing, turning and leading great Bodies of Mankind, Armies, Cities, Nations.
When the Minds of Youth are struck with Admiration at this, then is the Time to give them the Principles of that Art, which they will study with Taste and Application. Then they may be made acquainted with the best Models among the antients, their Beauties being particularly pointed out to them. Modern Political Oratory being chiefly performed by the Pen and Press, its Advantages over the Antient in some Respects are to be shown; as that its Effects are more extensive, more lasting, &c.
_History_ will also afford frequent Opportunities of showing the Necessity of a _Publick Religion_, from its Usefulness to the Publick; the Advantage of a Religious Character among private Persons; the Mischiefs of Superst.i.tion, &c. and the Excellency of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION above all others antient or modern.
_History_ will also give Occasion to expatiate on the Advantage of Civil Orders and Const.i.tutions; how Men and their Properties are protected by joining in Societies and establis.h.i.+ng Government; their Industry encouraged and rewarded, Arts invented, and Life made more comfortable: The Advantages of _Liberty_, Mischiefs of _Licentiousness_, Benefits arising from good Laws and a due Execution of Justice, &c. Thus may the first Principles of sound _Politicks_ be fix'd in the Minds of Youth.
On _Historical_ Occasions, Questions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, will naturally arise, and may be put to Youth, which they may debate in Conversation and in Writing. When they ardently desire Victory, for the Sake of the Praise attending it, they will begin to feel the Want, and be sensible of the Use of _Logic_, or the Art of Reasoning to _discover_ Truth, and of Arguing to _defend_ it, and _convince_ Adversaries. This would be the Time to acquaint them with the Principles of that Art. Grotius, Puffendorff, and some other Writers of the same Kind, may be used on these Occasions to decide their Disputes.
Publick Disputes warm the Imagination, whet the Industry, and strengthen the natural Abilities.
When Youth are told, that the Great Men whose Lives and Actions they read in History, spoke two of the best Languages that ever were, the most expressive, copious, beautiful; and that the finest Writings, the most correct Compositions, the most perfect Productions of human Wit and Wisdom, are in those Languages, which have endured Ages, and will endure while there are Men; that no Translation can do them Justice, or give the Pleasure found in Reading the Originals; that those Languages contain all Science; that one of them is become almost universal, being the Language of Learned Men in all Countries; that to understand them is a distinguis.h.i.+ng Ornament, &c. they may be thereby made desirous of learning those Languages, and their Industry sharpen'd in the Acquisition of them. All intended for Divinity, should be taught the _Latin_ and _Greek_; for Physick, the _Latin_, _Greek_, and _French_; for Law, the _Latin_ and _French_; Merchants, the _French_, _German_, and _Spanish_: And though all should not be compell'd to learn _Latin_, _Greek_, or the modern foreign Languages; yet none that have an ardent Desire to learn them should be refused; their _English_, Arithmetick and other Studies absolutely necessary, being at the same Time not neglected.
If the new _Universal History_ were also read, it would give a _connected_ Idea of human Affairs, so far as it goes, which should be follow'd by the best modern Histories, particularly of our Mother Country; then of these Colonies; which should be accompanied with Observations on their Rise, Encrease, Use to _Great Britain_, Encouragements, Discouragements, etc. the Means to make them flourish, secure their Liberties, &c.
With the History of Men, Times, and Nations, should be read at proper Hours or Days, some of the best _Histories of Nature_, which would not only be delightful to Youth, and furnish them with Matter for their Letters, &c. as well as other History; but afterwards of great Use to them, whether they are Merchants, Handicrafts, or Divines; enabling the first the better to understand many Commodities, Drugs, &c; the second to improve his Trade or Handicraft by new Mixtures, Materials, &c., and the last to adorn his Discourses by beautiful Comparisons, and strengthen them by new Proofs of Divine Providence. The Conversation of all will be improved by it, as Occasions frequently occur of making Natural Observations, which are instructive, agreeable, and entertaining in almost all Companies. _Natural History_ will also afford Opportunities of introducing many Observations, relating to the Preservation of Health, which may be afterwards of great Use.
_Arbuthnot_ on Air and _Aliment_, _Sanctorius_ on Perspiration, _Lemery_ on Foods, and some others, may now be read, and a very little Explanation will make them sufficiently intelligible to Youth.
While they are reading Natural History, might not a little _Gardening_, _Planting_, _Grafting_, _Inoculating_, etc., be taught and practised; and now and then Excursions made to the neighbouring Plantations of the best Farmers, their Methods observ'd and reason'd upon for the Information of Youth? The Improvement of Agriculture being useful to all, and Skill in it no Disparagement to any.
The History of _Commerce_, of the Invention of Arts, Rise of Manufactures, Progress of Trade, Change of its Seats, with the Reasons, Causes, &c., may also be made entertaining to Youth, and will be useful to all. And this, with the Accounts in other History of the prodigious Force and Effect of Engines and Machines used in War, will naturally introduce a Desire to be instructed in _Mechanicks_, and to be inform'd of the Principles of that Art by which weak Men perform such Wonders, Labour is sav'd, Manufactures expedited, &c. This will be the Time to show them Prints of antient and modern Machines, to explain them, to let them be copied, and to give Lectures in Mechanical Philosophy.
With the whole should be constantly inculcated and cultivated, that _Benignity of Mind_, which shows itself in _searching for_ and _seizing_ every Opportunity _to serve_ and _to oblige_; and is the Foundation of what is called GOOD BREEDING; highly useful to the Possessor, and most agreeable to all.
The Idea of what is _true Merit_ should also be often presented to Youth, explain'd and impress'd on their _Minds_, as consisting in an _Inclination_ join'd with an _Ability_ to serve Mankind, one's Country, Friends and Family; which _Ability_ is (with the Blessing of G.o.d) to be acquir'd or greatly encreas'd by _true Learning_; and should indeed be the great _Aim_ and _End_ of all Learning.
IDEA OF THE ENGLISH SCHOOL
Sketch'd out for the Consideration of the Trustees of the Philadelphia Academy [1751][34]
It is expected that every Scholar to be admitted into this School, be at least able to p.r.o.nounce and divide the Syllables in Reading, and to write a legible Hand. None to be receiv'd that are under ---- Years of Age.
FIRST OR LOWEST CLa.s.s
Let the first Cla.s.s learn the _English Grammar_ Rules, and at the same time let particular Care be taken to improve them in _Orthography_.
Perhaps the latter is best done by _Pairing_ the Scholars, two of those nearest equal in their Spelling to be put together; let these strive for Victory, each propounding Ten Words every Day to the other to be spelt.
He that spells truly most of the other's Words, is Victor for that Day; he that is Victor most Days in a Month, to obtain a Prize, a pretty neat Book of some Kind useful in their future Studies. This Method fixes the Attention of Children extreamly to the Orthography of Words, and makes them good Spellers very early. 'Tis a Shame for a Man to be so ignorant of this little Art, in his own Language, as to be perpetually confounding Words of like Sound and different Significations; the Consciousness of which Defect, makes some Men, otherwise of good Learning and Understanding, averse to Writing even a common Letter.
Let the Pieces read by the Scholars in this Cla.s.s be short, such as _Croxall's_ Fables,[35] and little Stories. In giving the Lesson, let it be read to them; let the Meaning of the difficult Words in it be explained to them, and let them con it over by themselves before they are called to read to the Master, or Usher; who is to take particular Care that they do not read too fast, and that they duly observe the Stops and Pauses. A Vocabulary of the most usual difficult Words might be formed for their Use, with Explanations; and they might daily get a few of those Words and Explanations by Heart, which would a little exercise their Memories; or at least they might write a Number of them in a small Book for the Purpose, which would help to fix the Meaning of those Words in their Minds, and at the same Time furnish every one with a little Dictionary for his future Use.
THE SECOND CLa.s.s
to be taught Reading with Attention, and with proper Modulations of the Voice, according to the Sentiments and Subject.
Some short Pieces, not exceeding the Length of a _Spectator_, to be given this Cla.s.s as Lessons (and some of the easier _Spectators_ would be very suitable for the Purpose.) These Lessons might be given over Night as Tasks, the Scholars to study them against the Morning. Let it then be required of them to give an Account, first of the Parts of Speech, and Construction of one or two Sentences; this will oblige them to recur frequently to their Grammar, and fix its princ.i.p.al Rules in their Memory. Next of the _Intention_ of the Writer, or the _Scope_ of the Piece; the Meaning of each Sentence, and of every uncommon Word.