them, they would not lie under such temptations as poorer people do. This, as it would considerably add to the honour of learning, and interest of the nation, in general, so it would be no dishonourable way to dispose of the younger sons of the nobility and gentry. For, besides what encouragement they might expect from the study of the laws and of medicine, there are in the kingdom at least an hundred places in the church and universities which yield two thousand marks yearly, and few of the other church benefices are under one thousand. Now in my humble opinion, the younger sons of even the best families, especially when not sufficiently provided for, might be as wisely and honourably disposed of this way, as by being kept idle at home, or sent off to be soldiers abroad. It is plain to dispose of them so would put them in a way of being more serviceable to God, their country, and their kindred, than commonly they are. And, were matters ordered after this manner, it is probable the church government would not be so ambulatory as it has hitherto been in this kingdom, since the nobility and gentry, of whom the Parliaments are made up, would not readily make acts, which should oblige them to take back their brothers and sons to their houses. And nothing could contribute more to the quiet and peace of the nation, than that the government of the church was at last effectually secured against so frequent changes.

Now, that so good a design may take effect, it is necessary to raise the price of learning, so as to discourage the poorer sort from attempting it; that those only, whose circumstances enable them to make successful advances in learning, may have access to it. To make learning dearer, the number of the schools, at least, must be diminished, and the masters salaries and fees augmented. And the time and methods of teaching in schools and universities should be regulated according to the following, or some such like scheme.

I think there should be only one grammar school in a county or shire, two at most in the largest, and where two lesser lie together, one may serve for both. These schools ought to be well endowed, and some of the best men of the nation for prudence and learning, provided to be masters and ushers. A master and four doctors or ushers, at least, will be necessary for every school. And besides those publick schools, at all the country churches, I would have the precentor of the parish (who needs not to be a master of arts) to teach the children to read and write English, and the common rules of arithmetick, which is all the learning that is needful or useful to the mechanicks and poorer people. But it may be enquired, where shall funds be had for maintaining those schools? I answer, that is not my business, let the wisdom of the nation consider it but perhaps, it would be no difficult task to find out funds, if some people would apply themselves a little that way. There are, for example, in the shire of Fife, about eighty parishes, and every parish has a salary, one with another, above one hundred pounds Scots a year for a school-master. Now, take the one half of this salary, and give to the teacher of the English language; this, with the advantage of his scholars, and his emolu

ments as precentor and session-clerk, may make him live pretty well; for he has no great character to maintain. Apply the other half for the publick grammar schools; this will maintain two, being six thousand marks a year; to wit, the master of each school should have one thousand marks, and four doctors, each of them, five hundred marks salary a year; which, with the benefit of their scholars (for, because I would have learning dear, I would have the scholars pay much more liberally than they commonly do), would be a very comfortable and handsome provision for both masters and ushers.

My designed brevity will not allow me to be very particular in naming all the books that should be taught in schools. I shall only say in general, they ought to teach some plain and short grammar in English prose. Thus they will bestow less time on grammar, and have more to employ in reading authors; some of which they should read, not by shreds, as is commonly done, but from beginning to ending, such as Justin's History, Florus's Epitome, Cornelius Nepos's lives, Salust, Curtius, Terence, Ovid's Metamorphosis, as being the compleatest system of the Heathenish Mythology, &c. Some Odes, Satyres, and Epistles of Horace may be taught, and some particular places of Virgil, and other poets, at the master's discretion. And perhaps it may be very convenient, if not necessary, that boys, while at school, be taught the rudiments of geography and chronology, so far as they are capable, that they may read their authors to the best advantage. The last year they are at school (for I would have them, at least fourteen years of age before they leave it) they ought to learn the Greek grammar, and some easy Greek authors, such as Esop's Fables, Lucian's select Dialogues, Herodian, &c. and so we bring them to the University.

At the University, the youth must be obliged to stay six years, passing regularly through all the classes, before they can be made Masters of Arts. For examinations and trials, how rigorously soever designed, may be abused and shammed: but a long time, and due exercises performed, is the best and most probable way to make good scholars. In Oxford and Cambridge, which are famous Universities for learning all the world over, none can be made Master of Arts, until he stay seven years; none Doctor of Medicine or Law, till he stay fourteen; and none Doctor of Divinity, till he has been eighteen years about the University: yet after all, according to this calculation, our young men may commence Masters of Arts in the twentieth, or twenty-first year of their age, which I suppose every body will think soon enough.

In my opinion, two Universities are enough for this nation*, for there are no more in England. But since we are to ingraft on an old stock, we can only conveniently reform, not abolish any of our Universities. As I said, the students ought to stay six years at the University, and three of these years should be employed in reading

• Scotland.

Greek and Latin jointly. Such of the Latin and Greek historians and orators as they have not read at school, with the art of rhe- ⚫ torick, will be employment enough for two years. The poets, with the art of poetry, may furnish more than enough for the third.

Though one cannot find any great difficulty, in chusing the fittest authors that are to be taught; yet, for preventing all possible mistakes, and preserving uniformity, in all the colleges within the kingdom, it is highly convenient, that some persons of good reputation for learning, and who understand the constitutions and customs of foreign universities, should be appointed to meet, and particularly determine what books, and in what order, they are to be read.

Perhaps it might be proper to read together Greek and Latin authors, who write on the same or like subject: For example, Dionysius Halicarnassensis, and the three first books of Livy, the third book of Polybius, and the twenty-first of Livy, Appianus Alexandrinus, and Cæsar de Bello Civili; the orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, the pastorals of Theocritus and Virgil, Hesiod and Virgil's Georgicks, Homer's Ilias and Virgil's Æneis, Pindar and Horace, &c.

A great many of the best modern books of all sorts, and on all subjects, being written in the stile of the modern schools; it would seem necessary, that short compends of logick, ethicks, and metaphysicks should be printed and taught in the fourth year. The professor may likewise recommend as a private task Aristotle's ethicks and politicks; some select dialogues of Plato, Xenophon's Apomemoneumata, some of Plutarch's moral treatises, Hierocles in Aurora Carmina, Tully's philosophick works, some books of Seneca, &c. and one day of the week may be appointed for enquiring into the diligence of the students, and resolving their doubts.

And seeing all the ancient orators and poets and even historians, nay, and fathers of the church too, have been addicted to the hypothesis and principles of some one or other of the philosophical sects, and often reason from their notions, and use their terms and phrases: It would seem proper (besides the recommending of Diogenes Laertius, Eunapius, &c. to be diligently read and considered by the students) that some learned person or persons should compile a clear and distinct, but compendious history of all the ancient philosophies, distinguishing their hypothesis judiciously, digesting their principles methodically, explaining their terms of art and phrases, and putting their notions in as clear light as possible. This would mightily facilitate the understanding of the ancient learning.

During these four years, the students should be also taught arithmetick, geography, and chronology, to greater perfection, the first six, with the eleventh and twelfth books of Euclid, the elements of algebra, the plain and spherical trigonometry.

The two last years are to be spent in learning mixt mathematicks, or natural philosophy, viz. the laws of motion, mechanicks,

hydrostaticks, opticks, astronomy, &c. and experimental philosophy.

All along, from their first going to school, till they leave the university, the students ought carefully to be taught and instructed in the principles of religion; nothing being more certain than that, where there is not a well directed conscience, men are rather the worse than the better, for being learned in any science.

In every university, there must be, at least, three professors of Greek and Latin, one of logick, ethicks, and metaphysicks, two of mathematicks, and natural philosophy, one of divinity, one of civil history, another of ecclesiastical, and one of Hebrew, and other Oriental languages. Where scholars are numerous, the number of professors ought to be augmented in proportion: For I would have many masters, and few scholars. One master who pretends to teach eight or nine score of scholars (as we commonly see done) may as well undertake to teach eight or nine thousand. One master should not have above thirty scholars: And according to our scheme of making learning dear, let each of them pay 5 lib. sterling yearly to his master, at which rate thirty will afford 150 lib. sterling, which, with a small salary, may maintain the professor handsomely enough.

Besides this private teaching, I would have every professor to have, once a week, one publick lecture in the common school, that who pleases may come and hear him. Thus we may have one or more such lectures every day, and on different subjects, according to the number and professions of the lecturers. Nothing can contribute more, than this, to the honour and advancement of learning.

There is nothing more deserves the consideration of the Parliament, than that our youth are obliged to travel abroad, to study physick and law, and carry so much money out of the kingdom; ten or twelve thousand pounds sterling, by modest calculation, is every year spent abroad this way. Now, would the Parliament, but for once, give two months cess, which is but about what is spent in foreign universities in one year, the interest of it might establish professions of law and physick at home, where our youth might learn more in one year, than they can do abroad in three. For they are generally sent abroad about the twentieth year of their age, which is the nicest part of it: Then their passions are strong, and they have little sense to govern them, and they are just let loose from their parents and tutors; so that they acquire neither virtue nor learning, but habits of all sorts of debauchery, as we are taught by every day's experience. I would have the professions of law and physick established in the University of Edinburgh, where the students of law may have the advantage of excellent libraries for the civil law, and opportunity to hear the pleadings, and learn the form of the house, which our young men who study abroad, for all the money they have spent, are altogether ignorant of. And the physicians can have no subjects nor rooms for anatomy, nor

laboratories for chymistry, nor gardens for botany, but at Edinburgh.

I would have none entered into the house of advocates, but such as have certificates, from the professors of law, that they had studied four years with them, after they had passed the University; and none made doctors of medicine but such as have certificates, from the professors of physick, that they had studied four years, with them; and none allowed to practise, but such as are graduated in our own universities. And their paying liberally to their respective masters every year (and thereby saving so much from being squandered away abroad) with some salary, might prove a very good allowance to the professors. This might also hold concerning the students of divinity, that they should not be admitted into the church, without testimonials from the professors of divinity, that they had been a competent time (perhaps four years may be too little) at the lectures.

*

I do not design by this to discourage the publick or private donations of charity for educating the children of honest parents, who shall be found to have good spirits. I would only have them regulated: For example, our bursaries, as we call them, are commonly but one hundred marks or one hundred pounds,† wh.ch cannot maintain any person. I would therefore advise to cast four or five of them together, which, besides that it would abridge the number of pretenders to learning, might furnish sufficient funds for handsomely maintaining some few, and providing them with necessaries for prosecuting their studies. Neither ought this to be thought contrary to the intentions of those who made the donations, since, perhaps, at the time when they were first bestowed, an hundred marks might have gone further than now four hundred can do. The genuine design therefore being still pursued, it is to be presumed, that it was the will of the donators that such alterations should be made, when they should be found necessary.

One thing I forgot relating to funds: Perhaps, were the funds, belonging to some universities, carefully and narrowly enquired into, some of them might be found not so usefully applied, as they might be, and others yet unbestowed, which might help to erect new professions, where they are wanting.

Scholarships, or donations for providing for scholars in a college.
↑ Scotch.

END OF VOL. X.