and who, after having been possesssd of ico,000 livres a-year, is now obliged to bury himself perpetually in the country, which he abhors; because his follies, having reduced his fortune to a tenth part of that sum, leave him no other choice of life. These disappointments have so soured his temper, that he is a tyrant to every one around him. At first, however, he deceives with false appearances; for his manners are gay and lively, his conversation witty and elegant, and the habit of frequenting the best company, has taught him to speak with judgment on every subject. He appears equally ready on the most abstract sciences, ancient and modern languages, general literature, politics, and moral philosophy. But a little closer observation discovers, that this dazzling erudition is limited to a superficial paucity of ideas, which are borrowed from others, and perpetually recur. Some men there are, who have never opened a single volume to study for themseves, but have gleaned here and there, from the conversa tions of men of learning and talents, a few important truths which they constantly employ, like pence and farthings, on every common occasion. Suffer them quietly to count over their small change, and they appear to satisfy every wish; but, ask them for others, and they are quite at a loss. These men are averse to dispute and discussion, because all their knowledge, their judgment, and their talents consist in the mere jargon of memory. The minds and conversation of such men resemble a number of leaves, torn from various works, and heaped together without order or observation.

If these men were merely ignorant, they might be pardoned. But, as contradiction quite deranges them, they treat you with insult, for want of ideas; thinking, the way to gain the victory is to have the last word.'

We shall conclude this review with an extract on a subject of the highest consequence; and which, though really long, our readers probably will not think so.

"The education of children," said I, "is the most important of all arts. Our first ideas, our earliest habits, fix our future character, and their influence, be it good or evil, continues through our whole life, without a possibility of prevention. "Tis an art attended with the greatest difficulties, and long, very long, have men vainly attempted to overcome its early bias. Rousseau himself, however sublime his genius, almost trembles at their contemplation.

"I do not pretend," said she," to contradict the great man you speak of, nor to criticise the principles laid down by any writer, still less to form a system of education. My knowledge is not sufficiently extensive for that task. I admire and love the author of Emelius, for his purity of sentiment, and depth of thought, which seem to spring immediately from Nature herself. Yet, perhaps, he was wrong in speaking of our duties, in so discouraging and so awful a manner; for he has thereby made parents despair of fulfilling them. In constant fear of committing errors, and dreading the consequences of those which are unavoidable, they no longer venture to think for themselves, and merely learn by rote the maxims of Rousseau. To apply these on all occasions, appears to them a sufficient guide, whereas

the

the effect, in lieu of answering their expectations, is generally opposite to their wishes. Thus disappointed in their hopes, out of humour with their system, scarcely knowing what they do, they are convinced a good education is impossible, and that Rousseau has only uttered a series of theoretical paradoxes, absolutely impossible to put in prac

tice.

"I have pursued a very different method. The work of Rousseau appeared to me full of valuable truths, with which, however, it was less important to load the memory, than to employ them in forming our mind, and directing our reflective powers. By tracing them to their source, and observing the first principles from whence they flow in the clearest and most easy manner, I was enabled to recur to them when necessary, and thus every difficulty vanished from my mind.

"It does not require a very brilliant genius to educate children well. To render that qualification necessary, would not accord with the wisdom of Nature. The females of birds afford their young every care and every instruction their helpless infancy demands, without committing the most trifling error. Why should not woman possess the same maternal instinct, and in that perfection, which our superior organization admits. Nature, indeed, has given us the impulse, but our prejudices and our institutions efface it from the mind, and substitute a destructive vanity in its place. Pure maternal love, when combined with sweetness of temper, and a good understanding, excels the dogmatical maxims of the most brilliant systems. 'Tis the only guide we ought to follow, the only rule that is infallible.

"I speak from my own experience. My children have had no nurse, no governess, no instructor, but myself. They are not prodigies of learning and accomplishments, but they are good and happy, and that is all I wish. In these objects I have succeeded without difficulty. Convinced with Rousseau, that children enter the world free from every vice, I have permitted their minds to unfold of themselves, removing them from whatever might injure their uncorrupted minds, and keeping them constantly under my own eye. This strict attention, far from being a restraint on them, has been the means of procuring them every pleasure. Of all the individuals they ever see, no one loves them so well, or bestows on them more tender caresses than myself; no one contrives for them so many enjoyments, or bears their noisy mirth with more patience. They have no need of harsh commands, but run to me the moment they see me, and scarcely quit me without crying. How could I prevail on myself to interrupt the happiness of these interesting little creatures, to fill their heads with a crowd of irksome ideas, and their memory with words which, seeming destitute of meaning, are, for that reason, very ill learnt. I had rather my children could not read, than see them learn amidst tears and grief, and trouble.

66

"I perceive, by your surprize, that you accuse me of excessive indulgence. You are mistaken. Remember what I have said.-What occasion can I find to improve or correct perfect innocence? How should they have any faults? Nature has given them none, and I endeavour only to perform good actions in their presence. How then should they become liars, or learn to be disobedient and idle? I never

talk

talk to them of tasks or lessons, or duties to be fulfilled, nor do they ever receive from me the least reproof. All they say, all they do, all they learn, proceeds entirely from their own free will. I neither restrain their liberty nor their pleasures, and they cannot feel the smallest motive to deceive me.

"Do not imagine this method makes them ignorant. My daugh ter, who is but nine years old, knows enough of music to sing accurately, and accompany her voice with the harp. She speaks Italian like her native tongue, and draws very prettily for her age. Her two brothers possess nearly the same accomplishments, though less perfectly, because they are younger. A mother has many ways of instructing her children, without tormenting them. Every thing she does herself they are desired to imitate. My children saw me playing on my harp, and immediately they put their little hands on the strings, and, finding they produced pleasing sounds, begged me to teach them to play. Every thing they know, they have learnt in the

same manner.

"I doubt whether all this attention can be irksome to a mother who is really fond of her children; for with them she finds pleasure the world can never give. What a delightful enjoyment to see these lovely little creatures playing about! They are the gift of Nature to render man attached to life. How charming to watch the gradual unfolding of their reason, and listen to their interesting simplicity, which may often instruct even the wisest philosopher. How pleasing to guard them from every prejudice and every vice, in a peaceful retreat, where their hearts may be open to filial and fraternal love, and to every noble sentiment.

Infancy is the age most worthy of our observation; for that alone presents us with a picture of man in perfect innocence. Virtue is a fruit which rarely arrives at maturity, so many unfavourable winds blast it in the bud.

"Such, my dear sir, is the method I employ in educating my children; which, though I describe it to you without order, is simple, and easy to be understood. It would be useless to detail every parti cular, or exemplify its application to every incident. Your own discernment will render it superfluous. You will perceive that it entirely accords with Rousseau, and that I have practised his maxims, though I have derived them from Nature. For she was his conductor, and always inspired his pen.

"The only point in which I shall venture to blame him, is the air of importance lie gives to the most trifling objects. The difficulties. he talks of are mere illusions. Though his recommendation to make the clearest and most satisfactory replies to the enquiries of children, is very just, his maxim that we ought never to be the least embarrassed with their questions, I cannot adopt. When a child talks of things totally beyond the powers of its comprehension, what inconvenience can arise from saying, I do not know, or I do not understand it? Is it necessary to pretend to know every thing, when conversing with those who are ignorant of every thing? and is it not better to give them examples of modesty, than of vanity and conceit ?"

ART.

Fer

ART. X. An Essay on the Character of the Apostles and Evangelists. By the Rev. Richard Graves. 8vo. pp. 360. 5s. Boards. Dilly, 1798.

THE perverseness of the human mind has been a subject of lamentation in all ages; and in the present times this unhappy turn has been but too manifest in the various attacks which have been made on the Christian religion. Every art of sophistry has been employed to controvert the arguments by which it is supported; and all the powers of wit and ridicule have been exerted in order to expose its professors to contempt. In the beginning of the present century, Tindal, Toland, Collins, and Shaftesbury, were considered as the great advocates for infidelity; and the novelty of their opinions gained for them a temporary reputation. Chubb, Woolston, Morgan, and Bolingbroke, followed the same course. The objections of these writers were answered by men of the most distinguished learning and talents. The Christian religion was subjected during the dispute to a very severe examination; and the more it was examined, the more manifest were the proofs of its divine original. Driven, therefore, from the field of argument, our Deists in England contented themselves with venting their spleen against revelation by jests or sneers, and seldom ventured to support their opinions by any thing like reasoning: but on the continent it was very different; for there the arguments of our early Deists were revived under a different form; were spred abroad with wonderful activity; and, recommended by the wit of Voltaire and others, have left impressions on the minds of many, which, we fear, will not easily be erased. It must be confessed that the French writers, in the cause of infidelity, have been bolder than the English; and M. Boulanger, whose works are distinguished by the title of The Philosophic Library, has expressed himself with a degree of presumption seldom equalled.

Sensible of the fatal effects of the propagation of opinions not less contradictory to reason than disgusting to every moral feeling, and actuated by the purest principles of benevolence, Mr. Graves has written the work now before us; which may be considered as a valuable addition to the many excellent books that have already appeared in our language on the same side of the question.

The author begins with a definition of enthusiasm; and he scems to think that blind credulity, and dictatorial positiveness, form the two leading and essential marks of an enthusiastic mind. The work is then divided into six chapters; of which the first shews that the Apostles and Evangelists were not enthusiasts,

thusiasts, because they did not embrace the faith which they taught, till they had received sufficient evidence of its divine original.-In the second, it is argued that the Apostles were not enthusiasts, from their not requiring faith in others without supplying sufficient evidence. In the third, the general conduct of the Apostles is proved to be inconsistent with the supposition of their having been enthusiasts.-The fourth and fifth chapters relate to the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists; and in the sixth, the doctrines of the Gospel are vindicated from the charge of enthusiasm.

Such is the author's plan; and we shall now proceed to extract some passages, which, we doubt not, will be gratifying to every friend of religion and virtue.-The following are Mr. G.'s observations on the nature of our Lord's miracles:

The least attention to the evangelic history will satisfy us, that the subjects of our Lord's miracles were most generally such as no power of imagination, no delusion of enthusiasm, could possibly influence. *To turn water into wine-† to feed 5000 persons at one time on five loaves and two fishes, and ‡ 4000 at another, on seven loaves and a few small fishes- to restore a withered limb-to give sight to a man | forty years old, who had been born blind-to raise from the dead a carcase that was carrying out to the grave; and another that had lain four days in the tomb: in these and a variety of other miracles which our Saviour wrought, no force of imagina tion could have the smallest influence. In truth, nothing can be more repugnant to reason or experience, than the supposition that our Lord's miracles were the effects of any force of imagination, or enthusiastic impulse; or that if any delusion had taken place with regard to them, it would not have been immediately detected and exposed. In proof of this let us briefly consider their infinite variety, and their uniform success-the public manner in which they were performed their being frequently wrought in the presence of his most inveterate enemies, and attended with circumstances which attracted the immediate attention of these enemies, and excited the severest scrutiny. These circumstances do not vindicate them more clearly from all suspicion of having been produced by the artifices of fraud, than from all possibility of being accounted for by enthusiasm.

The impulse of fanaticism will produce its effects irregularly, uncertainly, and imperfectly, according to the different nature of the disease, the force of imagination in the diseased, the temperature of the constitution, and a variety of other circumstances; and these effects will be often as transitory as the power that produces them is variable. Not such were the effects of that truly divine power possessed by our Lord; which operated uniformly and equally on every

John . 1-12. t Matt. xv. 32-38. #John ix.

+ Luke ix. 14. Matt. xii. 9. Luke vii. 11-17.

John vi. 10.

Luke vi. 6.-11. John xi. 1-54• disease,