modeftly afcribed his own vaft attainments; whot when he was asked by what means he had been enabled to make that fuccefsful progrefs which ftruck mankind with wonder, replied, that it was not fo much owing to any fuperior ftrength of genius, as to an habit of patient thinking, laborious attention, and close application. We muft, it is true, make fome deductions for the humility of the speaker. Yet it is not overrating its value, to affert that industry is the sturdy and hard working pioneer, who by perfevering labour removes obstructions, overcomes difficulties, clears intricacies, and thus facilitates the march, and aids the victories of genius.

An exact habit of economy is of the fame family of the two foregoing qualities; and, like them, is the prolific parent of a numerous offspring of virtues. For want of the early engrafting of this practice on its only legitimate stock-a found principle of integritymay we not in too many inftances in fubfequent life, almost apply to the fatal effects of domeftic profu-. fion, what Tacitus obferves of a lavish profligacy in the expenditure of public money-that an Exchequer which is exhaufted by prodigality, will probably, be replenished by crimes.

Thofe who are early trained to fcrupulous punctuality in the divifion of time, and an exactness to the hours of their childish business, will have learnt how much the oeconomy of time is promoted by habits of punctuality when they thall enter on the more important bufinefs of life. By getting one employment cleared away exactly as the fucceeding employment fhall have a claim to be difpatched, they will learn two things; that one business must not intrench on the time which belongs to another business, and to fet a value on those odd quarters of an hour, and even minutes, which are fo often loft between fucceffive duties, for want of calculation, punctuality, and arrangement.

A habit of punctuality is perhaps, one of the earliest which the youthful mind may be made capable of receiving; and it is fo connected with truth, with morals, and. with the general good government of the mind, as to render it important that it fhould be brought into exercife on

the smallest occafions. But I refrain from enlarging on this point as it will be difcuffed in another part of this work.*

It requires perhaps ftill more fedulity to lay early the firft foundation of thofe interior habits, which are grounded on watchfulness against such faults as do not often betray themselves by breaking out into open exceffes; and which there would therefore be lefs difcredit in indulging. It fhould more particularly make a part of the firft elements of education, to try to infufe into the mind that particular principle which ftands in oppofition to thofe evil tempers, to which the individual pupil is more immediately addicted. As it cannot be followed up too closely, fo it can hardly be fet about too early. May we not borrow an important illuftration of this truth from the fabulous Hero of the Grecian ftory? He who was one day to perform exploits, which fhould fill the earth with his renown, began by conquering his infancy; and it was a preliminary to his delivering the world from monfters in his riper years, that he should set out by ftrangling the ferpents in his cradle.

It must however be obferved, that diligent care is to beexercifed; that, together with the gradual formation of these and other useful habits, an adequate attention be employed to the forming of the judgment; to the framing fuch a found conftitution of mind, as fhall fupply the power of directing all the faculties of the understanding, and all the qualities of the heart, to keep their proper places and due bounds, to obferve their juft proportions, and maintain their right station, relation, order, and dependence.

For inftance, while the young perfon's mind is trained to thofe habits of attention and induftry which we have been recommending; great care must be used that her judgment be fo enlightened as to enable her to form found notions with regard to what is really worthy of her attentive purfuit, without which difcriminating power, application would only be actively mifemployed; and ardour and industry would but ferve

* See Chapter on Definitions,

to lead her more widely from the right road of Truth. Without a correct judgment the would be wafting her activity on what was frivolous, or exhaufting it on what was mifchievous. Without that ardour and activity we have been recommending, the might only be "weaving fpiders' webs;" with it, if deftitute of judgment; he would be "hatching cockatrices' eggs.'

Again, if the judgment be not well informed as to the nature and true ends of temperance, the ill-inftru&ted mind might be led into a fuperftitious reliance on the merits of felf-denial; and refting in the letter of a few outward obfervances, without any confideration of the fpirit of this Christian virtue, might be led to infer that the kingdom of heaven was the abftinence from "meat and drink," and "not peace, and righteouf"nefs, and joy in the Holy Ghoft."

The fame well-ordered judgment will also be required in fuperintending and regulating the habits of ceconomy; for extravagance being rather a relative than a pofitive term, the true art of regulating epence, is not to proportion it to the fashion, or to the opinion or practice of others, but to our own ftation and our own circumstances. Ariftippus being accufed of extravagance by one who was not rich, because he had given fix crowns for a small fish, faid to him, Why, what would you have given ?"-" Twelve 66 pence," " anfwered the other. "Then," replied Ariftippus, "our economy is equal; for fix crowns are no more to me, than twelve pence are to you.”

It is the more important to enlighten the judgment in this point, becaufe fo predominant is the control of custom and fashion, that men of unfixed principle are driven to borrow other people's judgment of them before they can venture to determine whether they themselves are rich or happy. These vain flaves to human opinion do not fo often fay, How ought I to act? or What ought I to spend? as, What does the world think I ought to do? What do others think I ought to spend?

There is alfo a perpetual call for the interference of the judgment in fettling the true notion of what meeknefs is, before we can adopt the practice without falling into error. We muít apprize thofe on whofe

minds we are inculcating this amiable virtue, of the broad line of diftinction between Chriftian meeknefs and that well-bred tone and gentle manner which paffes current for it in the world. We must teach them also to distinguish between an humble opinion of our own ability to judge, and a fervile dereliction of truth and principle, in order to purchase the poor praife of indifcriminate compliance and yielding foftnefs. We muft lead them to diftinguish accurately between honesty and obftinacy, between perfeverance and perverfenefs, between firmnefs and prejudice. We must convince them that it is not meekness, but bafenefs, when through a dishoneft dread of offending the profperous, or difpleafing the powerful, we forbear to recommend, or refufe to fupport, thofe whom it is our duty to recommend or to fupport. That it is felfifhnefs and not meeknefs, when through fear of forfeiting any portion of our reputation, or rifking our own favour with others, we refufe to bear our teftimony to fufpected worth or difcredited virtue. *

CHAP. VII.

Filial O'edience not the Character of the Age-A Comparison with the preceding Age in this Respect. Those who cultivate the Mind advised to study the Nature of the Soil.. Unpromifing Children often make ftrong Characters.-Teachers too apt to devote their pains almost exclufively to Chil dren of Parts.

AMONG the real improvements of modern times, and they are not a few, it is to feared that the growth of filial obedience cannot be included. Who can for

*To this criminal timidity, Madame de Maintenon, a woman of parts and piety, facrificed the ingenious and amiable Racine; whom, while fhe had tafte enough to admire, fhe had not the generofity to defend, when the Royal favour was withdrawn from him. A ftill darker cloud hangs over her fame, on account of the felfish neutrality she maintained in not interpofing her good offices between the refentments of the King and the fufferings of the Hugonots. It is a heavy aggravation of her fault, that the herfelf had been educated in the faith of thefe perfecuted people.

bear obferving and regretting in a variety of inftances, that not only fons but daughters have adopted fomething of that fpirit of independence, and difdain of control which characterise the times? And is it not too generally obvious that domeftic manners are not flightly tinctured with the prevailing hue of public principles? The rights of man have been difcuffed, till we are fomewhat wearied with the difcuffion. To these have been oppofed, as the next ftage in the progrefs of illumination, and with more prefumption than prudence, the rights of woman. It follows, according to the natural progreffion of human things, that the next influx of that irradiation which our enlighteners are pouring in upon us, will illuminate the world with grave defcants on the rights of youth, the rights of chil dren, the rights of babies!

This revolutionary fpirit in families fuggefts the remark, that among the faults with which it has been too much the fashion of recent times to load the memory of the incomparable Milton, one of the charges brought against his private character (for with his political character we have here nothing to do) has been, that he was fo fevere a father as to have compelled his daughters, after he was blind, to read aloud to him, for his fole pleasure, Greek and Latin authors of which they did not understand a word. But this is in fact nothing more than an inftance of the ftrict domeftic regulations of the age in which Milton lived; and fhould not be brought forward as a proof of the feverity of his individual temper. Nor indeed in any cafe fhould it ever be confidered as an hardship for an affectionate child to amufe an afflicted parent, even though it should be attended with a heavier facrifice of her own pleasure than that produced in the present instance.*

*In fpite of this too prevailing fpirit, and at a time when, by an inverted state of fociety, facrifices of eafe and pleafure are rather exacted be children from parents, than required of parents from children, numberlefs inftances might be adduced of filial affection truly honourable to the prefent period. And the Author records with pleasure, that the has feen amiable young ladies of high rank conducting the fteps of a blind but illuftrious parent with true filial fondnefs; and has often contemplated, in another family, the interesting attentions of daughters