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interest, as the common education of all the youth at the same public schools under the eye of the civil authority. By these means, said they, indissoluble connections and friendships will be formed, prejudices worn off, and the youth will in time, either forget their extraction, or, from a more liberal education, and manly turn of thought, learn to contemn those idle distinctions that arise among the vulgar, because their fathers first spoke a different language, or drew air in a different clime.

With these views the Miranians applied themselves to project a plan of education; every person, of genius, learning, and experience, offering his impartial thoughts on this subject, whether in a private or public capacity; as being sensible that an undertaking of such lasting consequence demanded the united. councils, the heads and hearts, of a whole country.

The object they kept always in sight, was the easiest, simplest, and most natural method of forming youth to the knowledge and exercise of private and public virtue; and therefore they did not scruple to reject some things commonly taught at colleges, to add others, and shorten or invert the order of others, as best suited their circumstances. They often had this sentence in their mouth, which I think, in other words, I have read in Tillotson, that the knowledge of what tends neither directly nor indirectly to make better men, and better citizens, is but a knowledge of trifles. It is not learning, but a specious and ingenious sort of idleness.

We must not then, said they, bewilder ourselves the search of truth, in the vast tomes of ancient

schoolmen; nor in the more refined speculations of modern metaphysicians, nor yet in the polemic writings of subtle casuists. Life would be far too short to attain any proficiency in all the disputes and researches of this kind, which have so long puzzled the learned world, and are still as much undecided as at first. Almighty God seems to have set the knowledge of many things beyond our present reach, on purpose to confound our pride, and whisper to us continually the degeneracy and imperfection of our nature; and when we consider such things in this light, we make the only wise use of them. For suppose we could live long enough to obtain the exactest proficiency in all these points, what would it contribute to the main design of making better men and better citizens? Why, just nothing at all! We ought then, continued they, rejecting things superfluous and hypothetical, to mount directly up to fundamental principles, and endeavour to ascertain the relations in which we stand, that we may sustain, with dignity, the rank assigned us among intellectual natures, and move in concert, with the rest of the creation, in accomplishing the great end of all things.

To satisfy ourselves of this, Quid sumus, et quidnam victuri gignimur, requires no such depth of understanding, no such subtle reasonings and tedious researches, as some would persuade us. For, besides his revealed will, God has given intimations of his will to us, by appealing to our senses in the constitution of our nature, and the constitution and harmony of the material universe. We have only to

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reason by analogy, and correct our reasonings by these holy oracles. Then the least attention will convince us, that what God chiefly expects of us here, is to love him, and all his creatures for his sake; to view, through the medium of benevolence and charity, those inconsiderable differences, which, in a state of imperfection, must subsist among free agents, and which God himself, perhaps, views with pleasure; to do always the greatest good in our power whether to ourselves or fellow-creatures, of whatever country, sect, or denomination they may be; to act a just and honest part in our social capacity; and, lastly, as much as possible, to repair the ruins of our nature, by improving and enlarging our faculties, and confirming ourselves in habits of virtue, that thus we may, in some sort, be qualified to be replaced in our original high rank, to which, through the Redeemer's merit, we may yet aspire to rise, and be advanced from stage to stage of perfection and bliss, through all the endless periods of our being.

To say, or even think, our present span is too short for these purposes, is to charge the most High with injustice in the constitution of things. We have, in reality, not only time enough to obey the dictates of reason and religion, by learning and discharging the duties we owe to God and man, but sufficient left for recreation, and innocent amusement; unless we will make life too short by creating business for ourselves, which no way concerns us, and turning our attention to subjects which, after all our scarches and researches, will make us neither wiser nor better than when we first set out.

Hence it appears, continued they, of what lasting importance it is, to accustom youth early to distinguish the true from the false, by directing their studies to such things as come more immediately home to their business and bosoms. Were men as generally agreed what these things are, as they soon would be, if passion and prejudice were laid aside, then indeed the business of education would be short, easy and pleasant; and the Miranians would have found no difficulty in fixing on a proper and unexceptionable plan for this purpose. But they saw, with concern, that while there were human infirmities, and different opinions to struggle with, the best scheme they could concert, would not be alike acceptable to all, and would be liable to many exceptions and misconstructions. No matter: that did not deter them from their duty. They had the noble resolution to follow the unbiassed dictates of their own good sense, conscious that, though they could not project an unexceptionable, far less a perfect plan, they should acquit themselves to Gon, and the uncorrupted judgment of posterity, by rendering it as perfect as they could, and delivering it down in a condition of being improved as often as circumstances might alter, and experience discover defects in it.

But it would be needless to trouble you with all the difficulties and toils they encountered, before they brought the scheme to the point of perfection aimed at. I shall therefore give you an account of the whole, as it now stands; in which you will not expect that I should be very particular, as a full

Thus, at about fifteen years of age, the mechanic's education is finished; and he comes out well qualified to make a good figure in every profession, wherein languages are not required. The Miranians value themselves highly on the institution of this school; and often tell strangers, that, as a trading people, it is of as great importance to them, as the college for breeding men for the learned professions; of which I proceed now to speak. But, preparatory thereto, I must give some account of

THE LATIN SCHOOL.

THIS school is divided into five great forms, or classes, corresponding to the five years the youth continue in it; which, in a general way, is found to be long enough. Such of the youth as are intended for the learned professions, are moved into this school from the third form of the academy, or the English school mentioned above, provided they be nine years of age, can write tolerably, and can read and articulate the English tongue. The first four years are wholly given to the Latin tongue, and improving the youth in English and writing at leisure hours. The fifth year, the highest class divides the day between Latin and Greek; proceeding through the Greek declensions and conjugations, St. Luke's gospel, Lucian's dialogues, &c. Thus, at fourteen years of age, well versed in the Latin tongue, with some foundation in the Greek, the youth are entered into

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