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favourable　report　of　those　who　have　attended　upon　his

instructions；　and　these　favourable　sentiments　he　is　likely　to

gain　in　no　way　so　well　as　by　deserving　them；　that　is；　by　the

abilities　and　diligence　with　which　he　discharges　every　part　of

his　duty。

　　　　　In　other　universities　the　teacher　is　prohibited　from

receiving　any　honorary　or　fee　from　his　pupils；　and　his　salary

constitutes　the　whole　of　the　revenue　which　he　derives　from　his

office。　His　interest　is；　in　this　case；　set　as　directly　in

opposition　to　his　duty　as　it　is　possible　to　set　it。　It　is　the

interest　of　every　man　to　live　as　much　at　his　ease　as　he　can；　and

if　his　emoluments　are　to　be　precisely　the　same；　whether　he　does

or　does　not　perform　some　very　laborious　duty；　it　is　certainly　his

interest；　at　least　as　interest　is　vulgarly　understood；　either　to

neglect　it　altogether；　or；　if　he　is　subject　to　some　authority

which　will　not　suffer　him　to　do　this；　to　perform　it　in　as

careless　and　slovenly　a　manner　as　that　authority　will　permit。　If

he　is　naturally　active　and　a　lover　of　labour；　it　is　his　interest

to　employ　that　activity　in　any　way　from　which　he　can　derive　some

advantage；　rather　than　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　from　which

he　can　derive　none。

　　　　　If　the　authority　to　which　he　is　subject　resides　in　the　body

corporate；　the　college；　or　university；　of　which　he　himself　is　a

member；　and　which　the　greater　part　of　the　other　members　are；　like

himself；　persons　who　either　are　or　ought　to　be　teachers；　they　are

likely　to　make　a　common　cause；　to　be　all　very　indulgent　to　one

another；　and　every　man　to　consent　that　his　neighbour　may　neglect

his　duty；　provided　he　himself　is　allowed　to　neglect　his　own。　In

the　university　of　Oxford；　the　greater　part　of　the　public

professors　have；　for　these　many　years；　given　up　altogether　even

the　pretence　of　teaching。

　　　　　If　the　authority　to　which　he　is　subject　resides；　not　so　much

in　the　body　corporate　of　which　he　is　a　member；　as　in　some　other

extraneous　persons…　in　the　bishop　of　the　diocese；　for　example；　in

the　governor　of　the　province；　or；　perhaps；　in　some　minister　of

state　it　is　not　indeed　in　this　case　very　likely　that　he　will　be

suffered　to　neglect　his　duty　altogether。　All　that　such　superiors；

however；　can　force　him　to　do；　is　to　attend　upon　his　pupils　a

certain　number　of　hours；　that　is；　to　give　a　certain　number　of

lectures　in　the　week　or　in　the　year。　What　those　lectures　shall　be

must　still　depend　upon　the　diligence　of　the　teacher；　and　that

diligence　is　likely　to　be　proportioned　to　the　motives　which　he

has　for　exerting　it。　An　extraneous　jurisdiction　of　this　kind；

besides；　is　liable　to　be　exercised　both　ignorantly　and

capriciously。　In　its　nature　it　is　arbitrary　and　discretionary；

and　the　persons　who　exercise　it；　neither　attending　upon　the

lectures　of　the　teacher　themselves；　nor　perhaps　understanding　the

sciences　which　it　is　his　business　to　teach；　are　seldom　capable　of

exercising　it　with　judgment。　From　the　insolence　of　office；　too；

they　are　frequently　indifferent　how　they　exercise　it；　and　are

very　apt　to　censure　or　deprive　him　of　his　office　wantonly；　and

without　any　just　cause。　The　person　subject　to　such　jurisdiction

is　necessarily　degraded　by　it；　and；　instead　of　being　one　of　the

most　respectable；　is　rendered　one　of　the　meanest　and　most

contemptible　persons　in　the　society。　It　is　by　powerful　protection

only　that　he　can　effectually　guard　himself　against　the　bad　usage

to　which　he　is　at　all　times　exposed；　and　this　protection　he　is

most　likely　to　gain；　not　by　ability　or　diligence　in　his

profession；　but　by　obsequiousness　to　the　will　of　his　superiors；

and　by　being　ready；　at　all　times；　to　sacrifice　to　that　will　the

rights；　the　interest；　and　the　honour　of　the　body　corporate　of

which　he　is　a　member。　Whoever　has　attended　for　any　considerable

time　to　the　administration　of　a　French　university　must　have　had

occasion　to　remark　the　effects　which　naturally　result　from　an

arbitrary　and　extraneous　jurisdiction　of　this　kind。

　　　　　Whatever　forces　a　certain　number　of　students　to　any　college

or　university；　independent　of　the　merit　or　reputation　of　the

teachers；　tends　more　or　less　to　diminish　the　necessity　of　that

merit　or　reputation。

　　　　　The　privileges　of　graduates　in　arts；　in　law；　physic；　and

divinity；　when　they　can　be　obtained　only　by　residing　a　certain

number　of　years　in　certain　universities；　necessarily　force　a

certain　number　of　students　to　such　universities；　independent　of

the　merit　or　reputation　of　the　teachers。　The　privileges　of

graduates　are　a　sort　of　statutes　of　apprenticeship；　which　have

contributed　to　the　improvement　of　education；　just　as　the　other

statutes　of　apprenticeship　have　to　that　of　arts；　and

manufactures。

　　　　　The　charitable　foundations　of　scholarships；　exhibitions；

bursaries；　etc。；　necessarily　attach　a　certain　number　of　students

to　certain　colleges；　independent　altogether　of　the　merit　of　those

particular　colleges。　Were　the　students　upon　such　charitable

foundations　left　free　to　choose　what　college　they　liked　best；

such　liberty　might　perhaps　contribute　to　excite　some　emulation

among　different　colleges。　A　regulation；　on　the　contrary；　which

prohibited　even　the　independent　members　of　every　particular

college　from　leaving　it　and　going　to　any　other；　without　leave

first　asked　and　obtained　of　that　which　they　meant　to　abandon；

would　tend　very　much　to　extinguish　that　emulation。

　　　　　If　in　each　college　the　tutor　or　teacher；　who　was　to　instruct

each　student　in　all　arts　and　sciences；　should　not　be　voluntarily

chosen　by　the　student；　but　appointed　by　the　head　of　the　college；

and　if；　in　case　of　neglect；　inability；　or　bad　usage；　the　student

should　not　be　allowed　to　change　him　for　another；　without　leave

first　asked　and　obtained；　such　a　regulation　would　not　only　tend

very　much　to　extinguish　all　emulation　among　the　different　tutors

of　the　same　college；　but　to　diminish　very　much　in　all　of　them　the

necessity　of　diligence　and　of　attention　to　their　respective

pupils。　Such　teachers；　though　very　well　paid　by　their　students；

might　be　as　much　disposed　to　neglect　them　as　those　who　are　not

paid　by　them　at　all；　or　who　have　no　other　recompense　but　their

salary。

　　　　　If　the　teacher　happens　to　be　a　man　of　sense；　it　must　be　an

unpleasant　thing　to　him　to　be　conscious；　while　he　is　lecturing

his　students；　that　he　is　either　speaking　or　reading　nonsense；　or

what　is　very　little　better　than　nonsense。　It　must；　too；　be

unpleasant　to　him　to　observe　that　the　greater　part　of　his

students　desert　his　lectures；　or　perhaps　attend　upon　them　with

plain　enough　marks　of　neglect；　contempt；　and　derision。　If　he　is

obliged；　therefore；　to　give　a　certain　number　of　lectures；　these

motives　alone；　without　any　other　interest；　might　dispose　him　to

take　some　pains　to　give　tolerably　good　ones。　Several　different

expedients；　however；　may　be　fallen　upon　which　will　effectually

blunt　the　edge　of　all　those　incitements　to　diligence。　The

teacher；　instead　of　explaining　to　his　pupils　himself　the　science

in　which　he　proposes　to　instruct　them；　may　read　some　book　upon

it；　and　if　this　book　is　written　in　a　foreign　and　dead　language；

by　interpreting　it　to　them　into　their　own；　or；　what　would　give

him　still　less　trouble；　by　making　them　interpret　it　to　him；　and

by　now　and　then　making　an　occasional　remark　upon　it；　he　may

flatter　himself　that　he　is　giving　a　lecture。　The　slightest　degree

of　knowledge　and　application　will　enable　him　to　do　this　without

exposing　himself　to　contempt　or　derision；　or　saying　anything　that

is　really　foolish；　absurd；　or　ridiculous。　The　discipline　of　the

college；　at　the　same　time；　may　enable　him　to　force　all　his　pupils

to　the　most　regular　attendance　upon　this　sham　lecture；　and　to

maintain　the　most　decent　and　respectful　behaviour　during　the

whole　time　of　the　performance。

　　　　　The　discipline　of　colleges　and　universities　is　in　general

contrived；　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　students；　but　for　the

interest；　or　more　properly　speaking；　for　the　ease　of　the　masters。

Its　object　is；　in　all　cases；　to　maintain　the　authority　of　the

master；　and　whether　he　neglects　or　performs　his　duty；　to　oblige

the　students　in　all　cases　to　behave　to　him；　as　if　he　performed　it

with　the　greatest　diligence　and　ability。　It　seems　to　presume

perfect　wisdom　and　virtue　in　the　one　order；　and　the　greatest

weakness　and　folly　in　the　other。　Where　the　masters；　however；

really　perform　their　duty；　there　are　no　examples；　I　believe；　that

the　greater　part　of　the　students　ever　neglect　theirs。　No

discipline　is　ever　requisite　to　force　attendance　upon　lectures

which　are　really　worth　the　attending；　as　is　well　known　wherever

any　such　lectures　are　given。　Force　and　restraint　may；　no　doubt；

be　in　some　degree　requisite　in　order　to　oblige　children；　or　very

young　boys；　to　attend　to　those　parts　of　education　which　it　is

thought　necessary　for　them　to　acquire　during　that　early　period　of

life；　but　after　twelve　or　thirteen　years　of　age；　provided　the

master　does　his　duty；　for