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

master　does　his　duty；　force　or　restraint　can　scarce　ever　be

necessary　to　carry　on　any　part　of　education。　Such　is　the

generosity　of　the　greater　part　of　young　men；　that；　so　far　from

being　disposed　to　neglect　or　despise　the　instructions　of　their

master；　provided　he　shows　some　serious　intention　of　being　of　use

to　them；　they　are　generally　inclined　to　pardon　a　great　deal　of

incorrectness　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　and　sometimes　even

to　conceal　from　the　public　a　good　deal　of　gross　negligence。

　　　　　Those　parts　of　education；　it　is　to　be　observed；　for　the

teaching　of　which　there　are　no　public　institutions；　are　generally

the　best　taught。　When　a　young　man　goes　to　a　fencing　or　a　dancing

school；　he　does　not　indeed　always　learn　to　fence　or　to　dance　very

well；　but　he　seldom　fails　of　learning　to　fence　or　to　dance。　The

good　effects　of　the　riding　school　are　not　commonly　so　evident。

The　expense　of　a　riding　school　is　so　great；　that　in　most　places

it　is　a　public　institution。　The　three　most　essential　parts　of

literary　education；　to　read；　write；　and　account；　it　still

continues　to　be　more　common　to　acquire　in　private　than　in　public

schools；　and　it　very　seldom　happens　that　anybody　fails　of

acquiring　them　to　the　degree　in　which　it　is　necessary　to　acquire

them。

　　　　　In　England　the　public　schools　are　much　less　corrupted　than

the　universities。　In　the　schools　the　youth　are　taught；　or　at

least　may　be　taught；　Greek　and　Latin；　that　is；　everything　which

the　masters　pretend　to　teach；　or　which；　it　is　expected；　they

should　teach。　In　the　universities　the　youth　neither　are　taught；

nor　always　can　find　any　proper　means　of　being　taught；　the

sciences　which　it　is　the　business　of　those　incorporated　bodies　to

teach。　The　reward　of　the　schoolmaster　in　most　cases　depends

principally；　in　some　cases　almost　entirely；　upon　the　fees　or

honoraries　of　his　scholars。　Schools　have　no　exclusive　privileges。

In　order　to　obtain　the　honours　of　graduation；　it　is　not　necessary

that　a　person　should　bring　a　certificate　of　his　having　studied　a

certain　number　of　years　at　a　public　school。　If　upon　examination

he　appears　to　understand　what　is　taught　there；　no　questions　are

asked　about　the　place　where　he　learnt　it。

　　　　　The　parts　of　education　which　are　commonly　taught　in

universities；　it　may；　perhaps；　be　said　are　not　very　well　taught。

But　had　it　not　been　for　those　institutions　they　would　not　have

been　commonly　taught　at　all；　and　both　the　individual　and　the

public　would　have　suffered　a　good　deal　from　the　want　of　those

important　parts　of　education。

　　　　　The　present　universities　of　Europe　were　originally；　the

greater　part　of　them；　ecclesiastical　corporations；　instituted　for

the　education　of　churchmen。　They　were　founded　by　the　authority　of

the　Pope；　and　were　so　entirely　under　his　immediate　protection；

that　their　members；　whether　masters　or　students；　had　all　of　them

what　was　then　called　the　benefit　of　clergy；　that　is；　were

exempted　from　the　civil　jurisdiction　of　the　countries　in　which

their　respective　universities　were　situated；　and　were　amenable

only　to　the　ecclesiastical　tribunals。　What　was　taught　in　the

greater　part　of　those　universities　was　suitable　to　the　end　of

their　institution；　either　theology；　or　something　that　was　merely

preparatory　to　theology。

　　　　　When　Christianity　was　first　established　by　law；　a　corrupted

Latin　had　become　the　common　language　of　all　the　western　parts　of

Europe。　The　service　of　the　church　accordingly；　and　the

translation　of　the　Bible　which　was　read　in　churches；　were　both　in

that　corrupted　Latin；　that　is；　in　the　common　language　of　the

country。　After　the　irruption　of　the　barbarous　nations　who

overturned　the　Roman　empire；　Latin　gradually　ceased　to　be　the

language　of　any　part　of　Europe。　But　the　reverence　of　the　people

naturally　preserves　the　established　forms　and　ceremonies　of

religion　long　after　the　circumstances　which　first　introduced　and

rendered　them　reasonable　are　no　more。　Though　Latin；　therefore；

was　no　longer　understood　anywhere　by　the　great　body　of　the

people；　the　whole　service　of　the　church　still　continued　to　be

performed　in　that　language。　Two　different　languages　were　thus

established　in　Europe；　in　the　same　manner　as　in　ancient　Egypt；　a

language　of　the　priests；　and　a　language　of　the　people；　a　sacred

and　a　profane；　a　learned　and　an　unlearned　language。　But　it　was

necessary　that　the　priests　should　understand　something　of　that

sacred　and　learned　language　in　which　they　were　to　officiate；　and

the　study　of　the　Latin　language　therefore　made；　from　the

beginning；　an　essential　part　of　university　education。

　　　　　It　was　not　so　with　that　either　of　the　Greek　or　of　the　Hebrew

language。　The　infallible　decrees　of　the　church　had　pronounced　the

Latin　translation　of　the　Bible；　commonly　called　the　Latin

Vulgate；　to　have　been　equally　dictated　by　divine　inspiration；　and

therefore　of　equal　authority　with　the　Greek　and　Hebrew　originals。

The　knowledge　of　those　two　languages；　therefore；　not　being

indispensably　requisite　to　a　churchman；　the　study　of　them　did　not

for　a　long　time　make　a　necessary　part　of　the　common　course　of

university　education。　There　are　some　Spanish　universities；　I　am

assured；　in　which　the　study　of　the　Greek　language　has　never　yet

made　any　part　of　that　course。　The　first　reformers　found　the　Greek

text　of　the　New　Testament；　and　even　the　Hebrew　text　of　the　Old；

more　favorable　to　their　opinions　than　the　Vulgate　translation；

which；　as　might　naturally　be　supposed；　had　been　gradually

accommodated　to　support　the　doctrines　of　the　Catholic　Church。

They　set　themselves；　therefore；　to　expose　the　many　errors　of　that

translation；　which　the　Roman　Catholic　clergy　were　thus　put　under

the　necessity　of　defending　or　explaining。　But　this　could　not　well

be　done　without　some　knowledge　of　the　original　languages；　of

which　the　study　was　therefore　gradually　introduced　into　the

greater　part　of　universities；　both　of　those　which　embraced；　and

of　those　which　rejected；　the　doctrines　of　the　Reformation。　The

Greek　language　was　connected　with　every　part　of　that　classical

learning　which；　though　at　first　principally　cultivated　by

Catholics　and　Italians；　happened　to　come　into　fashion　much　about

the　same　time　that　the　doctrines　of　the　Reformation　were　set　on

foot。　In　the　greater　part　of　universities；　therefore；　that

language　was　taught　previous　to　the　study　of　philosophy；　and　as

soon　as　the　student　had　made　some　progress　in　the　Latin。　The

Hebrew　language　having　no　connection　with　classical　learning；

and；　except　the　Holy　Scriptures；　being　the　language　of　not　a

single　book　in　any　esteem；　the　study　of　it　did　not　commonly

commence　till　after　that　of　philosophy；　and　when　the　student　had

entered　upon　the　study　of　theology。

　　　　　Originally　the　first　rudiments　both　of　the　Greek　and　Latin

languages　were　taught　in　universities；　and　in　some　universities

they　still　continue　to　be　so。　In　others　it　is　expected　that　the

student　should　have　previously　acquired　at　least　the　rudiments　of

one　or　both　of　those　languages；　of　which　the　study　continues　to

make　everywhere　a　very　considerable　part　of　university　education。

　　　　　The　ancient　Greek　philosophy　was　divided　into　three　great

branches；　physics；　or　natural　philosophy；　ethics；　or　moral

philosophy；　and　logic。　This　general　division　seems　perfectly

agreeable　to　the　nature　of　things。

　　　　　The　great　phenomena　of　nature…　the　revolutions　of　the

heavenly　bodies；　eclipses；　comets；　thunder；　lightning；　and　other

extraordinary　meteors；　the　generation；　the　life；　growth；　and

dissolution　of　plants　and　animals…　are　objects　which；　as　they

necessarily　excite　the　wonder；　so　they　naturally　call　forth　the

curiosity；　of　mankind　to　inquire　into　their　causes。　Superstition

first　attempted　to　satisfy　this　curiosity；　by　referring　all　those

wonderful　appearances　to　the　immediate　agency　of　the　gods。

Philosophy　afterwards　endeavoured　to　account　for　them　from　more

familiar　causes；　or　from　such　as　mankind　were　better　acquainted

with；　than　the　agency　of　the　gods。　As　those　great　phenomena　are

the　first　objects　of　human　curiosity；　so　the　science　which

pretends　to　explain　them　must　naturally　have　been　the　first

branch　of　philosophy　that　was　cultivated。　The　first　philosophers；

accordingly；　of　whom　history　has　preserved　any　account；　appear　to

have　been　natural　philosophers。

　　　　　In　every　age　and　country　of　the　world　men　must　have　attended

to　the　characters；　designs；　and　actions　of　one　another；　and　many

reputable　rules　and　maxims　for　the　conduct　of　human　life　must

have　been　laid　down　and　approved　of　by　common　consent。　As　soon　as

writing　came　into　fashion；　wise　men；　or　those　who　fancied

themselves　such；　would　naturally　endeavour　to　increase　the　number

of　those　established　and　respected　maxims；　and　to　express　their

own　sense　of　what　was　either　proper　or　improper　conduct；

sometimes　in　the　more　artificial　form　of　apologues；　like　what　are

called　the　fa