tone of a provincial dialect are evils of trifling magnitude compared to ignorance and to vice. The former may occafionally excite ridicule; but they admit of an eafy remedy the effects of the latter are always to be lamented; but cannot always be removed. When the effential quali ties of the heart and the understanding are attained, exterior decorations may be innocently and wifely fought. But it is folly to wafte time and attention upon the fetting and the polish, till the diamond itself is fecured. The file can be used. with good effect, and the luftre will be durable, only in proportion as the fubftance is valuable and folid. Let the parents themselves be the guardians of their fon's introduction into fociety. Let them conduct him occafionally into fuch company, and fuch publick amufements, as they can either approve or regulate, Their experience may foon enable him to distinguish what is innocent from what is criminal; what is dangerous from what

a

is fafe. By their warning and instruction he may be taught prudence without fufpicion, and wisdom without cunning; to cultivate fubftantial excellence without defpifing fair appearance; to conciliate favour without the facrifice of duty; and, in one word, to be a man of the world, without ceafing to be a man of virtue.

In this inftance, as in almost every other, the folly of the wifdom of parents carries with it its own punishment or reward. Hardly any fituation can be more wretched than that of him, who fees, in the decline of life, his children ignorant or abandoned, defpifed or detefted, by his own negligence and mifconduct; but a father enjoys, and deferves to enjoy, the most delightful of all sensations, when he has given a fon to his country, whose talents and virtues render him an honour to his own ancestry, and a bleffing to the fociety in which providence has placed him.

CHAP.

IT

in Education to contrive for our children, or to fuffer them to contrive for themselves, fuch occupations and amufements in their hours of leifure, as fhall neither impede their literary pursuits, nor relax their moral principles. Could fuch be found, and exclufively employed, as should tend to invigorate both, they would form a moft valuable boon to the parents as well as to their offspring, and entitle the author to a diftinguished place amongst the benefactors of his country. Locke and Rouffeau have, indeed, fuggefted expedients for the purpose; and in the true spirit and confidence of pro

jectors

jectors have detailed their respective fchemes without any doubts of their fuccefs. But Locke and Rouffeau were never school-masters; and no inftructor of youth has yet been able to carry their theories into effect and practice.

For many years paft a favourite exercife or amusement in many of our schools has been the performance of plays by the pupils and this has been frequently and loudly recommended, not only as a plea fing and innocent relaxation from their feverer ftudies, but as giving them that confidence in themselves and their own powers, in which the youth of our country are often fuppofed to be peculiarly defis cient; not only as contributing in fome degree to their improvement in literature and morals, but as effentially affifting the force of their elocution, and the elegance of their deportment. In what degree this high recommendation has been deferved it thall be the bufinefs of the prefent chapter to examine; and that' with as much

much fairness and impartiality as a judgment already decided may be fuppofed to admit.

With refpect to literary or moral improvement, the performances in queftion can have no particular ufe or value. They can become beneficial only as they exer eife the faculties of the ftudents, or give occafion to the obfervations of the master, like the ordinary leffons of the school; and cannot, therefore, in this point of view, be entitled to any fuperior praise, or require a feparate and minute examination.

Theatrical performances at fchool are, however, principally recommended as tending effentially to give propriety of elocution and gracefulness of action to the pupils; accomplishments in which our countrymen are frequently confidered as much inferior to many of the nations around us. Whether our publick speakers are, or are not, inferior to thofe of other countries in thefe exterior and ornamental qualifi