"Sanctii Minerva," with Scioppius and Perizonius's notes.' It is no objection to his plan, he says, that children will learn merely by rote. Languages must be learned by rote, and used without any thought of grammar: 'if grammar ought to be taught at any time, it must be to one that can speak the language already: how else can he be taught the grammar of it?' Grammar is, in fact, an introduction to rhetoric.'* I grant the grammar of a language is sometimes very carefully to be studied; but it is only to be studied by a grown man, when he applies himself to the understanding of any language critically, which is seldom the business of any but professed scholars.' This, I think, will be agreed to, that if a gentleman be to study any language, it ought to be that of his own country, that he may understand the language which he has constant use of, with the utmost accuracy.' And yet young gentlemen are forced to learn the grammars of foreign and dead languages, and are never once told of the grammar of their own tongue; they do not so much as know that there is any such thing, much less is it made their business to be instructed in it. Nor is their own language ever proposed to them as worthy their care and cultivating, though they have daily use of it, and are not seldom, in the future course of their lives, judged of by their handsome or awkward way

* Much confusion has arisen, as Bishop Dupanloup has observed, from the double use of the word grammar; first, for the science of language, and second, for the mere statement of the facts of a language. Those who teach what is called Latin Grammar' to children may argue that they only teach them, in order and connection, facts which they would otherwise have to pick up at random. See also M. Arnold: Schools, &c., p. 83.

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of expressing themselves in it. Whereas the languages whose grammars they have been so much' employed in, are such as probably they shall scarce ever speak or write; or if, upon occasion, this should happen, they should be excused for the mistakes and faults they make in it. Would not a Chinese, who took notice of this way of breeding, be apt to imagine that all our young gentlemen were designed to be teachers and professors of the dead languages of foreign countries, and not to be men of business in their own?'

Locke grants that in some sciences where their reasons are to be exercised, difficulties may be proposed, on purpose to excite industry, and accustom the mind to employ its own strength and sagacity in solving them. But yet,' he continues, 'I guess this is not to be done to children whilst very young, nor at their entrance upon any sort of knowledge. Then everything of itself is difficult, and the great use and skill of a teacher is to make all as easy as he can.'

Locke inveighs strongly against the ordinary practice of writing themes on such subjects as 'Omnia vincit amor,' or 'Non licet in bello bis peccare.' 'Here the poor lad who wants knowledge of those things he is to speak of, which is to be had only from time and observation, must set his invention on the rack to say something where he knows nothing, which is a sort of Egyptian tyranny, to bid them make bricks who have not yet any of the materials.' Verse-making found equally little favour in his eyes.*

* The very singular estimate Locke gives of poetry will be found in Appendix, p. 309.

He denounces also the practice of making boys say large portions of authors by heart, to strengthen the memory. He thinks that the learning pages of Latin by heart no more fits the memory for retention of anything else than the graving of one sentence in lead makes it the more capable of retaining any other characters. If such a sort of exercise of the memory were to give it strength, and improve our parts, players, of all other people, must needs have the best memories, and be the best company. "* 'What the mind is intent upon and careful of, that it remembers best; to which, if method and order be joined, all is done, I think, that can be for the help of a weak memory; and he that will take any other way to do it, especially that of charging it with a train of other people's words, which he that learns cares not for, will, I guess, scarce find the profit answer half the time and pains employed in it.' Boys, however, should learn by heart passages which are valuable in themselves, and these they should give an account of, and repeat again and again, that they may always remember them, and also be taught to reflect on what they learn.

As an exercise in English, there should be proposed to young gentlemen rational and useful questions suited to their age and capacities, and on subjects not wholly unknown to them, nor out of their way. Such as these, when they are ripe for

* From the little I have seen of gentlemen of this profession, I am by no means disposed to consider this, as Locke does apparently, a reductio ad absurdum.

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exercises of this nature, they should extempore, or after a little meditation upon the spot, speak to, without penning of anything.' Even at an earlier age, children should often tell a story of anything they know, such as a fable from Esop ('the only book almost that I know fit for children'), and at first the teacher is to correct only the most remarkable fault they are guilty of in their way of putting it together. They must also write narratives, and, when more advanced, letters. "They must also read those things that are well writ in English, to perfect their style in the purity of our language; for, since it is English that an English gentleman will have constant use of, that is the language he should chiefly cultivate, and wherein most care should be taken to polish and perfect his style.'

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On another point he was at variance with the custom of his day. If the use and end of right reasoning,' he says, 'be to have right notions and a right judgment of things, to distinguish between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, and to act accordingly, be sure not to let your son be bred up in the art and formality of disputing, either practising it himself or admiring it in others.' Of logic and rhetoric he also speaks very disparagingly.

To the studies already mentioned, viz., geography, chronology, history, astronomy, anatomy, Locke would add the principles of civil law and the laws of England.

'Natural philosophy, as a speculative science,' writes Locke, 'I imagine we have none; and perhaps may think I have reason to say we never shall be

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able to make a science of it. The works of Nature are contrived by a Wisdom and operate by ways too far surpassing our faculties to discover, or capacities to conceive, for us ever to be able to reduce them to a science.' He allows, however, that the incomparable Mr. Newton has shown how far mathematics, applied to some parts of Nature, may, upon principles that matter of fact justifies, carry us in the knowledge of some, as I may call them, particular provinces of the incomprehensible universe.'

Greek does not enter into Locke's curriculum. Latin and French, as the world now goes,' are required of a gentleman, but Greek only of a professed scholar. If the pupil has a mind to carry his studies further for himself, he can do so; but, as it is, how many are there of a hundred, even amongst scholars themselves, who retain the Greek they carried from school; or ever improve it to a familiar, ready, and perfect understanding of Greek authors?' The tutor must remember that his business is not so much to teach the pupil all that is knowable, as to raise in him a love and esteem of knowledge, and to put him in the right way of knowing and improving himself when he has a mind to it.'

In the matter of accomplishments, Locke is rather hard upon music, which leads into jovial company,' and painting, which is a sedentary, and therefore not a healthy occupation. Wrestling he prefers to fencing. Riding the great horse' (whatever that may mean) should not be made a business of.

By all means, let a gentleman learn at least one manual trade, especially such as can be practised in