to give our children, such clear conceptions up the subject, as may leave them at no loss to p nounce on the consequences of a conduct mar by benevolence, wisdom, and moderation; in position to the effects produced by violent pre dice, blind zeal, and cruel intolerance.

History presents us with an instructive po trait of the human passions; but it is of the pa sions principally as they are actuated by amb tion. Without previous care to strengthen th judgment, history, therefore, by the intere which it excites in the fate of heroes and co querors, may be instrumental in awakenin ambition, and kindling the flame of false glo in an ardent mind. The historian who does no catch a portion of his hero's spirit, and ente with warmth into his interests, will be cold and inanimate. He who does, will be apt to throw false colours over actions that are in their nature base and vile; to extenuate what is reprehensi ble; and sometimes to extol what is undeserving of sober approbation. Thus are the moral no tions of youth in danger of being corrupted from the very sources which we had assigned for their nourishment and improvement. This, I believe, to be often the case with boys: and is the inevitable consequence of permitting the imagination to get the start of judgment. Were the judgment to be exercised in tracing cause and effect, as they are delineated in the historic page; the ardent youth, instead of being dazzled by the false lustre of splendid atchievements, would pursue their consequences to the human race, and see wide spread ruin, pain, misery,

and devastation, the awful price of short-lived glory.

The various advantages accruing from the study of history are too numerous and too important to admit of being fully described in such an imperfect sketch; suffice it to say, that under the direction of a judicious preceptor, it cannot fail to enlarge the conceptions, to increase the number of ideas, to improve the judgment, and to strengthen moral and religious principle in the heart. The mere knowledge of dates and epochs, of the names of sovereigns, and the length of their successive reigns, and even of the principal features that marked, the character of every prince, and of the most remarkable events that took place in every age, will go a very little way towards intellectual improvement. This is the knowledge and the sole knowledge that can be obtained from abridgments. From these, therefore, none of the moral uses of history can possibly be derived. The associations they give are merely those of time and place, which, as we have already seen, are the only associations familiar to the vulgar. Abridgments of history are merely to be considered as exercises of the memory; and whoever expects by their means the improvement of any other faculty, will be miserably disappointed.

Are, then, abridgments of no use? To the young, I certainly think they are of none, and worse than of none; for I deem it much safer for the mind to be destitute of all ideas upon any subject, than to have those which are confused and indistinct. But to such as have in youth

laid in an ample fund of information, when that information, begins to fade on the memory, abridgements may be found of great service. They give the outlines which the mind is in possession of materials to fill up. Every event which they record, awakens a chain of associations, and revives ideas which had become in a manner extinct. To the learned, therefore, ought the use of abridgments to be confined; while to the minds that are on their progress to improvement, full, clear, distinct, and accurate ideas ought to be given upon every subject proposed to their consideration.

Here again we may observe the consequence of that impatience and precipitancy which in so many instances defeats the great purposes of education, By our impatience to make our children perfect in knowledge, we in reality present an insuperable bar to its acquirement. We cramp the powers of the soul, and lessen its capabilities. We teach it to skim the surface of science, and indolently to acquiesce in superficial attainments. Thus we produce a race of praters who know nothing; of talkers who never think; of light, trifling, and fantastic beings, alike destitute of intellectual vigour and of solid principle. You, my friend, who live in blest retirement, see little of this. Let those who are conversant with what is called the world, pronounce upon its truth!

Adieu.

LETTER VIII.

JUDGMENT.

Observations upon the method to be pursued in reading History. Premature cultivation of imagination hurtful to judgment. Other obstacles to its improvement examined. --Mode of female education formerly adopted, more favourable to judgment than the modern.-Examples..

YOUR observations, my dearest friend convince me, that I have not sufficiently explained myself, with regard to the use of history in early education. My objection to abridgments does not, as you suppose, extend to those little nursery catalogues of kings and queens, whether in verse or prose. I think, on the contrary, that such chronological epitomes, committed to memory at that period when words are most easily retained in it, may be of great advantage. This can never be mistaken for a knowledge of history; which, I fear, a superficial acquaintance with the contents of larger abridgments very frequently is. You say that "it is impossible. for children to read voluminous histories at a very early age;" and I entirely agree in your opinion.

I spoke of history, as affording striking examples of the truth of the proposition concerning cause and effect, upon which I supposed the judgment to have been for some time exercised. From the whole scope and tenor of my argument, it

will appear sufficiently obvious, that I adopt, a fundamental principle, the impossibility of exercise of judgment, where there are not cl and distinct conceptions. But there may very clear and distinct conceptions of the cau and consequences of particular events, and t mind may be capable of forming very just a accurate ideas concerning particular instanc of human conduct, long before it is capable embracing a series of complicated and successi events. Long before it has strength to wie the massy chain, it may be capable of examinin an individual link.

Hence it appears to me, that the judgmen will be exercised to more advantage, by a mi nute investigation of a detached period of histo ry, judiciously chosen, than by the perusal o the abridged history of ages. Fully apprised of the narrow limits of its information, the minc will be in no danger of that shallow conceit which constantly attends the superficial. It will be prompted to acquire further knowledge for itself; and, by having been put upon the method of exercising judgment upon every subject it investigates, its enquiries will never fail to be attended with advantage.

Against the morality of the tales of instruc, tion now in general use, I make no objection; because, whether these fictitious representations of events be moral or otherwise, they are alike inimical to our design of cultivating the faculties according to the order in which they are de veloped by the hand of nature.