them bear rule, would begin to use force, in order to compel them to comply. This is conduct that ought to be checked-and what time so proper as the first stages of infancy?

I have had others, who would try every expedient, in order to deprive the weaker and smaller children of their little property, such as marbles, buttons, and the like; and who, when they have found that force would not do, would try hypocrisy, and other evil arts, that are but too prevalent, and of which they see too many examples out of school. All these things have taken place in the play-ground, and yet in the school such children have shown no such disposition; consequently, had it not been for the play-ground, they would not have been detected, and those principles would have gone on ripening, until they had become quite rooted in the character of the child, and would ever after, perhaps, have formed the basis of its conduct through life. I am, indeed, so firmly convinced, from the experience I have had of the utility of a play-ground, from the above reasons, and others, elsewhere mentioned, that I scruple not to say, an Infant School is of little service without one.

In those instances where the play-ground is ornamented with flowers, fruit-trees, &c. (and I would recommend this plan to be invariably adopted) it not only affords the teacher an opportunity of instilling a variety of ideas into the minds of the children, and of tracing every thing up to the Great First Cause, but it becomes the means of establishing principles of honesty. The children should not on any account be allowed to pluck the fruit or flowers; every thing should be considered as sacred; and being thus early ac

customed to principles of honesty, temptations in after-life will be deprived of their power. It must be a source of great grief to all lovers of children, to see what havoc is made by them in plantations near London; and, perhaps, grown persons are not entirely free from this fault, who are not content with a proper foot-path, but must walk on a man's plantations, pull up that which can be of no use to them, and thereby injure the property of their neighbour. These things ought not to be, nor do I think they would be so common as they are, if they were noticed a little more in the training and education of children. It has been too much the practice with many, to consider that the business of a school consists merely in teaching children their letters, but I am of opinion, that the formation of character is of the greatest importance, not only to the children, but to society at large. How can we account for the strict honesty of the Laplanders, who can leave their property in the woods, and in their huts, without the least fear of it being stolen or injured; while we, with ten times the advantages, cannot consider our property safe, with the aid of locks and bolts, brick walls, and even watchmen besides? There must be some cause for all this, and perhaps the principal one is, the defects in the education of children, and the total neglect of the infant poor, at a time when their first impressions should be taken especial care of; for conscience, if not lulled into sleep, but rather called into action, will prove stronger than either brick walls, bolts, or locks; and I am satisfied, that I could have taken the whole of my children into any gentleman's plan

tation, without their doing the least injury what

ever.

Another thing I would notice, with regard to speaking the truth. There is nothing so delightful as the hearing and speaking of truth; for this reason there is no conversation so agreeable as that of the man of integrity, who hears without any design to betray, and speaks without any intention to deceive: this admitted, we should strive to our utmost to induce children to speak the truth. But our success, in a great measure, will depend on the means we take to accomplish that end. I know that many children are frightened into falsehood by the injudicious methods adopted by those persons who have the care of them. I have known a mother promise her child forgiveness if it would speak the truth, and, after having obtained confession, has broken her promise. A child, once treated in this manner, will naturally be guarded against a second like deception. I have known others who would pretend not to punish the child for confession, but for first denying it, and afterwards confessing, I think that children should not be punished on any account after having been promised forgiveness; truth being of too great importance to be thus trifled with; and we cannot wonder if it is lightly esteemed by children, after the example is set by their parents. Having had several thousand children pass through my hands, it has furnished me with opportunities of observing the bias of the infant mind, and I must say, that I have not found children so inclined to evil and falsehood as I had heretofore imagined, neither so corrupt as is generally supposed. For if our

dealings are fair and honourable with children, we may expect from them much better things. I do believe, when we have ascertained the proper method of treating children, it will be found that they came from the hands of their Creator in a much better state than we generally suppose, and that they are not so prone to vice, cruelty, lying, and many other evils, as is generally believed. Instead of snarling at each other like dogs, I find they will be as kind and good natured to each other as any race of beings on earth for many of their faults are often committed rather through ignorance than intention. It being my intention to enter somewhat at length into the question of rewards and punishments, as connected with moral culture, I shall devote a separate chapter to it, and shall now proceed to speak of the development of the mental powers.

Before I enter into minute details upon this subject, I must trespass a little upon the attention of the reader, in order to show the necessity of the plan I am about to describe; in doing this it will be proper to quote the words of an excellent author, who says, "From the time that children begin to use their hands, nature directs them to handle every thing over and over, to look at it while they handle it, and to put it into various positions, and at various distances from the eye. We are apt to excuse this as a childish diversion, because they must be doing something, and have not reason to entertain themselves in a more manly way. But if we think more justly, we shall find that they are engaged in the most serious and important study; and if they had all the reason of a philosopher, they could not be more properly employed. For it is this childish

employment that enables them to make the proper use of their eyes. They are thereby every day acquiring habits of perception, which are of greater importance than any thing we can teach them. The original perceptions which nature gave them are few, and insufficient for the purposes of life; and therefore she made them capable of many more perceptions by habit. And to complete her work, she hath given them an unwearied assiduity in applying to the exercise by which those perceptions are acquired."

This is the education which nature gives to her children, and since we have fallen upon this subject, we may add, that another part of nature's education is, that by the course of things, children must exert all their muscular force, and employ all their ingenuity, in order to gratify their curiosity and satisfy their little appetites. What they desire is only to be obtained at the expense of labour and patience, and many disappointments. By the exercise of body and mind necessary for satisfying their desires, they acquire agility, strength, and dexterity in their motions, as well as health and vigour to their constitutions; they learn patience and perseverance, they learn to bear pain without dejection, and disappointment without despondency: the education of nature is most perfect in savages, who have no other tutor; and we see, that in the quickness of all their senses, in the agility of all their motions, in the hardiness of their constitutions and in the strength of their minds, to bear hunger, thirst, pain, and disappointment, they commonly far exceed civilized nations. A most ingenious writer, on this account, seems to prefer savage to social life. But it is the intention of nature, that hu