Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

you therefore, (but after all you must judge for yourself) to allot the two next years of little John's scholarship, to writing and arithmetic, together with which, for variety's sake, and because it is capable of being formed into an amusement, I would mingle geography, (a science which if not attended to betimes, is seldom made an object of much consideration,) essentially necessary to the accom, plishment of a gentleman, yet (as I know by sad experience) imper, fectly, if at all, inculcated in the schools. Lord Spencer's son, when he was four years of age, knew the situation of every kingdom, country, city, river, and remarkable mountain, in the world, For this attainment, which I suppose his father had never made, he was indebted to a plaything; having been accustomed to amuse himself with those maps which are cut into several compartments, so as to be thrown into a heap of confusion, that they may be put together again with an exact coincidence of all their angles and bearings, so as to form a perfect whole.

"If he begins Latin and Greek at eight, or even at nine years of age, it is surely soon enough. Seven years, the usual allowance for those acquisitions, are more than sufficient for the purpose, especially with his readiness in learning; for you would hardly wish to have him qualified for the university before fifteen, a period, in my mind, much too early for it, and when he could hardly be trusted there without the utmost danger to his morals. Upon the whole, you will perceive that in my judgment, the difficulty, as well as the wisdom, consists more in bridling in, and keeping back, a boy of his parts, than in pushing him forward. If, therefore, at the

end of the two next years, instead of putting a grammar into his hand, you should allow him to amuse himself with some agreeable writers upon the subject of natural philosophy, for another year, I think it would answer well. There is a book called Cosmotheoria Puerilis, there are Derham's Physico and Astro-theology, together with seve ral others in the same manner, very intelligible even to a child, and full of useful instruction.

"W. C."

"TO THE REV. WILLIAM UNWIN.

"Sept. 17, 1780,

"My dear friend, "You desire my further thoughts on the subject of education. I send you such as had for the most part occurred to me when I wrote last, but could not be comprised in a single letter. They are indeed on a different branch of this interesting theme, but not less important than the former.

"I think it your happiness, and wish you to think it so yourself, that you are in every respect qualified for the task of instructing your son, and preparing him for the university, without committing him to the care of a stranger. In my judgment, a domestic education deserves the preference to a public one, on an hundred accounts, which I have neither time nor room to mention. I shall only touch upon two or three, that I cannot but consider as having a right to your most earnest attention.

"In a public school, or indeed in any school, his morals are sure to be but little attended to, and his religion not at all. If he can catch the love of virtue from the fine things that are spoken of it in the

classics,

classics, and the love of holiness from the customary attendance upon such preaching as he is likely to hear, it will be well; but I am sure you have had too many opportunities to observe the inefficacy of such means, to expect any such advantage from them. In the mean time, the more powerful influence of bad example, and perhaps bad company, will continually counterwork these only preservatives he can meet with, and may possibly send him home to you, at the end of five or six years, such as you will be sorry to see him. You escaped indeed the contagion yourself; but a few instances of happy exemption from a general malady, are not sufficient warrant to conclude, that it is therefore not infectious, or may be encountered without danger.

"You have seen too much of the world, and are a man of too much reflection, not to have observed, that in proportion as the sons of a family approach to years of maturity, they lose a sense of obligation to their parents, and seem at last almost divested of that tender affection, which the nearest of all relations seems to demand from them. I have often observed it myself, and have always thought I could sufficiently account for it, without laying all the blame upon the children. While they continue in their parents' house, they are every day obliged, and every day reminded, how much it is their interest, as well as duty, to be obliging and affectionate in return. But at eight or nine years of age, the boy goes to school. From that moment he becomes a stranger in his father's house. The course of parental kindness is interrupted. The smiles of his mother, those tender admonitions, and the bolicitous care of both his parents,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

"Now for the sequel-You have anticipated one of my arguments in favour of a private education, therefore I need say but little about it. The folly of supposing, that the mother-tongue, in some respects the most difficult of all tongues, may be acquired without a teacher, is predominant in all the public schools that I have ever heard of. To pronounce it well, to speak and to write it with fluency and elegance, are no easy attainments; not one in fifty of those who pass through Westminster and Eton, arrive at any remarkable proficiency in these accomplishments; and they that do, are more indebted to their own study and application for it, than to any instruction received there. In general, there is nothing so pedantic as the style of a school-boy, if he aims at any style at all; and if he does not, he is of course inelegant, and perhaps ungrammatical. A defect no doubt, in great mea sure, owing to want of cultivation; for the same lad that is often commended for his Latin, frequently

would

[ocr errors]

would deserve to be whipped for his English, if the fault were not more his master's than his own. I know not where this evil is so likely to be prevented as at homesupposing always, nevertheless, (which is the case in your instance) that the boy's parents, and their acquaintance, are persons of elegance and taste themselves. For, to converse with those who converse with propriety, and to be directed to such authors as have refined and improved the language by their productions, are advantages which he cannot elsewhere enjoy in an equal degree. And though it requires some time to regulate the taste, and fix the judgment, and these effects must be gradually wrought even upon the best understanding, yet I suppose, much less time will be necessary for the purpose, than could at first be imagined, because the opportunities of improvement are continual. "A public education is often recommended as the most effectual remedy for that bashful and awkward restraint, so epidemical among the youth of our country. But I verily believe that, instead of being a cure, it is often the cause of it. For seven or eight years of his life, the boy has hardly seen or conversed with a man, or a woman, except the maids at his boarding-house. A gentleman, or a lady, are consequently such novelties to him, that he is perfectly at a loss to know what sort of behaviour he should preserve before them. He plays with his buttons, or the strings of his hat; he blows his nose, and hangs down his head; is conscious of his own deficiency, to a degree that makes him quite unhappy; and trembles lestany one should speak to him, because that would quite overwhelm him. Is not all this mise

rable shyness the effect of his education? To me it appears to be so. If he saw good company every day, he would never be terrified at the sight of it; and a room full of ladies and gentlemen, would alarm him no more than the chairs they sit on. Such is the effect of cus

tom.

"I need add nothing further on this subject, because I believe little John is as likely to be exempted from this weakness as most young gentlemen we shall meet with. He seems to have his father's spirit in this respect, in whom I could never discern the least trace of bashfulness, though I have often heard him complain of it. Under your management, and the influence of your example, I think he can hardly fail to escape it. If he does, he escapes that which has made many, a man uncomfortable for life; and ruined not a few; by forcing them into mean and dishonourable company, where only they could be free and cheerful.

"Connections formed at school are said to be lasting, and often beneficial. There are two or three stories of this kind upon record, which would not be so constantly cited as they are, whenever this subject happens to be mentioned, if the chronicle that preserves their remembrance had many besides to boast of. For my own part, I found such friendships, though warm enough in their commencement, surprisingly liable to ex tinction: and of seven or eight, whom I had selected for intimates, out of about three hundred, in ten years time not one was left me. The truth is, that there may be, and often is, an attachment of one boy to another, that looks very like a friendship; and, while they are in circumstances that enable them

mutually

mutually to oblige and to assist each other, promises well, and bids fair to be lasting. But they are no sooner separated from each other, by entering into the world at large, than other connections, and new employments, in which they no longer share together, efface the remembrance of what passed in earlier days, and they become strangers to each other for ever. Add to this, that the man frequently differs so much from the boy, his principles, manners, temper, and conduct, undergo so great an alteration, that we no longer recognise

in him our old playfellow, but find him utterly unworthy, and unfit for the place he once held in our affections.

"To close this article, as I did the last, by applying myself immediately to the present concernLittle John is happily placed above all occasion for dependence on all such precarious hopes, and need not be sent to school in quest of some great men in embryo, who may possibly make his fortune. "Yours, my dear friend,

"W.C."

On ITALIAN PAINTING.

[From the LETTERS of GESSNER and his FAMILY.]

"C. GESSNER TO HIS PARENTS.

of

"I arrived at this place yester "Milan, June 2, 1787. day evening, and shall leave it to M. O "HERE I am again separated morrow morning. am from you, my dear parents! Bergamo accompanied me here, The bustle of the journey, and some and did not leave me till he had enpleasant days passed at Bergamo in gaged a good postillion for me, the house of M. S-, with whom I who is to take me to Rome. There could almost fancy myself at home, fore, I travel alone; and as in conprevented my feeling so forcibly, versation I do not expect to find a at first, the pangs of this fresh ab- greater fund of resources in my sence from you: but now I am post-boy than in his mules, I have alone; and nothing but my ardent purchased a very handsome shag desire to see Rome, and the strong dog to be my companion, and I motives which induce me to go hope that in a short time we thither, could soften the painful sen- be very good friends. sations which oppress my heart. Nevertheless I assure you, my good and worthy father, that I am fully sensible of the necessity of my residence in Italy; and the tender parting blessing of the best of parents, by approving of the profession I have chosen, has imposed on me the sacred duty of labouring to the utmost of my power, in order that I may practise it with credit to myself and my family.

shall

"As I stay so short a time at Milan, I shall not say much about this city, or rather, I will not say any thing.

"The route, by which I came to Bergamo, delighted me extremely, although I crossed the Splugen during the most severe weather. The grand appearance of this mass of mountains rising one above an other to the clouds, this gigantic appearance of nature, which I new beheld

beheld for the first time, made me forget the cold, and all the inconveniences of the road. I contemplated with a degree of pleasure mixed with horror, the foaming waters of the Rhine, which were rolling beneath me at the foot of a frightful precipice. The roaring of the current, added to the distant rumbling of some avalanches, were the only sounds which interrupted the mournful silence of winter, and rendered it still more terrific.

"I regretted very much on thisoccasion that I could not draw any of the objects which presented hemselves; for in these romantic regions it is impossible to detain the horses for any length of time; I therefore pursued my journey down the sides of the Cardinelles, and after travelling some hours I found myself in the fertile plains of Italy, surrounded by all the loveliness of spring.

"My pony performed this painful journey as if he had been born and bred in the mountains. I felt a great degree of regret on parting with him; and had Ï not been certain that I disposed of him to a good master, I should not easily have consoled myself for the loss.

"There are some good pictures dispersed about Bergamo in the churches; and although they are in very bad preservation, yet in some one may discover a greatness and boldness of design. The collection of a count Peternelli contains some fine landscapes by Tempesta, some battle pieces by Borgognone, and a small Correggio. But the objects most worthy of particular attention, are some sculpture and ornaments in the church of Alsano, a small town in the vicinity of Bergamo. The figures are of wood, the design is in a grand style, full of expression and spirit, and the

draperies are disposed with grace and simplicity. There are also some statues in marble, which, if I do not mistake, are really very fine. The pulpit is supported by three figures in the style of Caracci, which have as much grace as their attitude and destination can admit of.

The proportions are maintained with the utmost exactness; the tension of the muscles is expressed with a proper degree of strength, but not exaggerated, and all those parts in which the bones project, such as the knees and elbows, are indicated with perfect truth. The able artist, who executed these figures, was a native of Bergamo, of the name of Fontani.

"C. GESSNER."

"S. GESSNER TO HIS SON.

"Zurich, June 13, 1787. "You will receive this letter at Rome, my dear son; thrice welcome to you be your arrival in that city! You are now admitted into the sanctuary of that art, to which you have voluntarily consecrated yourself; you will there see its most sublime productions-those monuments of the most astonishing efforts of genius, and of the utmost perfection of taste-those admirable works, the sight of which will at first humiliate and discourage you, but only to create in you afterwards the highest emulation and enthusiasm. These great artists were but men; but always reflect how they must have laboured to attain the excellence which you now observe in them. mean to continue as you have hitherto done, only to follow the bent of your genius, there was no necessity for your visiting Rome.

If you

"There, no doubt, the wonders

of

« ForrigeFortsett »