293 THERE is one young *Lord in this Town, who by an unexampled Piece of good Fortune, was miraculously snatched out of the Gulph of Ignorance; confined to a publick School for a due Term of Years; well whipped when he deferved it; clad no better than his Comrades, and always their Play-fellow on the fame Foot; had no Precedence in the School, but what was given him by his Merit, and loft it whenever he was negligent. It is well known how many Mutinies were bred at this unprecedented Treatment; what Complaints among his Relations, and other Great Ones of both Sexes; that his Stockings with Silver Clocks were ravished from him; that he wore his own Hair; that his Drefs was undiftinguished; that he was not fit to appear at a Balļ or Affembly, nor fuffered to go to either: And it was with the utmoft Difficulty, that he became qualified for his prefent Removal to the University; where he may probably be farther perfecuted, and poffibly with Succefs, if the Firmness of a Governor, and his own good Difpofitions will not preferve him. I confefs, I cannot but wish he may go on in the Way he began; because, I have a Curiofity to know by fo fingular an Experiment, whether Truth, Honour, Justice, Temperance, Courage, and good Senfe, acquired by a School and College Education, may not produce a very tolerable Lad; although he should happen to fail in one or two of thofe Accomplishments, which in the general Vogue are held fo important to the finishing of Gentleman.

*The Author is fuppofed to mean the Lord Viscount Montcaffell, of Ireland,

Ir is true, I have known an Academical Education to have been exploded in publick Affemblies; and have heard more than one or two Perfons of high Rank declare, they could learn nothing more at Oxford and Cambridge, than to drink Ale, and fmoke Tobacco; wherein I firmly believed them, and could have added fome Hundred Examples from my own Obfervation in one of thofe Univerfities: But they all were of young Heirs fent thither only for Form; either from Schools, where they were not fuffered by their careful Parents to stay above three Months in the Year; or from under the Management of French Family-Tutors, who yet often attended them in their College, to prevent all Poflibility of their Improvement: But, I never yet knew any one Perfon of Quality, who followed his Studies at the Univerfity, and carried away his juft Proportion of Learning, who was not ready upon all Occafions to celebrate and defend that Courfe of Education, and to prove a Patron of learned Men.

THERE is one Circumftance in a learned Education, which ought to have much Weight, even with those who have no Learning at all. The Books read at School and Colleges, are full of Incitements to Virtue, and Difcouragements from Vice, drawn from the wifeft Reasons. the ftrongest Motives, and the most influencing Examples. Thus, young Minds are filled early with an Inclination to Good, and an Abhorrence of Evil; both which increase in them, according to the Advances they make in Literature: And, although they may be, and too often are, drawn by the Temptations of Youth, and the Opportunities of a large Fortune, into fome Irregu larities, when they come forward into the great

World;

World; it is ever with Reluctance and Compunce tion of Mind, because their Byafs to Virtue ftill continues. They may ftray fometimes by Infirmity or Complyance, but they will foon return to the right Road, and keep it always in view. I fpeak only of those Exceffes, which are too much the Attendants of Youth and warmer Blood: But, as to the Points of Honour, Truth, Justice, and other noble Gifts of the Mind, wherein the Temperature of the Body hath no Concern, they are feldom or never known to be misled.

I HAVE engaged my self very unwarily in too copious a Subject for fo fhort a Paper. The present Scope I would aim at, is to prove, that fome Proportion of human Knowledge appears requifite to thofe, who, by their Birth or Fortune, are called to the making of Laws, and in a fubordinate Way to the Execution of them; and that fuch Knowledge is not to be obtained without a Miracle; under the frequent, corrupt, and fottish Methods, of educating thofe, who are born to Wealth or Titles, For, I would have it remembered, that I do by no Means confine thefe Remarks to young Perfons of noble Birth; the fame Errors running through all Families, where there is Wealth enough to afford, that their Sons (at least the Eldeft) may be good for nothing. Why should my Son be a Scholar, when it is not intended that he should live by his Learning? By this Rule, if what is commonly faid be true, that Money answereth all Things, why should my Son be honest, temperate, juft, or charitable, fince he hath no Intention to depend upon any of thefe Qua Jities for a Maintenance?

WHEN

WHEN all is done, perhaps upon the whole, the Matter is not fo bad as I would make it: And GoD, who worketh Good out of Evil, acting only by the ordinary Course and Rule of Nature, permits this continual Circulation of human Things for his own unfearchable Ends. The Father grows rich by Avarice, Injuftice, Oppreffion; he is a Tyrant in the Neighbourhood over Slaves and Beggars, whom he calleth his Tenants. Why should he defire to have Qualities infufed into his Son, which himself never poffeffed, or knew, or found the Want of in the Acquifition of his Wealth? The Son bred in Sloth and Idlenefs, becomes a Spendthrift, a Cully, a Profligate; and goes out of the World a Beggar, as his Father came in: Thus the former is punished for his own Sins, as well as for those of the latter. The Dunghil having raised a huge Mushroom of fhort Duration, is now fpread to enrich other Mens Lands. It is, indeed, of worfe Confequence, where noble Families are gone to Decay; because their Titles and Privileges outlive their Estates: And, Politicians tell us, that nothing is more dangerous to the Publick, than a numerous Nobility without Merit or Fortune. But even here, GOD hath likewise prescribed fome Remedy in the Order of Nature; fo many great Families coming to an End by their Sloth, Luxury, and abandoned Lufts, which enervated their Breed through every Succeffion, producing gradually a more effeminate Race, wholly unfit for Propagation.

t.

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS

Ο Ν

Various SUBJECTS.

W

E have juft Religion enough to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

REFLECT on Things paft, as Wars, Negotiations, Factions, and the like; we enter fo little into thofe Interefts, that we wonder how Men could poffibly be fo bufy, and concerned for Things fo tranfitory: Look on the prefent Times, we find the fame Humour, yet wonder not at all.

A WISE Man endeavours, by confidering all Circumstances, to make Conjectures, and form Conclufions: But the smallest Accident intervening, (and in the Course of Affairs it is impoffible to foresee all) doth often produce fuch Turns and Changes, that at last he is just as much in doubt of Events, as the most ignorant and unexperienced Perfon.