"opinion in this place, which he explains thus in the "fecond book de Oratore. I would have a young man, fays he, give his genius its full fcope, and dif cover fertility. Frigidity in mafters is as danger"ous, especially for children, as a dry and a fcorch"ed foil for tender plants. A young man in their "hands is always groveling, and never has the courage to take noble flights, or attempt any thing "above the common level. The want of flesh, "leannefs paffes with them for health, and what "they call judgment, is mere impotence. They "fancy it is enough to have no faults; but even in "that, they fall into a very great one, which is, not "to have one excellency." • I must likewife obferve, that nothing checks and damps the genius of children more than a mafter who is over. fevere, and too difficult to be pleased; for then they are dejected, defpair of fuccefs, and at laft conceive an averfion for ftudy; and, what is as prejudicial on thefe occafions, while they are in perpetual fear.they dare not attempt even to do well. P Let a mafter then take particular care to make himself agreeable to youth, especially in their tender years, in order to foften, by his engaging behaviour, whatever may feem harfh in correcting; let him fometimes applaud one paffage, find another tolerably well; change this, and give his reasons for it; amend efferat in adolefcente fœcunditas. 6 neamus indignum eft, ingenia puerorum nimia interim emendationis feveritate deficere. Nam & defperant, & dolent, & noviffime oderunt: &, quod maxime nocet, dum omnia timent, nihil conantur. Ibid. p Jucundus ergo tum maxime debet effe præceptor: ut, quæ alioqui natura funt afpera, molli manu leniantur, laudare aliqua, ferre quædam, mutare etiam, reddita cur id fiat ratione; illuminare interponendo aliquid fui, Ibid. that, that, by adding fomething of his own; which is the method he should follow. "The difference of age ought also to be confi"dered, in the manner of correcting exercifes, which "fhould be proportioned to the progress scholars have "made. As to myfelf, when I fometimes found "their ftile too florid and their thoughts more "bold than just, I used to tell them, it was very "well for the prefent; but that a time would come, "when I should not be so easy with them. This flattered their genius, and did not deceive their "judgment." I have nothing to add to these excellent reflec tions, except what Quintilian himself has faid in another place, where he treats of the duty and qualifications of a master. "Let him not deny youth, "fays he, the praifes they deferve, neither would "I have him be too lavish of them; for the former "difcourages, and the latter makes them too fecure, "which may be of dangerous confequence. When "he meets with any thing that requires cortection, "he ought not to treat his pupils with bitter or re"proachful language; for nothing gives them so "much averfion to learning, as the being continually "reproved with a gloomy air, the feeming effect of "hatred." We fee by this admirable paffage, of which part only is copied, that the duty of a mafter in correcting the exercifes of his pupils, does not confift merely in cenfuring improper expreffions and thoughts, but in explaining the reafon of their being fo, and in fubfti q Aliter autem alia æ as emendanila eft, & pro modo virium exigendum & corrigendum opus. Sclebam ego dicere puers aliquid aufis licentius aut lætius, laudare illud me adhuc venturum tempus quo idem non permitterem. Ita & ingenio gaudebant, & judicio non fallebantur. Ibid. r In luudandis difcipulorum dic tionibus nec malignus, nec effu fus: quia res altera tædium laboris, altera fecuritatem parit. In emendando que corrigenda erant, non acerbus, minimeque contumeliofus. Nam id quidem multos a propofito ftudendi fugat, quod quidam fic objurgant, quafi oderint. Quintil. lib. 2. c. 3. tuting others; that he must fupply them immediately with fuch phrafes and periods, as may exalt and adorn their exercises; which when he does not approve, he fhould make them go over again. He should dictate from time to time the fubftance of the corrections to be made; at least fome part of it, which may afterwards serve for models. Above all, he must take care not to difcourage his pupils by too fevere an air, but, on the contrary, animate and cherish them, with hopes of fuccefs, by moderate and seasonable applause; and by all the methods that can excite emulation, and a love of ftudy, in the minds of young people. This emulation is one of the great advantages of university or school education; and Quintilian does not fail to lay it down as a moft powerful reafon for preferring a public to a private education. "A child, fays he, can learn nothing at home, "except what he is taught; but, at fchools he learns "what is taught others. He will daily fee his mafter "approving one thing, correcting another, blaming "the idleness of this boy, applauding the diligence of "that. Every thing will be of ufe to him. The "love of fame will infpire him with emulation: he " will be ashamed to be excelled by his equals, and " even pant to furpafs the most forward. This ani"mates youth; and, though ambition is a vice, we ❝ however may draw fome good from it, and make it « useful.” He afterwards fpeaks of the cuftom of giving places in the clafs once a month; and though this seems inconfiderable and common, he does not fail to treat it with his ufual wit and fprightlinefs. • Adde quod domi ea fola difcere poteft, quæ ipfi præcipientur: in fchola, etiam quæ aliis. Audiet multa quotidie probari, multa cr. rigi: proderit alicujus objurgata defidia, proderit laudata induftria : excitabitur laude æmulatio: turpe t Regular ex"aminations perâffe majores. Accedunt omnia hæc animos: & licet ipfa vitium fit ambitio, frequenter tamen caufa virtutum eft. Quintil. 1. 1. c 3. Hujus rei judicia præbebantur, Ea nobis ingens palmæ contentio. Ducere verò claffem multo pulcherducet cedere pari, pulchrum fu- rimum, Nec de hoc femel decre tuna 2 "aminations were appointed, fays he, for judging of "the progress the scholars had made in their studies; "and what endeavours did we not ufe to gain the "victory? But to be the firft in the clafs, and at the "head of the reft, was the chief object of our am"bition. However, the decifion in this cafe was not "final; for, at a month's end, he who was vanquished "was allowed to revive the difpute, which thereby "became warmer and more obftinate; for the one' "omitted nothing to keep the advantage he had gain❝ed, and the other, prompted by fhame and grief, "found fufficient force to furmount his difgrace. I› am very fure this method gave us more courage, "and infpired us with a greater defire to learn, "than the exhortations of our mafters, the vigilence“of our inspectors, or the earnest wishes of our "parents." If I might be allowed to join my reflections and practice with those of so great a master as Quintilian,“ I would add another cuftom, of great fervice to me, to that of diftributing places regularly once a month," which ought never to be neglected, not even in the higher claffes. This was, to propose some prizes, but without fixing on any particular day, for one or two of the scholars, who had fucceeded beft in a common exercise. Sometimes they were obliged to cons quer twice to gain the prize. To raise fome emulation likewife in those of indifferent capacities, I feparated them from fuch as had the best, and propofed prizes also for them. By this method I kept the whole class in continual exercife. All their compofitions were as much laboured as thofe which were made for places; and the scholars were like foldiers who every moment tum erat: tricefimus dies reddebat victo certaminis poteftatem. I a nec fuperior fucceffu curam demittebat ; & dolor victum ad depellendam ignominiam concitabat. Id nobis acriores al ftudia dicendi faces fubdidiffe,quam exhortationes docentium, pædagogorum cuftodiam, vota parentum, quantum animi mei conjectura colligere poffum, contenderim. Ibid. expect the fignal of battle, and therefore held themfelves continually in readiness. ARTICLE the SECOND. An essay on the method of forming youth for compofition, either by word of mouth, or by writing. THE eafieft method of teaching youth the art of compofing, is to exercise them, firft, by word of mouth, in making themes upon fubjects treated of by good Latin or French authors. As the mafter must be supposed to have carefully perused the place he has chofen; to have studied the order, difpofition, proofs, thoughts, turns, and expreffions; he may very easily (with the affiftance of a few hints) enable them to find readily a part of what they are to say; and even, in fome measure, the manner of turning every thought. After they have taken some pains about each part, the mafter should read the paffage in the author, and endeavour to display all the art and beauties of it. When they have been exercised for some time in this manner, some subjects should be given them to be compofed in writing, which, if poffible, should be extracted from the beft authors, and ftudied more deliberately at home. I shall propose some examples in both kinds; but fhall cite here only one paffage from a Roman author, because the reader will find feveral others in the fequel. The relation of Canius's adventure, cited in number, VI. of the first article, where the plain or fimple kind is treated; and the combat of the Horatii and Curiatii, given in Article 11. of § 11. which relates to the thoughts, may ferve as examples for narrations. I. Elogium |