vility and fear, must, in a great degree, indispose young persons, even when they are arrived to a mature age, for great designs and enterprises, and for many of the social and most generous offices and pursuits of human life.

In some, it raises a prejudice, scarce possible to be ever afterwards subdued, against virtue and against religion itself; for the sake of which, and to compel them to a strict and close observation of its laws, they have been so unmercifully and roughly disciplined. This, from having sadly experienced it to be the spirit of religion, in the father, they will be apt to imagine, for want of solidity of mind, and through the passion and hurry of youth, is its natural and universal disposition.

Others again, severity, instead of bending to a compliance, hardens. They grow more stiff and obstinate, through a disdain of rigour and opposition to tyrannical power. They may perhaps be induced to retain and cherish their viccs, which have cost them such cruel castigation, with greater affection and a more determined spirit. Or else, as the natural complexion and frame of mind differs, severity may inspire strong dispositions, which may at length settle in inveterate habits of malice and revenge. Or, finally, they may learn, from example, to be

oppressive and cruel, when they come themselves to be entrusted with authority. And as even pain itself, by degrees, grows familiar, and the longer experience of it lessens the very sense and feeling, as well as the fear of pain; this may diminish and in a great measure root out the aversion with which they are inspired by nature to the being the instruments of misery and suffering to others. They may come to think more slightly of it, as an offence against nature, the authority of God, and the common principles and dictates of humanity; and so may allow themselves in the commission of this horrid crime the more easily, and with less compunction and remorse; especially if they are of a temper that is inclined to be stern and arbitrary.

Add to all this, that a too strict and severe education, and particularly the extreme or too frequent use of corporal punishment, has a direct tendency to inspire the minds of children, very early, with degenerate, base, and mercenary views. Where it is the principal method pursued, it can scarce fail of impressing, and riveting in the mind, this ungenerous and fatal maxim, that the first and grand motive by which they are to be influenced, even in moral offices, and with respect to virtue and vice themselves, is sensible pain or pleasure.

And what can be the consequence of such wrong reasoning, before the minds of children are capable of discerning the error and fallacy of it, but the preventing entirely their due improvement, and the utter confounding all wise and religious education? Their being upon their guard, while the danger and terror of the punishment are directly in their view; but as soon as these are removed at a greater distance, giving themselves an unbridled scope in those instances of vice and extravagance to which they are more peculiarly addicted? Or, if they rather choose to undergo the pain of the discipline than that of restraint of appetite, and of being abridged of their darling pleasures; as long as they are actuated by such sensual and groveling principles, they will go on, without control, notwithstanding all measures of severity, in a course of licentious and dissolute living.

Let parents, therefore, be strongly alarmed by these considerations, and excited to proper vigilance and circumspection; lest, by being intemperate and over-rigid in the exercise of their authority, they bring on the evil consequences above-mentioned, to the utter depravation of their children's manners, and the destruction of their own comfort and peace of mind.

I can by no means be understood to insinuate,

by anything that has now been advanced, that punishments, as well as rewards, are ingredients not proper to be mixed with a religious or liberal education. On the contrary, besides the singular case of unpersuadable and stubborn vice, they are in general (as has been more than once allowed) highly necessary. No government can subsist, or at least be fully supported, without them. And though an ingenuous temper, and the love of virtue for itself, be the best springs of action, yet it is a wild scheme to attempt to influence mankind-in a world where virtue is surrounded with discouragements and difficulties, and where the examples of vice are numerous, and the temptations to it very powerful, insinuating, and dangerous-by the sole efficacy of so high and refined a motive.

In such a state of things, it is evidently fit that the temptations to ill should be in some measure counterbalanced by contrary incitements, and, as it were, temptations to the practice of what is good; addressed to the very same principles and passions in human nature, by which vice generally introduces itself. And this is the more necessary in the first rudiments and essays of education, when the reason of the child has but a small and inconsiderable energy, and the insinuations both of good and evil must chiefly be by means of the passions.

All, therefore, that I intend is, that rewards and punishments should be so contrived, and so proportioned, as to nourish and strengthen as much as is possible the sense of integrity and honour; that the shame and infamy of the punishment should be the principal circumstance adapted to deter, and the dignity and glory of the reward to encourage. And of this kind, innume• rable instances may be easily found, that will operate as effectually, especially by the help of use and habit, as the lower and more mercenary principles.

But, in order to this, the tempers of children must be carefully studied, and what are their strongest and most prevailing biases. If there are any bad seeds fixed in their minds, they should, as was observed before, be rooted out with the utmost diligence and application. But if this cannot be effected, the next step is to endeavour to govern and direct them aright, and give them a generous and virtuous turn. this means, ambition, and many other passions. which discover themselves early in the minds of youth, may be very beneficially conducted, and made subservient to the most noble purposes.

By

The greatest part of what has been hitherto offered, may be applied to the business of education at large; the whole of what remains will be