1. The famous Milton, whose Learning and
Abilities are well known and who had practised some Time the
Education of Youth, so could speak from Experience.
2. The great Mr Locke, who wrote a Treatise on
Education, well known, and much esteemed, being translated into
most of the modern Languages of Europe.
3. Dialogues on Education, 2 Vols.
Octavo, that are much esteem’d, having had two Editions in 3 Years.
Suppos’d to be wrote by the ingenious Mr. Hutcheson (Author of A
Treatise on the Passions, and another on the Ideas of
Beauty and Virtue) who has had much Experience in Educating of
Youth, being a Professor in the College at Glasgow, &c.
4. The learned Mr. Obadiah Walker, who had been
many Years a Tutor to young Noblemen, and wrote a Treatise on
the Education of a young Gentleman; of which the Fifth
Edition was printed 1687.
5. The much admired Mons. Rollin, whose whole
Life was spent in a College; and wrote 4 Vols. on Education, under
the Title of, The Method of Teaching and Studying the Belles
Lettres; which are translated into English, Italian, and most
of the modern Languages.
6. The learned and ingenious Dr. George
Turnbull, Chaplain to the present Prince of Wales; who has had much
Experience in the Educating of Youth, and publish’d a Book, Octavo,
intituled, Observations on Liberal Education, in all its
Branches, 1742.
With some others.
The good Education of Youth has been esteemed
by wise Men in all Ages, as the surest Foundation of the Happiness
both of private Families and of Common-wealth. almost all
Governments have therefore made it a principal Object of their
Attention, to establish and endow with proper Revenues, such
Seminaries of Learning, as might supply the succeding Age with Men
qualified to serve the Publick with Honour to themselves, and to
their Country.
Many of the first Settlers of these Provinces,
were Men who had received a good Education in Europe, and to their
Wisdom and good Management we owe much of our present Prosperity.
But their Hands were full, and they could not do all Things. The
present Race are not thought to be generally of equal Ability: For
though the American Youth are allow’d not to want Capacity; yet the
best Capacities require Cultivation, it being truly with them, as
with the best Ground, which unless well tilled and sowed with
profitable Seed, produces only ranker Weeds.
That we may obtain the Advantages arising from
an Increase of Knowledge, and prevent as much as may be the
mischievous Consequences that would attend general Ignorance among
us, the following Hints are offered towards forming a Plan
for the Education of the Youth of Pennsylvania, viz. It is
propos’d,
That some Persons of
Leisure and publick Spirit, apply for a Charter, by which they may be incorporated, with Power
to erect an Academy for the Education of
Youth, to govern the same, provide Masters, make Rules, receive
Donations, purchase Lands, &c. and to add to their Number, from
Time to Time such other Persons as they shall judge suitable.
That the Members of the Corporation make it
their Pleasure, and in some Degree their Business, to visit the
Academy often, encourage and countenance the Youth, countenance and
assist the Masters, and by all Means in their Power advance the
Usefulness and Reputation of the Design; that they look on the
Students as in some Sort their Children, treat them with
Familiarity and Affection, and when they have behav’d well, and
gone through their Studies, and are to enter the World, zealously
unite, and make all the Interest that can be made to establish
them, whether in Business, Offices, Marriages, or any other Thing
for their Advantage, preferably to all other Persons whatsoever
even of equal Merit.
And if Men may, and frequently do, catch such a
Taste for cultivating Flowers, for Planting, Grafting, Inoculating,
and the like, as to despise all other Amusements for their Sake,
why may not we expect they should acquire a Relish for that more
useful Culture of young Minds. Thompson says,
That a House be provided for the Academy, if not in the Town, not many Miles from it;
the Situation high and dry, and if it may be, not far from a River,
having a Garden, Orchard, Meadow, and Field or two.
That the House be furnished with a Library (if
in the Country, if in the Town, the Town Libraries may serve) with
Maps of all Countries, Globes, some mathematical Instruments, an
Apparatus for experiments in Natural philosophy, and for Mechanics;
Prints, of all Kinds, Prospects, Buildings, Machines, &c.
That the Rector be a
Man of good Understanding; good Morals, diligent and patient,
learn’d in the Languages and Sciences, and a correct pure Speaker
and Writer of the English Tongue; to have such Tutors under him as
shall be necessary.
That the boarding Scholars diet together,
plainly, temperately, and frugally.
That to keep them in Health, and to strengthen
and render active their Bodies, they be frequently, exercis’d in
Running, Leaping, Wrestling, and Swimming, &c.
That they have peculiar Habits to distinguish
them from other Youth, if the Academy be in or near the Town; for
this, among other Reasons, that their Behavior may be the better
observed.
As to their Studies, it
would be well if they could be taught every Thing that is
useful, and every Thing that is ornamental; But Art is long,
and their Time is short. It is therefore propos’d that they learn
those Things that are likely to be most useful and
most ornamental, Regard being had to the several
Professions for which they are intended.
All should be taught to write a fair
hand, and swift, as that is useful to All. And with it may be
learnt something of Drawing, by Imitation of Prints, and
some of the first Principles of Perspective.
Arithmetick, Accounts, and some
of the First Principles of Geometry and
Astronomy.
The English Language might be taught by
Grammar; in which some of our best Writers, as Tillotson, Addison,
Pope, Algernon Sidney, Cato’s Letters, &c. should be Classicks:
The Stiles principally to be cultivated, being the
clear and the concise. Reading should also be taught,
and pronouncing, properly, distinctly, emphatically; not with an
even Tone, which under-does, nor a theatrical, which
over-does Nature.
To form their Stile, they should be put on
Writing Letters to each other, making Abstracts of what they read;
or writing the same Things in their own Words; telling or writing
Stories lately read, in their own Expressions. All to be revis’d
and corrected by the Tutor, who should give his Reasons, explain
the Force and Import of Words, &c.
To form their Pronunciation, they may be put on
making Declamations, repeating Speeches, delivering Orations,
&c. The Tutor assisting at the Rehearsals, teaching, advising,
correcting their Accent, &c.
But if History be made
a constant Part of their Reading, such as the Translations of the
Greek and Roman Historians, and the modern Histories of antient
Greece and Rome, &c. may not almost all Kinds of useful
Knowledge be that Way introduc’d to Advantage, and with Pleasure to
the Student? As
Geography, by reading
with Maps, and being required to point out the Places where
the greatest Actions were done, to give their old and new Names,
with the Bounds, Situation, Extent of the Countries concern’d,
&c.
Chronology, by the Help
of Helvicus or some other Writer of the Kind, who will enable them
to tell when those Events happened; what Princes were
Cotemporaries, what States or famous Men flourish’d about that
Time, &c. The several principal Epochas to be first well fix’d
in their Memories.
Antient Customs,
religious and civil, being frequently mentioned in History, will
give Occasion for explaining them; in which the Prints of Medals,
Basso Relievo’s, and antient Monuments will greatly assist.
Morality, by descanting
and making continual Observations on the Causes of the Rise of Fall
of any Man’s Character, Fortune, Power, &c. mention’d in
History; the Advantages of Temperance, Order, Frugality, Industry,
Perseverance, &c. &c. Indeed the general natural Tendency
of Reading good History, must be, to fix in the Minds of Youth deep
Impressions of the Beauty and Usefulness of Virtue of all Kinds,
Publick Spirit, Fortitude, &c.
History will show the wonderful Effects
of Oratory, in governing, turning and
leading great Bodies of Mankind, Armies, Cities, Nations. When the
Minds of Youth are struck with Admiration at this, then is the Time
to give them the Principles of that Art, which they will study with
Taste and Application. Then they may be made acquainted with the
best Models among the Antients, their Beauties being particularly
pointed out to them. Modern Political Oratory being chiefly
performed by the Pen and Press, its Advantages over the Antient in
some Respects are to be shown; as that its Effects are more
extensive, more lasting, &c.
History will also afford frequent
Opportunities of showing the Necessity of a Publick
Religion, from its Usefulness to the Publick; the Advantage of
a Religious Character among private Persons; the Mischiefs of
Superstition, &c. and the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all others antient or
modern.
History will also give Occasion to
expatiate on the Advantage of Civil Orders and Constitutions, how
Men and their Properties are protected by joining in Societies and
establishing Government; their Industry encouraged and rewarded,
Arts invented, and Life made more comfortable: The Advantages of
Liberty, Mischiefs of Licentiousness, Benefits
arising from good Laws and a due Execution of Justice, &c. Thus
may the first Principles of sound Politicks be fix’d in the
Minds of Youth.
On Historical Occasions, Questions of
Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, will naturally arise, and
may be put to Youth, which they may debate in Conversation and in
Writing. When they ardently desire Victory, for the Sake of the
Praise attending it, they will begin to feel the Want, and be
sensible of the Use of Logic, or the Art of Reasoning to
discover Truth, and of Arguing to defend it, and
convince Adversaries. This would be the Time to acquaint
them with the Principles of that Art. Grotius, Puffendorff, and
some other Writers of the same Kind, may be used on these Occasions
to decide their Disputes. Publick Disputes warm the Imagination,
whet the Industry, and strengthen the natural Abilities.
When Youth are told, that the Great Men whose
Lives and Actions they read in History, spoke two of the best
Languages that ever were, the most expressive, copious, beautiful;
and that the finest Writings, the most correct Compositions, the
most perfect Productions of human Wit and Wisdom, are in those
Languages, which have endured Ages, and will endure while there are
Men; that no Translation can do them Justice, or give the Pleasure
found in Reading the Originals; that those Languages contain all
Science; that one of them is become almost universal, being the
Language of Learned Men in all Countries; that to understand them
is a distinguishing Ornament, &c. they may be thereby made
desirous of learning those Languages, and their Industry sharpen’d
in the Acquisition of them. All intended for Divinity should be
taught the Latin and Greek; for Physick, the Latin, Greek and
French; for Law, the Latin and French; Merchants, the French,
German, and Spanish: And though all should not be compell’d to
learn Latin, Greek, or the modern foreign Languages; yet none that
have an ardent Desire to learn them should be refused; their
English, Arithmetick, and other Studies absolutely necessary, being
at the same Time not neglected.
If the new Universal History were also
read, it would give a connected Idea of human Affairs, so
far as it goes, which should be follow’d by the best modern
Histories, particularly of our Mother Country; then of these
Colonies; which should be accompanied with Observations on their
Rise, Encrease, Use to Great-Britain, Encouragements,
Discouragements, &c. the Means to make them flourish, secure
their Liberties, &c.
With the History of Men, Times and Nations,
should be read at proper Hours or Days, some of the best
Histories of Nature, which would not only be delightful to
Youth, and furnish them with Matter for their Letters, &c. as
well as other History; but afterwards of great Use to them, whether
they are Merchants, Handicrafts, or Divines; enabling the first the
better to understand many Commodities, Drugs, &c. the second to
improve his Trade or Handicraft by new Mixtures, Material, &c.
and the last to adorn his Discourses by beautiful Comparisons, and
strengthen them by new Proofs of Divine Providence. The
Conversation of all will be improved by it, as Occasions frequently
occur of making Natural Observations, which are instructive,
agreeable, and entertaining in almost all Companies. Natural
History will also afford Opportunities of introducing many
Observations, relating to the Preservation of Health, which may be
afterwards of great Use. Arbuthnot on Air and Aliment, Sanctorius
on Perspiration, Lemery on Foods, and some others, may now be read,
and a very little Explanation will make them sufficiently
intelligible to Youth.
While they are reading Natural History, might
not a little Gardening, Planting, Grafting, Inoculating,
&c. be taught and practised; and now and then Excursions made
to the neighbouring Plantations of the best Farmers, their Methods
observ’d and reason’d upon for the Information of Youth. The
Improvement of Agriculture being useful to all, and Skill in it no
Disparagement to any.
The History of Commerce, of the
Invention of Arts, Rise of Manufactures, Progress of Trade, Change
of its Seats, with the Reasons, Causes, &c. may also be made
entertaining to Youth, and will be useful to all. And this, with
the Accounts in other History of the prodigious Force and Effect of
Engines and Machines used in War, will naturally introduce a Desire
to be instructed in Mechanicks, and to be inform’d of the
Principles of that Art by which weak Men perform such Wonders,
Labour is sav’d, Manufactures expedited, &c. &c. This will
be the Time to show them Prints of antient and modern Machines, to
explain them, to let them be copied, and to give Lectures in
Mechanical Philosophy.
With the whole should be constantly inculcated
and cultivated, that Benignity of Mind, which shows itself
in searching for and seizing every Opportunity to
serve and to oblige; and is the Foundation of what is
called Good Breeding; highly useful to the
Possessor, and most agreeable to all.
The Idea of what is true Merit, should
also be often presented to Youth, explain’d and impress’d on their
Minds, as consisting in an Inclination join’d with an
Ability to serve Mankind, one’s Country, Friends and Family;
which Ability is (with the Blessing of God) to be acquir’d
or greatly encreas’d by true Learning; and should indeed be
the great Aim and End of all Learning.