To the Printers of the Gazette.
In the settling of new countries, the first
care of the planters must be to provide and secure the necessaries
of life; This engrosses their attention, and affords them little
time to think of any thing farther. We may therefore excuse our
ancestors, that they established no Academy
or college in this province, wherein their youth might receive a
polite and learned education. Agriculture and mechanic
arts, were of the most immediate importance; the culture
of minds by the finer arts and sciences, was
necessarily postpon’d to times of more wealth and leisure.
Since those times are come, and numbers of our
inhabitants are both able and willing to give their sons a good
education, if it might be had at home, free from the extraordinary
expence and hazard in sending them abroad for that purpose; and
since a proportion of men of learning is useful in every country,
and those who of late years come to settle among us, are chiefly
foreigners, unacquainted with our language, laws and customs; it is
thought, a proposal for establishing an Academy in this province, will not now be deem’d
unseasonable. Such a proposal the publick may therefore shortly
expect. In the mean time, please to give the following letter of
the younger Pliny to Cornelius Tacitus, a place in your paper, as
it seems apropos to the design above mentioned.
I rejoice that you are safely arrived in Rome;
for tho’ I am always desirous to see you, I am more particularly so
now. I purpose to continue a few days longer at my house at
Tusculum, in order to finish a work which I have upon my hands: For
I am afraid, should I put a stop to this design, now that it is so
nearly compleated, I shall find it difficult to resume it. In the
mean while, that I may lose no time, I send this letter before me,
to request a favour of you, which I hope shortly to ask in person:
But before I inform you what my request is, I must let you into the
occasion of it. Being lately at Comum, the place of my nativity, a
young lad, son to one of my neighbours, made me a visit. I asked
him whether he studied, and where? He told me he did, and at
Mediolanum. And why not here? Because (said his father, who came
with him) we have no masters. “No! said I, surely it nearly
concerns you, who are fathers (and very opportunely several of the
company were so) that your sons should receive their education
here, rather than any where else: For where can they be placed more
agreeably, than in their own country, or instruced with more
safety, and less expence, than at home, and under the eye of their
parents? Upon what very easy terms might you, by a general
contribution, procure proper masters, if you would only apply
towards the raising a salary for them, the extraordinary expence it
costs you for your sons journies, lodgings, and whatsoever else you
pay for upon account of their being abroad; as pay indeed you must
in such a case for every thing? Tho’ I have no children myself, yet
I shall willingly contribute to a design so beneficial to (what I
look upon as a child, or a parent) my country; and therefore I will
advance a third part of any sum you shall think proper to raise for
this purpose. I would take upon myself the whole expence, were I
not apprehensive that my benefaction might hereafter be abused, and
perverted to private ends; as I have observed to be the case in
several places where publick foundations of this nature have been
established. The single means to prevent this mischief is, to have
the choice of the masters entirely in the breast of the parents,
who will be so much the more careful to determine properly, as they
shall be obliged to share the expence of maintaining them: For tho’
they may be careless in disposing of another’s bounty, they will
certainly be cautious how they apply their own; and will see that
none but those who deserve it shall receive my money, when they
must at the same time receive theirs too. Let my example then
encourage you to unite heartily in this useful design, and be
assured, the greater the sum may share shall amount to, the more
agreeable it will be to me. You can undertake nothing that will be
more advantageous to your children, nor more acceptable to your
country. They will, by this means, receive their education where
they receive their birth, and be accustomed, from their infancy, to
inhabit and affect their native soil. May you be able to procure
professors of such distinguished abilities, that the neighbouring
towns shall be glad to draw their learning from hence; and as you
now send your children to foreigners for education, may foreigners
in their turn flock hither for their instruction.” I thought proper
thus to lay open to you the rise of this affair, that you might be
the more sensible how agreeable it will be to me, if you undertake
the office I request. I intreat you, therefore, with all the
earnestness a matter of so much importance deserves, to look out,
amongst the great numbers of men of letters, which the reputation
of your genius brings to you, proper persons to whom we may apply
for this purpose; but without entering into any agreement with them
on my part: For I would leave it entirely free to the parents to
judge and choose as they shall see proper: All the share I pretend
to claim is, that of contributing my care and my money: If
therefore any one shall be found, who thinks himself qualified for
the undertaking, he may repair thither; but without relying upon
any thing but his merit. Farewell.