that the teacher is
governed habitually by the wisdom of patience waiting with pleasure. Yet
perceiving how much the outward help of art can facilitate the progress
of nature, he may be betrayed into many unnecessary or pernicious
mistakes where he deems his interference warranted by substantial
experience. And in spite of all his caution, remarks may drop insensibly
from him which shall wither in the mind of his pupil a generous
sympathy, destroy a sentiment of approbation or dislike, not merely
innocent but salutary; and for the inexperienced disciple how many
pleasures may be thus off, what joy, what admiration, and what love!
While in their stead are introduced into the ingenuous mind misgivings,
a mistrust of its own evidence, dispositions to affect to feel where
there can be no real feeling, indecisive judgments, a superstructure of
opinions that has no base to support it, and words uttered by rote with
the impertinence of a parrot or a mockingbird, yet which may not be
listened to with the same indifference, as they cannot be heard without
some feeling of moral disapprobation.

These results, I contend, whatever may be the benefit to be derived from
such an enlightened teacher, are in their degree inevitable. And by this
process, humility and docile dispositions may exist towards the master,
endued as he is with the power which personal presence confers; but at
the same time they will be liable to overstep their due bounds, and to
degenerate into passiveness and prostration of mind. This towards him;
while, with respect to other living men, nay even to the mighty spirits
of past times, there may be associated with such weakness a want of
modesty and humility. Insensibly may steal in presumption and a habit of
sitting in judgment in cases where no sentiment ought to have existed
but diffidence or veneration. Such virtues are the sacred attributes of
youth; its appropriate calling is not to distinguish in the fear of
being deceived or degraded, not to analyze with scrupulous minuteness,
but to accumulate in genial confidence; its instinct, its safety, its
benefit, its glory, is to love, to admire, to feel, and to labour.
Nature has irrevocably decreed, that our prime dependence in all stages
of life after infancy and childhood have been passed through (nor do I
know that this latter ought to be excepted) must be upon our own minds;
and that the way to knowledge shall be long, difficult, winding, and
oftentimes retu