ouse of Commons,
with pedantry prepense to quote Latin or Greek, is coughed or laughed
down; but the beautiful unpremeditated classical allusions of Burke or
Sheridan, sometimes conveyed in a single word, seize the imagination
irresistibly.

Since we perceive, that memory is chiefly useful as it furnishes
materials for invention, and that invention can greatly abridge the
mere labour of accumulation, we must examine how the inventive faculty
can be properly exercised. The vague precept of, cultivate the memory
and invention of young people at the same time, will not inform
parents how this is to be accomplished; we trust, therefore, that we
may be permitted, contrary to the custom of didactic writers, to
illustrate a general precept by a few examples; and we take these
examples from real life, because we apprehend, that fictions, however
ingenious, will never advance the science of education so much as
simple experiments.

No elaborate theory of invention shall here alarm parents. It is a
mistake, to suppose that the inventive faculty can be employed only on
important subjects; it can be exercised in the most trifling
circumstances of domestic life. Scarcely any family can be so
unfortunately situated, that they may not employ the ingenuity of
their children without violent exertion, or any grand apparatus. Let
us only make use of the circumstances which happen every hour.
Children are interested in every thing that is going forward.
Building, or planting, or conversation, or reading; they attend to
every thing, and from every thing might they with a little assistance
obtain instruction. Let their useful curiosity be encouraged; let them
make a part of the general society of the family, instead of being
treated as if they had neither senses nor understanding. When any
thing is to be done, let them be asked to invent the best way of doing
it. When they see that their invention becomes immediately useful,
they will take pleasure in exerting themselves.

June 4th, 1796. A lady, who had been ruling pencil lines for a
considerable time, complained of its being a tiresome operation; and
she wished that a quick and easy way of doing it could be invented.
Somebody present said they had seen pens for ruling music books, which
ruled four lines at a time; and it was asked, whether a leaden rake
could not be made to rule a sheet of paper at once.

Mr. ---- said, that he thought such a pencil would not rule well; and
he called