se of the
_commands_, which is employed in different senses in the different
propositions. This errour was without difficulty detected by S---- at
ten years old; and we make no doubt that any unprejudiced boy of the
same age, would immediately point out the fallacy without hesitation;
but we do not feel quite sure that a boy exercised in logic, who had
been taught to admire and reverence the ancient figures of rhetoric,
would with equal readiness detect the sophism. Perhaps it may seem
surprising, that the same boy, who judged so well of this sorites of
Themistocles, should a few months before have been easily entrapped by
the following simple dilemma.

_M----._ "We should avoid what gives us pain."

_S----._ "Yes, to be sure."

_M----._ "Whatever burns us, gives us pain."

_S----._ "Yes, that it does!"

_M----._ "We should then avoid whatever burns us."

To this conclusion S---- heartily assented, for he had but just
recovered from the pain of a burn.

_M----._ "Fire burns us."

_S----._ "Yes, I know that."

_M----._ "We should then avoid fire."

_S----._ "Yes."

This hasty _yes_ was extorted from the boy by the mode of
interrogatory; but he soon perceived his mistake.

_M----._ "We should avoid fire. What when we are very cold?"

_S----._ "Oh, no: I meant to say, that we should avoid a certain
degree of fire. We should not go _too_ near the fire. We should not go
_so_ near as to burn ourselves."

Children who have but little experience, frequently admit assertions
to be true in general, which are only true in particular instances;
and this is often attributed to their want of judgment: it should be
attributed to their want of experience. Experience, and nothing else,
can rectify these mistakes: if we attempt to correct them by words, we
shall merely teach our pupils to argue about terms, not to reason.
Some of the questions and themes which are given to boys may afford us
instances of this injudicious education. "Is eloquence advantageous,
or hurtful to a state?" What a vast range of ideas, what variety of
experience in men and things should a person possess, who is to
discuss this question! Yet it is often discussed by unfortunate
scholars of eleven or twelve years old. "What is the greatest good?"
The answer expected by a preceptor to this question, obviously is,
virtue; and, if a boy can, in decent language, write a page or two
about _pleasure's_ being a transient, and virtue a permanent good, hi