rt, to
teach boys Latin, by way of teaching them English, but without almost
ever accomplishing it. In arithmetic, the common rules are taught, but
scarcely ever decimal fractions, and almost never book-keeping, so
useful and so easy an art.

Writing and spelling are better taught, perhaps, than in any other
country, and, certainly, those are great advantages; but, according to
the time and money spent, it is the least that can be expected. Here we
may remark, that those are the only acquirements with the proficiency
in which the father and mother are necessarily acquainted; it therefore
gives reason for thinking, that, if the same check were held in other
branches of their education, they would be excited to make equal
progress.

When the time comes that it is fixed on what line of life a young man
is to adopt, then there should be schools for different branches, where

---
{181} Without contesting the point, whether dead languages are of
any use, it will be allowed that the study costs pretty dear. Three-
quarters of the time, for seven years employed on that is equal to five
years employed constantly, and twenty pounds a year, at least, is the
expense. Not above one in one hundred learns to read even Latin
decently well, that is one good reader for every 10,000 L. expended.
As to speaking Latin, perhaps, one out of one thousand may learn that,
so that there is a speaker for each sum of 100,000 L. spent on the
language. It will, perhaps, be said, that Latin is necessary to the
understanding English, but the Greeks, (particularly at Athens,) who
learnt no language but their own, understood and spoke it better than
the people of any other country.
-=-

[end of page #224]

there should be knowledge taught, analogous to the profession. For the
mercantile line, for agriculture, for every line of life, boys should be
prepared; and, above all, it should never be neglected to instil into
them the advantages of attention to industry, to doing their duty, and
in every case making themselves worthy of trust.

Public examinations, such honours and rewards as would be
gratifying, but not expensive, for those that excelled, would produce
emulation. Though, perhaps, it is not of very great importance to excel
in some of the studies to which a young man applies at school, yet it is
of great importance to be taught that habit of application that produces
excellence.

With regard to the education of the lower classes, it wou