ferted. Such is the humour of the age, that the readers, forgetting what is pardonable in the panegyric, will dwell upon the blunders I have been fpeaking of, and urge them against me. I am fure both you and the other gentlemen of your fociety will be of my mind. Befides, thefe errors will lye as hard against your tafte, that would let them pafs, as against my judgment that could write them. I hope you will indulge me in this trifling request; rather be the poem fupprefs'd, than printed fo faulty. a As to the 10 libs. I gave the fum to D. MacEwen, whom you knew at Edinburgh, to fend you by the merchant you mentioned in of yours very old date. But the next poft he wrote to me, and conjured me to let him have the fum for a few months; for he was upon a project of fettling in another country, and only wanted money to procure him neceffaries for his voyage. I know him to be fincerely honeft, and of application in his business, and therefore I ventur'd to let him have your money; but it fhall be thankfully paid to your order, at my return to town. The duke has not yet fixt the time of his removal thither. I urg'd your requeft feveral times to Gorthy Mr Pringle too was here at the fame time, but with little fuccefs. I have heard fince they went away, that A. Watt has actually fucceeded to a bufinefs that I must believe him unequal to -Profecto, in omni re Fortuna Dominatur, fays, Salluft. I am, Sir, Your most faithful, SHAWFORD, Nov. 20th 1724. Š I fend a poem inclofed to Mr Malcolm, 'tis upon the fubject of Love, and therefore I did not trouble you with it; however, you may fee it. ON A 2 4 ON THE PRESENT PLAN OF EDUCATION. FROM BEAT TIE'S ELEMENTS OF MORAL SCIENCE, VOL. IL T HE prefent plan of education, as it is commonly (I do not fay univerfally) conducted, feems to proceed on a fuppofition, that piety and virtue are not indifpenfible parts of duty; for that the figure a man makes, and the gratifications he obtains, in this world, are of more value to him, than eternal happines in the world to come. Accordingly, fome pains are taken to cultivate his understanding, to adorn his outfide, and to fit him for the common arts of life; but the improvement of his heart, and the regulation of his paffions and principles, are, comparatively speaking, but little minded. Children are too often treated, rather as play-things, than as immortal beings, who have a difficult part to act here, and a ftrict account to render hereafter. A man indeed is not a moral agent, till he attain the use of reafon. But before he can compare things together fo as to draw inferences, he may contract habits of obftinacy or obedience, fretfulness or contentment, good or ill nature, and even of right or wrong opinion; which thall adhere to him through life, and produce important confequences. Therefore, let no one think, that moral difcipline in the beginning of life is of little moment: it can hardly begin too early. Not few are the methods taken, even by parents who mean well, which would feem to teach children vice rather than virtue, and to create and cherish evil paffions, inftead of preventing them. They are taught to threaten, and even beat thofe by whom they think themselves injured, or to beat other perfons or things in their ftead; and thus learn to be peevish, and revengeful: and thus too their notions of merit and demerit are con founded; for how is it poffible for them to learn any thing good, from feeing a stranger threatened, a dog punished, or a footfiool beaten, for a fault committed by themselves, of by the nurfe?Their good behavi our is fometimes rewarded fo abfurdly, as to hurt their health, and teach them gluttony or fenfuality at the fame time.They are frequently taught to confider ftrangers, efpecially thofe who are old and ill-dreffed, as frightful beings, by whom they are in danger of being taken away: and thus they learn cowardice, diflike to ftrangers, difrefpect to old age, and an abhorrence of poverty and misfortune, as if these rendered a man the object, not of pity, but of deteftation. They are from time to time entertained with stories of ghofts and o ther terrible things, which, they are told, appear in the dark; and hence receive impreffions of terror which they find it difficult to get the better of, even when they come to be men. They are flattered, on account of their finery, and fo become fond of 2 gaudy outfide; a paffion which, if they do not fubdue it, will go near to make them ridiculous.-When they begin to fpeak, they are encouraged to speak a great deal ; and thus learn petulance, and want of refpect to their fuperiors. They are fometimes threatened with dreadful punifliments, and in the most boisterous language; and by this example of ferocity and paffion are taught to be fierce and paffionate. At other times they are, without fufficient eaion, extravagantly careffed, which, while it enervates their minds, conveys a notion, that their parents act capricioufly, and that they may do fo too. Their flighteft foibles and greatest faults are often blamed with equal severity; feverity; and the most trifling ac- be made to understand, that a man is contemptible, not because he is old, or ugly, or poor, but because he is of indecent behaviour. Let them be accustomed to reverence old age; and for their parents to entertain the most profound refpect, without repining at their commands, or venturing on any pretence to difpute their opinion. This will make them affectionate and dutiful; for the more they refpect a parent or teacher, the more they will love him; this will alfo teach them to be modeft, obedient, and docile; and foon imprefs them with a sense of their being fubject to moral dif cipline, and accountable for their conduct. complishment more warmly commended than a generous fentiment, or virtuous action. You may have heard them blamed more bitterly for making an awkward bow, than for telling a lie; and praifed more for their dancing, than for alacrity in obeying their parents. Does not this abfurd conduct tend to poifon their principles, deprave their judgement, and even pervert their conscience? What can excufe the parent, or teacher, who chattifes a child for a natural weakness of memory, or flowness of apprehenfion? Would it not be equally reasonable to punish him because Providence has given him a puny frame of body, or fickly conftitution? And what notions of rectitude is a child likely to form, from feeing cruelty where there ought to be lenity, and from being punished because he cannot do what is above his ftrength? Many more inftances might be given of parents and teachers, who really mean no harm, inuring children to vicious habits, and teaching them to form licentious opinions, in matters which the world in general confiders as of little moment. But very trivial matters call forth the paffions of a child; and whatever does fo is of ferious importance, because it muft give rife to virtuous or to criminal practice, and tend to form habits either good or evil. # Let children be taught, as far as their capacity will admit, to form right opinions; to confider cloathes, for example, as intended more for use than for ornament; and food, as what is neceffary to life and health, but muft not be perverted to the purpofes of fenfuality. Let them be informed, that by nature all men are equal; a leffon which they will eafily learn, as pride is one of thofe paffions which they feldom or never acquire of themselves; and let them When vices are practifed, or without difapprobation named, in the prefence of children; when a parent or teacher punishes at one time a fault which he overlooks at another; or neglects to take cognizance of a tranfgreffion whereof the child knows that he cannot be ignorant these are fo many leffons of immorality, which cannot fail to corrupt a young mind. To correct a child when one is in a paffion, gives him an example of two vices at once, rage and revenge: for all correction of this kind is likely to be, and to the fufferer will appear to be, exceflive; and feems to have, and perhaps really has, fomething vindictive in it. To bodily punishment we are not to have recourse, till all other means of reformation have been attempted in vain; and let this laft remedy be applied, if at all applied, with temper and folemnity: that the child may fee, we are driven to it against our will, from a regard to our duty, and his good. Honour and fhame are, as formerly obferved, much more liberal motives; and experience proves, that they may for the most part, if not always, be more effec. tual. Thefe indeed may be employ ed, with good fuccefs, through the whole whole of life, as a preservative from vice, and a curb to every inordinate paffion. bad company.-Perhaps, if the two methods were to be united; if they who frequent public schools were allo to be continually under the eye of an attentive parent or tutor, (which, comparatively fpeaking, could happen but to few,) the objection to those crowded feminaries might in part be obviated. But without fuch private infpection, great schools, especially in great towns, would feem to be extremely dangerous. Horace informs us, (Sat. 1. 6.) that he was educated in a way fimilar to what is here propofed; that his father, tho' by no means wealthy, brought him from his native village to Rome, and put him under the best masters; but did himself carefully infpect every part of his fon's education and behaviour. What the poet has written on this fubject merits particular attention, and does honour both to his father's worth and wisdom, and to his own gratitude and filial piety. Whether a public fchool, or the privacy of domeftic education, be preferable, has long been matter of controverfy, and is not likely to be foon determined. Experience will not fettle the point: for men of every character, and of all degrees of genius and literature, have been formed both by the one method and by the other. Suppofing the teachers in both equally confcientious, and of equal ability, one might fay perhaps, that the former is the beft fcene of difcipline for this world, and the latter for that which is to come. In the former there are, no doubt, fuperior opportunities of acquiring habits of activity, a free and manly behaviour, with knowledge of the world, and of human nature, as well as of making valuable connections in the way of acquaintance and friendship. But in the latter may be expected more modesty and innocence, ftricter rectitude of principle, fewer temptations to irregularity, and tefs danger from A more amiable picture of a father and a fon is hardly to be met with in Pagan antiquity. DESCRIPTION OF THE COTTON-WORKS AT LANARK. by Mr Dale,) a premium from the trustees for the encouragement of manufactures, &c. THE Cotton-works at Lanark have been erected within thefe laft eight or nine years. The building on the left fide of the plate was first raised; but when finished, and nearly filled with the inftruments of the manufacture, it was accidentally fet on fire, and burnt to the ground. The public fpirited proprietor, Mr Dale, immediately rebuilt that which had been burnt down; and added, one after another, the other three buildings on the caft-fide. Three of thefe edifices are filled with mill-machinery for the fpinning of cotton. In the fourth are only Jennies of a peculiar conftruction; the ingenious invention of which obtained to Mr Kellie, (one of the managers here employed The houses, the machinery, and the works for conducting the neceffary weight of water from the Clyde, and referving and distributing it, cost a great expence to the proprietor. The other buildings within the view, were alfo built by him, for the accommodation of the families of labourers, to be employed in the manufacture. The poffeffors of Mr Dale's houfes are alfo accommodated with gardens. The children, who are employed in great numbers in this manufactory of cotton yarn, are treated as tenderly, and with as careful attention to to their health and morals, as the circumstances of their employment can permit. The quantity of yarn fpun here was lately calculated to be greater than that spun at all the other cotton-works in Scotland taken together. But new cotton-works have been fince erected in different parts of North Britain; and large quantities of cotton-yarn are still imported from England. The view in the plate was taken from a station in the wood of Corehouse, on the fouth-fide of the river Clyde. The burgh of Lanark, and the famous water-falls of Corehouse and Stonebyres are near. The environs are populous, and their foenery beautiful and picturefque. Already has the establishment of thefe cottonworks begun to improve the afpect, and to enliven the industry of all the neighbourhood. In their progress, new roads will probably be found here, canals cut, and opulence and improvement, diffused all around. The merchant and the manufacturer who, improving their own fortunes, thus effentially ferve their country, are well entitled to that praise of patriotifin which they never fail to obtain. SOME ACCOUNT OF DR WILLIAM HUNTER. W ILLIAM HUNTER, a phyfician and anatomist; a native of Scotland, with a confiderable share of that fagacity which characterizes the inhabitants of that kingdom, in which, as learning is procured at a cheaper rate, it is, of courfe more generally diffufed; a circumftance, which enables Scotchmen to avail themselves of those fortunate contingencies whic hare faid, at one time or other, to prefent themfelves in the life of every man, but which the illiterate, the dull, the indolent, or the fenfual, either neglect, or cannot avail themselves of. He came to London with no other helps, than the fruitful resources of a mind ftored with profeffional knowledge, but he found them ample and fufficient. As an anatomical lecturer, and an accoucheur, he gradually advanced into notice; and I have been told, by profeffional men, that confiderable, and useful difcoveries, were made by the joint efforts of Dr Hunter, and the ingenious Mr Hewfon, in a fyftem of veffels, called Lymphatics. He also published proposals for a feries of copper-plates, on fubjects in his own particular branch of practice; a work afterwards finished, at once fplendid, expenfive, and aided by every affiftance that accuracy, or firstrate artifts could furnish. It frequently afforded him matter of regret, that plates, defcriptive of fubjects of fcience, were too often fervilely copied from former writers, to fave the trouble of actual occular infpection, by diffecting; a charge which I have never heard produced against himself. Being a fingle man, and not expenfive, his fortune increafed with his fame, and he was enabled to build himself a capacious house, and anatomical theatre, with a museum for the reception of his books, medals, preparations, and other curiofities. He had previously applied, by letter, to a Secretary of State for the time, I believe (but am not certain) it was Lord Hillsborough, to know if a piece of ground, in a proper fituation, could be granted him by government, as he confidered it a national object. But minifters have other things to attend to, and it is probable, that Dr Hunter's letter was forgot among the hurry of American negociations, and the bustle of contefted elections. Confcious of the eminence on |