may be compared with the golden fleece of the Greeks. It is this, gentlemen, that has induced me to give you this information, and to lay before you the great occasional, though important consequences, that result from the researches of men who reflect, who discover, and who communicate, It may be asked what is my conclusion from this fact? There it is. The Portuguese nation, formerly born down by a balance of trade quite against her, had drained all her treasures. France, Germany, Holland, and especially England, pofsefsed them, if we may be allowed the exprefsion, before ever they had sent them from America, and from the east coast of Africa. Her gold was found every where; it was even in my time the most common current specie over all Great Britain, and in all her colonies. From one end to the other of England all payments were generally made in moidures of Portugal; they abounded even when guineas were rare, and really difficult to be got; but in proportion as that nation embraced more and more the cultivation of sugar, and especially of cotton, the balance of trade has taken a change. now pays the manufactures of the north with these new raw productions; and their gold by little and little diminished, and finally disappeared entirely from foreign countries. And I maintain, that, if it were allowed to me to enter into a like detail, to fhow that this seed is more precious and more useful to them than their mines of gold and of diamonds, and perhaps will make her directly fhut up for ever both the one and the other, and never to set a foot on the banks of the Gambia, or at Mosambique; but to pursue afsiduously the two objects of which I have been speaking. It would be then that they might with truth sing their T gus auri, their Tagus with golden sands. Such are the inestimable fruits of industry, and of e She useful researches of true philosophers, which conduct men to their solid happiness, in their industry, in their labours, for which their creator has formed and destined them. The Russian empire contains climates and soils perfectly proper for this cultivation. I declare to you, gentlemen, that if I had the means, I should be even jealous to see any one going before me in putting the first hand to it. I am with a very profound respect, Gentlemen, c. LITERARY OLLA. No. x. For the Bee. Gray the Poet,-A dialogue concerning Youth. Walpole. I see you are a close and faithful disciple of Locke; but may it not be plausibly objected to his system, that he begins with that which ought to be the final purpose and finishing stroke of education. Gray. I think not. I rather conceive that the objection arises from an incorrect view of the subject. The very vocable exprefsive of instructing young people (I believe in most languages,) is explanatory of Mr Locke's system, and of my meaning. Education is in its significant analysis, a leading, or a drawing forth of the elements of reason, for the establishment of a reasonable, useful, and benevolent creature, in a prudent and respectable member of human society. By observing the discourse and actions of children, it may easily be perceived that they begin to exercise the faculty of combining their ideas, of comparing, one with the other the objects of their immediate attention, and arranging these things according to the design they have concieved. Such is the first effort of reason, which is nothing more than the faculty of arranging. If so it happens that children are defective in their combinations, this defect generally arises from their want of attention to some intermediate idea, which their eagerness made them lose sight of, though it is often an idea very simple in its nature, and much within the extent of their capacities. This is the important moment to suggest this idea to them, and they will speedily, of their own accord, correct their reasoning. In this manner, in my opinion, children may be taught to reason by reasoning with them. We too much undervalue the capacities of children, and too highly over-rate our own. Suppose a child to be scrawling on some paper, and that he makes an attempt at drawing the likeness of a man and a house. He draws the man out of all proportion to the house: Take him out of doors, and let him see his error. He then begins to lay things together, and attempts to make these objects proportionate. How many results he may be made to draw from so simple an accident! and how much may not his rational faculties be enlarged by judicious management! The next step, with respect to a child, and this you will think very strange, is to give him an idea of government; and I would give it him thus: He has a little mefage to go, and as a reward for his going it properly, I give him, a bit of cake. A stronger boy ravishes it from him, and he I call the other omes to complain. boys together, and I inquire into the truth of the matter. It is proven; and then I make the boys in their turn, say whether they think the robber ought to be punished. They all agree that he robbed the child; and I punish the delinquent but not till two days afterwards, that it may be done seriously and calmly, without the appearance of revenge. The boy who was robbed comes : himself to intercede, and I greatly commend him! but I do not mitigate the punishment of the delinquent. The whole of this operation teaches the boy and his companions, the nature of justice, and the benefit of government, or at least gives them the ideas of power and protection, of good and evil, duty, authority, and obedience. West. I am very much struck with the simplicity and force of this reasoning, and it agrees with my own experience. In the summer of the year 1737, being then of Christ Church College, I passed some weeks most agreeably at a gentleman's house in the country, who had a fine young family of children, of whose education both he and his wife took a singular and most successful direction. I remember I was highly pleased with their manner of teaching them the principles of duty, good conduct, and benevolence. I fhall mention a few of the occasions on which they artfully infused important good principles into their children. One of their children had, in spite of repeated injunctions, climbed up a tree in a dangerous situation, close by the river. When fawning on his mother, and profefsing tender love to her, the said "No no, dont talk to me any more of your love, if you loved me you would obey me, and not make me unhappy by exposing yourself to danger." Again. Another of her children having got himself into an out-house, locks the door upon himself, and cannot open it again; he remains there two hours in agony, and is relieved by a beggar boy, who passing by, goes in by the window and lets out the child. He runs home in transport, but for some time forgets his deliverer. The father afks him how he got out? who let him out? and where is the beggar? You little rascal, will you endeavour to do nothing for the poor beggar. Then the heart of the little boy is all on fire to do something for his benefactor, and he begs a dinner for him, and something for covering his nakedness in' the ri gour of winter. Will you give up your own dinner then to day for the beggar? Yes, and to-morrow too, and the day after tomorrow too, papa. This was a fine lefson. Let a child be born in whatever rank of life he may, we cannot too often remind him of the miseries of life, and the vicissitude of fortune, or too often inculcate the lefsuns of gratitude and of benevolence. Again. One of the girls was particularly fond of trappings and drefs. One day her mother, after having chid her for this folly, orders a fine saddle and furniture to be put upon an ass; and bringing the girl that way, she tells her that she has got a fine little pad to show her, and produces the afs in gala. Dear mama! that a'nt a horse! that's nothing but the milk afs, mama. O no my dear, it was the milk afs in the morning, but now you see I have made it a fine pad by putting this saddle and furniture upon her. It's fine clothes you know mifs, that distinguishes you from the poor girls in the village, and so if they had your fine clothes they would be fine misses too, woud'nt they? The girl saw the force of the ridicule immediately, and not long after the force of the argument. These are, I think, moral lefsons that are not above the capacity of children, and may, when the occasions offer, be successfully raised in order to inspire them with a love of virtue, and to deter them from the practice of vice. Walpole. Gentlemen, your system is good, and your illustrations are admirable; but how will you contrive to |