Part 20

The Province I am engaged in, and the tender Regard I pay to all human Nature, demands that I speak of a fifth Class of People, usually term’d the Peasantry: tho’ I think the principal thing to be done here, is to admonish those in higher Spheres to behave with Justice and Humanity to them, rather than to address themselves. If we speak of Education, here it will naturally carry our Ideas to the Spade, the Plough, or the Team; and which may without Impropriety be called Education to them. It is a true Saying, that there is a right way and a wrong in doing every thing; if so, it is an useful Part of Education to instruct them how to till the Earth with greatest Ease to themselves, and with greatest Profit to those who employ them. As early and constant Labour is the Province of this Class, there is but a small Share either of Time or Abilities for Instruction; still as they are by Nature susceptible of it, those who have Power cannot employ it better than by bestowing it; so far at least as may open their Minds to distinguish Truth from Falsehood, Right from Wrong, Innocence from Guilt. If to this were added, at least the Power of reading their Mother-tongue, it would at times be an Entertainment and a Consolation to them; and it would remove, in some Degree, that total Darkness and Ignorance they must otherwise remain in.

But here, for the Sake of Instruction, I must depart from the strict Propriety of the Word _Peasant_, to touch on another Species of Rustics; that is, those of the lowest Class of People, in _London_ particularly. These People possess indeed the Ignorance of the Peasants, but they seldom equal them in Innocence. Many are abandoned to every Vice; many indeed are honest and industrious; but even among those who are themselves good, their Children, thro’ an early false Fondness, or the Corruption of others, are usually ignorant, untoward, and vicious. Whence we daily see and hear in the open Streets such things as are Insults on Mankind; such as must shock the Ears, and make the Heart tremble; and such as cannot but be a Reflection on any civilized Nation. We say, it is easier to obey than govern; and, in this Case, it is perhaps easier to propose a Remedy, than to put it in Execution. But to cure an Evil among the Little, we must address ourselves to the Great; for if they have either their Example or Countenance, all Attempts to remedy it are fruitless. Next we must turn our Eyes on those in Power, as Magistrates, and Men in Office; if these exercise their Authority with Justice and Fidelity, much may be done: but if they not only neglect this, but give ill Example too, little is to be expected. Thirdly, the Children of these People are to have some Degree of Education; the Boys, Reading, Writing, and the first Rules in Arithmetic at least; which, if carefully taught them, will qualify them for many useful Employments. The Girls should at least read and work at their Needle. But all this, tho’ indispensably necessary, is too weak to effect the Purpose designed. The Perverseness of the Will, the Unruliness of the Head, and the Corruption of the Heart, are still to be conquered. Manners alone then is the effectual Remedy: and as, to cure a Disease, we must strike at the Root of it; so, to rectify the Morals and Misbehaviour of the Corrupt, we must, on solid Principles of Reason and Reflection, awaken the Mind, and regulate the Heart.

CONCLUSION.

A Citizen of _Athens_ advising with _Xenophon_ about whither he should send his Son for Education, It is my Counsel, answered _Xenophon_, that you send him to _Sparta_. To _Sparta_! says the _Athenian_; is rude and uncultivated _Sparta_ then preferable to _Athens_, the Seat of Arts and Sciences? Yes, replies the Sage: at _Sparta_ he will learn a Science worth all the rest, he will learn to obey. According to this Philosopher then, Obedience alone is a Science productive of every useful Knowledge; whereas, without it, all other human Knowledges are often useless, if not, in general, dangerous Acquisitions.

Certain it is, that much may be hoped from setting out right, and every thing is to be feared from a wrong Beginning. Parents therefore who aim at making their Children wise, should aim at previously making them good. That is, (to recapitulate the chief of what has been said) they must make their Wills pliant and tractable, by teaching them an early, very early Obedience: next, they should mould their Hearts, imprint on them a Love of Truth, Honour, Justice, and every other Virtue: lastly, they should form their Minds and Manners, by shewing them the several Duties of their Station, and how to fulfil them.

The first Duties of Children are in great measure mechanical: an obedient Child makes a Bow, comes and goes, speaks, or is silent, just as he is bid, before he knows any other Reason for so doing than that he is bid: the Dawn of Reason shews him general Duties; that is, that he owes to his Parents and Guides Obedience, Respect, and Love: when his Mind is farther opened, and his Judgment has gained Strength, he sees (if led by faithful Teachers) that he is born for an important, nobly important Purpose; and tho’ many particular Obligations, which he was before a Stranger to, present themselves to his View, yet is he convinced that they are nothing but what, under Reason’s Sway, he is capable of answering. Farther, he sees that the Exercise of all moral Obligations are rendered light by being reciprocal; and from a Sense that his own Support, Comfort, and Happiness requires the Aid of others, he chearfully and willingly labours for others. Lastly, he sees, that tho’ irregular Passions sometimes raise Tumults in the Soul, and struggle for the Mastery, yet from the Happiness of a well-tempered Heart, the constant Exercise of Reason, and the Reflection he must needs make on the daily Instances before him of Vice punished and of Virtue rewarded, he may not only be enabled to give Virtue the Ascendant, but to give it on the purest Motive; that is, for the Love of Virtue. All this, I say, unless Children are by Nature untractable, or are over-powered by the Torrent of corrupt Example, will generally be the Effect of well-regulated Manners: and, possessed of all this, who can doubt but that they will then be wise? or who can think that while thus much is wanting they ever can be wise?

Mankind, as has been observed before, naturally desire their Children’s Prosperity and Happiness; but if they seek it in any other Road than this, they must not wonder if they miss of it: rather may they wonder in good earnest, if they ever find it. Still is the ultimate Point untouched: for, besides that our Passions are to be regulated, and our Actions to be innocent in themselves, and valuable to others; to make them perfect, they are farther to be animated by a right Intention: for, says a learned and ingenious Author, “the Intention is the Pulse of the Soul.” Many Actions, in themselves indifferent, are rendered hurtful by an Error in the Intention; and even those which seem calculated by Nature to produce the most signal Advantages to others, as well as to us, are often, for want of being properly directed to their right End, both fruitless to those they were designed to benefit, and even detrimental to ourselves. Here then we are to know, that moral Duties are of divine Origin; and if Nature shews us the first Laws of Right and Wrong, the Author of Nature implanted them in us. But our Obligations to the GREAT CREATOR of us all will irresistably appear; if we duly survey ourselves and every thing around us; for as thence we shall see that from Him alone we receive all things, so thence shall we be convinced that to Him alone all should be referred. Thus it is evident, that to fill up the Measure of our Duty, three things are necessary: first, we are to be carefully informed what is Right, and what is Wrong; secondly, we are inviolably to adhere to the one, and avoid the other; and, thirdly, the Right we do must be done from Principle; which can no otherwise appear in us than by honouring and serving the Author of our Being, and of all the Blessings we enjoy: these naturally lead us to believe in him, to hope in him, and to love him; and these are Acts which constitute Religion. But here, with all due Reverence, I drop my Pen; leaving the Consideration of our Duties in a religious Light to those whose Province it is to point out, explain and enforce them: to those, in a word, to whom the Office is given from above.

FINIS.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Dr. _Shaw_. See _Quincy_’s Prælectiones Pharmaceuticæ.

[2] Since the second Edition of this Work, _three thousand Women_ more, deliver’d in the same Hospital, are to be added to the above Number: among which, not above four have had sore Breasts, and those were either such as had no Nipples, or had formerly had Milk Sores; and all of them except one, cured by Poultices only. Dr. Macaulay (to whom the British Lying-in-Hospital is greatly indebted for his present close Attendance thereon) is my Authority for this Note.

[3] Dr. _Cadogan_.

[4] Dr. _Parsons_.

[5]

Great Wits to Madness sure are near ally’d: And thin Partitions do their Bounds divide.

[6]

Av’rice and Knav’ry sure are near ally’d; And thin Partitions do their Bounds divide.

[7]

——Who steals my Purse, steals Trash. ’Twas mine; ’tis his; and has been Slave to thousands: But he who filches from me my good Name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, But makes me poor indeed.——

SHAKESPEARE.

[8]

One Science only will one Genius fit; So vast is Art, so narrow human Wit.

[9] Since the first Appearance of this Work in the Year 1753, the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce has been form’d and establish’d;[*] in Honour to which, the Author begs leave to observe that his Complaint on this Head (which he flatters himself was a just one) is in some measure obviated: for, from the particular regard paid by that Society to every Branch of the Polite Arts, Boys even in the most inferior Stations of Life (as well as others) have it’s Countenance and Approbation; and, by liberal Premiums, receive from it the Reward of their Genius and Industry. Hence Drawing is already become a far more general Study in England than heretofore; and hence, too, it may be hoped (provided the Plan here laid down be deemed rational) that Boys of this Class in particular will daily improve, and make, it both their Study and Delight to acquire that Perfection which will manifestly tend to their own Advancement in Life, and reflect Honour on their Country. A contemplative Mind, united to a Heart warm’d with the Love of Mankind, cannot but see with singular Pleasure the rapid Progress and growing Power of that highly useful Society: For, from a beginning of about six private Gentlemen, a few Years have increas’d their Number to near three thousand Members; among which far the greater Part are Persons of Rank, Learning and Fortune. But to what End do they associate, to what End do they bestow their Time, their Thoughts and their Money?[†] The Answer is obvious; it is to benefit others, not themselves: it is to encourage the Industrious, and reward the Ingenious: and what is still more exalted, it is to add Power, Strength and Lustre to their native Country.

[*] The Society commenced in March 1754.

[†] Every Member pays at the least two Guineas a Year; or one Payment of twenty Guineas for Life. Besides the Committees (which meet almost daily, and which are open to every Member) the Society, for the most Part of the Year, assemble once a Week; at which Times so many useful and curious Matters are discuss’d as render them a most rational Entertainment. And, that no Partiality may be shewn, or Benefit lost, every Member has full Liberty to throw out his Thoughts, and to propose whatever, in his Opinion, may be of Utility, and advance the Intentions of the Society.

ERRATA.

Page 6. Line 12. _for_ disregarded _read_ disregard. 52. 1. _for_ attend _read_ attended. 82. 7. _for_ strange _read_ stranger. 220. 18. _for_ he _read_ she. 302. 5. _for_ were _read_ where. 321. 4. _dele_ not.

Transcriber’s Note: The errata have been corrected, along with minor and evident typesetting errors. The spelling and writing style of the 1750s has been retained.