a master, who is in the highest exaltation when heis loco parentis. Yet, as good things become evil by excess, correction, by being immoderate, may become cruel. But when is correction immoderate ? When it is more frequent or more fevere than is required ad monendum et docendum, for reformation and instruction. No severity is cruel which obftinacy makes necefsary; for the greatest cruelty would be to defist, and leave the scholar too careless for inftruction, and too much hardened for reproof. Locke, in his treatise of Education, mentions a mother with applause, who whipped an infant eight times before the had fubdued it; for had the stopped at the seventh act of correction, her daughter, fays he, would have been ruined. The degrees of obftinacy in young minds are very different; as different must be the degrees of persevering severity. A stubborn scholar must be corrected till he is fubdued. The difcipline of a school is military. There mut either be unbounded licence or abfolute authority. The mafter who punishes, not only confults the future happiness of him who is the immediate fubject of correction, but he propagates obedience through the whole school, and establishes regularity by exemplary justice. The victorious obstinacy of a fingle boy would make his future endeavours of reformation or inftruction inftruction totally ineffectual : obstinacy therefore must never be victorious. Yet it is well known, that there sometimes occurs a sullen and hardy resolution, that laughs at all common punishment, and bids defiance to all common degrees of pain. Correction must be proportioned to occasions. The flexible will be reformed by gentle discipline, and the refractory must be fubdued by harsher methods. The degrees of scholastick, as of military punishment, no stated rules can afcertain. It must be enforced till it overpowers temptation; till stubbornness becomes flexible, and perverfeness regular. Custom and reason have, indeed, set some bounds to scholaftick penalties: The schoolmaster inflicts no capital punishments, nor enforces his edicts by either death or mutilation. The civil law has wisely determined, that a master who strikes at a scholar's eye shall be confidered as criminal. But punishments, however severe, that produce no lafting evil, may be just and reasonable, because they may be necessary. Such have been the punishments used by the schoolmafter accused. No scholar has gone from him either blind or lame, or with any of his limbs or powers injured or impaired. They were irregular, and he punished them; they were obftinate, and he enforced his punishment. But, how

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ever provoked, he never exceeded the limits of moderation, for he inflicted nothing beyond present pain; and how much of that was required, no man is so little able to determine as those who have determined against him-the parents of the offenders. It has been said, that he used unprecedented and improper instruments of correction. Of this accufation the meaning is not very easy to be found. No instrument of correction is more proper than another, but as it is better adapted to produce present pain without lasting mischief. Whatever were his instruments, no lasting mischief has enfued; and therefore, however unusual, in hands so cautious they were proper. It has been objected, that he admits the charge of cruelty, by producing no evidence to confute it. Let it be confidered, that his scholars are either dispersed at large in the world, or continue to inhabit the place in which they were bred. Those who are difperfed cannot be found; those who remain are the fons of his persecutors, and are not likely to fupport a man to whom their fathers are enemies. If it be supposed that the enmity of their fathers proves the justice of the charge, it must be confidered how often experience shows us, that men who are angry on one ground will accuse on another; with how little kindness, in a town of

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low trade, a man who lives by learning is rc garded; and how implicitly, where the inhabitants are not very rich, a rich man is hearkened to and followed. In a place like Campbell-town it is easy for one of the principal inhabitants to make a party. It is easy for that party to heat themselves with imaginary grie

vances.

It is easy for them to opprefs a man poorer than themselves; and natural to affert the dignity of riches, by perfifting in oppreffion."

Upon the same subject, Mr. Bofwell alfo observed, " It is a very delicate matter to interfere between a master and his scholars; nor do I see how you can fix the degree of severity that a master may use."-JOHNSON. “Why, Sir, till you can fix the degree of obstinacy and negligence of the scholars, you cannot fix the degree of feverity of the master. Severity must be continued until obstinacy be fubdued and negligence be cured."

A young man being mentioned, who was uncasy, from thinking that he was very deficient in learning and knowledge, J. faid, "A man has no reason to complain who holds a middle place, and has many below him; and perhaps he has not fix of his years above him; perhaps not one. Though he may not know any thing perfectly, the general mass of knowledge that

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he has acquired is confiderable. Time will do for him all that is wanting."

"Idleness (faid Johnson) is a disease which must be combated; but I would not advise a rigid adherence to a particular plan of study. I myself have never perfisted in any plan for two days together. A man ought to read juft as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good. A young man should read five hours in a day, and so may acquire a great deal of knowledge*."

Goldsmith once attempted to maintain, perhaps from an affectation of paradox, " that knowledge was not defirable on its own account, for it often was a fource of unhappiness."

Why, Sir, (faid Johnson) that knowledge may in some cafes produce unhappiness, I allow. But upon the whole, knowledge, per fe, is certainly an object which every man would with to attain, although, perhaps, he may not take the trouble necessary for attaining it. Much might be done if a man would put his whole mind to a particular object. By doing so, Norton made himself the great lawyer that he was allowed to be."

* To a man (as Mr. Bofwell justly remarks) of vigorous intellect and arduous curiofity like Johnson's, reading without a regular plan may be beneficial; but even such a man must submit to it, if he would attain a full understanding of any of the fciences.

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