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Reflections on Ancient and Modern Learning, Rollin's Belles Lettres.

Nothing will be of more consequence towards the success of a young gentleman's endeavours for his own improvement, than his getting early into a right track of reading and study for by that means he will save infinite trouble, which many go through, by beginning at the wrong end; who after distressing themselves in pursuing what they have not the necessary accomplishments for, find themselves obliged to give up what they had undertaken, and go back to first principles. Men thus suffer great loss of time and labour; meet with discouragement in their studies; and the structure of learning which they raise, proves in the end but a piece of patchwork. Others, by being at first put upon a wrong course of reading, find themselves plunged into mystery, fanaticism, or error of one kind or other; out of which it costs them many years to extricate themselves. Others, attaching themselves too early and too closely to one narrow track, as pure mathematics, or poetry, cramp their minds in their youth; or, by giving too great a loose to fancy, unfit them for expatiating boldly, and at the same time surely, in the fields of knowledge. To avoid these radical errors, let a young gentleman carefully study the books above recommended, and, through the whole course of his reading, take all opportunities of conversing with, and consulting men of judgment in books; of a large and free way of thinking, and of extensive knowledge. The consequence of which judicious manner of proceeding has, in many instances, been improvement in most branches of science to a masterly degree to thirty or forty years of age. But this supposes a superior natural capacity, and various other advantages.

Next after such a knowledge of languages, numbers, geometry, geography, chronology, and logic, which may be called instrumental studies, after such a moderate acquaintance with these, as may be acquired before eighteen or twenty, youth may proceed to the more manly studies of history, biography, the theory of government, law, commerce, economics, and ethics.

I mention these together, because there is a connexion between them, which renders them proper to be carried

on in succession, as they will mutually assist and throw a light on each other. And I advise a studious youth to improve himself in such branches of knowledge as these, before he proceeds to perfect himself in the higher mathematics; first, on account of the incomparably superior importance of a thorough knowledge of our own nature, state, and obligations; the indispensable necessity of understanding which subjects is such, as to make all our pursuits appear comparatively but specious trifling. And secondly, because this kind of knowledge is obviously of such a nature, as not to hazard any possible bad effect upon a young mind, which is more than can be said of most other branches of study, indulged to great length. The vanity and affectation which a little unusual knowledge in classical learning gives weak minds, is so conspicuous, as to have occasioned that species of learning to be termed, by way of distinction, pedantic scholarship. And as to mathematics many instances could be produced of men of very fine heads for that science, who, by accustoming themselves wholly to demonstration, have run into an affected habit of requiring demonstration in subjects naturally incapable of it, and of despising all those parts of study, as unscientifical, which do not give the satisfaction of mathematical certainty. Such persons thus disqualifying themselves for improvement in the most useful parts of knowledge, though eminent in one particular way, may, upon the whole, be properly said to be men of narrow minds. This evil might have been prevented, had they timely given themselves to other inquiries, as well as mathematics, and been accustomed to apply their minds to various ways of searching into, and finding out truth. But the natural and almost unavoidable effect of confining the mind to one kind of pursuit, is the hampering and narrowing, instead of enlarging and ennobling it.

At the same time it ought to be remembered, that nothing tends so much to habituate to a justness of thought, and accuracy of expression, as a tincture of mathematical knowledge received in youth. All that is here intended to be guarded against is the plunging too deep at first into that study, which often tends to the exclusion of all others for life. And, as was before observed, no part of useful

or ornamental knowledge is to be excluded, consistently with a view of a complete improvement of the mind.

Useful books, previous to the reading of history, are such as the following, viz. Rollin's Method of studying History, in his Belles Lettres. Bousset's Discours de PHistoire Universelle. Potter's Greek and Kennet's Roman Antiquities, Strauchius' and Helvicus' Chronology, Sleidan on the Four Monarchies, Whear's and Fresney's Methods of studying History.

In order to read history with perfect clearness, geogra phy must go hand in hand. The system of Geography lately published together with Anson's Voyage, which contains some new accounts, not in that work. Well's Geographia Classica, and Senex's New General Atlas, may be proper to perfect a gentleman in that useful branch of knowledge.

To be master of ancient history, let a person first peruse carefully the Universal History, consulting all along the maps of the several countries which have been the scene of action, and referring every character and event to its proper date. After this general view of the whole body of ancient history, those who have leisure, and other advantages, may read as many of the originals as they please, especially upon the more important characters and facts. They are all along quoted by the compilers of the above excellent and useful work. Those who possess the learned languages, in which those originals were writ, find in the perusal of them a peculiar pleasure even where the facts related are already known. There is a purity and beautiful simplicity in the descriptions the ancients give, which discerning readers do not find in the works of translators or compilers. Besides that, the very circumstance of the mind's letting itself be deceived into the belief, that we read the very words of an ancient warrior, or orator, though it is certain, those we have ascribed to them by historians, are for the most part put into their mouths by the historians, themselves; the mind's persuading itself, that it hears the very words and accents of an illustrious character in antiquity, makes the perusal of an original peculiarly entertaining and striking.

Gentlemen of leisure and fortune especially, ought by no means to be without a little acquaintance with Herodo

tus, Thucydides, Polybius, Xenophon, Diodorus Siculus, and Plutarch, the most celebrated Greek historians; nor with Justin, Livy, Tacitus, Cæsar, Sallust, Suetonius, and Curtius, the greatest among the Romans.

Some of the best modern histories, are Puffendorff's Introduction, Hume and Smollet's History of England, Mezeray's and Daniel's of France, Mariana's of Spain, Vertot's of Portugal, Sir Paul Ricaut's of the Turks, Oakley's of the Saracens, Du Halde's of China;of the Piratical States of Barbary, Robertson's of America, History of the Conquest of Mexico, of Germany, of Naples, of Florence, by Machiavel; of Venice, by Ñain and Paruta; of Genoa, of Poland, by Connor; of Holland, of Flanders, by Bentivoglio.

To read history with advantage, keep constantly in view the following ends; to find out truth; to unravel if possible, the grounds of events, and the motives of actions; to attain clear ideas of remarkable characters, especially of that which distinguishes one character from another; to profit by the various useful lessons exhibited; to study human nature, as represented in history, and to endeavour to find out which characters you yourself resemble the most; and to remark whatever throws any light or evidence upon religion.

To draw up in writing an epitome or abstract of the. most shining parts of history, and eminent characters, as one proceeds, adjusting the chronology and geography all along, will contribute greatly to the fixing in the mind a general comprehensive view of the whole thread of story from the oldest accounts of time downward, disposed according to the several ages and countries which make a figure in history. But this will require leisure to execute it properly. Among the abridged facts might, with great advantage be disposed a sect of reflections, moral, political, and theological, as they occurred in the course of reading, which would in the whole amount to a very great number and variety; and would prove an agreeable and improving amusement in advanced life, to peruse, add to, and correct, according as one's judgment matured, and views enlarged. A man of leisure and abilities might, in his collection of historical remarks, unite together in one view whatever characters seemed to have any resemblance, might

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set against one another such as, by making striking contrasts, might set off one another to the best advantage. He might observe the different conduct of the same person at different times, and account, from the different circumstances he was engaged in, for those differences, in his behaviour. He might observe how one, of perhaps the best abilities, was unhappily led into such a course of conduct as has blasted his reputation; how another, by missing certain advantages, fell short of the character, which, by a happy coincidence of circumstances he must have attained. How seemingly inconsiderable particulars in the conduct of princes and great men, have produced strange effects in the affairs of mankind, and what momentous consequences to the rest of the world depend upon the behaviour of those who are at the head of it.

History is the key to the knowledge of Human Nature. For in it we see what sort of beings our fellow creatures are, by reading their genuine characters in their actions. These a person, who carefully studies history, may trace up to their source, and pursue and unravel all the wonderful disguises, doublings, and intricacies of the human heart. Life, as it is generally conducted by persons of all stations, but especially of the highest, appears from history, in its true colours, as a scene of craft, of violence, of selfishness, cruelty, folly, and vanity. History shows the real worth of the usual objects of the pursuits of mankind; that there is nothing new under the sun; nothing to be wondered at; that mankind have been from the beginning bewildered and led from their real happiness, and the end of their being, after a thousand visionary vanities, which have deluded and disappointed them from generation to generation, and are likely to do so to the last.

What can be more entertaining or instructive, than in history to trace this world of our's through its various states; observe what sort of inhabitants have possessed it, in different periods; how different, and yet how much the same; how nations, states, and kingdoms have risen, flourished, and sunk; the first rise of government, patriarchal, monarchial, republican; what characters have appeared in different ages, eminent for virtue, or infamous for wickedness; to what seemingly slight causes the most important events have been owing; the arts, by which one man has

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