if it inclines at all, to the side of freedom. He is still imposed upon by the fallacy of the argument which formerly misled him, and of which, in this article, we have fully exposed the weakness; the argument, we mean, that because taxes are laid upon the importation of manufactured commodities, they ought also to be laid upon that of corn; which is just about as wise as if you were to say, because you have a disease in one eye, it will be a great compensation to you, if you cause a similar

disease to affect the other.

Art II. A Series of Popular Essays, illustrative of Principles essentially connected with the Impro ement of the Understanding, the Imagination, and the Heart. By Elizabeth Hamilton, Author of Letters on the Elementary Principles of Education, Cottagers of Glenburnie, &c. 8vo. 2 vols. pp. 882. Edin. Manners and Miller: London Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; and Cadell

and Davies. 1813.

"YOUNG Ladies or Gentlemen completely educated,' is a profession with which we meet continually. From the Square and Crescent, downward through the nice gradations of Terraces, Places, Rows, and Lanes, we observe innumerable practitioners, who think themselves, and, which is still more surprising, who are frequently thought by others, competent to form and regulate the human character. From the numbers thus employed, and the readiness with which, when. other employments fail, this is resorted to, it would be natural to suppose, either that education were a work of little difficulty, or that every rank of life and style of character, abounded with persons qualified to correct the evil dispositions, and to promote the virtuous and vigorous growth of the infant mind: persons who understand its nature, who are steadily intent upon its ultimate design, and who, from observation, reflection, and experiment, are become skilful in operating upon that nature, with this design constantly in view. But the disordered condition of society, after submitting to the entire discipline of such practitioners, inclines us to doubt whether this can be the case. Depraved as human nature is, we yet believe, that the effect would, in some degree at least, resemble its cause; that, if education were generally conducted by Christian philosophers, we should see something more like Christianity and intellect in the beings it has formed; and that there would be more benevolence and more rationality observable in the conduct of mankind. Those who believe that education is omnipotent, will undoubtedly find themselves mistaken when they reduce their theories to practice, even if they make the experiment with every possible advantage; and will be obliged to confess, VOL. II. N. S.

C

or at least to believe, either that they set out upon wrong principles, operated upon materials unusually refractory, or, which may probably be nearer the truth, that even under circumstances the most favourable, education is not omnipotent, because the subjects of it have fallen,- fallen from their high estate,'―and have sustained too much injury for merely human effort ever again to set them perfectly upright.

But if there are limits which education cannot pass, it is lamentable to see it stop far short of those at which it might arrive to see (with regard to one sex at least) exterior form and accomplishment, made the sole or the principal objects of cultivation, while every trifle that can degrade the intellect, and every passion that disorders the heart, is suffered to gain early ascendancy, and, by habit long undisturbed, to maintain perpetual dominion. The principle assumed by Miss Hamilton in the present volumes, and supported by the reflection of every intelligent mind, is, that education is an important work, entirely distinct from these trifling additionals :—a work which may be respectably executed without once regarding them. The mind, the standard of the man,' and the heart, the spring of his moral life, are the primary objects of education, and to these she endeavours to turn the attention of her readers. In this writer, we perceive a plain good sense and a beaming benevolence, which carry her observations and reflections home to the heart. We discover no indications of self, dictating and pervading her productions; no vain desire of exhibition as the moving principle; but we are courted to attention as if by the representations of a judicious friend, and listen with confidence to admonitions most plainly designed for our benefit. It is this purity of motive and kindness of disposition, which render Miss Hamilton's remarks peculiarly acceptable, and dispose us to confide in the result of her experience. Hostility is disarmed by her unpretending humility; or if it retains a weapon, it is repelled by her sober good sense. These, rather than frequent. novelty of thought, or strength, or felicity of expression, recommend her works to candid perusal, and to the confidence of those who, sensible of the vital importance and harassing difficulties of education, look around, for assistance, to the better informed.

The first essay, which the author announces as not necessarily connected with the succeeding ones, is intended to prove the utility of the study of mind to those whose business education is. And here we may pause for a moment to inquirewhose business is it not? The mass of society is formed of parents; and of those who are not thus set apart by the seal of heaven, who is it, whose knowledge or whose ignorance, does not affect a small circle of the young? While we are so often

compelled to witness the ill-treatment of some virtuous feeling, the encouragement of some dangerous propensity, or even the fostering of some viper passion, by the injudicious remarks or the ill-timed smiles of a good-natured company, we can scarcely select an individual to whose conduct the study of mind would not be an advantage,-is not indeed almost indispensable, to prevent the ruin, as far as his influence extends, of those families which are unfortunately exposed to his visits. Let not the admirer of a sweet complexion, of a pretty curl, or of a sparkling eye,-nay, let not him who administers other than a kind and sober approbation even of amiable conduct, or of worthy acquirements, suppose that the study of mind is unnecessary to him. If the look that praises, swims with admiration, rather than beams approval, it is doing mischief. If the well-earned plaudit is but a tone too lively, it is doing mischief. Actions thus repaid, will rarely spring again from honest principle, or from simple feeling. False motives and false views, will acquire an early and fatal ascendancy; the eye of the world will become incentive, its praise, sufficient reward;-and oh, the ruin which is implied in such a change! -which accrues from such ignorance of the treatment by which character is formed, and of the conscientious delicacy which is required in all who approach even to witness the interesting process! Obvious, therefore, to every thoughtful mind, as must be the utility of this primary study, it seems almost unnecessary to devote an essay to prove it, and to meet objections which appear at a glance untenable :-we say almost, for perhaps, while a simple objector remains, it is not altogether needless labour. While an individual may be found who fancies that it is as safe to travel in the dark as in the daylight, it may be necessary to explain the utility of the sun, and to support the explanation by illustrations not less obvious than just.

Having thus, by way of introduction, recommended the study of mind as indispensable to those who are entrusted with the cultivation of it, our author proceeds to form a more connected chain, continued through the two volumes of which her work consists. Her first design is to illustrate the necessity of exciting early and continued attention to the appropriate objects of affection and intellect, in order to the due expansion of both. The benevolent affections, forming the spring and vitality of moral character, are then represented as obstructed in their exercise, by a principle which is distinguished by Miss Hamilton, both from selfishness and from self-love, and which she defines a propensity to magnify the idea of self,' the nature and operations of which are amply illustrated. The cultivation of the benevolent affections is afterwards recommended, as

forming the natural antidote against this propensity; the necessity of attention is more fully explained, in order to their cultivation; and the work concludes with a view of the supernatural means, afforded by revelation, to facilitate their growth. In commencing this course, Miss Hamilton introduces the second essay, as,

Intending first to examine what are the effects produced by directing the attention to certain classes of the objects of perception in impeding or enlarging the use of our senses, and secondly, to examine whether each of the intellectual faculties be not so entirely dependent on the power of attention for their (its) development, as to be either operative or torpid, according as in the mind of the individual, attention has in early life been directed to the objects which are calculated to exercise and improve them' (it). Vol. I. p. 56.

The first of these inquiries is solvible by the least intelligent observer. The fact, that, by appropriate exercise, the senses are improved to extreme acuteness, will be confirmed by the recollection of every reader; and it is illustrated by Miss Hamilton in a variety of familiar examples.

Hence the peculiar delicacy of touch observable in the blind, the quick sightedness of the deaf, who in many instances seem intuitively at a glance to comprehend what could not, without circumlocution, be explained to persons whose power of attention had not been thus concentrated. The same observations apply to the other organs of sense; to a cultivated ear, many sounds appear harsh and unpleasant, which the vulgar pass unnoticed: nor is this altogether the effect of association; it is produced by attention to that class of perceptions. Call the attention of your servants to the creaking of a door, they will not say that the sound is a pleasant one; yet will they perhaps acknowledge, that the door might have thus creaked for a month without their having once observed it.' pp. 58, 59.

These observations naturally lead to others of much practical importance, especially to those who superintend the education of the lower classes, and are influenced by a benevolent solicitude to render them respectable in that line of duties to which they are confined. It is probable, that were the persons who are thus engaged, to pay a due regard to the sensible remarks which occur here, the number of bad servants would not, in future, be so great; and those who are already bad, might be, in some degree, improved, if mistresses who are annoyed by them, would attend to these simple principles: at least, the feeling of provocation almost hourly excited, would be softened into that of compassion. As it is in a want of early cultivated attention that the stupidity of many domestic servants appears to originate, it is, of course, in the culture of this faculty that

the remedy must be found. It is obvious that the children of low and totally unmanaging parents, seldom afford even materials for making competent servants. They have been pushed, and dragged, and beaten, into the few lazy duties which the mother's necessities peremptorily required them to fulfil; and have been compelled to loll about with the baby, to scrape up sticks for the fire, and occasionally even to put the stool in its place, provided that just at that moment the mother had nearly fallen over it, and most provokingly hurt herself; but that quick perception of disorder which would have prevented the mischief, and to which confusion and litters are absolutely painful, independent of the inconveniences arising from them, is never awakened, nor, after long habits of negligence, can it be, except in a very small degree.

Let us consider,' says our author, the situation of the female children of the poor, where habits of dirt and sloth prevail. Their attention never having been directed to any of the objects around them, but in a slight and superficial way, these objects afford not any exercise to the perceptions. Their perceptions, of consequence, become so languid, that they have no power of observing what is placed before their eyes. They know no distinction between black and white, clean and dirty; and as the stupidity that arises from languid perceptions renders every species of exertion painful, such habits of sloth are formed as frequently prove incorrigible, and are not without difficulty to be even partially conquered. Thus prepared, they are sent into the world to earn their bread in service; and at a period of life when the power of observation ought to have been vigorous, they have still to learn to observe: compelled by necessity, however, they do so far learn, as to acquire the method of employing their hands in such branches of domestic work as they are disposed to engage in: but, from want of perception, are incapable of observing the advantages to be derived from any improvement of the method they have first been taught, and from their slothful habits, are rendered so averse to the trouble of learning farther, that time and experience adds (add) nothing to their skill. Having once attained the power of going through a certain routine mechanically, they continue to go through it with as little fatigue of attention as possible; and as in every department of household economy, thorough cleanliness requires that perceptiou which depends upon attention, in every department in which they engage, they will, in that material point, be found deficient.' pp. 68. 70.

The truth of this description, innumerable harassed and disorderly families will attest; but of those who suffer from the consequence, how few give themselves any trouble to remove the cause, though, by looking attentively at this, and its opposite character, that cause is easily ascertained, and, by a judicious superintendance of the education of the poor, might so often be counteracted. It seems sufficiently clear that,