inspires and promotes them; and what can be more agreeable and flattering than to find ourselves of the same species with those, who, in benevolence and rectitude, have come the nearest to the Deity? These are the uses which may be made of the following Collection, which, like a rich parterre, contains the flowers of every climate and country. "The supreme sense and relish of virtue, or of whatever is lovely and heroic in affections and conduct, is not to be obtained," says an ingenious writer, by perusing dull, formal lectures on the several virtues and vices, and declaiming loosely on their effect; but by exhibiting to the moral eye living examples, or, what is nearest to those pictures, genuine copies of manners, that it may learn easily to separate between the fair and harmonious, and the deformed and dissonant. Thus I would select from history, sacred and profane, instances of illustrious virtues, displayed in the lives of great and good men in all ages; such as the piety and continence of Joseph, the patience and fortitude of Job, the meekness and love of his country which distinguished Moses, the friendship of Jonathan, and the like. From protane history, I would produce the continence of Scipio, the incorruption of Fabricius, the contempt of wealth and power in Cincinnatus, the patriotism and magnanimity of the Bruti, the justice of Aristides, the heroism and love of their country in Leonidas, Epaminondas, and a long train of other Greek and British worthies. By means of these, and the like examples," continues he," the grandest scenes of human life open on the mind: and the most august forms of beauty and order are made to pass in review before it: this will give your pupils noble and extended views of the energy of virtue and the limits of human actions, awaken an early sens bility of whatever is most amiable and heroic in life, and kindle in their breasts a generous ambition to imitate those virtues they admire in others."* "Youth have need of a faithful and constant monitor," says M. Rollin," an advocate who shall plead with them the cause of truth, honesty, and right rea *Dialogues on Education. son; who shall point out to them the mistakes that prevail in most of the discourses and conversations of man ́kind, and lay before them certain rules whereby to discern them. "But who must this monitor be? The master who has the care of their education: And shall he make set lessons on purpose to instruct them upon this head? At the very name of lessons they take the alarm, keep themselves upon their guard, and shut their ears to all he can say, as though he were laying traps to ensnare them. "We must therefore give them masters who can lie under no suspicion or distrust. To heal or preserve them from the contagion of the present age, we must carry them back into other countries and times, and oppose the opinions and examples of the great men of antiquity, to the false principles and ill examples which mislead the greatest part of mankind. They will readily give ear to lectures that are made by a Camillus, a Scipio, or a Cyrus and such instructions concealed, and in a manner disguised under the name of stories, shall make a deeper impression upon them, as they seem less designed, and thrown in their way by pure chance." I have not inserted in this Collection any instances from sacred story, because they are easily recurred to: those from profane history lie scattered iù a multitude of volumes, and require the knowledge of languages, which few have leisure to attain. "In history, such stories alone should be laid before youth as may catch their imagination: instead of this they are too frequently obliged to toil through the four empires, as they are called, where their memories are burdened with a number of disgusting names, that destroy all their future relish for our best historians, who may be termed the truest teachers of wisdom."* Lord Bolingbroke says, "History is philosophy teaching by example;" and Montaigne, at the conclusion of his chapter on three good women, adds, "These are my three very true stories, which I find as diverting * Goldsmith. and as tragic as any of those we make out of our own heads, wherewith to entertain the common people; and I wouder they who are acquainted with such relations, do not rather cull out ten thousand very fine stories, which are to be found in very good authors, that would save them the trouble of invention, and be more useful and diverting; and he who would make a collection of them would need to add nothing of his own." These authorities are sufficient to justify the general plan of this work. As to the manner in which it is executed, the reader must judge. The compiler has endeavoured to select the most striking and useful parts of history, and to unite pleasure with instruction. The observations which precede every example are also drawn from the best authors. Where the expression seemed capable of amendment, it has been attempted, and maxims are added, where other writers did not furnish them; and if they can escape without censure in such company, nothing more is desired. If it had been thought prudent to have recourse to feigned characters, these volumes might have been greatly enlarged; but as fiction, however well it may be adapted, only lessens the force of the doctrine or duty to be inculcated, it has been almost universally avoided; and nothing is inserted that has not its foundation in truth. The style must necessarily be various, on account of the multitude of authors concerned; but perspicuity is always consulted to engage the attention of youth. I shall only add, that readers of higher rank may find their advantage in this Collection, by using it as a common-place, where they will have some head or other under which to range whatever they think worthy of note in the course of their reading. L. M. STRETCH. CONTENTS Page IN Young Manlius, son of the Roman dictator The son of Quintus, brother to Cicero the Ro- A concise account of Cicero's escape during the proscription under the second triumvirate of The conduct of young Appius, and that of Æne- Antigonus to Demetrius, king of Macedon Epaminondas the Grecian Ĝeneral Reflections from Rollin on the preceding example 29 Servilia to her father Soranus A singular example related by V. Maximus |