wealbk05-第22章

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the　interest　of　some　sum　of　money　allotted　and　put　under　the

management　of　trustees　for　this　particular　purpose；　sometimes　by

the　sovereign　himself；　and　sometimes　by　some　private　donor。

　　　　　Have　those　public　endowments　contributed　in　general　to

promote　the　end　of　their　institution？　Have　they　contributed　to

encourage　the　diligence　and　to　improve　the　abilities　of　the

teachers？　Have　they　directed　the　course　of　education　towards

objects　more　useful；　both　to　the　individual　and　to　the　public；

than　those　to　which　it　would　naturally　have　gone　of　its　own

accord？　It　should　not　seem　very　difficult　to　give　at　least　a

probable　answer　to　each　of　those　questions。

　　　　　In　every　profession；　the　exertion　of　the　greater　part　of

those　who　exercise　it　is　always　in　proportion　to　the　necessity

they　are　under　of　making　that　exertion。　This　necessity　is

greatest　with　those　to　whom　the　emoluments　of　their　profession

are　the　only　source　from　which　they　expect　their　fortune；　or　even

their　ordinary　revenue　and　subsistence。　In　order　to　acquire　this

fortune；　or　even　to　get　this　subsistence；　they　must；　in　the

course　of　a　year；　execute　a　certain　quantity　of　work　of　a　known

value；　and；　where　the　competition　is　free；　the　rivalship　of

competitors；　who　are　all　endeavouring　to　justle　one　another　out

of　employment；　obliges　every　man　to　endeavour　to　execute　his　work

with　a　certain　degree　of　exactness。　The　greatness　of　the　objects

which　are　to　be　acquired　by　success　in　some　particular

professions　may；　no　doubt；　sometimes　animate　the　exertion　of　a

few　men　of　extraordinary　spirit　and　ambition。　Great　objects；

however；　are　evidently　not　necessary　in　order　to　occasion　the

greatest　exertions。　Rivalship　and　emulation　render　excellency；

even　in　mean　professions；　an　object　of　ambition；　and　frequently

occasion　the　very　greatest　exertions。　Great　objects；　on　the

contrary；　alone　and　unsupported　by　the　necessity　of　application；

have　seldom　been　sufficient　to　occasion　any　considerable

exertion。　In　England；　success　in　the　profession　of　the　law　leads

to　some　very　great　objects　of　ambition；　and　yet　how　few　men；　born

to　easy　fortunes；　have　ever　in　this　country　been　eminent　in　that

profession！

　　　　　The　endowments　of　schools　and　colleges　have　necessarily

diminished　more　or　less　the　necessity　of　application　in　the

teachers。　Their　subsistence；　so　far　as　it　arises　from　their

salaries；　is　evidently　derived　from　a　fund　altogether　independent

of　their　success　and　reputation　in　their　particular　professions。

　　　　　In　some　universities　the　salary　makes　but　a　part；　and

frequently　but　a　small　part；　of　the　emoluments　of　the　teacher；　of

which　the　greater　part　arises　from　the　honoraries　or　fees　of　his

pupils。　The　necessity　of　application；　though　always　more　or　less

diminished；　is　not　in　this　case　entirely　taken　away。　Reputation

in　his　profession　is　still　of　some　importance　to　him；　and　he

still　has　some　dependency　upon　the　affection；　gratitude；　and

favourable　report　of　those　who　have　attended　upon　his

instructions；　and　these　favourable　sentiments　he　is　likely　to

gain　in　no　way　so　well　as　by　deserving　them；　that　is；　by　the

abilities　and　diligence　with　which　he　discharges　every　part　of

his　duty。

　　　　　In　other　universities　the　teacher　is　prohibited　from

receiving　any　honorary　or　fee　from　his　pupils；　and　his　salary

constitutes　the　whole　of　the　revenue　which　he　derives　from　his

office。　His　interest　is；　in　this　case；　set　as　directly　in

opposition　to　his　duty　as　it　is　possible　to　set　it。　It　is　the

interest　of　every　man　to　live　as　much　at　his　ease　as　he　can；　and

if　his　emoluments　are　to　be　precisely　the　same；　whether　he　does

or　does　not　perform　some　very　laborious　duty；　it　is　certainly　his

interest；　at　least　as　interest　is　vulgarly　understood；　either　to

neglect　it　altogether；　or；　if　he　is　subject　to　some　authority

which　will　not　suffer　him　to　do　this；　to　perform　it　in　as

careless　and　slovenly　a　manner　as　that　authority　will　permit。　If

he　is　naturally　active　and　a　lover　of　labour；　it　is　his　interest

to　employ　that　activity　in　any　way　from　which　he　can　derive　some

advantage；　rather　than　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　from　which

he　can　derive　none。

　　　　　If　the　authority　to　which　he　is　subject　resides　in　the　body

corporate；　the　college；　or　university；　of　which　he　himself　is　a

member；　and　which　the　greater　part　of　the　other　members　are；　like

himself；　persons　who　either　are　or　ought　to　be　teachers；　they　are

likely　to　make　a　common　cause；　to　be　all　very　indulgent　to　one

another；　and　every　man　to　consent　that　his　neighbour　may　neglect

his　duty；　provided　he　himself　is　allowed　to　neglect　his　own。　In

the　university　of　Oxford；　the　greater　part　of　the　public

professors　have；　for　these　many　years；　given　up　altogether　even

the　pretence　of　teaching。

　　　　　If　the　authority　to　which　he　is　subject　resides；　not　so　much

in　the　body　corporate　of　which　he　is　a　member；　as　in　some　other

extraneous　persons…　in　the　bishop　of　the　diocese；　for　example；　in

the　governor　of　the　province；　or；　perhaps；　in　some　minister　of

state　it　is　not　indeed　in　this　case　very　likely　that　he　will　be

suffered　to　neglect　his　duty　altogether。　All　that　such　superiors；

however；　can　force　him　to　do；　is　to　attend　upon　his　pupils　a

certain　number　of　hours；　that　is；　to　give　a　certain　number　of

lectures　in　the　week　or　in　the　year。　What　those　lectures　shall　be

must　still　depend　upon　the　diligence　of　the　teacher；　and　that

diligence　is　likely　to　be　proportioned　to　the　motives　which　he

has　for　exerting　it。　An　extraneous　jurisdiction　of　this　kind；

besides；　is　liable　to　be　exercised　both　ignorantly　and

capriciously。　In　its　nature　it　is　arbitrary　and　discretionary；

and　the　persons　who　exercise　it；　neither　attending　upon　the

lectures　of　the　teacher　themselves；　nor　perhaps　understanding　the

sciences　which　it　is　his　business　to　teach；　are　seldom　capable　of

exercising　it　with　judgment。　From　the　insolence　of　office；　too；

they　are　frequently　indifferent　how　they　exercise　it；　and　are

very　apt　to　censure　or　deprive　him　of　his　office　wantonly；　and

without　any　just　cause。　The　person　subject　to　such　jurisdiction

is　necessarily　degraded　by　it；　and；　instead　of　being　one　of　the

most　respectable；　is　rendered　one　of　the　meanest　and　most

contemptible　persons　in　the　society。　It　is　by　powerful　protection

only　that　he　can　effectually　guard　himself　against　the　bad　usage

to　which　he　is　at　all　times　exposed；　and　this　protection　he　is

most　likely　to　gain；　not　by　ability　or　diligence　in　his

profession；　but　by　obsequiousness　to　the　will　of　his　superiors；

and　by　being　ready；　at　all　times；　to　sacrifice　to　that　will　the

rights；　the　interest；　and　the　honour　of　the　body　corporate　of

which　he　is　a　member。　Whoever　has　attended　for　any　considerable

time　to　the　administration　of　a　French　university　must　have　had

occasion　to　remark　the　effects　which　naturally　result　from　an

arbitrary　and　extraneous　jurisdiction　of　this　kind。

　　　　　Whatever　forces　a　certain　number　of　students　to　any　college

or　university；　independent　of　the　merit　or　reputation　of　the

teachers；　tends　more　or　less　to　diminish　the　necessity　of　that

merit　or　reputation。

　　　　　The　privileges　of　graduates　in　arts；　in　law；　physic；　and

divinity；　when　they　can　be　obtained　only　by　residing　a　certain

number　of　years　in　certain　universities；　necessarily　force　a

certain　number　of　students　to　such　universities；　independent　of

the　merit　or　reputation　of　the　teachers。　The　privileges　of

graduates　are　a　sort　of　statutes　of　apprenticeship；　which　have

contributed　to　the　improvement　of　education；　just　as　the　other

statutes　of　apprenticeship　have　to　that　of　arts；　and

manufactures。

　　　　　The　charitable　foundations　of　scholarships；　exhibitions；

bursaries；　etc。；　necessarily　attach　a　certain　number　of　students

to　certain　colleges；　independent　altogether　of　the　merit　of　those

particular　colleges。　Were　the　students　upon　such　charitable

foundations　left　free　to　choose　what　college　they　liked　best；