wealbk05-第23章

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particular　colleges。　Were　the　students　upon　such　charitable

foundations　left　free　to　choose　what　college　they　liked　best；

such　liberty　might　perhaps　contribute　to　excite　some　emulation

among　different　colleges。　A　regulation；　on　the　contrary；　which

prohibited　even　the　independent　members　of　every　particular

college　from　leaving　it　and　going　to　any　other；　without　leave

first　asked　and　obtained　of　that　which　they　meant　to　abandon；

would　tend　very　much　to　extinguish　that　emulation。

　　　　　If　in　each　college　the　tutor　or　teacher；　who　was　to　instruct

each　student　in　all　arts　and　sciences；　should　not　be　voluntarily

chosen　by　the　student；　but　appointed　by　the　head　of　the　college；

and　if；　in　case　of　neglect；　inability；　or　bad　usage；　the　student

should　not　be　allowed　to　change　him　for　another；　without　leave

first　asked　and　obtained；　such　a　regulation　would　not　only　tend

very　much　to　extinguish　all　emulation　among　the　different　tutors

of　the　same　college；　but　to　diminish　very　much　in　all　of　them　the

necessity　of　diligence　and　of　attention　to　their　respective

pupils。　Such　teachers；　though　very　well　paid　by　their　students；

might　be　as　much　disposed　to　neglect　them　as　those　who　are　not

paid　by　them　at　all；　or　who　have　no　other　recompense　but　their

salary。

　　　　　If　the　teacher　happens　to　be　a　man　of　sense；　it　must　be　an

unpleasant　thing　to　him　to　be　conscious；　while　he　is　lecturing

his　students；　that　he　is　either　speaking　or　reading　nonsense；　or

what　is　very　little　better　than　nonsense。　It　must；　too；　be

unpleasant　to　him　to　observe　that　the　greater　part　of　his

students　desert　his　lectures；　or　perhaps　attend　upon　them　with

plain　enough　marks　of　neglect；　contempt；　and　derision。　If　he　is

obliged；　therefore；　to　give　a　certain　number　of　lectures；　these

motives　alone；　without　any　other　interest；　might　dispose　him　to

take　some　pains　to　give　tolerably　good　ones。　Several　different

expedients；　however；　may　be　fallen　upon　which　will　effectually

blunt　the　edge　of　all　those　incitements　to　diligence。　The

teacher；　instead　of　explaining　to　his　pupils　himself　the　science

in　which　he　proposes　to　instruct　them；　may　read　some　book　upon

it；　and　if　this　book　is　written　in　a　foreign　and　dead　language；

by　interpreting　it　to　them　into　their　own；　or；　what　would　give

him　still　less　trouble；　by　making　them　interpret　it　to　him；　and

by　now　and　then　making　an　occasional　remark　upon　it；　he　may

flatter　himself　that　he　is　giving　a　lecture。　The　slightest　degree

of　knowledge　and　application　will　enable　him　to　do　this　without

exposing　himself　to　contempt　or　derision；　or　saying　anything　that

is　really　foolish；　absurd；　or　ridiculous。　The　discipline　of　the

college；　at　the　same　time；　may　enable　him　to　force　all　his　pupils

to　the　most　regular　attendance　upon　this　sham　lecture；　and　to

maintain　the　most　decent　and　respectful　behaviour　during　the

whole　time　of　the　performance。

　　　　　The　discipline　of　colleges　and　universities　is　in　general

contrived；　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　students；　but　for　the

interest；　or　more　properly　speaking；　for　the　ease　of　the　masters。

Its　object　is；　in　all　cases；　to　maintain　the　authority　of　the

master；　and　whether　he　neglects　or　performs　his　duty；　to　oblige

the　students　in　all　cases　to　behave　to　him；　as　if　he　performed　it

with　the　greatest　diligence　and　ability。　It　seems　to　presume

perfect　wisdom　and　virtue　in　the　one　order；　and　the　greatest

weakness　and　folly　in　the　other。　Where　the　masters；　however；

really　perform　their　duty；　there　are　no　examples；　I　believe；　that

the　greater　part　of　the　students　ever　neglect　theirs。　No

discipline　is　ever　requisite　to　force　attendance　upon　lectures

which　are　really　worth　the　attending；　as　is　well　known　wherever

any　such　lectures　are　given。　Force　and　restraint　may；　no　doubt；

be　in　some　degree　requisite　in　order　to　oblige　children；　or　very

young　boys；　to　attend　to　those　parts　of　education　which　it　is

thought　necessary　for　them　to　acquire　during　that　early　period　of

life；　but　after　twelve　or　thirteen　years　of　age；　provided　the

master　does　his　duty；　force　or　restraint　can　scarce　ever　be

necessary　to　carry　on　any　part　of　education。　Such　is　the

generosity　of　the　greater　part　of　young　men；　that；　so　far　from

being　disposed　to　neglect　or　despise　the　instructions　of　their

master；　provided　he　shows　some　serious　intention　of　being　of　use

to　them；　they　are　generally　inclined　to　pardon　a　great　deal　of

incorrectness　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；　and　sometimes　even

to　conceal　from　the　public　a　good　deal　of　gross　negligence。

　　　　　Those　parts　of　education；　it　is　to　be　observed；　for　the

teaching　of　which　there　are　no　public　institutions；　are　generally

the　best　taught。　When　a　young　man　goes　to　a　fencing　or　a　dancing

school；　he　does　not　indeed　always　learn　to　fence　or　to　dance　very

well；　but　he　seldom　fails　of　learning　to　fence　or　to　dance。　The

good　effects　of　the　riding　school　are　not　commonly　so　evident。

The　expense　of　a　riding　school　is　so　great；　that　in　most　places

it　is　a　public　institution。　The　three　most　essential　parts　of

literary　education；　to　read；　write；　and　account；　it　still

continues　to　be　more　common　to　acquire　in　private　than　in　public

schools；　and　it　very　seldom　happens　that　anybody　fails　of

acquiring　them　to　the　degree　in　which　it　is　necessary　to　acquire

them。

　　　　　In　England　the　public　schools　are　much　less　corrupted　than

the　universities。　In　the　schools　the　youth　are　taught；　or　at

least　may　be　taught；　Greek　and　Latin；　that　is；　everything　which

the　masters　pretend　to　teach；　or　which；　it　is　expected；　they

should　teach。　In　the　universities　the　youth　neither　are　taught；

nor　always　can　find　any　proper　means　of　being　taught；　the

sciences　which　it　is　the　business　of　those　incorporated　bodies　to

teach。　The　reward　of　the　schoolmaster　in　most　cases　depends

principally；　in　some　cases　almost　entirely；　upon　the　fees　or

honoraries　of　his　scholars。　Schools　have　no　exclusive　privileges。

In　order　to　obtain　the　honours　of　graduation；　it　is　not　necessary

that　a　person　should　bring　a　certificate　of　his　having　studied　a

certain　number　of　years　at　a　public　school。　If　upon　examination

he　appears　to　understand　what　is　taught　there；　no　questions　are

asked　about　the　place　where　he　learnt　it。

　　　　　The　parts　of　education　which　are　commonly　taught　in

universities；　it　may；　perhaps；　be　said　are　not　very　well　taught。

But　had　it　not　been　for　those　institutions　they　would　not　have

been　commonly　taught　at　all；　and　both　the　individual　and　the

public　would　have　suffered　a　good　deal　from　the　want　of　those

important　parts　of　education。

　　　　　The　present　universities　of　Europe　were　originally；　the

greater　part　of　them；　ecclesiastical　corporations；　instituted　for

the　education　of　churchmen。　They　were　founded　by　the　authority　of

the　Pope；　and　were　so　entirely　under　his　immediate　protection；

that　their　members；　whether　masters　or　students；　had　all　of　them

what　was　then　called　the　benefit　of　clergy；　that　is；　were

exempted　from　the　civil　jurisdiction　of　the　countries　in　which

their　respective　universities　were　situated；　and　were　amenable

only　to　the　ecclesiastical　tribunals。　What　was　taught　in　the

greater　part　of　those　universities　was　suitable　to　the　end　of

their　institution；　either　theology；　or　something　that　was　merely

preparatory　to　theology。

　　　　　When　Christianity　was　first　established　by　law；　a　corrupted

Latin　had　become　the　common　language　of　all　the　western　parts　of

Europe。　The　service　of　the　church　accordingly；　and　the

translation　of　the　Bible　which　was　read　in　churches；　were　both　in

that　corrupted　Latin；　that　is；　in　the　common　language　of　the

country。　After　the　irruption　of　the　barbarous　nations　who

overturned　the　Roman　empire；　Latin　gradually　ceased　to　be　the

language　of　any　part　of　Europe。　But　the　reverence　of　the　people

naturally　preserves　the　established　forms　and　ceremonies　of

religion　long　after　the　circumstances　which　first　introduced　and

rendered　them　reasonable　are　no　more。　Tho