part19-第1章

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　　　　　　　　FEMALE　EDUCATION




　　　　　　　　_To　Nathaniel　Burwell_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　March　14；　1818_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　February　17th　found　me　suffering

under　an　attack　of　rheumatism；　which　has　but　now　left　me　at

sufficient　ease　to　attend　to　the　letters　I　have　received。　　A　plan　of

female　education　has　never　been　a　subject　of　systematic　contemplation

with　me。　　It　has　occupied　my　attention　so　far　only　as　the　education

of　my　own　daughters　occasionally　required。　　Considering　that　they

would　be　placed　in　a　country　situation；　where　little　aid　could　be

obtained　from　abroad；　I　thought　it　essential　to　give　them　a　solid

education；　which　might　enable　them；　when　become　mothers；　to　educate

their　own　daughters；　and　even　to　direct　the　course　for　sons；　should

their　fathers　be　lost；　or　incapable；　or　inattentive。　　My　surviving

daughter　accordingly；　the　mother　of　many　daughters　as　well　as　sons；

has　made　their　education　the　object　of　her　life；　and　being　a　better

judge　of　the　practical　part　than　myself；　it　is　with　her　aid　and　that

of　one　of　her　eleves　that　I　shall　subjoin　a　catalogue　of　the　books

for　such　a　course　of　reading　as　we　have　practiced。




　　　　　　　　A　great　obstacle　to　good　education　is　the　inordinate　passion

prevalent　for　novels；　and　the　time　lost　in　that　reading　which　should

be　instructively　employed。　　When　this　poison　infects　the　mind；　it

destroys　its　tone　and　revolts　it　against　wholesome　reading。　　Reason

and　fact；　plain　and　unadorned；　are　rejected。　　Nothing　can　engage

attention　unless　dressed　in　all　the　figments　of　fancy；　and　nothing　so

bedecked　comes　amiss。　　The　result　is　a　bloated　imagination；　sickly

judgment；　and　disgust　towards　all　the　real　businesses　of　life。　　This

mass　of　trash；　however；　is　not　without　some　distinction；　some　few

modelling　their　narratives；　although　fictitious；　on　the　incidents　of

real　life；　have　been　able　to　make　them　interesting　and　useful

vehicles　of　sound　morality。　　Such；　I　think；　are　Marmontel's　new　moral

tales；　but　not　his　old　ones；　which　are　really　immoral。　　Such　are　the

writings　of　Miss　Edgeworth；　and　some　of　those　of　Madame　Genlis。　　For

a　like　reason；　too；　much　poetry　should　not　be　indulged。　　Some　is

useful　for　forming　style　and　taste。　　Pope；　Dryden；　Thompson；

Shakspeare；　and　of　the　French；　Moliere；　Racine；　the　Corneilles；　may

be　read　with　pleasure　and　improvement。




　　　　　　　　The　French　language；　become　that　of　the　general　intercourse　of

nations；　and　from　their　extraordinary　advances；　now　the　depository　of

all　science；　is　an　indispensable　part　of　education　for　both　sexes。

In　the　subjoined　catalogue；　therefore；　I　have　placed　the　books　of

both　languages　indifferently；　according　as　the　one　or　the　other

offers　what　is　best。




　　　　　　　　The　ornaments　too；　and　the　amusements　of　life；　are　entitled　to

their　portion　of　attention。　　These；　for　a　female；　are　dancing；

drawing；　and　music。　　The　first　is　a　healthy　exercise；　elegant　and

very　attractive　for　young　people。　　Every　affectionate　parent　would　be

pleased　to　see　his　daughter　qualified　to　participate　with　her

companions；　and　without　awkwardness　at　least；　in　the　circles　of

festivity；　of　which　she　occasionally　becomes　a　part。　　It　is　a

necessary　accomplishment；　therefore；　although　of　short　use；　for　the

French　rule　is　wise；　that　no　lady　dances　after　marriage。　　This　is

founded　in　solid　physical　reasons；　gestation　and　nursing　leaving

little　time　to　a　married　lady　when　this　exercise　can　be　either　safe

or　innocent。　　Drawing　is　thought　less　of　in　this　country　than　in

Europe。　　It　is　an　innocent　and　engaging　amusement；　often　useful；　and

a　qualification　not　to　be　neglected　in　one　who　is　to　become　a　mother

and　an　instructor。　　Music　is　invaluable　where　a　person　has　an　ear。

Where　they　have　not；　it　should　not　be　attempted。　　It　furnishes　a

delightful　recreation　for　the　hours　of　respite　from　the　cares　of　the

day；　and　lasts　us　through　life。　　The　taste　of　this　country；　too；

calls　for　this　accomplishment　more　strongly　than　for　either　of　the

others。




　　　　　　　　I　need　say　nothing　of　household　economy；　in　which　the　mothers

of　our　country　are　generally　skilled；　and　generally　careful　to

instruct　their　daughters。　　We　all　know　its　value；　and　that　diligence

and　dexterity　in　all　its　processes　are　inestimable　treasures。　　The

order　and　economy　of　a　house　are　as　honorable　to　the　mistress　as

those　of　the　farm　to　the　master；　and　if　either　be　neglected；　ruin

follows；　and　children　destitute　of　the　means　of　living。




　　　　　　　　This；　Sir；　is　offered　as　a　summary　sketch　on　a　subject　on　which

I　have　not　thought　much。　　It　probably　contains　nothing　but　what　has

already　occurred　to　yourself；　and　claims　your　acceptance　on　no　other

ground　than　as　a　testimony　of　my　respect　for　your　wishes；　and　of　my

great　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　CLASSICAL　PRESS




　　　　　　　　_To　Wells　and　Lilly_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　April　1；　1818_




　　　　　　　　You　must　have　thought　me　very　tardy　in　acknoleging　the　receipt

of　your　letter　of　Jan。　13。　and　in　returning　my　thanks；　which　I　now

do；　for　the　very　handsome　copy　of　Cicero's　works　from　your　press；

which　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to　present　me。　　I　waited　first　the

receipt　of　that　and　the　books　accompanying　it；　but　I　happened　at　the

time　of　their　arrival　to　be　reading　the　5th　book　of　Cicero's

Tusculans；　which　I　followed　by　that　of　his　Offices；　and　concluded　to

lay　aside　the　variorum　edition；　and　to　use　yours；　after　which　I　might

write　more　understandingly　on　the　subject。　　having　been　extremely

disgusted　with　the　Philadelphia　and　New　York　Delphin　editions；　some

of　which　I　had　read；　and　altho　executed　with　a　good　type　on　good

paper；　yet　so　full　of　errors　of　the　press　as　not　to　be　worth　the

paper　they　were　printed　on；　I　wished　to　see　the　state　of　the

classical　press　with　you。　　their　editions　had　on　an　average　about　one

error　for　every　page。　　I　read　therefore　the　portions　of　your's　above

mentioned　with　a　pretty　sharp　eye；　and　in　something　upwards　of　200。

pages　I　found　the　errors　noted　on　the　paper　inclosed；　being　an

average　of　one　for　every　13。　pages。　　this　is　a　good　advance　on　the

presses　of　N。Y。　and　Philada。；　and　gives　hopes　of　rapid　improvements。

the　errors　in　the　Variorum　editions　however　are　fewer　than　these；　the

Elzevirs　still　fewer：　but　the　perfection　of　accuracy　is　to　be　found

in　the　folio　edition　of　Homer　by　the　Foulis　of　Glasgow。　　I　have

understood　they　offered　1000　guineas　for　the　discovery　of　any　error

in　it；　even　of　an　accent；　and　that　the　reward　was　never　claimed。　　I

am　glad　to　find　you　are　thinking　of　printing　Livy。　　there　should　be

no　hesitation　between　that　and　Quinctilian。　　this　last　is　little

wanting。　　we　have　Blair's　and　Adams's　books　which　give　us　the

rhetoric　of　our　own　language　and　that　of　a　foreign　and　a　dead　one

will　interest　few　readers。　　but　of　Livy　there　is　not；　nor　ever　has

been　an　edition　meriting　the　name　of　an　editio　optima。　　the　Delphin

edition　might　have　been；　but　for　it's　numerous　errors　of　the　press；

and　unmanageable　size　in　4to。　　it's　notes　are　valuable；　and　it　has

the　whole　of　Freinsheim's　supplement　with　the　marginal　references　to

his　authorities。　　Clerk's　edition　is　of　a　handy　size；　has　the　whole

of　Freinsheim；　but　without　the　references；　which　we　often　wish　to

turn　to；　and　it　is　without　notes。　　the　late　Paris　edition　of　La　Malle

has　only　the　supplement　of　the　2d　decad　and　no　notes。　　I　possess

these　two　last　mentioned　editions；　but　would　gladly　become　a

subscriber　to　such　a　one　as　I　describe；　that　is　to　say；　an　8vo

edition　with　the　Delphin　notes　and　all　Freinsheim's　supplements　and

references。　　if　correctly　executed　it　would　be　the　editio　optima；　be

called　for　in　Europe　and　do　us　honor　there。　　since　consigning　my

library　to　Congress　I　have　supplied　myself　from　Europe　with　most　of

the　classics；　and　of　the　best　editions；　in　which　I　have　been　much

aided　by　mr。　Ticknor；　your　most　learned　and　valuable　countryman。




　　　　　　　　I　make　you　my　acknole