Thereisnot,perhaps,inthekingdom,amoredogmaticalorluxurioussetofmen,thanthepedantictyrantswhoresideincollegesandpresideatpublicschools。Thevacationsareequallyinjurioustothemoralsofthemastersandpupils,andtheintercourse,whichtheformerkeepupwiththenobility,introducesthesamevanityandextravaganceintotheirfamilies,whichbanishdomesticdutiesandcomfortsfromthelordlymansion,whosestateisawkwardlyapedonasmallerscale。Theboys,wholiveatagreatexpencewiththemastersandassistants,areneverdomesticated,thoughplacedthereforthatpurpose;for,afterasilentdinner,theyswallowahastyglassofwine,andretiretoplansomemischievoustrick,ortoridiculethepersonormannersoftheverypeopletheyhavejustbeencringingto,andwhomtheyoughttoconsiderastherepresentativesoftheirparents。
Canitthenbeamatterofsurprise,thatboysbecomeselfishandviciouswhoarethusshutoutfromsocialconverse？orthatamitreoftengracesthebrowofoneofthesediligentpastors？Thedesireoflivinginthesamestyle,astherankjustabovethem,infectseachindividualandeveryclassofpeople,andmeannessistheconcomitantofthisignobleambition;butthoseprofessionsaremostdebasingwhoseladderispatronage;yetoutofoneoftheseprofessionsthetutorsofyouthareingeneralchosen。But,cantheybeexpectedtoinspireindependentsentiments,whoseconductmustberegulatedbythecautiousprudencethatiseveronthewatchforpreferment？
Sofar,however,fromthinkingofthemoralsofboys,Ihaveheardseveralmastersofschoolsargue,thattheyonlyundertooktoteachLatinandGreek;andthattheyhadfulfilledtheirduty,bysendingsomegoodscholarstocollege。
Afewgoodscholars,Igrant,mayhavebeenformedbyemulationanddiscipline;but,tobringforwardthesecleverboys,thehealthandmoralsofanumberhavebeensacrificed。
Thesonsofourgentryandwealthycommonersaremostlyeducatedattheseseminaries,andwillanyonepretendtoassert,thatthemajority,makingeveryallowance,comeunderthedescriptionoftolerablescholars？