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SIR,

As I was standing by Little Dean'syard Archway, a gentlemanly looking man stopped to enquire of me which was the nearest road to Parliament Street; whilst I was directing him to it, two of my school-fellows passed by, and it seems heard what I was saying: after the gentleman had left me, they returned, and one of them, with a sneer, asked me, how I could be such a fool as to tell the man the right way. He accused me of being mean spirited and devoid of all manner of humour and wit. I am always an enemy to practical jokes, but it is natural to the mind of man to receive satisfaction from seeing another in perplexity or astonishment :-Nay, I have known the best friends take secret pleasure in each others distresses or rather perplexities: I could therefore have easily imagined that my friends might wish to see the event of the gentleman's disappointment and the effect it would have on his countenance, al

though I could not allow the joke to be either honourable to their principles and feelings, or witty: but I found that my school-fellows never even thought of this, they seemed to wish to mislead him merely for the purpose of telling a lie, without which it is their opinion, that a man can neither be spirited or witty. If by inserting this you would signify your approbation of my sentiments,

It would ever oblige

Your devoted humble Servant,

&c. &c.

X.

No. XIV.

MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1816.

Multa ferunt anni venientes commoda secum.

HORACE.

THE natural eagerness of mankind for wonders, leads them to regard with particular interest and affection, the productions of early genius. Every one seems quite happy to be able to tell you that "a volume of Cowley's poems was actually published before he was fifteen," or that 66 Pope wrote the Pastorals which gained him the name of the English Virgil, before he had arrived at his sixteenth year;"and yet, in spite of the very great admiration it excites to "lisp in numbers,” I cannot but judge from experience, that at Westminster at least, it is a great disad

vantage for any one to be advanced in learning beyond his years, or to use a more common expression, to be " a very forward boy."-In this paper I will attempt to prove, that the mistaken notions of those parents, who are ambitious to make their sons youthful prodigies, is not only prejudicial to the happiness and advantage of the boys themselves, but in a great degree detrimental to the general welfare of Westminster School.

The natural consequence of a boy's being very forward is, that in size and strength he must be very inferior to those with whom he is obliged to associate. Thus then it is proved that his companions have the power, at least, of using him ill. The next point we have to ascertain is, whether they are likely to have the inclination to do so.

It is quite contrary to human nature to suppose, that the good-will and esteem of his companions can easily be gained by him, who, by the very circumstance of being in

the same form with others so much older than himself, is constantly throwing in their faces a sort of imputation of their backwardness and his own superior abilities; and on this account it is, that they are ready to seize on every opportunity of demonstrating, that in strength and power at least, the "forward boy" can pretend to no equality with them.-Hence it is evident, that he must probably either degrade himself by seeking the society of his inferiors in rank, or be content to be the "kick about" of his equals.

The second part of my subject still remains to be proved--namely, the detriment which the school receives from these mistaken ideas of parents.

A short time ago I heard some gentlemen, who had been educated here, comparing the state of the school as it is at present, with what in was in their time. After praising the present establishment in many respects, they agreed in thinking, that with regard to Literature there is

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