ON EDUCATION, BY ELIZABETH HAMILTON, Author of the "Memoirs of Modern Philofophers," & DUBLINI PRINTED FOR H, COLBERT, 136, CAPEL-STREET, 1801. INTRODUCTION. THE degeneracy of mankind in the prefent period, compared with the preceding, has been a favourite theme of declamation in every age. But declamation has not the force of argument: the former may embellish fophiftry, but it is only the latter that can elicit truth. To form a juft and true estimate of the degeneracy or improvement of any particular period, requires fuch an accurate and extenfive knowledge of circumftances and events, fuch elevated and comprehenfive views of causes and effects; that few, even among the wifeft of the fons of men, can be supposed equal to the task. Difficult, however, as it may be to afcertain this point to its full extent, there are certain principles intimately connected with the important queftion, which are happily within the reach of every thinking being. That that fociety which contains the greatest number of wife and virtuous individuals, is the happiest and most perfect, cannot admit of doubt; and that the wisdom and virtue of individuals will be in a great measure in proportion to the pains that are bestowed on their education, is equally evident; wherever, therefore, education becomes an object of universal interest and attention, we may safely pronounce fociety to be in a state of progreffive improvement. From the number of writers upon the fubject of education that have lately appeared, and from the favourable reception which their various treatifes and fyftems have met with from the public, an inference may be drawn, Highly pleafing to every philanthropic mind. Infenfible must be the foul, that does not take an intereft in what fo nearly concerns the happiness and profperity of the fociety in which he lives; and narrow the heart, that does not extend that intereft to the happinefs of the fucceeding generation! '. Infpired by this: fentiment, the writer of the following pages has taken up the pen, not to criticize the fyftems of others, nor, to offer mechanical rules for facilitating the work of inftruction, but humbly to throw in her quota of obfervation and experience, as a small addition to the general stock. It appears to her, that upon the important fubject of education rules are lefs neceffary than principles; and that it is by implicitly following the former, as they have been laid down by eminent writers, without examining the latter, that disappointment has fo frequently enfued: The |