ence, who have no inheritance but perfonal me rit? Both find their account in that connection? men of rank become adepts in military affairs, a valuable branch of education for them; and of ficers who 'ferve for pay, acquire friends at court, who will embrace every opportunity of teftifying their gratitude. The advantages mentioned are great and extenfive; and yet are not the only advantages? Will it be thought extravagant to hope, that the propofed plan would form a better fyftem of educa tion for young men of fortune, than hitherto has been known in Britain? Before pronouncing fentence against me, let the following confiderations be weighed. Our youth go abroad to fee the world in the literal fenfe; for to pierce deeper than eye-fight cannot be expected of boys. They refort to gay courts, where nothing is found for imitation but pomp, luxury, diffembled virtues, and real vices: fuch fcenes make an impreffion too deep on young men of a warm imagination. Our plan would be an antidote to fuch poifonous education. Suppofing eighteen to be the earliest time for the army; here is an object held up to our youth of fortune, for roufing their ambition: they will endeavour to make a figure, and emulation will animate them to excel: fuppofing a young man to have no ambition, fhame however will push him on. To acquire the military art, to discipline their men, to direct the execution of public works, and to conduct other military operations, would occupy their whole time, and banish idlenefs. A young gentleman, thus guarded against the enticing vices and fauntering follies of youth, must be sadly deficient in genius, if, during his feven years fervice, reading and meditation have been totally neglected. Hoping better things from our youth of fortune, I take for granted, that during their fervice they have made fome progress, not only in military military knowledge, but in morals, and in the fine arts, fo as at the age of twenty-five to be qualified for profiting, instead of being undone, by seeing the world *. Further, young men of birth and fortune, acquire indeed the fmoothnefs and fupplenefs of a court, with refpect to their fuperiors; but the restraint of fuch manners, makes their temper break out against inferiors, where there is no reftraint. In folence of rank, is not fo vifible in Britain as in countries of lefs freedom; but it is fufficiently vifible to require correction. To that end, no method promises more fuccefs than military fervice; as command and obedience alternately, are the best difcipline for acquiring temper and moderation, Can pride and infolence be more effectually ftemmed, than to be under command of an inferior? Still upon the important article of education. Where pleasure is the ruling paflion in youth, intereft will be the ruling paffion in age: the felfifh principle is the foundation of both; the objeft only is varied. This obfervation is fadly ve rified in Britain: our young men of rank, loathing an irkfome and fatiguing courfe of education, abandon themselves to pleasure. Trace these very men through the more fettled part of life, and they will be found grafping at power and profit, by means of court-favour; with no regard to their country, and with very little to their friends. The education propofed, holding up a tempting prize to virtuous ambition, is an excellent fence against a life of indolent pleasure. A youth of fortune, engaged with many rivals in a train of pub. lic * Whether hereditary nobility may not be neceffary in a monarchical government to fupport the King against the multitude, I take not on me to pronounce: but this I pronounce with affurance, that fuch a conftitution is unhappy with respect to education; and appears to admit no remedy, if it be not that above mentioned, or fome fuch. In fact, few of thofe who received their education while they were the eldest fons of Peers, have been duly qualified to manage public affairs. lic fervice, acquires a habit of bufinefs; and as he is conftantly employed for the public, patriotifm becomes his ruling paflion *. The advantages of a military education, fuch as that propofed, are not yet exhaufted. Under regular government promoting the arts of peace, focial intercourfe refines, and fondnefs for company increases in proportion. And hence it is, that capital is crouded with every perfon who can af ford to live there. A man of fortune, who has no tafte but for a city life, happens to be forced into the country by bufinefs: finding business and the country equally infipid, he turns impatient, and flies to town, with a difguft at every rural amufement. In France, the country has been long deferted in Britain the fame fondnefs for a townlife is gaining ground. A ftranger confidering the immenfe fums expended in England upon country-feats, would conclude, in appearance with great certainty, that the English spend most of their time in the country. But how would it furprise him to be told, not only that people of fathion in England pafs little of their time there, but that the immenfe fums laid out upon gardening and pleafure-grounds, are the effect of vanity more than of tafte! In fact, fuch embellishments are beginning to wear out of fashion; appetite for fociety leaving neither time nor inclination for rural pleafures. If the progrefs of that difeafe can be ftayVOL. II. D ed, *The following portrait is sketched by a good hand, (Madame Pompadour); and if it have any resemblance, it fets our plan in a confpicuous light. The French nobleffe, fays that lady, fpending their lives in diffipation and idlenefs, know as little of politics as of economy. A gentleman hunts all his life in the country, or perhaps comes to Paris to ruin himself with an opera-girl. Those who are ambitious to be of the ministry have feldom any merit, if it be not in caballing and intrigue. The French nobleffe have courage, but without any genius for war, the fatigue of a foldier's life being to them unfupportable. King has been reduced to the neceffity of employing two ftrangers for the fafety of his crown: had it not been for the Counts Saxe and Louendahl, the enemies of France might have laid fiege to Paris, The ed, the only means is military education. In youth lafting impreffions are made; and men of fortune who take to the army, being confined moftly to the country in prime of life, contract a liking for country occupations and amufements: which withdraw them from the capital, and contribute to the health of the mind, no less than of the body. A military life is the only cure for a disease much more dangerous. Moft men of rank are ambitious of fhining in public. They may affume the patriot at the beginning; but it is a falfe appearance, for their patriotifm is only a difguife to favour their ambition. A court life becomes habitual and engroffes their whole foul: the minifter's nod is a law to them: they dare not difobey; for to be reduced to a private station, would to them be a cruel misfortune. This impotence of mind is, in France fo exceffive, that to banish a courtier to his country feat, is held an adequate punishment for the highest misdemeanor. This fort of flavery is gaining ground in Britain; and it ought to be dreaded, for fcarce another circumftance will more readily pave the way to abfolute power, if adverfe fate fhall afflict us with an ambitious King. There is no effectual remedy to the fervility of a court life, but the military education here recommended. A military education would contribute equally to moderation in focial enjoyments. The pomp, ceremony, and expence, neceffary to those who adhere to a court and live alway in public, are not a little fatiguing and oppreffive. Man is naturally moderate in his defire of enjoyment; and it requires much practice to make him bear excefs without fatiety and difguft. The pain of excefs, prompts men of opulence to pass fome part of their time in a fnug retirement, where they live at ease, free from pomp and ceremony. Here is a retirement, which can be reached without any painful circuit; a port of safety and of peace, to which we are piloted loted by military education, avoiding every dangerous rock, and every fatiguing agitation. Reflecting on the advantages of military education above displayed, is it foolish to think, that our plan might produce a total alteration of manners in our youth of birth and fortune? The idler, the gamefter, the profligate, compared with our military men would make a defpicable figure: fhame, not to talk of pride, would compel them to reform. How conducive to good government might the propofed plan be, in the hands of a virtuous king, fupported by a public-fpirited miniftry! In the prefent courfe of advancement, a youth of quality who afpires to ferve his country in a civil employment, has nothing to rely on but parliamentary intereft. The military education propofed, would afford him opportunity to improve his talents, and to convince the world of his merit. Honour and applause thus acquired, would entitle him to demand preferment; and he ought to be employed, not only as deferving, but as an encouragement to others. Frequent inftances of neglecting men who are patronized by the public, might perhaps prove dangerous to a British minifter. If I have not all this while been dreaming, here are difplayed illuftrious advantages of the military education propofed. Fondness for the fubject excites me to prolong the entertainment; and I add the following reflection on the education of fuch men as are difpofed to ferve in a public ftation. The fciences are mutually connected: a man cannot be perfect in any one, without be. ing in fome degree acquainted with every one. The fcience of politics in particular, being not a little intricate, cannot be acquired in perfection by any one whofe ftudies have been confined |