ing others; that he must fupply them immediately with fuch phrases and periods, as may exalt and adorn their exercises; which when he does not approve, he should make them go over again. He fhould dictate from time to time the fubftance of the corrections to be made; at leaft fome part of it, which may afterwards ferve for models. Above all, he must take care not to difcourage his pupils by too fevere an air, but, on the contrary, animate and cherish them, with hopes of fuccefs, by moderate and feasonable applaufe; and by all the methods that can excite emulation and a love of study, in the minds of young people. This emulation is one of the great advantages of univerfity or school education; and Quintilian does not fail to lay it down as a moft powerful reafon for preferring a publick to a private education. A child, fays he, can learn nothing at home, 66 except what he is taught; but at fchools, he learns "what is taught others. He will daily fee his master "approving one thing, correcting another, blaming "the idleness of this boy, applauding the diligence of "that. Every thing will be of use to him. The "love of fame will infpire him with emulation: he "will be afhamed to be excelled by his equals, and " even pant to furpass the moft forward. This ani"mates youth; and though ambition is a vice, we "however may draw fome good from it, and make it “ useful.” He afterwards speaks of the custom of giving places in the class once a month; and though this feems inconfiderable and common, he does not fail to treat it with his usual wit and sprightlinefs. f Adde quod domiea fola difcere poteft, quæ ipfi præcipientur : in fchola, etiam quæ aliis. Audiet multa quotidie probari, multa corrigi: proderit alicujus objurgata defidia, proderit laudata induftria : excitabitur laude æmulatio: turpe ducet cedere pari, pulchrum fu "Regular ex"aminations peraffe majores. Accendunt om. nia hæc animos: & licet ipfa vis tium fit ambitio, frequenter tamen caufa virtutum eft. Quintil. 1. I. c.3. Hujus rei judicia præbebantur. Fa nobis ingens palma contentio. Ducere verò claffem multo pulcherrimum, "aminations were appointed, fays he, for judging of "the progress the scholars had made in their ftudies ; "and what endeavours did we not ufe to gain the "victory? But to be the first in the class, and at the "head of the reft, was the chief object of our am"bition. However, the decifion in this case was not "final; for at a month's end, he who was vanquish"ed was allowed to revive the difpute, which thereby "became warmer and more obftinate; for the one " omitted nothing to keep the advantage he had gain❝ed, and the other prompted by fhame and grief, "found fufficient force to furmount his difgrace. I "s am very fure, this method gave us more courage, "and infpired us with a greater defire to learn, "than the exhortations of our mafters, the vigilance "of our inspectors, or the earneft wishes of our "parents." If I might be allowed to join my reflections and practice with those of so great a mafter as Quintilian, I would add another cuftom (of great fervice to me) to that of diftributing places regularly once a month, which ought never to be neglected, not even in the higher claffes. This was, to propofe fome prizes, but without fixing on any particular day, for one or two of the scholars who had fucceeded beft in a common exercife. Sometimes they were obliged to conquer twice to gain the prize. To raife fome emulation likewife in those of indifferent capacities, I feparated them from fuch as had the beft, and propofed prizes alfo for them. By this method I kept the whole clafs in continual exercife. All their compofitions were as much laboured as those which were made for places and the scholars were like foldiers who every moment cherrimum. Nec de hoc femel decretum erat: tricefimus dies red debat victo certaminis poteftatem. Ita nec fuperior fucceffu curam demittebat, & dolor victum ad depellendam ignominiam concita bat. Id nobis acriores ad ftudia expect the fignal of battle, and therefore held themfelves continually in readiness. ARTICLE the SECOND. An effay on the method of forming youth for compofition, either by word of mouth, or by writing. T HE eafieft method of teaching youth the art of compofing, is to exercise them, firft, by word of mouth, in making themes upon fubjects treated of by good Latin or French authors. As the mafter muft be fuppofed to have carefully perufed the place he has chofen; to have ftudied the order, difpofition, proofs, thoughts, turns and expreffions, he may very eafily, (with the affiftance of a few hints) enable them to find readily a part of what they are to fay; and even, in fome measure, the manner of turning every thought. After they have taken fome pains about each part, the mafter fhould read the paffage in the author, and endeavour to difplay all the art and beauties of it. When they have been exercised for fome time in this manner, fome fubjects fhould be given them to be compofed in writing, which, if poffible, fhould be extracted from the beft authors; and studied more deliberately at home. I fhall propofe fome examples in both kinds; but fhall cite here only one paffage from a Roman author, becaufe the reader will find feveral others in the fequel. The relation of Canius's adventure, cited in number VI. of the first article, where the plain or fimple kind is treated and the combat of the Horatii and Curiatii, given in Article 11. of §. 11. which relates to the thoughts, may ferve as examples for narrations. I. Elogium of Cafar's clemency. Marcellus declared himself an enemy to Cæfar upon all occafions, and that in a very injurious and open manner. However, when Cæfar returned to Rome, he was very willing to pardon Marcellus, at the fenate's request, and to receive him into favour, Suppofe this conduct were to be extolled For that end it is natural enough to draw a comparison betweens the action and Cæfar's victories, and to give the former the preference. This then fhall ftand as the propofition, to which all this common place will refer. Cafar's clemency in pardoning Marcellus is much more glorious than all his victories. But this propofition must be handled with great art and delicacy. The pupils fhould be asked, if there be no reason to fear that this comparifon, which feemingly tends to leffen the fplendor of Cæfar's victories, will be offenfive to a conqueror, who is commonly jealous of that kind of glory. To prevent fo ill an effect, the scholars must be told, they should begin by making a great encomium on his military actions, which Cicero has done in a wonderful manner. This rule in rhetoric fhall be explained hereafter under the title of Oratorial precautions. W "Nullius tantum eft flumen ingenii, nulla dicendi aut fcribendi tanta vis tantaque copia, quæ, non dicam exornare, fed enarrare, C. Cæfar, res tuas geftas poffit: tamen hoc affirmo, & hoc pace dicam tua, nullam in his effe laudem ampliorem, quam eam, quam hodierno die confecutus es. Soleo fæpe ante oculos ponere, idque libenter crebris ufurpare fermonibus, omnes noftrorum Imperatorum, omnes exterarum gentium potentiffimorumque populorum, omnes clariffimorum Regum res geftas, cum tuis nec contentionum magnitudine, nec numero præliorum, nec varietate regionum, nec celeritate conficiendi, nec diffimilitudine bellorum poffe conferri: nec vero disjunctiffimas terras citius cujufquam paffibus potuiffe peragrari, quam tuis, non dicam curfibus, fed victoriis illuftrate funt. (alias, luftrata funt.) Quæ quidem ego nifi ita magna effe fatear, ut ea vix cujufquam mens aut cogitatio capere poffit, amens fim: fed tamen funt alia majora. After taking this precaution, he proceeds to compare the military actions of Cæfar with his clemency, in reinstating Marcellus; and this kind of clemency is preferred to his exploits for three reafons, which may eafily occur to young people, at least the two firft. I. REASON. A general cannot afcribe all the glory of a victory folely to himself; whereas that of Cæfar's clemency is perfonal and entirely his own. This is the fimple propofition; and it is the bufinefs of eloquence, to enlarge upon, to display, and place it in the ftrongeft light. Tutors direct young perfons by proper questions, to find of themfelves feveral circumftances, which fhew a general has no more than a fhare of the glory arising from victories; and add, 'tis not so with regard to that which Cæfar acquired by pardoning Marcellus. * Nam bellicas laudes folent quidam extenuare verbis, eafque detrahere ducibus, communicare cum militibus, ne propria regions, vaftly diftant from one another, and these you conquered as expeditiously as another would travel through them. And I fhould be void of all fenfe not to own, that fuch exploits are almoft fuperior to any ideas we can form to ourselves of them. They have, however, fomething fill greater and more aftonishing. For as to military actions, fome pretend to leffen their luftre, by afferting, that the private foldier fhares the glory with his ge neral, |