wealbk05-第19章

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prejudices　found　shelter　and　protection　after　they　had　been

hunted　out　of　every　other　corner　of　the　world。　In　general；　the

richest　and　best　endowed　universities　have　been　the　slowest　in

adopting　those　improvements；　and　the　most　averse　to　permit　any

considerable　change　in　the　established　plan　of　education。　Those

improvements　were　more　easily　introduced　into　some　of　the　poorer

universities；　in　which　the　teachers；　depending　upon　their

reputation　for　the　greater　part　of　their　subsistence；　were

obliged　to　pay　more　attention　to　the　current　opinions　of　the

world。

　　　　　But　though　the　public　schools　and　universities　of　Europe

were　originally　intended　only　for　the　education　of　a　particular

profession；　that　of　churchmen；　and　though　they　were　not　always

very　diligent　in　instructing　their　pupils　even　in　the　sciences

which　were　supposed　necessary　for　that　profession；　yet　they

gradually　drew　to　themselves　the　education　of　almost　all　other

people；　particularly　of　almost　all　gentlemen　and　men　of　fortune。

No　better　method；　it　seems；　could　be　fallen　upon　of　spending；

with　any　advantage；　the　long　interval　between　infancy　and　that

period　of　life　at　which　men　begin　to　apply　in　good　earnest　to　the

real　business　of　the　world；　the　business　which　is　to　employ　them

during　the　remainder　of　their　days。　The　greater　part　of　what　is

taught　in　schools　and　universities；　however；　does　not　seem　to　be

the　most　proper　preparation　for　that　business。

　　　　　In　England　it　becomes　every　day　more　and　more　the　custom　to

send　young　people　to　travel　in　foreign　countries　immediately　upon

their　leaving　school；　and　without　sending　them　to　any　university。

Our　young　people；　it　is　said；　generally　return　home　much　improved

by　their　travels。　A　young　man　who　goes　abroad　at　seventeen　or

eighteen；　and　returns　home　at　one　and　twenty；　returns　three　or

four　years　older　than　he　was　when　he　went　abroad；　and　at　that　age

it　is　very　difficult　not　to　improve　a　good　deal　in　three　or　four

years。　In　the　course　of　his　travels　he　generally　acquires　some

knowledge　of　one　or　two　foreign　languages；　a　knowledge；　however；

which　is　seldom　sufficient　to　enable　him　either　to　speak　or　write

them　with　propriety。　In　other　respects　he　commonly　returns　home

more　conceited；　more　unprincipled；　more　dissipated；　and　more

incapable　of　any　serious　application　either　to　study　or　to

business　than　he　could　well　have　become　in　so　short　a　time　had　he

lived　at　home。　By　travelling　so　very　young；　by　spending　in　the

most　frivolous　dissipation　the　most　precious　years　of　his　life；

at　a　distance　from　the　inspection　and　control　of　his　parents　and

relations；　every　useful　habit　which　the　earlier　parts　of　his

education　might　have　had　some　tendency　to　form　in　him；　instead　of

being　riveted　and　confirmed；　is　almost　necessarily　either

weakened　or　effaced。　Nothing　but　the　discredit　into　which　the

universities　are　allowing　themselves　to　fall　could　ever　have

brought　into　repute　so　very　absurd　a　practice　as　that　of

travelling　at　this　early　period　of　life。　By　sending　his　son

abroad；　a　father　delivers　himself　at　least　for　some　time；　from　so

disagreeable　an　object　as　that　of　a　son　unemployed；　neglected；

and　going　to　ruin　before　his　eyes。

　　　　　Such　have　been　the　effects　of　some　of　the　modern

institutions　for　education。

　　　　　Different　plans　and　different　institutions　for　education

seem　to　have　taken　place　in　other　ages　and　nations。

　　　　　In　the　republics　of　ancient　Greece；　every　free　citizen　was

instructed；　under　the　direction　of　the　public　magistrate；　in

gymnastic　exercises　and　in　music。　By　gymnastic　exercises　it　was

intended　to　harden　his　body；　to　sharpen　his　courage；　and　to

prepare　him　for　the　fatigues　and　dangers　of　war；　and　as　the　Greek

militia　was；　by　all　accounts；　one　of　the　best　that　ever　was　in

the　world；　this　part　of　their　public　education　must　have　answered

completely　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　intended。　By　the　other

part；　music；　it　was　proposed；　at　least　by　the　philosophers　and

historians　who　have　given　us　an　account　of　those　institutions；　to

humanize　the　mind；　to　soften　the　temper；　and　to　dispose　it　for

performing　all　the　social　and　moral　duties　both　of　public　and

private　life。

　　　　　In　ancient　Rome　the　exercises　of　the　Campus　Martius　answered

the　purpose　as　those　of　the　Gymnasium　in　ancient　Greece；　and　they

seem　to　have　answered　it　equally　well。　But　among　the　Romans　there

was　nothing　which　corresponded　to　the　musical　education　of　the

Greeks。　The　morals　of　the　Romans；　however；　both　in　private　and

public　life；　seem　to　have　been　not　only　equal；　but；　upon　the

whole；　a　good　deal　superior　to　those　of　the　Greeks。　That　they

were　superior　in　private　life；　we　have　the　express　testimony　of

Polybius　and　of　Dionysius　of　Halicarnassus；　two　authors　well

acquainted　with　both　nations；　and　the　whole　tenor　if　the　Greek

and　Roman　history　bears　witness　to　the　superiority　of　the　public

morals　of　the　Romans。　The　good　temper　and　moderation　of

contending　factions　seems　to　be　the　most　essential　circumstances

in　the　public　morals　of　a　free　people。　But　the　factions　of　the

Greeks　were　almost　always　violent　and　sanguinary；　whereas；　till

the　time　of　the　Gracchi；　no　blood　had　ever　been　shed　in　any　Roman

faction；　and　from　the　time　of　the　Gracchi　the　Roman　republic　may

be　considered　as　in　reality　dissolved。　Notwithstanding；

therefore；　the　very　respectable　authority　of　Plato；　Aristotle；

and　Polybius；　and　notwithstanding　the　very　ingenious　reasons　by

which　Mr。　Montesquieu　endeavours　to　support　that　authority；　it

seems　probable　that　the　musical　education　of　the　Greeks　had　no

great　effect　in　mending　their　morals；　since；　without　any　such

education；　those　of　the　Romans　were　upon　the　whole　superior。　The

respect　of　those　ancient　sages　for　the　institutions　of　their

ancestors　had　probably　disposed　them　to　find　much　political

wisdom　in　what　was；　perhaps；　merely　an　ancient　custom；　continued

without　interruption　from　the　earliest　period　of　those　societies

to　the　times　in　which　they　had　arrived　at　a　considerable　degree

of　refinement。　Music　and　dancing　are　the　great　amusements　of

almost　all　barbarous　nations；　and　the　great　accomplishments　which

are　supposed　to　fit　any　man　for　entertaining　his　society。　It　is

so　at　this　day　among　the　negroes　on　the　coast　of　Africa。　It　was

so　among　the　ancient　Celts；　among　the　ancient　Scandinavians；　and；

as　we　may　learn　from　Homer；　among　the　ancient　Greeks　in　the　times

preceding　the　Trojan　war。　When　the　Greek　tribes　had　formed

themselves　into　little　republics；　it　was　natural　that　the　study

of　those　accomplishments　should；　for　a　long　time；　make　a　part　of

the　public　and　common　education　of　the　people。

　　　　　The　masters　who　instructed　the　young　people；　either　in　music

or　in　military　exercises；　do　not　seem　to　have　been　paid；　or　even

appointed　by　the　state；　either　in　Rome　or　even　in　Athens；　the

Greek　republic　of　whose　laws　and　customs　we　are　the　best

informed。　The　state　required　that　every　free　citizen　should　fit

himself　for　defending　it　in　war；　and　should；　upon　that　account；

learn　his　military　exercises。　But　it　left　him　to　learn　them　of

such　masters　as　he　could　find；　and　it　seems　to　have　advanced

nothing　for　this　purpose　but　a　public　field　or　place　of　exercise

in　which　he　should　practise　and　perform　them。

　　　　　In　the　early　ages　both　of　the　Greek　and　Roman　republics；　the

other　parts　of　education　seem　to　have　consisted　in　learning　to

read；　write；　and　account　according　to　the　arithmetic　of　the

times。　These　accomplishments　the　richer　citizens　seem　frequently

to　have　acquired　at　home　by　the　assistance　of　some　domestic

pedagogue；　who　was　generally　either　a　slave　or　a　freed…man；　and

the　poorer　citizens；　in　the　schools　of　such　masters　as　made　a

trade　of　teaching　for　hire。　Such　parts　of　education；　however；

were　abandoned　altogether　to　the　care　of　the　parents　or　guardians

of　each　individual。　It　does　not　appear　that　the　state　ever

assumed　any　inspection　or　direction　of　them。　By　a　law　of　Solon；

indeed；　the　children　were　acquitted　from　maintaining　those

parents　in　their　old　age　who　had　neglected　to　instruct　them　in

some　profitable　trade　or　business。

　　　　　In　the　progress　of　refinement；　when　philosophy　and　rhetoric

came　into　fashion；　the　better　sort　of　people　used　to　send　their

children　to　the　schools　of　philosophers　and　rhetoricians；　in

order　to　be　instructed　in　these　fashionable　sciences。　But　those

schools　were　not　supported　by　the　public。　They　were　for　a　long

time　barely　tolerated　by　it。　The　demand　for　philosophy　and

rhetoric　was　for　a　long　time　so　small　that　the　first　professed

teachers　of　either　could　not　find　constant　employment　in　any　one

city；　but　were　obliged　to　travel　about　from　place　to　place。　In

this　manner　lived　Zeno　of　Elea；　Protagoras；　Gorgias；　Hippias；　and

many　others。　As　the　demand　increased；　the　schools　both　of

philosophy　and　rhetoric　became　stationary；　first　in　Athens；　and

afterwards　in　several　other　cities。　The　state；　however；　seems

never　to　have　encouraged　them　further　than　by　assigning　some　of

them　a　particular　place　to　teach　in；　which　was　sometimes　done；

too；　by　private　donors。　The　state　seems　to　have　assigned　the

Academy　to　Plato；　the　Lyceum　to　Aristotle；　and　the　Portico　to

Zeno　of　Citta；　the　founder　of　the　Stoics。　But　Epicurus　bequeathed

his　gardens　to　his　own　school。　Till　about　the　time　of　Marcus

Antonius；　however；　no　teacher　appears　to　have　had　any　salary　from

the　public；　or　to　have　had　any　other　emoluments　but　what　arose

from　the　honoraries　or　fees　of　his　scholars。　The　bounty　which

that　philosophical　emperor；　as　we　learn　from　Lucian；　bestowed

upon　one　of　the　teachers　of　philosophy；　probably　lasted　no　longer

than　his　own　life。　There　was　nothing　equivalent　to　the　privileges

of　graduation；　and　to　have　attended　any　of　those　schools　was　not

necessary；　in　order　to　be　permitted　to　practise　any　particular

trade　or　profession。　If　the　opinion　of　their　own　utility　could

not　draw　scholars　to　them；　the　law　neither　forced　anybody　to　go

to　them　nor　rewarded　anybody　for　having　gone　to　them。　The

teachers　had　no　jurisdiction　over　their　pupils；　nor　any　other

authority　besides　that　natural　authority；　which　superior　virtue

and　abilities　never　fail　to　procure　from　young　people　towards

those　who　are　entrusted　with　any　part　of　their　education。

　　　　　At　Rome；　the　study　of　the　civil　law　made　a　part　of　the

education；　not　of　the　greater　part　of　the　citizens；　but　of　some

particular　families。　The　young　people；　however；　who　wished　to

acquire　knowledge　in　the　law；　had　no　public　school　to　go　to；　and

had　no　other　method　of　studying　it　than　by　frequenting　the

company　of　such　of　their　relations　and　friends　as　were　supposed

to　understand　it。　It　is　perhaps　worth　while　to　remark；　that

though　the　Laws　of　the　Twelve　Tables　were；　many　of　them；　copied

from　those　of　some　ancient　Greek　republics；　yet　law　never　seems

to　have　grown　up　to　be　a　science　in　any　republic　of　ancient

Greece。　In