a design required. After the unfortunate accident of breaking his collar-bone, he fell into a fever, which quickly put an end to his reign and glory.

During his sickness, he behaved himself with that great ness of soul, which he had often shewed in the field, and died with the same bravery as he had expressed in the heat of action.

PROPOSALS

FOR THE

REFORMATION OF SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES,

IN ORDER TO THE BETTER EDUCATION OF YOUTH; Humbly offered to the serious Consideration of the High Court of Parliament.

[From a Quarto, containing nine Pages, printed in 1704.]

in

These proposals were calculated for the reformation of learning North Britain, and though the individuals, contained in them, are peculiar to Scotland, yet the substance of the whole, mutatis mutandis, may not be improperly applied to that part of the realm, which lies South of the Tweed, where the same objections are as forcible against schools and schoolmasters; the aspiring of poor and mechanical spirits to the ministerial office, and the admission into holy orders of those, who either have never been initiated with the advanced studies of an University, or, perchance, on account of their poverty, have been permitted, after a very short stay at those fountains of learning, to return home, and seek after a title to orders, that they may get a morsel of bread*. Though it must be confessed, that no nation has produced more learned and p ous divines, than the two famous Universities of England. But it is wished, that a method could be found to prevent so many extra-university men, who, without due education, creep into the ministry for a maintenance; and to reform the extraordinary expences, that are squandered away in the excesses of our young gentlemen, in the great schools and universities of this nation.

THER HERE has been a great decay of learning in this kingdom for many years for instance, where we have now one, who can write one single sheet, an hundred years ago we had twenty, who

VOL. X.

See 1 Sam. ii. 36.

could have written volumes in good sense, and good Latin. And though the causes of the low ebb, learning has sunk to among us, are very obvious, yet I must confess, it is no easy matter to put a stop to the growing evil. It is hard to make a scheme of education which will generally please, and harder still to put it in execution; it is difficult to alter an old constitution, though full of errors, and more difficult, in our circumstances, to establish a new one, though ever so just and reasonable. We have been too long pursuing the wrong road, to be set easily right. We neither take just measures, nor allow sufficient time for the education of our youth. However, since the encouragement and improvement of learning is certainly so much for the true interest of the nation, I shall adventure to tell my opinion frankly, and shall be heartily glad, if it can be found of any use or service; at least, I hope it shall excite others of greater ability, to make farther inquiries into these matters, such as may convince the Parliament of the necessity of reforming our schools and Universities, for the good and benefit of learning.

One main cause of the low estate of learning is, that it is too easily and cheaply purchased.' One can make his son, what now with us passes for a scholar, at a much cheaper rate, than he can breed him a shoe-maker or weaver. For a short time at the schools, and three or four years at the Universities, upon little or no expence, in our way, is enough to make a Master of Arts, who immediately gets into the most considerable employments, which require the longest study and best qualifications, before he have years, sense, prudence, or learning: upon which account, the mechanicks, and poorer sort of people, are encouraged to send their sons to schools and universities, finding a very little money, and as little time, sufficient to make what we call a scholar. But, in my opinion, were these put to the plough and other trades, it would be better for themselves (who would be kept within their proper spheres) and more for the interest of the nation, which is overstocked with scholars, and in extreme want of people, for mechanical employments. This is one great cause of the low condition of learning. People, who are daily pinched for the back and the belly, cannot bestow much time upon the improvement of their minds; their spirits are depressed under their poverty; they have not money to afford them books, or to bring them into the conversation of the world: and how, without these, a man can become a good scholar, passes my comprehension.

But it may be said, by debarring the poorer sort from learning, some good spirits may be excluded; which as it is the only objection, so it is as easily removed.

We have as much use for good spirits, to be employed in mechanical trades and merchandising, as for learning; and by admitting one, upon the pretence of good spirit, we certainly must take in an hundred of low and dull capacities. And let their genius be as good as you please, unless you give them money too, they will never be able to make any tolerable advance in learning;

and, by the following scheme for rectifying our bursaries, a competency is provided for them, as far as the funds will go.

Another great cause of the decay of learning is, the bad methods, which are followed in our schools and universities, and the insufficiency of the masters, who are provided for the government of them.' There are in the kingdom uear one thousand parishes, and in most of them, Latin is pretended to be taught, though not one of fifty of the school-masters is capable of teaching it; and no wonder, for not one of fifty of them was tolerably taught it, and not one of an hundred, however capable, has books to enable him to acquire it by his after industry. At the Universities, we bestow a few months, upon the study of the Greek; whereas that noble language, and the learned and useful books, which are written in it, may perhaps deserve our care and pains for as many years. We allow too much time upon old antiquated metaphysical jargon ; and as for natural philosophy, which, in this and the last age, has been so happily brought, from an idle prattling about words of no signification, to a solid science; it requires such a deep insight into the most profound parts of the mathematicks, that I am afraid few of those, who profess it, are capable of teaching it. We get too hastily through our divinity, history, law, and medicine we

have none.

The cheapness of learning brings it into the hands of the poorer and meaner people. Their poverty, the wrong methods which are taken in teaching, and the insufficiency of the teachers, unavoidably subject them to the greatest ignorance. And both together, the ignorance and the poverty of our scholars, infallibly bring learning itself under disgrace and contempt. Poverty deprives them, as of a great many other advantages, so particularly of that due assurance, that address and that freedom of spirit, which are so natural to quality and gentry. Nay sometimes under difficult circumstances, to prevent starving, it forces them upon courses unworthy of their professions, to the no small scandal of others who should be led by their examples. And in one word, the natural tendency of our present methods is to unfit a scholar for a gentleman, and to render a gentleman ashamed of being a scholar. And, till we reconcile the gentleman with the scholar, it is impossible learning should ever flourish. But was this once done, was learning taken out of the hands of the vulgar, and brought to be as honourable and fashionable among the gentry, as it is now contemptible, I think it would be indeed in a fair way of prospering. For were the younger sons of the nobility and gentry (who now are idle at home, or sent abroad to be knocked on the head) kept the due time at schools and universities, they being encouraged with all things proper for studying, and having their time in their own hands for reading, and not being forced, out of pure necessity, to enter too soon on business, would in all probability make considerable advances in learning. And when possessed of employments, gentlemen would be as tender of their character, as they are of their honour; besides, that, being generally able to live without

them, they would not lie under such temptations as poorer people do. This, as it would considerably add to the honour of learning, and interest of the nation, in general, so it would be no dishonourable way to dispose of the younger sons of the nobility and gentry. For, besides what encouragement they might expect from the study of the laws and of medicine, there are in the kingdom at least an hundred places in the church and universities which yield two thousand marks yearly, and few of the other church benefices are under one thousand. Now in my humble opinion, the younger sons of even the best families, especially when not sufficiently provided for, might be as wisely and honourably disposed of this way, as by being kept idle at home, or sent off to be soldiers abroad. It is plain to dispose of them so would put them in a way of being more serviceable to God, their country, and their kindred, than commonly they are. And, were matters ordered after this manner, it is probable the church government would not be so ambulatory as it has hitherto been in this kingdom, since the nobility and gentry, of whom the Parliaments are made up, would not readily make acts, which should oblige them to take back their brothers and sons to their houses. And nothing could contribute more to the quiet and peace of the nation, than that the government of the church was at last effectually secured against so frequent changes.

Now, that so good a design may take effect, it is necessary to raise the price of learning, so as to discourage the poorer sort from attempting it; that those only, whose circumstances enable them to make successful advances in learning, may have access to it. To make learning dearer, the number of the schools, at least, must be diminished, and the masters salaries and fees augmented. And the time and methods of teaching in schools and universities should be regulated according to the following, or some such like scheme.

I think there should be only one grammar school in a county or shire, two at most in the largest, and where two lesser lie together, one may serve for both. These schools ought to be well endowed, and some of the best men of the nation for prudence and learning, provided to be masters and ushers. A master and four doctors or ushers, at least, will be necessary for every school. And besides those publick schools, at all the country churches, I would have the precentor of the parish (who needs not to be a master of arts) to teach the children to read and write English, and the common rules of arithmetick, which is all the learning that is needful or useful to the mechanicks and poorer people. But it may be enquired, where shall funds be had for maintaining those schools? I answer, that is not my business, let the wisdom of the nation consider it but perhaps, it would be no difficult task to find out funds, if some people would apply themselves a little that way. There are, for example, in the shire of Fife, about eighty parishes, and every parish has a salary, one with another, above one hundred pounds Scots a year for a school-master. Now, take the one half of this salary, and give to the teacher of the English language; this, with the advantage of his scholars, and his emolu

ments as precentor and session-clerk, may make him live pretty well; for he has no great character to maintain. Apply the other half for the publick grammar schools; this will maintain two, being six thousand marks a year; to wit, the master of each school should have one thousand marks, and four doctors, each of them, five hundred marks salary a year; which, with the benefit of their scholars (for, because I would have learning dear, I would have the scholars pay much more liberally than they commonly do), would be a very comfortable and handsome provision for both masters and ushers.

My designed brevity will not allow me to be very particular in naming all the books that should be taught in schools. I shall only say in general, they ought to teach some plain and short grammar in English prose. Thus they will bestow less time on grammar, and have more to employ in reading authors; some of which they should read, not by shreds, as is commonly done, but from beginning to ending, such as Justin's History, Florus's Epitome, Cornelius Nepos's lives, Salust, Curtius, Terence, Ovid's Metamorphosis, as being the compleatest system of the Heathenish Mythology, &c. Some Odes, Satyres, and Epistles of Horace may be taught, and some particular places of Virgil, and other poets, at the master's discretion. And perhaps it may be very convenient, if not necessary, that boys, while at school, be taught the rudiments of geography and chronology, so far as they are capable, that they may read their authors to the best advantage. The last year they are at school (for I would have them, at least fourteen years of age before they leave it) they ought to learn the Greek grammar, and some easy Greek authors, such as Esop's Fables, Lucian's select Dialogues, Herodian, &c. and so we bring them to the University.

At the University, the youth must be obliged to stay six years, passing regularly through all the classes, before they can be made Masters of Arts. For examinations and trials, how rigorously Boever designed, may be abused and shammed: but a long time, and due exercises performed, is the best and most probable way to make good scholars. In Oxford and Cambridge, which are famous Universities for learning all the world over, none can be made Master of Arts, until he stay seven years; none Doctor of Medicine or Law, till he stay fourteen; and none Doctor of Divinity, till he has been eighteen years about the University: yet after all, according to this calculation, our young men may commence Masters of Arts in the twentieth, or twenty-first year of their age, which I suppose every body will think soon enough.

In my opinion, two Universities are enough for this nation*, for there are no more in England. But since we are to ingraft on an old stock, we can only conveniently reform, not abolish any of our Universities. As I said, the students ought to stay six years at the University, and three of these years should be employed in reading

⚫Scotland.