his reply was, "because to live and to die is the same thing." If nonsense and sense are the same thing to a child, for our own edification we may repeat what has some sense in it, and not go through a string of foolish rhymes to children, which would become only an ideot to utter; yet what volumes of such trash are daily sent forth, some of which, but that it would disgrace any serious thoughts on the subject of education, I should here enumerate, in order to hold them up to contempt. Let it be remembered too, that for children, and young children, Dr. Watts, as Johnson says of him, "condescended to lay aside the scholar, the philosopher, and the wit, to write little poems of devotion, adapted to their wants and capacities, from the dawn of reason through its gradations of advance in the morning of life." A pious mother or nurse, if she cannot edify the child under her care, may edify herself by repeating the Cradle Hymn; and if, as soon as a child can speak, it must be taught to repeat something, one

or two of his beautiful little pieces would certainly sound better in our ears, than the trash put into the hands of a little child by a foolish teacher; when this child begins to understand, he can perceive a meaning in the former, but in the latter what can he discover but what it is, a mere jumble of silly words? I am happy to notice too, and to mention here, with the regard which seems due to them, Rhymes for the Nursery," and "Hymns for Infant Minds," written by the Miss Taylors; as likewise their "Original Poetry," for children of a larger growth. It is no insignificant, no trifling employment to study children, and to write to their capacities. If it be interesting to watch the progress of vegetation, how infinitely more so is it to trace the unfolding of the human mind: if with unremitting care we foster and rear a young plant, that it may one day become a flourishing, and a beautiful, and an useful tree, shall the plant which we hope is to flourish in immortal beauty and virtue be deemed

beneath our tenderest, our incessant, our unwearied attention and exertions? Surely not. "Take heed how ye despise one of these little ones:" let those be honoured who devote their talents to their use and advantage.

It appears to me a good method for teaching children their letters, to have an alphabet, with the picture to each of them, of some thing or animal, of which the ini tial forms the letter: by association the child will more readily retain the name of the letter, and at the same time the particular quality of the thing or animal may be taught: this might be rendered one of the great amusements to children. Take them to the fields, and shew them a living cow, a horse, or a dog, they will remember the letters which begin their names, will recognize the figure of the animal, and thus a still wider scope is given for their ideas to expand. Miss Edgeworth thinks that children must experience great difficulties in

learning to read and spell first from the dif ferent pronunciation of letters in different words. Children learn to speak from hearing others speak, before they learn to read or spell, and therefore they do not make the mistakes in pronunciation which have been supposed: a child has learned to say are, any, all, at, before he has an idea of spelling, and when he comes to learn this, he will not confuse the different sounds of the letter a in these different words.

Grown persons sometimes imitate the imperfect language of young children: how then, should they learn to speak intelligibly? Let great plainness of speech be used with them, but take heed that it be plain.

CHAP. III.

THERE is a custom among parents and friends to permit young children to have and to do every thing because they are children: if any of us could come through life with the gratification of all our desires, or if this would make us happy, it might be perhaps well to refuse children nothing; but every one knows that this is impossible. must all experience disappointment, and we must all submit our will to that of others, let our rank and station in life be what they may there are laws to which even a monarch is subjected. Is a child's present happiness increased by excessive indulgence? Give him every thing he wishes

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