nesse; the father held the sterne of his whole obedience. And so, he that used to teache, did not commonlie use to beate, but remitted that over to another mans charge. But what shall we saie, when now, in our dayes, the scholemaster is used both for Præceptor in learninge, and Pædagogus in maners? Surely I would he should not confound their offices, but discretelie use the dewtie of both; so that neither ill touches should be left unpunished, nor jentlenesse in teachinge anie wise omitted. And he shall well do both, if wiselie he do appointe diversitie of time, and seperate place, for either purpose; using alwaies such discrete moderation, as the schole-house should be counted a sanctuarie against feare; and verie well learninge, a common pardon for ill doing, if the fault of itselfe be not over heinous. Of Mental Stimulants. IF fear is not the passion, if violence is not the mode by which a love of knowledge is generated: by what means is the mind to be awakened? to what excitements can we resort? The answer is easy.-The Love of Excellence and the Love of Excelling. These motives may partly be thus exhibited. 1. The love of excellence. 1. The works of nature. 2. The works of art. 3. The advantages of knowledge. 2. The love of excelling. 1. The love of fame. 2. The love of wealth, &c. &c. THE WORKS OF NATURE. What is it you love? Simply, all things that live, From the crooked worm to man's imperial form In the upper sky. The fish in th' other element Who paints a dancing shadow of his horns 1. WHENCE is it that Solomon putteth the sluggard to school unto the ant; and Jesus sendeth the distrustful to the lily of the field? Was it that the creatures should pass carelessly by, only seen, not thought upon? was it that we should view the a C. Lamb. several creatures, idly and without use, as they view usa? 2. Observe in the vegetation of plants from the first sowing of the seed. Pluck up the seed after it has remained for two or three days in the ground, and observe in what manner the seed begins to swell, grow plump, and be filled, or become turgid, as it were, with spirit; next, how it bursts the skin, and strikes its fibres with some tendency upwards, unless the earth be very stubborn; how it shoots its fibres, in part, to constitute roots downwards: in part, to form stems upwards; and sometimes creeping sideways, as if there to find the earth more open, pervious, and yielding, &c. 3. Light passes from the sun to the earth, a space of ninety-five millions of miles, in eight minutes, and the beams of the smallest taper are visible at sea, in a dark night, for at least three miles: so that the particles of light instantaneously fill a a Bishop Hall.-See ante page 12. The world was made to be in habited by beasts, but studied and contemplated by man. spherical space of six miles in diameter, or 1,130,976 cubical milesa. Instances of the exquisite subtlety of nature are infinite. That so small a drop of ink in a pen should be drawn out into so many letters or lines, as we find it; that silver gilt upon its external surface, should be drawn to such a vast length of gilded wire; that so very small a worm as that found in the skin, should have a spirit, and a peculiar structure and organization of different parts; that a little saffron should tinge a whole hogshead of water; that a little civet or musk should fill a large chamber with its odour; that such a great cloud of smoke should be raised from a little incense; that the exact differences of a These are what Bacon terms lancing instances. "In the twentieth place come lancing instances, which we also, for a different reason, call by the name of vellicating instances. We call them vellicating instances, because they twitch the understanding; and lancing instances, because they cut or lance through nature; whence we also call them democritical instances; that is, such as remind the understanding of the admirable and exquisite subtilty of nature, so as to excite and awaken it to attention, observation, and proper enquiry." |