a vindication of the rights of woman-第59章

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the　people；　lest　one　reformation　should　lead　to　another；　and　the　spirit　kill　the　letter。　　These　Romish　customs　have　the　most　baneful　effect　on　the　morals　of　our　clergy；　for　the　idle　vermin　who　two　or　three　times　a　day　perform；　in　the　most　slovenly　manner　a　service　which　they　think　useless；　but　call　their　duty；　soon　lose　a　sense　of　duty。　At　college；　forced　to　attend　or　evade　public　worship；　they　acquire　an　habitual　contempt　for　the　very　service；　the　performance　of　which　is　to　enable　them　to　live　in　idleness。　　It　is　mumbled　over　as　an　affair　of　business；　as　a　stupid　boy　repeats　his　task；　and　frequently　the　college　cant　escapes　from　the　preacher　the　moment　after　he　has　left　the　pulpit；　and　even　whilst　he　is　eating　the　dinner　which　he　earned　in　such　a　dishonest　manner。　Nothing；　indeed；　can　be　more　irreverent　than　the　cathedral　service　as　it　is　now　performed　in　this　country；　neither　does　it　contain　a　set　of　weaker　men　than　those　who　are　the　slaves　of　this　childish　routine。　　A　disgusting　skeleton　of　the　former　state　is　still　exhibited；　but　all　the　solemnity；　that　interested　the　imagination；　if　it　did　not　purify　the　heart；　is　stripped　off。　　The　performance　of　high　mass　on　the　continent　must　impress　every　mind；　where　a　spark　of　fancy　glows；　with　that　awful　melancholy；　that　sublime　tenderness；　so　near　a…kin　to　devotion。　　I　do　not　say；　that　these　devotional　feelings　are　of　more　use；　in　a　moral　sense；　than　any　other　emotion　of　taste；　but　I　contend；　that　the　theatrical　pomp　which　gratifies　our　senses；　is　to　be　preferred　to　the　cold　parade　that　insults　the　understanding　without　reaching　the　heart。　Amongst　remarks　on　national　education；　such　observations　cannot　be　misplaced；　especially　as　the　supporters　of　these　establishments；　degenerated　into　puerilities；　affect　to　be　the　champions　of　religion。　　Religion；　pure　source　of　comfort　in　this　vale　of　tears！　how　has　thy　clear　stream　been　muddied　by　the　dabblers；　who　have　presumptuously　endeavoured　to　confine　in　one　narrow　channel；　the　living　waters　that　ever　flow　toward　God　the　sublime　ocean　of　existence！　　What　would　life　be　without　that　peace　which　the　love　of　God；　when　built　on　humanity；　alone　can　impart？　　Every　earthly　affection　turns　back；　at　intervals；　to　prey　upon　the　heart　that　feeds　it；　and　the　purest　effusions　of　benevolence；　often　rudely　damped　by　men；　must　mount　as　a　free…will　offering　to　Him　who　gave　them　birth；　whose　bright　image　they　faintly　reflect。　In　public　schools；　however；　religion；　confounded　with　irksome　ceremonies　and　unreasonable　restraints；　assumes　the　most　ungracious　aspect：　　not　the　sober　austere　one　that　commands　respect　whilst　it　inspires　fear；　but　a　ludicrous　cast；　that　serves　to　point　a　pun。　For；　in　fact；　most　of　the　good　stories　and　smart　things　which　enliven　the　spirits　that　have　been　concentrated　at　whist；　are　manufactured　out　of　the　incidents　to　which　the　very　men　labour　to　give　a　droll　turn　who　countenance　the　abuse　to　live　on　the　spoil。　There　is　not；　perhaps；　in　the　kingdom；　a　more　dogmatical　or　luxurious　set　of　men；　than　the　pedantic　tyrants　who　reside　in　colleges　and　preside　at　public　schools。　　The　vacations　are　equally　injurious　to　the　morals　of　the　masters　and　pupils；　and　the　intercourse；　which　the　former　keep　up　with　the　nobility；　introduces　the　same　vanity　and　extravagance　into　their　families；　which　banish　domestic　duties　and　comforts　from　the　lordly　mansion；　whose　state　is　awkwardly　aped　on　a　smaller　scale。　　The　boys；　who　live　at　a　great　expence　with　the　masters　and　assistants；　are　never　domesticated；　though　placed　there　for　that　purpose；　for；　after　a　silent　dinner；　they　swallow　a　hasty　glass　of　wine；　and　retire　to　plan　some　mischievous　trick；　or　to　ridicule　the　person　or　manners　of　the　very　people　they　have　just　been　cringing　to；　and　whom　they　ought　to　consider　as　the　representatives　of　their　parents。　Can　it　then　be　a　matter　of　surprise；　that　boys　become　selfish　and　vicious　who　are　thus　shut　out　from　social　converse？　or　that　a　mitre　often　graces　the　brow　of　one　of　these　diligent　pastors？　The　desire　of　living　in　the　same　style；　as　the　rank　just　above　them；　infects　each　individual　and　every　class　of　people；　and　meanness　is　the　concomitant　of　this　ignoble　ambition；　but　those　professions　are　most　debasing　whose　ladder　is　patronage；　yet　out　of　one　of　these　professions　the　tutors　of　youth　are　in　general　chosen。　　But；　can　they　be　expected　to　inspire　independent　sentiments；　whose　conduct　must　be　regulated　by　the　cautious　prudence　that　is　ever　on　the　watch　for　preferment？　So　far；　however；　from　thinking　of　the　morals　of　boys；　I　have　heard　several　masters　of　schools　argue；　that　they　only　undertook　to　teach　Latin　and　Greek；　and　that　they　had　fulfilled　their　duty；　by　sending　some　good　scholars　to　college。　A　few　good　scholars；　I　grant；　may　have　been　formed　by　emulation　and　discipline；　but；　to　bring　forward　these　clever　boys；　the　health　and　morals　of　a　number　have　been　sacrificed。　The　sons　of　our　gentry　and　wealthy　commoners　are　mostly　educated　at　these　seminaries；　and　will　any　one　pretend　to　assert；　that　the　majority；　making　every　allowance；　come　under　the　description　of　tolerable　scholars？　It　is　not　for　the　benefit　of　society　that　a　few　brilliant　men　should　be　brought　forward　at　the　expence　of　the　multitude。　　It　is　true；　that　great　men　seem　to　start　up；　as　great　revolutions　occur；　at　proper　intervals；　to　restore　order；　and　to　blow　aside　the　clouds　that　thicken　over　the　face　of　truth；　but　let　more　reason　and　virtue　prevail　in　society；　and　these　strong　winds　would　not　be　necessary。　Public　education；　of　every　denomination；　should　be　directed　to　form　citizens；　but　if　you　wish　to　make　good　citizens；　you　must　first　exercise　the　affections　of　a　son　and　a　brother。　　This　is　the　only　way　to　expand　the　heart；　for　public　affections；　as　well　as　public　virtues；　must　ever　grow　out　of　the　private　character；　or　they　are　merely　meteors　that　shoot　athwart　a　dark　sky；　and　disappear　as　they　are　gazed　at　and　admired。　Few；　I　believe；　have　had　much　affection　for　mankind；　who　did　not　first　love　their　parents；　their　brothers；　sisters；　and　even　the　domestic　brutes；　whom　they　first　played　with。　　The　exercise　of　youthful　sympathies　forms　the　moral　temperature；　and　it　is　the　recollection　of　these　first　affections　and　pursuits；　that　gives　life　to　those　that　are　afterwards　more　under　the　direction　of　reason。　　In　youth；　the　fondest　friendships　are　formed；　the　genial　juices　mounting　at　the　same　time；　kindly　mix；　or；　rather　the　heart；　tempered　for　the　reception　of　friendship；　is　accustomed　to　seek　for　pleasure　in　something　more　noble　than　the　churlish　gratification　of　appetite。　In　order　then　to　inspire　a　love　of　home　and　domestic　pleasures；　children　ought　to　be　educated　at　home；　for　riotous　holidays　only　make　them　fond　of　home　for　their　own　sakes。　　Yet；　the　vacations；　which　do　not　foster　domestic　affections；　continually　disturb　the　course　of　study；　and　render　any　plan　of　improvement　abortive　which　includes　temperance；　still；　were　they　abolished；　children　would　be　entirely　separated　from　their　parents；　and　I　question　whether　they　would　become　better　citizens　by　sacrificing　the　preparatory　affections；　by　destroying　the　force　of　relationships　that　render　the　marriage　state　as　necessary　as　respectable。　　But；