tragedies and comedies (avoiding things that could injure the morals of youth) might likewife be got by rote, and the boys exercifed in delivering or acting them; great care being taken to form their manner after the trueft models.

For their farther improvement, and a little to vary their ftudies, let them now begin to read hiftory, after having got by heart a fhort table of the principal epochas in chronology. They may begin with Rollin's ancient and Roman hiftories, and proceed at proper hours, as they go through the fubfequent claffes, with the beit hiftories of our own nation and colonies. Let emulation be excited among the boys, by giving, weekly, little prizes, or other fall encouragements, to those who are able to give the best account of what they have read, as to times, places, names of perfons, &c. This will make them read with attention, and imprint the hiftory well in their memories. In remarking on the hiftory, the mafter will have fine opportunities of inftilling inftruction of various kinds, and improving the morals, as well as the understandings, of youth,

The natural and mechanic hiftory, contained in the Spectacle de la Nature, might also be begun in this clafs, and continued through the fubfequent claffes, by other books of the fame kind; for, next to the knowledge of duty, this kind of knowledge is certainly the moft ufeful, as well as the most entertaining. The merchant may thereby be enabled better to understand many commodities in trade; the handicraftman to improve his business by new inftruments, mixtures and materials; and fréquently hints are given for new manufactures or new methods of improving land, that may be

fet on foot greatly to the advantage of the country.

THE FOURTH CLASS

To be taught compofition. Writing one's own language well, is the next neceffary accomplishment after good speaking. It is the writing-mafter's business to take care that the boys make fair characters, and place them ftraight and even in the lines but to form their style, and even to take care that the ftops and capitals are properly difpofed, is the part of the English mafter. The boys fhould be put on writing letters to each other on any common occurrences, and on various fubjects, imaginary bufinefs, &c. containing little ftories, accounts of their late reading, what parts of authors please them, and why; letters of congratulation, of compliment, of request, of thanks, of recommendation, of admonition, of confolation, expoftulation, excufe, &c. In these they should be taught to exprefs themfelves clearly, concisely and naturally, without affected words or high-flown phrafes. All their letters to pass through the mafter's hand, who is to point out the faults, advise the corrections, and commend what he finds right. Some of the beft letters published in our own language, as Sir William Temple's, thofe of Pope and his friends, and fome others, might be fet before the youth as models, their beauties pointed out and explained by the mafter, the letters themfelves tranfcribed by the fcholar.

Dr. Johnfon's Ethices Elementa, or First Principles of Morality, may now be read by the fcholars, and explained by the mafter, to lay a folid foundation of virtue and piety in their minds. And as his clafs continues the reading of hiftory, let them

now, at proper hours, receive fome farther inftruction in chronology, and in that part of geography. (from the mathematical mafter) which is neceffary to understand the maps and globes. They fhould alfo be acquainted with the modern names of the places they find mentioned in ancient writers. The exercifes of good reading, and proper fpeaking ftill continued at fuitable times.

FIFTH CLASS

To improve the youth in compofition, they may now. befides continuing to write letters, begin to write little effays in profe, and fometimes in verse; not to make them poets, but for this reafon, that nothing acquaints a lad fo speedily with variety of expreffion, as the neceffity of finding fuch words and phrafes as will fuit the measure, found and rhime of verse, and at the fame time well express the fentiment. Thefe effays fhould all pafs under the master's eye, who will point out their faults, and put the writer on correcting them. Where the judgment is not ripe enough for forming new effays, let the fentiments of a Spectator be given, and required to be clothed in the fcholar's own words; or the circumftance of fome good story; the scholar to find expreffion. Let them be put fometimes on abridging a paragraph of a diffuse author: fometime on dilating or amplifying what is wrote more clofely. And now let Dr. Johnfon's Noetica, or First Principles of Human Knowledge, containing a logic, or art of reasoning &c. be read by the youth, and the difficulties that may occur to them be explained by the mafter. The reading of history, and the excrcifes of good reading and just fpeaking, ftill continued.

SIXTH CLASS:

In this clafs, befides continuing the ftudies of the preceding in hiftory, rhetoric, logic, moral and natural philofophy, the best English authors may be read and explained; as Tillotfon, Milton, Locke, Addifon, Pope, Swift, the higher papers in the Spectator and Guardian, the beft tranflations of Homer, Virgil and Horace, of Telemachus, Travels of Cyrus, &c.

Once a year let there be public exercifes in the hall; the trustees and citizens prefent. Then let fine gilt books be given as prizes to fuch boys as distinguish themselves, and excel the others in any branch of learning, making three degrees of comparison giving the beft prize to him that performs beft; a lefs valuable one to him that comes up next to the beft; and another to the third.. Commendations, encouragement, and advice to the reft; keeping up their hopes, that, by induftry, they may excel another time. The names of thofe that obtain the prize, to be yearly printed. in a lift.

The hours of each day are to be divided and difpofed in fuch a manner as that fome claffes may be with the writing-mafter improving their hands; others with the mathematical-master, learning a rithmetic, accounts, geography, use of the globes, drawing, mechanics, &c. while the reft are in the English school, under the English mafter's

care.

Thus inftructed, youth will come out of this fchool fitted for learning any bufinefs, calling, or profeffion, except fuch wherein languages are required; and though unacquainted with any anci.

ent or foreign tongue, they will be mafters of their own which is of more immediate and general ufe; and withal will have attained many other valuable accomplishments: the time ufually fpent in acquiring thofe languages, often without fuccefs, being here employed in laying fuch a foundation of knowledge and ability, as, properly improved,, may qualify them to pass through and execute the feveral offices of civil life, with advantage and reputation to themfelves and country.