n, that almost every
child should be carried apparently through a wide range of science, and
over the whole material universe, and yet know nothing, or next to
nothing, practically, of his own country.

3. ARITHMETIC.

No young man is excusable who is destitute of a knowledge of
Arithmetic. It is probable, however, that no individual will read this
book, who has not some knowledge of the fundamental branches;
numeration, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. But
with these, every person has the key to a thorough acquaintance with
the whole subject, so far as his situation in life requires. To avail
himself of these keys to mathematical knowledge, he must pursue a
course not unlike that which I have recommended in relation to
geography and history. He must seize on every circumstance which occurs
in his reading, where reckoning is required, and if possible, stop at
once and compute it. Or if not, let the place be marked, and at the
first leisure moment, let him turn to it, and make the estimates.

Suppose he reads of a shipwreck. The crew is said to consist of thirty
men besides the captain and mate, with three hundred and thirteen
passengers, and a company of sixty grenadiers. The captain and mate,
and ten of the crew escaped in the long boat. The rest were drowned,
except twelve of the grenadiers, who clung to a floating fragment of
the wreck till they were taken off by another vessel. Now is there a
single person in existence, who would read such an account, without
being anxious to know how many persons in the whole were lost? Yet nine
readers in ten would _not_ know; and why? Simply because they will not
stop to use what little addition and subtraction they possess.

I do not say that, in reading to a company, who did not expect it, a
young man would be required to stop and make the computation; but I do
say that in all ordinary cases, no person is excusable who omits it,
for it is a flagrant wrong to his own mind. Long practice, it is true,
will render it unnecessary for an individual to _pause_, in order to
estimate a sum like that abovementioned. Many, indeed most persons who
are familiar with figures, might compute these numbers while reading,
and without the slightest pause; but it certainly requires some
practice. And the most important use of arithmetical studies (except as
a discipline to the mind) is to enable us to reckon without slates and
pencils. He has but a miserable knowledge of ar