ster cannot pay attention to the temper or habits of each of
his numerous scholars; and that parents, during that portion of the
year which their children spend with them, are not sufficiently
solicitous to co-operate with the views of the school-master; so that
the public is counteracted by the private education. These, and many
other things, we have heard objected to schools; but what are we to
put in the place of schools? How are vast numbers who are occupied
themselves in public or professional pursuits, how are men in business
or in trade, artists or manufacturers, to educate their families, when
they have not time to attend to them; when they may not think
themselves perfectly prepared to undertake the classical instruction
and entire education of several boys; and when, perhaps, they may not
be in circumstances to engage the assistance of such a preceptor as
they could approve? It is obvious, that if in such situations parents
were to attempt to educate their children at home, they would harass
themselves, and probably spoil their pupils irrecoverably. It would,
therefore, be in every respect impolitic and cruel to disgust those
with public schools, who have no other resource for the education of
their families. There is another reason which has perhaps operated
upon many in the middle ranks of life unperceived, and which
determines them in favour of public education. Persons of narrow
fortune, or persons who have acquired wealth in business, are often
desirous of breeding up their sons to the liberal professions: and
they are conscious that the company, the language, and the style of
life, which their children would be accustomed to at home, are beneath
what would be suited to their future professions. Public schools
efface this rusticity, and correct the faults of provincial dialect:
in this point of view they are highly advantageous. We strongly
recommend it to such parents to send their children to large public
schools, to Rugby, Eton, or Westminster; not to any small school; much
less to one in their own neighbourhood. Small schools are apt to be
filled with persons of nearly the same stations, and out of the same
neighbourhood: from this circumstance, they contribute to perpetuate
uncouth antiquated idioms, and many of those obscure prejudices which
cloud the intellect in the future business of life.

Whilst we admit the necessity which compels the largest portion of
society to prefer public seminaries of e