conducted in England.--Amelioration proposed.--
Necessity of Government interfering, without touching the Liberty of
the Subject_.

The importance of education has been already mentioned, as it in
general regards all nations, and certainly when we have examples to
shew what are the lasting and terrible consequences of degradation of
national character and manners, it is impossible to pay too strict an
attention to that subject.

The natural tendency in a nation, while growing richer, to alter its
character, owing to the different manner in which the children are
educated and brought up, applies particularly to England, and to every
nation getting rich by trade or manufactures. In another part, it has
been observed, that where the wealth of a country circulates amongst
the labouring classes first, it alters the manner of living more than
when it originates with the higher; it produces, also, a greater change
on the education of children.

No part of the general inquiry is so particularly applicable to England,
in an excessive degree, as that relative to education. In proportion as
ignorant people arrive at that sort of affluence, which manufactures
and trade produce, in that same proportion do they ruin their children.
The manners, the nature of the government, and the way of thinking of
the people, all lead to this in England; and so far as it is possible to
observe the effect, it may be said to appear as if it operated with
rapidity at the present period.

Many volumes have been written on education, by the ablest men; but
it has already been observed, that they have all treated the subject in a
manner much too intricate and complex. Fully aware of the
importance, they seem to have thought that it could not be treated too
much at length, or investigated too minutely; and, by this means, what
they have said is little applicable to general purposes; for, if to educate
a man for common life were a difficult complicated operation, it
would very seldom be performed. [end of page #216]

{Here appears at page 216 the fourth and final chart, entitled
"Chart
Representing the
Increase of the Annual Revenues
-of-
ENGLAND AND FRANCE,
from the beginning of the 17th Century to
the present time"}

The word education itself appears to be misapplied or misunderstood,
owing, probably, to its original construction and use, and no other
word having been substituted in its place.

By education was meant, in former times, the t