and, in the course of
the last century, at least will bear out one side of the contrast as I
have drawn it. What would come, on the other hand, of the ideal systems of
education which have fascinated the imagination of this age, could they
ever take effect, and whether they would not produce a generation
frivolous, narrow-minded, and resourceless, intellectually considered, is
a fair subject for debate; but so far is certain, that the Universities
and scholastic establishments, to which I refer, and which did little more
than bring together first boys and then youths in large numbers, these
institutions, with miserable deformities on the side of morals, with a
hollow profession of Christianity, and a heathen code of ethics,--I say, at
least they can boast of a succession of heroes and statesmen, of literary
men and philosophers, of men conspicuous for great natural virtues, for
habits of business, for knowledge of life, for practical judgment, for
cultivated tastes, for accomplishments, who have made England what it
is,--able to subdue the earth, able to domineer over Catholics.

How is this to be explained? I suppose as follows: When a multitude of
young men, keen, open-hearted, sympathetic, and observant, as young men
are, come together and freely mix with each other, they are sure to learn
one from another, even if there be no one to teach them; the conversation
of all is a series of lectures to each, and they gain for themselves new
ideas and views, fresh matter of thought, and distinct principles for
judging and acting, day by day. An infant has to learn the meaning of the
information which its senses convey to it, and this seems to be its
employment. It fancies all that the eye presents to it to be close to it,
till it actually learns the contrary, and thus by practice does it
ascertain the relations and uses of those first elements of knowledge
which are necessary for its animal existence. A parallel teaching is
necessary for our social being, and it is secured by a large school or a
college; and this effect may be fairly called in its own department an
enlargement of mind. It is seeing the world on a small field with little
trouble; for the pupils or students come from very different places, and
with widely different notions, and there is much to generalize, much to
adjust, much to eliminate, there are inter-relations to be defined, and
conventional rules to be established, in the process, by which the whole
asse