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BOOK II.

Lord Kames' various literary occupations.

CHAPTER III.

Lord Kames's various literary occupations.—Introduction to the
Art of Thinking.-Correspondence with Dr B. Franklin.

THE active mind of Lord KAMES, earnestly occupied for some years, as we have seen, by studies and researches connected with his profession, appears now to have sought a relaxation for a while, by turning to pursuits of a nature altogether different in their object, yet sufficiently interesting to give full employment to his comprehensive powers, and a grateful exercise to his ruling passion, the desire for the improvement of mankind. A strong sense of the parental duties led him to turn his attention to the education of his children, as soon as he judged the infant mind capable of receiving elementary instruction, the passions beginning to exert their influence, so as to require a judicious guidance and controul, and a dawning of the moral sense sufficient to lay the foundation of just impressions of right and wrong, vice and virtue.

It

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It occurred to him, that the faculty of reflecting and forming general observations,—a faculty weak and imperfect in the state of infancy, is capable of great improvement by judicious culture. It was his opinion, that this, though a most essential branch of education, is seldom cultivated with due care. "Nature," he observes," in her course, begins "with particulars, and ascends gradually to what is general "and abstract. But nature is ill seconded in the ordinary course of education. We are first employed, it is true, in languages, geography, history, natural philosophy, subjects that deal in particulars. But at one bound, we are "carried to the most abstract studies; logics, for example, "and metaphysics. These indeed give exercise to the rea"soning faculty; but it will not be said, that they are the "best qualified for initiating a young person in the art of reasoning. Their obscurity and intricacy unfit them for "that office. Here then is evidently a void, which must be "filled up, if we wish that education should be successful. "To improve the faculty of abstracting, and gradually lead us from particular facts to general propositions, the ten"der mind ought at first to be exercised in observations of "the simplest kind, such as may easily be comprehended. "To that end, the subject ought by all means to be fami"liar; and it ought also to be agreeable and instructive *." These

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CHAP. III.

* Lord Kames was of Montagne's opinion. "La philosophie a des discours pour la naissance des hommes, comme pour la décrépitude. Prenez les sim

ples

BOOK II.

ing.

These purposes Lord Kames had it in view to accomplish Art of Think by the composition of an elementary work, which should be suited to the minds of children when reason first begins to open, and should be calculated to serve at once the purposes of improving the understanding, and cultivating just notions of morality. This little work, which he found to be attended with some advantage in the education of his own children, he justly deemed it improper to confine in its object, while it might be extended to a purpose of general utility; and in 1761, he published it in a small volume, with the title of Introduction to the Art of Thinking. It is divided into two parts; the former containing a series of moral and prudential maxims, and the latter a regular illustration of those maxims, by stories taken either from real history or fictitious narratives.

The plan of this work is judicious; the execution is in general adequate to its purpose, and the matter and style sufficiently suited to the capacity of children, at that stage of life, when the power of reflection first begins to display itself. The maxims are partly original, and partly borrowed from ancient and modern moralists: and they are for the most

ples discours de la philosophie; sçachez les choisir et traiter à point, ils sont plus aisés à concevoir qu'un conte de Boccace. Un enfant en est capable au partir de la nourrice, beaucoup mieux que d'apprendre à lire ou à écrire.”— MONTAGNE, liv. i. ch. 25.

most part very happily illustrated by historical anecdotes, apologues and fables. It must be owned, however, that the author seems occasionally to have deviated from his plan, by adapting his maxims and examples to a more advanced period of education; and in a few instances, it may perhaps be doubted whether some of his observations on life and manners, though just in themselves, and consonant to human nature, be altogether so well calculated for the purpose of useful instruction in a very early period of life, as the author perhaps imagined, and assuredly intended them to be*.

The

CHAP. III.

* Of those maxims which are too refined for the capacity of children, the following are examples :

"He who incessantly vaunts of his probity and honour, and swears to gain "belief, has not even the art of counterfeiting."-P. 7.

"It is harder than is commonly thought to dissemble with those we de"spise."-P. 11.

"Generally we speak ill of others rather out of vanity than malice."

P. 13.

"The good humour of some, is owing to an inexhaustible fund of self-con"ceit."-P. 13.

"Self-conceit is none of the smallest blessings from heaven."—Ibid. "You may sooner expect a favour from him who has already done you "one, than from him to whom you have done it."-P. 16.

"Something to be wished like home that is not home, like alone that is not "alone, found in a friend only, or in his house."—P. 17.

From

BOOK II.

The book, however, is extremely well adapted to its principal end, the cultivating in the minds of children the habits of reflection, and of forming general observations; and though now little known, or overlooked amidst the great number of elementary works and tractates on education which have of late years issued from the press, has obtained its just commendation from those best qualified to estimate its merits. It has, among others, the suffrage of Dr BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, who thought very favourably both of the design and your truly valuable Art of Thinking," (says that judicious writer, in a letter to the author)," you sow " thick in the young mind the seeds of goodness concerning "moral conduct.-Permit me to say, that I think I never 66 saw more solid useful matter contained in so small a com66 pass;

execution:

"In

From maxims such as the following, a child can derive no useful instruction :

"The least coldness or incivility from our betters, makes us hate them: "but they need not be in pain, the first smile sets all to rights.”—P. 37.

"To women that have been conversant in the world, a gardener is a "gardener, and a mason a mason: to those who have been bred in a retired 06 way, a gardener is a man, and a mason is a man."-P. 30.

"Women engage themselves to the men by the favours they grant: Men "disengage themselves from the women by the favours they receive."— P. 32.

"In the first passion, women have commonly an affection for the lover; "afterwards they love for the pleasure of loving.”—P. 19.

"To shew precipices on all sides, is the best way to bring weak persons "into your path.”—P. 59.

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