THE FOURTH CLASS

TO be taught compofition. Writing one's own language well, is the next neceffary accomplishment after good fpeaking. It is the writingmafter's business to take care that the boys make fair characters, and place them straight and even in the lines but to form their ftyle, and even to take care that the ftops and capitals are properly difpofed, is the part of the English mafter. The boys fhould be put on writing letters to each other on any common occurrences, and on various fubjects, imaginary business, &c. containing little ftories, accounts of their late reading, what parts of authors please them, and why; letters of congratulation, of compliment, of requeft, of thanks, of recommendation, of admonition, of confolation, of expoftulation, excufe, &c. In these they should be taught to exprefs themselves clearly, concifely and naturally, without affected words or high-flown phrases. All their letters to pafs through the mafter's hand, who is to point out the faults, advise the corrections, and commend what he finds right. Some of the beft letters published in our own language, as Sir William Temple's, thofe of Pope and his friends, and fome others, might be fet before the youth as models, their beauties pointed out and explained by the mafter, the letters themselves transcribed by the scholar.

Dr. Johnfon's Ethices Elementa, or First Principles of Morality, may now be read by the fcholars, and explained by the mafter, to lay a folid foundation of virtue and piety in their minds.

And

And as this clafs continues the reading of history, let them now, at proper hours, receive fome farther inftruction in chronology, and in that part of geography (from the mathematical mafter) which is neceflary to understand the maps and globes. They should also be acquainted with the modern names of the places they find mentioned in ancient writers. The exercises of good reading, and proper fpeaking, ftill continued at fuita

ble times.

THE

THE FIFTH CLASS.

TO improve the youth in compofition, they may now, befides continuing to write letters, begin to write little effays in profe, and fometimes in verfe; not to make them poets, but for this reason, that nothing acquaints a lad so speedily with variety of expreffion, as the neceffity of finding fuch words and phrafes as will fuit the measure, found and rhime of verse, and at the fame time well express the sentiment. These effays fhould all pafs under the master's eye, who will point out their faults, and put the writer on correcting them. Where the judgment is not ripe enough for forming new effays, let the fentiments of a Spectator be given, and required to be clothed in the scholar's own words; or the circumftances of fome good story; the scholar to find expreffion. Let them be put fometimes on abridging a paragraph of a diffufe author: fometimes on dilating or amplifying what is wrote more clofely. And now let Dr. Johnfon's Noetica, or First Principles of Human Knowledge, containing a logic, or art of reafoning, &c. be read by the youth, and the difficulties that may occur to them be explained by the mafter. The reading of hiftory, and the exercises of good reading and juft fpeaking, ftill

continued.

THE

THE SIXTH CLASS

IN this clafs, befides continuing the ftudies of the preceding in hiftory, rhetoric, logic, moral and natural philofophy, the best English authors may be read and explained; as Tillotfon, Milton, Locke, Addison, Pope, Swift, the higher papers in the Spectator and Guardian, the beft tranflations of Homer, Virgil and Horace, of Telemachus, Travels of Cyrus, &c.

Once a year let there be public exercises in the hall; the trustees and citizens prefent. Then let fine gilt books be given as prizes to fuch boys as diftinguish themselves, and excel the others in any branch of learning, making three degrees of comparifon giving the beft prize to him that performs beft; a lefs valuable one to him that comes up next to the beft: and another to the third. Commendations, encouragement, and advice to the reft; keeping up their hopes, that, by induftry, they may excel another time. The names of thofe that obtain the prize, to be yearly printed in a lift.

The hours of each day are to be divided and difpofed in fuch a manner as that fome claffes may be with the writing-mafter, improving their hands; others with the mathematical mafter, learning arithmetic, accounts, geography, ufe of the globes, drawing, mechanics, &c.; while the reft are in the English school, under the English mafter's care.

Thus inftructed, youth will come out of this fchool fitted for learning any business, calling, or profeffion, except fuch wherein languages are required; and though unacquainted with any

ancient

ancient or foreign tongue, they will be mafters of their own, which is of more immediate and general use; and withal will have attained many other valuable accomplishments: the time usually fpent in acquiring thofe languages, often without fuccefs, being here employed in laying fuch a foundation of knowledge and ability, as, properly improved, may qualify them to pass through and execute the feveral offices of civil life, with advantage and reputation to themfelves and country.

FINI S.