range, and exprefs thoughts; or in writing, by dictating on fome fubject, the matter for compofition, which must be digefted, muft fupply thoughts, prefcribe their order, and requires little more than to be amplified and adorned. The former of thefe methods is not fo much practifed as the other, but is no lefs ufeful; and I am perfuaded, that a little trial of it will evince, that nothing is better adapted to affift the invention of youth, than to make them from time to time compofe after this method in the mafter's prefence; by interrogating them viva voce, and making them invent what may be faid on a fubject. I fhall give fome examples of these plans for compofition in the fequel of this work. It is natural to begin with the eafieft things, and fuch as are beft adapted to the capacities of youth, as fables, for inftance; for which end it will be proper to make them read for fome weeks, thofe of Phædrus, which are a perfect model for that fpecies of compofition. Some of la Fontaine's might be added, which will teach them to introduce more thoughts with their fables, than we find in thofe of Phædrus, as Horace has done in that of the city and country mouse. Thefe fables are to be followed by fhort narrations which, at first, must be very fimple, but afterwards have fome ornament. They must likewise be followed by common places, and next by parallels, either between great men of different characters, whofe history they have learnt; or different profeffions, of which Cicero has left us an example in his oration for Murena, where he makes a comparison between the art of war, and the profeffion of the law parallels may alfo be drawn between different actions, and the fame great orator * compares the military virtues of Cæfar with his clemency. These kind of fubjects naturally fuggeft a great variety of ideas. In his oration for Marcellus. Since fpeeches and orations are the most difficult leffons in rhetoric, 'tis proper to referve them for the laft. The matter for compofition given by the mafter, whether in Latin or the vulgar tongue, must be well ftudied and laid down, for on this the fuccefs of fcholars principally depends. We muft, as Quintillian obferves, remove all difficulties for them in the beginning; and give them themes proportionate to their capacities, which should be almoft done to their hands. After they have been thus exercifed for fome time, nothing will then remain, but to point out the path, as it were to them; and give them a flight sketch of what they are to fay, in order to accuftom them by degrees, to go alone and without affiftance. It will afterwards be proper to leave them entirely to their own genius, left by being habituated to do nothing without help, they fhould fall into an idle flothful difpofition, which may prevent their attempting to invent and digeft of themselves. * Something like this is obfervable in birds; whilft their young ones are tender and weak, the parent brings them food, but when they gather more ftrength, fhe accuftoms them to go out of the neft, and teaches them to fly, by fluttering round them; and, at laft, having made trial of their ftrength, the makes them take wing, and leaves them to themselves. k Among the duties of a rhetoric profeffor, the manner of correcting the compofitions of fcholars, is one of the most important, and no lefs difficult. 'Quintilian's reflections on this are extremely judicious, and may be very ufeful to mafters. They may learn from them particularly to avoid an effential defect in their profeffion, which is more dangerous, Quintil. Lib. 2. cap. 7. * Cui rei fimile quiddam facientes aves cernimus; quæ teneris infirmifque fœtibus cibos ore fuo collatos partiuntur; at cum vifi funt adulti, paululum egredi nidis, & circumvolare fedem illam præcedentes ipfe docent; tum expertas vires libero cœlo fuæque ipforum fiduciæ permittunt. Quintil. 1. 2. c. 7. 1 Lib. 2. c. 4. as it proceeds from too much wit and delicacy; I mean the correcting the compofitions of youth with too great feverity and exactness. Quintilian had treated of two kinds of narration, the one dry and unadorned, the other too luxuriant, too florid and embellished. mBoth, fays he, are faulty; but the firft efpecially, as it denotes fterility, which is worfe than the other proceeding ❝from too fertile a genius. For we muft neither require nor expect a perfect discourse from a child; but I fhould conceive great hopes of a fruitful ge"nius, a genius that can produce without affiftance, " and make noble attempts, though it fhould fometimes take too great liberties. I am not offended to meet with fome fuperfluities in the compofitions "of young people: I would even have a mafter, "like a good nurfe, full of indulgence for his ten"der pupils, give them fweet nourishment, and per"mit them to feed, as on delicious milk, on what"ever is moft gay and agreeable. Let us indulge them a little in their rhetorical wantonnefs, if I may be "allowed the expreffion; let us fuffer them to take "fome bold fteps, to ftrike out, and delight in their "own inventions, though their productions be nei"ther correct nor juft. It is easy to correct too "great a redundancy, but a barren genius has no 86 remedy. . បាន "Those who have read Cicero, continues Quintilian, know very well, that I only follow his ་་ opinion Vitium utramque pejus tamen illud quod ex inopia, quam quod ex copia venit. Nam in pueris oratio perfecta nec exigi nec fperari poteft: melior autem eft indoles læta generofique conatus, & vel plura jufto concipiens interim fpiritus. Nec unquam me in his difcentis annis offendat, fi quid fuperuerit Quin ipfis doctoribus hoc effe cura velim, at teneras adhuc mentes more nu tricum mollius alant, & fatiari Quod me de his ætatibus fehtire nemo mirabitur, qur apud Ciceronem legerit Volim enim fe efferat દ 66 opinion in this place, which he explains thus in the "fecond book de Oratore. I would have a young man, fays he, give his genius its full scope, and dif"cover fertility. Frigidity in mafters is as dangerous, efpecially for children, as a dry and a fcorched foil for tender plants. A young man in their "hands is always groveling, and never has the courage to take noble flights, or attempt any thing "above the common level. The want of flesh, "leannefs paffes with them for health, and what they call judgment, is mere impotence. They "fancy 'tis enough to have no faults; but even "in that, they fall into a very great one, which is, "not to have one excellency." • I must likewise observe, that nothing checks and damps the genius of children more than a mafter, who is over fevere and too difficult to be pleased; for then they are dejected, defpair of fuccefs, and at laft conceive an averfion for ftudy; and, what is as prejudicial on these occafions, while they are in perpetual fear, they dare not attempt even to do well. ? Let a master then take particular care to make himself agreeable to youth, efpecially in their tender years, in order to foften, by his engaging behaviour, whatever may feem harfh in correcting; let him fometimes applaud one paffage, find another tolerably well; change this, and give his reasons for it; amend efferat in adolefcente fœcunditas. Quapropter in primis evitandus, & in pueris præcipuè, magifter aridus, non minùs quam teneris adhuc plantis ficcum & fine humore ullo folum. Inde funt humiles flatim, & velut terram fpectantes, qui nihil fupra quotidianum fermonem attollere audeant. Macies illis pro fanitate, & judicii loco infirmitas eft: & dum fatis putant vitio carere, in idipfum incidunt vitium, quòd virtutibus carent. Ibid. Ne illud quidem quod admo neamus indignum eft, ingenia puerorum nimiâ interim emendatio nis feveritate deficere. Nam 8c defperant, & dolent, & noviffimè oderunt: &, quod maximè nocer, dum omnia timent, nihil conantur. Ib. P Jucurdus ergo tum maximè debet effe præceptor: ut, quæ alioqui naturâ funt afpera, molli manu leniantur laudare aliqua, ferre quædam. mutare etiam, reddita cur id fiat ratione; illuminare in terponendo aliquid fui. Ibid. B 6 : that, that, by adding fomething of his own; which is the method he should follow.. "The difference of age ought alfo to be confi"dered, in the manner of correcting exercises, which "should be proportioned to the progress scholars have "made. As to myfelf,. when I fometimes found "their ftyle too florid, and their thoughts more "bold than juft, I ufed to tell them, it was very "well for the prefent, but that a time would come, "when I should not be fo eafy with them. This "flattered their genius, and did not deceive their "judgment." I have nothing to add to thefe excellent reflections, except what Quintilian himself has faid in another place, where he treats of the duty and qualifications of a master. "Let him not deny youth, "fays he, the praifes they deferve, neither would "I have him to be too lavish of them; for the former "difcourages, and the latter makes them too fecure, "which may be of dangerous confequence. When "he meets with any thing that requires correction, ❝he ought not to treat his pupils with bitter or re"proachful language; for nothing gives them fo "much averfion to learning, as the being continually "reproved with a gloomy air, the feeming effect of "hatred." We fee by this admirable paffage, of which part only is copied, that the duty of a master in correcting the exercifes of his pupils, does not confift merely in cenfuring improper expreffions and thoughts, but in explaining the reafon of their being fo, and in fubftitut 9 Aliter autem alia ætas emendanda eft, & pro modo virium ex gendum & corrigendum opus. Solebam ego dicere pueris aliquid aufis licentius aut lætius, laudare illud me adhuc: venturum tempus quo idem non permitterem. Ita & ingenio gaudebant, & judicio non fallebantur. Ibid. In laudand.s difcipulorum dic tionibus nec malignus, nec effufus: qui res altera tædium laboris, altera fecuritatem parit. In emendando que corrigenda erant, non acerbus, miniméque contumeliofus. Nam id quidem multes à propofito ftudendi fugat, quod quidam fic objurgant, quafi oderint. Quintil, Lib. 2. cl. |