THE good Education of Youth has been esteemed by wise Men in all A­ges, as the surest Foundation of the Happiness both of private Families and of Common-wealths. Almost all Govern­ments have therefore made it a principal Ob­ject of their Attention, to establish and endow with proper Revenues, such Seminaries of Learning, as might supply the succeeding Age with Men qualified to serve the Publick with Honour to themselves, and to their Country.¹

[Page 6]Many of the first Settlers of these Provinces, were Men who had received a good Education in Europe, and to their Wisdom and good Ma­nagement we owe much of our present Prospe­rity. But their Hands were full, and they could not do all Things. The present Race are not thought to be generally of equal Abili­ty: For though the American Youth are al­low'd not to want Capacity; yet the best Ca­pacities require Cultivation, it being truly with them, as with the best Ground, which unless well tilled and sowed with profitable Seed, produces only ranker Weeds.

That we may obtain the Advantages arising from an Increase of Knowledge, and prevent as much as may be the mischievous Consequen­ces that would attend a general Ignorance a­mong us, the following Hints are offered to­wards forming a Plan for the Education of the Youth of Pennsylvania, viz.

It is propos'd,

THAT some Persons of Leisure and publick Spirit, apply for a CHARTER, by which they may be incorporated, with Power to erect an ACADEMY for the Educati­on [Page 7] on of Youth, to govern the same, provide Ma­sters, make Rules, receive Donations, purchase Lands, &c. and to add to their Number, from Time to Time such other Persons as they shall judge suitable.

That the Members of the Corporation make it their Pleasure, and in some Degree their Bu­siness, to visit the Academy often, encourage and ^† countenance the Youth, countenance and assist the Masters, and by all Means in their Power advance the Usefulness and Reputation of the Design; that they look on the Students as in some Sort their Children, treat them with Familiarity and Affection, and when they have behav'd well, and gone through their Studies, and are to enter the World, zealously unite, and make all the Interest that can be made to esta­blish them ^‡, whether in Business, Offices, Marriages, or any other Thing for their Ad­vantage, [Page 8] preferably to all other Persons what­soever even of equal Merit.

And if Men may, and frequently do, catch such a Taste for cultivating Flowers, for Plant­ing, Grafting, Inoculating, and the like, as to despise all other Amusements for their Sake, why may not we expect they should acquire a Relish for that more useful Culture of young Minds. Thompson says,

That a House be provided for the ACADE­MY, if not in the Town, not many Miles from it; the Situation high and dry, and if it may be, not far from a River, having a Garden, Or­chard, Meadow, and a Field or two.

That the House be furnished with a Library (if in the Country, if in the Town, the Town ^‡ Libraries may serve) with Maps of all Coun­tries, [Page 9] Globes, some mathematical Instruments, an Apparatus for Experiments in Natural Philo­sophy, and for Mechanics; Prints, of all Kinds, Prospects, Buildings, Machines, &c. ^†

That the RECTOR be a Man of good Under­standing, good Morals, diligent and patient, learn'd in the Languages and Sciences, and a correct pure Speaker and Writer of the English Tongue; to have such Tutors under him as shall be necessary.

[Page 10]That the boarding Scholars diet ^‡ together, plainly, temperately, and frugally.

That to keep them in Health, and to strengthen and render active their Bodies, they be frequently ^* exercis'd in Running, Leap­ing, Wrestling, and Swimming ^†, &c.

[Page 11]That they have peculiar Habits to distin­guish them from other Youth, if the Acade­my be in or near the Town; for this, among o­ther Reasons, that their Behaviou [...] may be the better observed.

As to their STUDIES, it would be well if they could be taught every Thing that is useful, and every Thing that is ornamental: But Art is long, and their Time is short. It is therefore propos'd that they learn those Things that are likely to be most useful and most ornamental. Regard being had to the several Professions for which they are intended.

All should be taught to write a fair Hand ▪ and swift, as that is useful to All. And with [Page 12] it may be learnt something of ^† Drawing, by Imitation of Prints, and some of the first Prin­ciples of Perspective.

^* Arithmetic, Accounts, and some of the first Principles of Geometry and Astronomy.

[Page 13]The ^* English Language might be taught by Grammar; in which some of our best Writers, as Tillotson, Addison, Pope, Algernoon [Page 14] Sidney, Cato's Letters, &c. should be Classicks: The Stiles principally to be cultivated, being the clear and the concise. Reading should also [Page 15] be taught, and pronouncing, properly, distinctly, emphatically; not with an even T [...]e, which under-does, nor a theatrical, which over-does Nature.

[Page 16]To form their Stile, they should be put on Writing ^‡ Letters to each other, making Ab­stracts [Page 17] of what they read; or writing the same Things in their own Words; telling or writing Stories lately read, in their own Expressions. All [Page 18] to be revis'd and corrected by the Tutor, who should give his Reasons, explain the Force and Import of Words, &c.

[Page 19]To form their ^† Pronunciation, [...]ey may be put on making Declamations, repeating Speeches, delivering Orations, &c. The Tu­tor assisting at the Rehearsals, teaching, advi­sing, correcting their Accent, &c.

But if ^* HISTORY be made a constant Part of their Reading, such as the Translations of the Greek and Roman Historians, and the modern Histories of antient Greece and Rome, &c. may not almost all Kinds of useful Knowledge be that Way introduc'd to Advantage, and with Pleasure to the Student? As

[Page 20]GEOGRAPHY, by reading with Maps, and being required to point out the Places where the greatest Actions were done, to give their old and new Names, with the Bounds, Situati­on, Extent of the Countries concern'd, &c.

CHRONOLOGY, by the Help of Helvicus or some other Writer of the Kind, who will enable them to tell when those Events happen­ed; what Princes were Cotemporaries, what States or famous Men flourish'd about that Time, &c. The several principal Epochas to be first well fix'd in their Memories.

ANTIENT CUSTOMS, religious and civil, be­ing frequently mentioned in History, will give Occasion for explaining them; in which the ^‡ Prints of Medals, Basso Relievo's, and anti­ent Monuments will greatly assist.

MORALITY, ^‖ by descanting and making continual Observations on the Causes of the Rise or Fall of any Man's Character, Fortune, Power, &c. mention'd in History; the Ad­vantages of Temperance, Order, Frugality, In­dustry, Perseverance, &c. &c. ^† Indeed the [Page 21] general natural Tendency of Reading good Hi­story, must be, to fix in the Minds of Youth deep Impressions of the Beauty and Usefulness of Virtue of all Kinds, Publick Spirit, Fortitude, &c.

History will show the wonderful Effects of ORATORY, in governing, turning and leading great Bodies of Mankind, Armies, Cities, Na­tions. When the Minds of Youth are struck with Admiration at this, ^‡ then is the Time to give them the Principles of that Art, which they will study with Taste and Application. Then they may be made acquainted with the best Models among the Antients, their Beau­ties being particularly pointed out to them. Modern Political Oratory being chiefly perform­ed by the Pen and Press, its Advantages over the Antient in some Respects are to be shown; as that its Effects are more extensive, more lasting, &c.

[Page 22] History will also afford frequent Opportuni­ties of showing the Necessity of a Publick Re­ligion, from its Usefulness to the Publick; the Advantage of a Religious Character among pri­vate Persons; the Mischiefs of Superstition, &c. and the Excellency of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION above all others antient or modern^‡.

History will also give Occasion to expatiate on the Advantage of Civil Orders and Constituti­ons, how Men and their Properties are pro­tected by joining in Societies and establishing Government; their Industry encouraged and rewarded, Arts invented,, and Life made more comfortable: The Advantages of Liberty, Mischiefs of Licentiousness, Benefits arising from good Laws and a due Execution of Ju­stice, &c. Thus may the first Principles of sound ^† Politicks be fix'd in the Minds of Youth.

On Historical Occasions, Questions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, will natu­rally arise, and may be put to Youth, which they may debate in Conversation and in Wri­ting [Page 23] ^‖. When they ardently desire Victory, for the Sake of the Praise attending it, they will begin to feel the Want, and be sensible of the Use of Logic, or the Art of Reasoning to discover Truth, and of Arguing to defend it, and convince Adversaries. This would be the Time to acquaint them with the Principles of that Art. Grotius, Puffendorff, and some o­ther Wrirers of the same Kind, may be used on these Occasions to decide their Disputes. ^† Publick Disputes warm the Imagination, whet the Industry, and strengthen the natural Abilities.

[Page 24]When Youth are told, that the Great Men whose Lives and Actions they read in History, spoke two of the best Languages that ever were, the most expressive, copious, beautiful; and that the finest Writings, the most correct Com­positions, the most perfect Productions of hu­man Wit and Wisdom, are in those Langua­ges, which have endured Ages, and will en­dure while there are Men; that no Translati­on can do them Justice, or give the Pleasure found in Reading the Originals; that those Languages contain all Science; that one of them is become almost universal, being the Language of Learned Men in all Countries; [Page 25] that to understand them is a distinguishing Or­nament, &c. they may be thereby made desi­rous of learning those Languages, and their In­dustry sharpen'd in the Acquisition of them. All intended for Divinity should be taught the Latin and Greek; for Physick, the Latin, Greek and French; for Law, the Latin and French; Merchants, the French, German, and Spanish: And though all should not be compell'd to learn Latin, Greek, or the mo­dern foreign Languages; yet none that have an ardent Desire to learn them should be refused; their English, Arithmetick, and other Studies absolutely necessary, being at the same Time not neglected.

If the new Universal History were also read, it would give a connected Idea of human Affairs, so far as it goes, which should be follow'd by the best modern Histories, particularly of our Mother Country; then of these Colonies; which should be accompanied with Observati­ons on their Rise, Encrease, Use to Great-Bri­tain, Encouragements, Discouragements, &c. the Means to make them flourish, secure their Liberties, &c.

With the History of Men, Times and Nati­ons, should be read at proper Hours or Days, some of the best Histories of Nature ^‡, which [Page 26] would not only be delightful to Youth, and fur­nish them with Matter for their Letters, &c. as well as other History; but afterwards of great Use to them, whether they are Merchants, Handicrafts, or Divines; enabling the first the better to understand many Commodities, Drugs, &c. the second to improve his Trade or Handicraft by new Mixtures, Materials, &c. and the last to adorn his Discourses by beauti­ful Comparisons, and strengthen them by new Proofs of Divine Providence. The Conversa­tion of all will be improved by it, as Occasions frequently occur of making Natural Observati­ons, which are instructive, agreeable, and en­tertaining in almost all Companies. Natural History will also afford Opportunities of intro­ducing many Observations, relating to the Pre­servation of Health, which may be afterwards [Page 27] of great Use. Arbuthnot on Air and Aliment, Sanctorius on Perspiration, Lemery on Foods, and some others, may now be read, and a ve­ry little Explanation will make them sufficient­ly intelligible to Youth.

While they are reading Natural History, might not a little Gardening, Planting, Graft­ing, Inoculating, &c. be taught and practised; and now and then Excursions made to the neighbouring Plantations of the best Farmers, their Methods observ'd and reason'd upon for the Information of Youth. The Improvement [Page 28] of Agriculture being useful to all ^‡, and Skill in it no Disparagement to any.

The History of Commerce, of the Invention of Arts, Rise of Manufactures, Progress of Trade, Change of its Seats, with the Reasons, Causes, &c. may also be made entertaining to Youth, and will be useful to all. And this, with the Accounts in other History of the pro­digious Force and Effect of Engines and Ma­chines used in War, will naturally introduce a Desire to be instructed in ^† Mechanicks, and to be inform'd of the Principles of that Art by [Page 29] which weak Men perform such Wonders, La­bour is sav'd, Manufactures expedited, &c. &c. This will be the Time to show them Prints of antient and modern Machines, to ex­plain them, to let them be ^† copied, and to give Lectures in Mechanical Philosophy.

With the whole should be constantly incul­cated and cultivated, that Benignity of Mind ^‖, which shows itself in searching for and seizing every Opportunity to serve and to oblige; and is the Foundation of what is called GOOD BREED­ING; highly useful to the Possessor, and most agreeable to all^‡.

[Page 30]The Idea of what is true Merit, should al­so be often presented to Youth, explain'd and impress'd on their Minds, as consisting in an Inclination join'd with an Ability to serve Man­kind, one's Country, Friends and Family; which Ability is (with the Blessing of God) to be acquir'd or greatly encreas'd by true Learn­ing; and should indeed be the great Aim and ^* End of all Learning.