As evidence of the vast progress which we have made in right thinking upon this subject, we cannot help remarking, that even when Milton and Locke wrote upon education, though both men of so much benevolence to the larger family of mankind, and both men whose sentiments were democratical, they yet seem to have had in their view no education but that of the gentleman : education had not presented itself, even to their minds, as a blessing in which the indigent orders could be made to partake.
As we strive for an equal degree of justice, an equal degree of temperance, an equal degree of ve racity, in the poor as in the rich, so we should drive for an equal degree of intelligence, if there were not a cause which prevents. It is absolutely necessary for the existence of the human race, that labour should be performed, that food should be raised, and other things provided which human welfare A large portion of mankind is required for this la bour. Now, then, in regard to all this portion of mankind that labours, only such a portion of time can by them be given to the acquisition of intelli gence as can be abstracted from labour. The differ ence between intelligence and the other qualities de sirable in the mind of man, is this,-..that much of time exclusively devoted to the fixing of the assoeiations on which they depend is not necessary; such trains may go on while other things are attended to, and amid the whole of the business of life. 'The case, to a cer tain extent, is the same with intelligence; but, to a great extent, it is not. Time must be exclusively de. voted to the acquisition of it ; and there are degrees of command over knowledge to which the whole pe riod of human life is not more than sufficient. There are degrees, therefore, of intelligence, which must be reserved to those who are not obliged to la bour.
The question is (and it is a question which none can exceed in magnitude), What is the degree at tainable by the most numerous class ? To this we have no doubt, it will, in time, very clearly appear, that a most consolatory answer may be given. We have no doubt it will appear that a very high degree is attainable by them. It is now almost universally acknowledged, that, on all conceivable accounts, it is desirable that the great body of the people should not be wretchedly poor; that when the people are *retchedly poor, all classes are vicious, all are hate ful, and all are unhappy. If so far raised above wretched poverty, as to be capable of being virtuous, though it is still necessary for them to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, they are not bound down to such incessant toil as to have no time for the acquisition of knowledge, and the exercise of in tellect. Above all, a certain portion of the first years of life are admirably available to this great end. With a view to the productive powers of their very labour, it is desirable that the animal frame should not be devoted to it before a certain age, before it has approached the point of maturity. This holds
in regard to the lower animals : a horse is less valu able, less, in regard to that very labour fbr which he is valuable at all, if he is forced upon it too soon. There is an actual loss, therefbre, even in productive powers, even in good economy, and in the way of health and strength, if the young of the human spe cies are bound close to labour before they are fif. teen or sixteen years of age. But if those years are skilfully employed in the acquisition of knowledge, in rendering all those trains habitual on which intel ligence depends, it may be easily shown that a very high degree of intellectual acquirements may be gained ; that a firm foundation may be laid for a life of mental action, a life of wisdom, and reflection, and ingenuity, even in those by whom the most or. dinary will fall to be performed. In proof of this, we may state, that certain individuals in Lon don, a few years ago, some of them men of great consideration among their countrymen, devised a plan for filling up those years with useful instruction,- aplan which left the elements of hardly any branch of knowledge unprovided for, and at an expence which would exceed the means of no class of a po pulation, raised above wretched poverty to that de gree which all men profess to desire. Mr. Bentham called this plan of instruction by the Greek name Chreetomatlua ; and. developed his own ideas of the objects and mode of instruction, with that depth and comprehension which belong to him, in a work which he publithed under that mime.' Of the hIli of the scheme, no competent judge has ever ; and the difficulty of collecting funds is the only reason why it has not, already, been de monstrated by experiment, how much of that intelli gence which is desirable for all, may be communi cated to alit Beside the knowledge or faculties which all dares should possess in common, there are branches of knowledge and art which they cannot all acquire; and, in respect to which, education must undergo a corresponding variety. The apprenticeships, for ex ample, which youth are accustomed to serve to the useful arts, we regard as a branch of their education. 'Whether these apprenticeships, as they have hither to been managed, have been good instruments of education, is a question of importance, about which there is now, among enlightened men, hardly any diversity of opinion. When the legislature un dertakes to do for every man, what every man has abundant motives to do fbr himself, and better means than the legislature; the legislature takes a very unnecessary, commonly a not very innocent trouble. Into the details, however, of the best mode of teaching, to the working people, the arts by which the different commodities useful or agreeable to man are provided, we cannot possibly enter. We must content ourselves with it out as a distinct branch of the subject, and an important object of study.