derations may, however, be suggested, why even a fine gentleman may find his account in an occafional practice of virtue, without derogating from the dignity of that character which it cofts him fo much labour to attain; and thefe may perhaps be the fubject of a future

paper.

S

N° 4.

SATURDAY, February 6, 1779.

Meliora pii docuere parentes. Hor.

TH

HE following letter I received from an unknown correfpondent. The subject of it is fo important, that I fhall probably take fome future opportunity of giving my fenti'ments on it to the public: in the mean time I am perfuaded it will afford matter of much ferious confideration to many of my readers.

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

AT the age of twenty-five I fucceeded to an

eftate of 1500l. a year by the death of a father, by whom I was tenderly beloved, and for whofe memory I ftill retain the moft fincere regard. Not long after I married a lady, to whom I had for fome time been warmly attached. As neither of us were fond of the buftle of the world, and as we found it every day become more irkfome, we took the refolution of quitting it altogether; and foon after retired to a family-feat, which has been the favourite re

fidence

fidence of my ancestors for many fucceffive generations.

There I paffed my days in as perfect happinefs as any reasonable man can expect to find in this world. My affection and efteem for

my wife increased daily; and as he brought me three fine children, two boys and a girl, their prattle afforded a new fund of amusement. There were, likewife, in our neighbourhood feveral families that might have adorned any fociety, with whom we lived on an eafy, friendly footing, free from the reftraints of ceremony, which, in the great world, may, perhaps, be neceffary, but, in private life, are the bane of all focial intercourse.

There is no ftate, however, entirely free from care and uneafinefs. My folicitude about my children increased with their years. My boys, in particular, gave me a thousand anxious thoughts. Many plans of education were propofed for them, of which the advantages and difadvantages were fo equally balanced, as to render the choice of any one a matter of no fmall perplexity.

Meantime the boys grew up; and the eldeft, who was a year older than his brother, had entered his tenth year, when an uncle of my

wife, who, by his fervices in parliament, and an affiduous attendance at court, had obtained a very confiderable office under government, honoured us with a vifit. He feemed much pleased with the looks, the fpirit, and promising appearance of my fons; he paid me many compliments on the occafion, and I listened to him with all the pleasure a fond parent feels in hearing the praises of his children.

After he had been fome days with us, he asked me in what manner I proposed to educate the boys, and what my views were as to their establishment in the world? I told him all my doubts and perplexities. He enlarged on the absurdity of the old-fashioned system of education, as he termed it, and talked much of the folly of fending a boy to Eton or Weftminster, to waste the most precious years of his life in acquiring languages of little or no real ufe in the world; and begged leave to fuggeft a plan, which, he faid, had been attended with the greatest success in a variety of inftances that had fallen within his own particular knowledge.

His scheme was to fend my fons for two or three years to a private school in the neighbourhood of London, where they might get

7

rid

rid of their provincial dialect, which, he obferved, would be alone fufficient to disappoint all hopes of their future advancement. He proposed to fend them afterwards to an academy at Paris, to acquire the French language, with every other accomplishment necessary to fit them for the world. "When your eldest fon," added he, “is thus qualified, it will be easy for me to get him appointed secretary to an embas fy; and if he fhall then poffefs those abilities of which he has now every appearance, I make no doubt I fhall be able to procure him a feat in parliament; and there will be no office in the ftate to which he may not afpire. As to your fecond fon, give him the fame education you give his brother; and, when he is of a proper age, get him a commiffion in the army, and push him on in that line as faft as poffible."

Though I saw some objections to this scheme, yet, I must confess, the flattering prospect of ambition it opened, had a confiderable effect upon my mind; and as my wife, who had been taught to receive the opinions of her kinfman with the utmoft deference, warmly feconded his proposal, I at length, though not without reluctance, gave my affent to it. When the day of departure came, I accompanied my VOL. I. boys

C