drawn of the coldness of their hearts. But knowledge would diminish this appearance. For, in the first place, it would enlarge the powers and vary the topics of conversation. It would enliven the speaker. It would give him animation in discourse. Animation, again, would produce a greater appearance of energy, and energy of the warmth of life. And there are few people, whatever might be the outward cold appearance of the person, with whom they conversed, whose prejudices would not die away, if they found a cheerful and an agreeable companion. Another charge against the members of this Society was obstinacy. This was shown to be unjust. The trait in this case should rather have been put down as virtue. Knowledge, however, would even operate here as a partial remedy. For, while they are esteemed deficient in literature, their opposition to the customs of the world will always be characterized as folly. But if they were to bear in the minds of their countrymen a different estimation as to intellectual attainments, the trait might be spoken of under another name. For persons are not VOL. III. 2 B apt apt to impute obstinacy to the actions of those, however singular, whom they believe to have paid a due attention to the cultivation of their minds. It is not necessary to bring to recollection the other traits that were mentioned, to see the operation of a superior education upon these. It must have already appeared, that, whatever may be the general advantages of learning, they would be more than usually valuable to the Quaker-character. CHAP CHAPTER VI. Arguments of those of the Society examined, who may depreciate human knowledge-this depreciation did not originate with the first members with Barclay-Penn-Ellwood--but arose afterwards-Reputed disadvantages of a classical education-its Heathen mythology and morality— Disadvantages of a philosophical one-its scepti cism-general disadvantages of human learning -inefficiency of all the arguments advanced. HAVING shown the advantages, which generally accompany a superior education, I shall exhibit the disadvantages, which may be thought to attend it; or I shall consider those arguments which some persons of this Society, who have unfortunately depreciated human learning, though with the best intentions, might use against it, if they were to see the contents of the preceding chapter. But before I do this, I shall exonerate the primitive members from the charge of such a depreciation. These exhibited in their own persons the practicability of the union of knowledge and virtue. While they were eminent 2 B 2 MISCELLANEOUS PART 370 MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS. apt to impute obstinacy to the ar It is not necessary to bri with the first members es of a classical edu- knowledge this depreci the Society examined, who advanced. CHAPTER VI. ucrable . chat it did not cent pleasures of life? ve been the character of his or what would have been its com * George Fox was certainly an exception to this as a scholar. He was also not friendly to classical learning, on account of some of the indelicate passages contained in the classical authors, which he, and Furley, and Stubbs, took some pains to cite; but if these had been removed, I believe his objection would have ceased, 6 parative MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS. 378, value and usefulness, if he had not e to quote so many authors to his their original texts, or to have deany classical errors, or to have MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS. APTER VI. 371 this depreci mbers examined, who fer ch apposite history, or to have propositions with so much matical clearness and pre not been among the first *his day? qually celebrated with works afford abun n, or of the high Like the rest of no advocate for learn ation for a minister of the he was yet a friend to it on the Me that it enlarged the understanding, гле d that it added to the innocent pleasures of the mind. He entreated his wife, in the beautiful letter that he left her before he embarked on his first voyage to America, "not to be sparing of expense in procuring learning for his children; for that by such parsimony all was lost that was saved.” "And he recommended also, in the same letter, the mathematical and philosophical education, which I have described. Thomas |