Chap. I.]

THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS.

151

moral habits, without the sustaining and controlling aid and sup-port of principles are insecure, and, therefore, the habits ofchildren and youth should early be confirmed by imbuing themwith sound moral and religious principles.

Moreover, in an uncultivated state of society, almost everything esteemed desirable is obtained by physical strength ; while,in enlightened times, and among cultivated nations, almost everything valuable is the fruit of knowledge. Hence, at the presentday, even in the humblest walks of life, considerable literaryeducation is indispensable to success. Indeed, the term educa-tion, when used without qualification, is understood to mean(par excellence ) literary education. On the importance attachedto education in this most usual sense of the term, it would beentirely superfluous to enlarge. Its value is universally ac-knowledged ; there is no subject on which coincidence amongmen is more perfect and complete. Our schools, academies,colleges, and universities ; our libraries, public and private, arethe best proof of this universal conviction. Every degree ofeducation is valuable, and it is not necessary to say, that nochild can be too well educated. Still, from the necessity of thecase, the education of most children must be comparativelylimited. And to aid parents in deciding what branches ofknowledge shall be taught their children, it may be well to quotethe saying of a distinguished ancient, who being asked what hehad directed his children to be taught, replied, “ Those thingsof which they will have need when they become men * atext, containing much within a small compass, and on which afruitful commentary might be written.

Estimated by this standard, parents, even in the humblestspheres of life, ought not to be satisfied with themselves, with-out having their children taught the reading, writing, and gram-mar of their native language, arithmetic, some knowledge of theearth on which, and of the heavens beneath which they live, theelements of history in general, and of their own country inparticular, the fundamental truths of Christian doctrine andmorals, and the political constitution of their country. Boys

Plutarch, Apoth, Lacon., —quoted in Taylor’s Civil Law, Preface, p.iii.