that his Robinfon Grufoe (the beft book, with few exceptions,
that can be put into a boy’s hand) ihews the numberlefs difficulties
to which he is liable in the world, when the anxious
eares o f his parents have ceafed to watch over him ; it is there
pointed out to him that, arduous as many undertakings may
appear to be, few are infurmountable ; that the body and the
mind o f man are furnilhed with refources which, by patience,
diligence, prudence, and reflexion, will enable him to overcome
the greateft difficulties, and efcape the moil imminent
dangers. His Tom Jones, however exceptionable in thofe
parts where human failings are reprefented under an amiable
and alluring drefs, leaves, upon the whole, a lively impreffion
in favour o f generofity and virtue, and feldom fails to excite
an indignant glow againft perfidy, felfiihnefs, and brutality.
T he young Chinefe has no fuch relief from his dry ftudy o f acquiring
the names and reprefentations o f things that to
him have as yet no meaning. He knows not a word o f any language
but his own.
The laft ftep in the education o f a Chinefe is to analyfe the
chara&ers, by the help o f the dictionary, in the manner already
mentioned, fo that he now firft begin? to comprehend the ufe
o f the written character. Extracts from the works o f their
. famous philofopher Cong-foa-tfe (the Confucius o f the miffion-
aries) are generally put into his hands; beginning with thofe
that treat on moral fubjeCts, in which are fet forth, in ihort
fentences, the praifes o f virtue, and the odioufnefs o f vice, with
rules o f conduCl to be obferved in the world. T h e eternal mean
in the ftyle and manner o f the maxims o f Seneca, next follows 5
and
and the art o f government, with an abridgment o f the laws,
completes him for taking his firft degree, which generally happens
when he has attained his twentieth year; but in order to
be qualified for any high employment, he muft ftudy at lead
ten years longer.
From this view o f the written character, and the mode o f
education, it will readily occur, that little progrefs is likely to
be made in any o f the fpeculative fciences; and more efpecially
as their affiftance is not neceffary to obtain the moil elevated
fituations in the government. The examinations to be palled
for the attainment o f office are principally confined to the
knowledge o f the language; and as far as this goes, they are
rigid to the utmoft degree. The candidates are put into fepa-
rate apartments, having previoully been fearched, in order to
afcertain that they have no writing o f any kind about them.
T h e y are allowed nothing but pencils, ink, and paper, and within
a given time they are each to produce a theme on the fub-
jeCt that ihall be propofed to them. The excellence o f the
compofition, which is fubmitted to the examining officers, or
men o f letters, depends chiefly on the following points.
That every character be neatly and accurately made.
That each character be well chofen, and not in vulgar ufe.'
That the fame character do not occur twice in the fame
compofition.
The