In enumerating the branches of knowledge with which， on account of their superior utility， it is most desirable that the great mass of the people should be acquainted， it may well be supposed that Iought not to forget the knowledge of the laws.But that this knowledge may be diffused， a determinate system of cognoscible laws， capable of being known， is necessary.Unhappily， such a system does not yet exist： whenever it shall come to be established， the knowledge of the law will hardly be considered worthy of the name of science.The legislator who allows more intelligible terms to exist within the compass of language， than those in which he expresses his laws， deserves the execration of his fellow-men.
I have endeavoured to present to the world the outlines of a system， which， should it ever be filled up， I flatter myself would render the whole system of laws cognoscible and intelligible to all.
As to those arts and sciences which may be learned from books，梥uch as the art of legislation， history in all its branches， moral philosophy and logic； comprehending metaphysics， grammar， and rhetoric，梩hese may be left to be gathered from books.Those individuals who are desirous of alleviating the pains of study by the charms of declamation upon these subjects， may be permitted to pay for their amusements.There is， however， one branch of encouragement， which the hand of government might extend even to these studies.It might establish in each district， in which the lectures of which we have already spoken， should be delivered， an increasing library， appropriated to these studies.This would be at once to bestow upon students the instruments of study， and upon authors their most appropriate reward.
I should not consider knowledge in these departments， at once so useful and so curious， ill acquired， where it even acquired at the expense of Latin and Greek梐n acquaintance with which is held in such high estimation in our days， and for instruction in which the foundations are so abundant.Common opinion appears to have considered the sciences more difficult of attainment than these dead languages This opinion is only a prejudice， arising from the comparatively small number of individuals who apply themselves to the study of the science， and from its not having been the custom to study them till the labour of these other studies has been completed.But， custom and prejudice apart， it is in the study of the sciences that young people would find most pleasure and fewest difficulties.
In this career， ideas find easy success through the senses to the memory and the other intellectual faculties.Curiosity， that passion which even in infancy displays much energy would here be continuously gratified.In the study of language， on the contrary， there are no sensible objects to relieve the memory； all the energy of the mind is consumed in the acquisition of words of which neither the utility nor the application is visible.Hence， the longest and most detailed course of instruction which need be given upon all the sciences before mentioned， would not together occupy so much time as is usually devoted to the study of Latin which is forgotten almost as soon as learned The knowledge of languages is valuable only as a means of acquiring the information which may be obtained from conversation or books.For the purposes of conversation.the dead languages are useless；and translations of all the books contained in them may be found in all the languages of modern Europe.What， then， remains to be obtained from them， not by the common people， but even by the most instructed？ I must confess， I can discover nothing but a fund of allusions wherewith to ornament their speeches， their conversations， and their books梩oo small a compensation for the false and narrow notions which custom continues to compel us to draw from these imperfect and deceptive sources.To prefer the study of these languages to the study of those useful truths which the more mature industry of the moderns has placed in their stead， is to make a dwelling-place of a scaffolding， instead of employing it in the erection of a building：
it is as though， in his mature age， u man should continue to prattle like a child.Let those who are pleased with these studies continue to amuse themselves； but let us cease to torment children with them， at least those children who will have to provide for their own subsistence， till such time as we have supplied them with the means of slaking their thirst for knowledge at those springs where pleasure is combined with immediate and incontestable utility.
It is especially by a complete course of instruction， that the clergy， who might be rendered so useful， ought to be prepared for their functions.Within the narrow limits of every parish， there would then be found one man at least well instructed upon all subjects with which acquaintance is most desirable.In exchange for this knowledge， which constitutes the glory of man， I would exchange as much as might be desired of that controversy which is his scourge and his disgrace.
The intervals between divine service on the Sabbath might then be filled up by the communication of knowledge to those whose necessary avocations leave them no other leisure time for improvement.
An attendance upon a course of physico-theology， it appears to me， would be a much more suitable mode of employing this time， than wasting it in that idleness and dissipation in which both health and money are so frequently lost.
