The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

.Our270 LETTERS, TRACTS, b'r.knowledge at the univcifity : Our profeilbrs lovedrank, and kept therafelves at a greater diiiance fromtheir fcholars than common fchoolmaflers do. Thishindered them from knowing our genius or particularturn, and ctire6ling us to a proper courfe of reading.When we left the univerfity, wc were totally unacquaintedwith hiftory : We had formed no plan ofmoral or of natural knowledge : Had our teachersbeen at a little pains with UsS, they might eafdy havedifcerned the bent of our genius, and what naturalcapacity each of us had ; from our circumftances,th^y might have formed probable conjectures whatbufinefs in life we were dciigned for ; and they mighthave dire£led us to the books proper to be read :are of opinion,Wethat the ufefulnefs of public teacherslies in this as much as in delivering their lecf ures,and perhaps more. By fome pains taken in this manner,fcholars might in a few years attain more realand dillincl: knowledge than without fuch directionthey are ever like to attain in their lives. We faythis, as we have often done," from deep-felt experience.We were, when young, greedy of knowledge,and continually reading^ lomcthing or other ; but nobodywas fo kind to adviie us and fet us on a righttrack. We hope we are not vain in imagining, thatif our diligence in purfuit of kucw^ledge had beenwell directed, w'hcii our memories were ftrong, ourtliirfl after knowrledge great, and our minds free fromcares, we might have made fome fort of progrefs inliterature ; but this was not done, which we deeplyregret, and muft regret while we have breath.teachers however profefled to be great adfmirers of the ancients ; but they were too proud ortoo lazy to imitate them. Did they fatisfy themfclveswith delivering a dry difcourfe on philofophy, containingideas to which their pupils were ftrangers ?Did they reckon the bufinefs of the day over whenthe hour was run ? Did they expe6t to convey new