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

^00LETTERS, TRACTS, lfft\the unlverfity. It has been long, and continues tobe a loud ' complaint in feveral kingdoms of Europe,that the fcience retailed at univerfities is unprofitableand dangerous. Wife men have judged, that if fuchfcience has taken any hold of young people, the wifeftthing they can do is to unlearn and forget it as foonas pofTible. Perfonages of the higheft rank and merithave feen caufe to be thankful or vi^ell fatisfied,either that they never were at an univerfity, or thatby fome favourable accidents they were foon removedfrom it. And we know fenfible men among ourfelves,who judge, that it would be much better forthe Intereft of learning, that every part of fciencewere left to be taught by private academies and privateteachers 5 that there ought to be a total fubverfionof the univerfities of this nation ; and that theprice of the buildings, together with the revenues andfalaries, ought to be applied to augment the livingsof the clergy, or to pay the national debt. On theother hand, we think they fliould rather be allowedto continue as they are. They are monuments of antiquity.We confider what good they may have doneof old, when the courfe taught by them was fuitableto thofe remote times.There are valuable public librariesin them which it were pity not to take careof. Our city may have influence to procure placesin them for the fuperannuated teachers of the academy,who by their afliduous and ufeful labour willhighly merit fuch falaries and fuch eafe in their oldage. They are ufeful in fome refpefts, and theymay change their M'^ay of teaching, and become fo inmore. We find our hearts warm towards our ownuniverfity, and towards the mailers that taught us ;-with all their defeats wj loved them, and we reverencetheir memory. We remember, with a mixtureof regret and pleafure, the idle and happy days wefpent about the college j how we went fauntering upand down at our eale, with our gowns, the badges