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

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

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^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

, LETTERS, TRACTS, tffr. 30Iof fcholars, about us ; though it appears to you, anddenied, that we receivedif we would we cannot get itbut a poor pittance of inftrud:ion.We wi{h the college to fubfift and thrive, ejlo per^petua.The crown or the faculty may now and thenpitch upon an able teacher educated at our academyor elfewhere, whom we would wifh our pofteritymight have the opportunity of being inftrudlcd by,juft as we at prefent have the opportunity of the ethicclafs, to which many of our citizens will fend theirfons after their courfe in our academy is finiilied."When they have firft learned ufeful and neceffarythings, thofe of them who are in eafy circumftances,and have genius, will be entertained with the ingeniousand amufmg theory of fo eminent a mafter.If there is any expreflion in this letter which mayfeem to convey a too diminutive idea of univerfities^we beg you will look upon it as a pufh made in ne-oa. 1761./Sir,Your moft humble fervants.

, LETTERS, TRACTS, tffr. 30I<strong>of</strong> fcholars, about us ; though it appears to you, anddenied, that we receivedif we would we <strong>ca</strong>nnot get itbut a poor pittance <strong>of</strong> inftrud:ion.We wi{h <strong>the</strong> college to fubfift and thrive, ejlo per^petua.<strong>The</strong> crown or <strong>the</strong> faculty may now and <strong>the</strong>npitch upon an able teacher edu<strong>ca</strong>ted at our a<strong>ca</strong>demyor elfewhere, whom we would wifh our p<strong>of</strong>teritymight have <strong>the</strong> opportunity <strong>of</strong> being inftrudlcd by,juft as we at prefent have <strong>the</strong> opportunity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ethicclafs, to which many <strong>of</strong> our citizens will fend <strong>the</strong>irfons after <strong>the</strong>ir courfe in our a<strong>ca</strong>demy is finiilied."When <strong>the</strong>y have firft learned ufeful and neceffarythings, th<strong>of</strong>e <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m who are in eafy circumftances,and have genius, will be entertained with <strong>the</strong> ingeniousand amufmg <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> fo eminent a mafter.If <strong>the</strong>re is any expreflion in this letter which mayfeem to convey a too diminutive idea <strong>of</strong> univerfities^we beg you will look upon it as a pufh made in ne-oa. 1761./Sir,Your m<strong>of</strong>t humble fervants.

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