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

Jgivei^LETTfeRS, TRACTS, UfC.Jjpperhaps it may be a long time before any other (hallventure to write upon the fame fubje£t.Remark 8. You feem to have had two defigns inview; one to defend yourfelves and us from the imputationof ignorance, and the other to have an academyerected. The firft, as I remarked before, youfometimes purfue with rather too much wit and fatlre.I doubt not but the provocation you have gotmay be very great : I have feen and felt very feveremocking of that fort myfelf; but I muft repeat itagain, that no provocation fhould have caufed youwrite any thing which might mar your principal defign,or make things v»'orfe. •Univerfities, ill regulatedas they are,are the belt things we yet have forattaining fome little knowledge. The mafters indeedimpart too little, and few of them give directions howto read. But when young people are fent to a colrge,and have no other bufmefs, fome of them willapplication to ftudy •, and though many of tliethings they hear in fchool may be thorny and improlitable,yet, by converfmg with one another, they fallinto fomething that is of ufc to them. Some fhredsof knowle4ge from the literary and bufy world reacheven to them, which are perhaps of more ufe thanthe ledlures they hear; and, notv/ithftanding all youfay, even thefe lectures are of fome advantage. Itiiink, therefore, you ought not to have lelTened thateileem and reverence which fcholars Ihould have foriheir teachers, nor to have talked fo flightly of thatfolemnity which you acknowledge is ufeful and neceiTaryto convey inftrudtion. It was alfo wrong, Ifear, to ufe fo many lliarp expreflions; thefe may provokethe profeflbrs to become more llothful, and toturn to things ftill more dark and unprofitable thanthofe they now teach ; and this may very likely bethe cafe, if they fee that no academy is like to be e-recled here. And yet, if the profeflbrs be not tooobflinati, a very different effect may be produced.