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

LETTERS, TRACTS, ^C.3S3^lia. But they were miftaken, as the fequel will demonftratc.Chap. II. It is agreed I believe among politicalwritens, that human lociety, after a long progrefs incivilifement and refinement, verges back j\gain to corruption.And this too, it v/ould feem, is the cafewith refpect to colleges 5 at ieall it muil have beenfo with refpe61: to that of Clutha. It was certainlyat this time in a lamentable Itate of darknefs and the•fures'vileft corruption. In any former period of that college,if a itudent had uled maproper expreiTions, oreven erred in opinion, or com.mitted fome ill a6lion,the mailers, feeling the tutorial, and even parentalaffe6lion, would have fent for him to their houfes,inftrucled him in private, and admonilhed him, that,for the future, he might avoid every thing in his behaviouror fpeech that was wrong or might give offence.But at this time the benighted and inhumaneteachers were utter ftrangers to their duty, and to allthe foft and tender fentiraejits of the heart. Thoughthis was confefledly the (Indent's firft offence, theydifdained to inftruft, to admonifli, or correct him.They allowed themfeives to think of nothing but mea-the moft inquifitorial and fevere ; fo that one istempted to fufpeft, that at this time fome cruel andpitiful Jefuits, driven from the northern parts of Spain,or of Portugal, or of , had, by difguifmg themfeives,got into that poor unhappy college, and werenow beginning to unmafk themfeives.Chap. 12. For feveral weeks the ftudent had obfervedthat his mailers did not look upon him as formerly.He faw, in their eyes and geftures, evidentmarks of anger and averfion : And as he had liberallypaid them, and gave all the attention he could to theirle6lures, he was at a lofs to underftand the reafon oftheir being dilTatisfied with him. He fav/ them oftenin whifpering converfations with the college fervants,and with the moft bigotted and fanatical peifons in