CONTINUATION

OF

MORAL PRINCIPLES.

To teach morals on an immutable fitness has never been the practice in any system of education yet extant: hence all our notions of right and wrong are loose, unconnected, inconsistent.

"To be able to command a child," says Rousseau, "we must know how to command ourselves: a century later M. Guizot remarks that "To teach a child virtue we must ourselves be virtuous." The truth of these opinions is obvious; for, good governesses alone can make good pupils; yet, what has hitherto been done to render governesses worthy of the high trust delegated to them? There are it is true many treatises on education intended as useful guides to those who have the care of youth, but these treatises are mostly composed of general observations, and though written by persons of elevated mind, yet too often want a right foundation. This foundation is an intimate knowledge of the nature of the child to be educated.

I have in the different treatises on education, vainly sought a system founded on the nature of human mind, and on an intimate acquaintance with children; for this reason, I have placed a paragraph at the head of this chapter, which seems to demonstrate the necessity for a system of education as connected with a knowledge of the mind, and adapted to the present age.

To what indeed are we to attribute the weakness of moral principles? why have they so little influence over the acts of life? why do they not contribute more largely to human happiness, as on good principles depend not only our present, but our future welfare? The slight influence of moral principles is due to their want of development and proper cultivation, in fact the general systems of education are so little founded on truth, that I fear I may be considered as an innovator, though only reminding my readers of the principles

of sound Christian philosophy made evident by the sublime truths expounded in the Bible.

Education is not a romance, but a reality, and a rightly directed moral education, must be founded on the true state of the soul. Is a child to be influenced by its soul? teach it that it has a soul: is a child to listen to the voice of conscience? reveal to it the existence of that conscience; is a child to have correct notions of duty? cultivate principles of justice and right, the seeds of which are inherent in the infant soul.

The limits of the human mind are no doubt very vast, and it can embrace much, yet these limits are not unbounded; man's capacity is not infinite, and when in early age the sentiments of truth and justice have been developed, and that these feelings and principles have become habitual, vice and evil will find little access in the young heart, and the child whose education is thus happily based, is not only prepared for eternal felicity, but is also enabled to enjoy the little happiness allotted to us on this earth.

I have several times alluded to the mixed nature of man, because the inclinations of children cannot be understood without a knowledge of this mixed nature; each nature necessarily preserves the laws to which it is heir, animal nature therefore remains the same although united to the soul, which is of a spiritual nature. The laws of the soul and those of the body not being alike, do not always agree: the first aspires to one thing, the second to another; and it is the harmony of these two tendencies which composes the normal state of life.

The nature of man is therefore both animal and spiritual. If animal nature overcomes spiritual nature, degradation and vice ensue if on the contrary spiritual nature predominates, physical sufferings may be felt, but there can be nothing abject. The original sin which we inherit at our birth, is probably the tendency of animal nature to overcome spiritual nature, or the soul which is the image of God.

Physical evil is all that is contrary to sensibility; moral

evil, all that is contrary to reason and conscience. If the will be regulated by reason, sensibility is often affected; but if we yield to the blind solicitations of our passions, the dictates of conscience and reason will be violated, and there will be moral evil.

Animal propensities are the earliest developed in children, it is therefore of consequence to give a good direction to these propensities to govern; and to correct them when they are contrary to reason and morals.

In infancy, children owe all to their parents and governesses, and as young children are greatly influenced by physical wants; the most effectual means of subduing and correcting any evil inclination is to cultivate the internal senses, that is to say, conscience, truth, right, and justice, and so to strengthen moral feelings, that all evil actions may inspire repugnancy and disgust.

“Be ye perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect" saith the revealed law, and in this precept is contained the real destiny of man. It is the duty of every Christian to endeavour to draw near to our Saviour by the practice of virtues of which our soul has the conscience. And what are the means which best tend to improvement? These means are the virtues commanded by religion and morals, and acknowledged by human reason. Here I again return to the opinions I have already expressed, that I doubted whether it were possible to found morals, except on religion.

The conception of moral good and evil is a primitive conception, natural, and universal, the application varies, but is found among all nations; there is every where a notion of moral good and evil, as there is every where a notion of physical pain.

The child is soon acquainted with physical evil, as pain may be said to preside at its early education. It is sensibility which gives notice of physical pain. Physical good is the enjoyment of health; it is the order and harmony of all the functions; children and adults enjoy health without appreciating its value, till physical evil shews what is lost.

In the series of moral phenomena, a child knows not always what is just and right; but from the earliest age it distinguishes what is unjust and what is wrong. "I never shall forget" says Rousseau, "seeing a child that was crying, struck by its nurse; the child was silent, I thought it was intimidated, and said that child will be low minded, and will always require severe treatment. I was mistaken, the poor

creature was nearly suffocated: it became blue in the face, shortly afterwards, it shrieked violently; resentment and passion were depicted in its countenance. Had I ever doubted that the sense of justice and injustice was innate in the human heart, this example would have served to convince me of the fact. A burning coal fallen by accident on the hand of this child, would have caused less passion than the slightest blow given unjustly."

Children hurt themselves at play, receive an accidental blow and bear it patiently; but if struck unjustly, they feel indignant and show their feelings according to their dispositions, either by tears or silence.

If two children quarrel, ask their young companions which is in the wrong, and the most severe examination will only serve to prove the correctness of their youthful judgment. Observe children during their recreation; it will be found that they have an intimate sense of what is just and unjust, of merit and demerit: if a child take the book or play-thing of its companion, all the other children condemn the action they have witnessed; they have already a sense of equity and know that each child should enjoy its own property or what has been allotted for its use. If the young culprit be alone and there be no witnesses to this act of injustice, the child who is the object of it cries, or shews vexation in some other way and complains of the injustice committed. Has this child been taught the principles of right? does it know what is property? no, but it is aware that it possessed the object of which it has been deprived, and to which it had a right.

Occurrences of this nature are so common, that it is unnecessary to invent them in order to develop principles of

justice and goodness; the every day scenes of life are quite sufficient for this purpose. But it is difficult to meet with governesses who understand the art of directing the youthful mind, or who are willing to take the pains requisite in the cultivation and development of moral feelings.

Having alluded to the oppressed child, I will now consider it as the aggressor. It is easy to bring a child to a sense of right by gentle reasoning; and as it seldom happens that injustice does not disturb harmony, and draw down some punishment on the guilty, great advantage may be derived from the punishment the young culprit has incurred. I cannot too strongly urge every governess so to watch over her pupils as to let nothing escape her observation that may tend to the development of principles of equity; the task is arduous, I admit, but if undertaken it must be faithfully performed. The best, indeed the only means of inculcating moral principles in young children, is not to allow any act that may assist in their development to pass unnoticed. We are placed on this earth to be good, to endeavour to merit eternal life, to please God; to please God, we must obey his laws; now what are the laws of God? Love thy Creator and thy master. Be ye perfect, even as thy heavenly Father is perfect. Love one another, for ye are children of the same God.

Moral education, though vast, can be easily cultivated by the medium of religion and sympathy. One of the fundamental truths to be early imprinted on the minds of children, is that God established the world, so that order should conduce to happiness, and disorder lead to misery; the results of order must be pointed out in all the circumstances of life. Order harmonizes and facilitates every thing; disorder creates difficulties, and dissatisfaction: goodness and justice are manifestations of eternal order; wickedness and injustice represent disorder. Let this truth be constantly repeated to children, and made clear to them. every governess strive to convince her pupil that under no circumstances injustice should be tolerated; to allow any opportunity of proving this fact to pass unnoticed, would be injurious to a child's conscience.

Let