stated them at all) in the order of time. These dates might perhaps
have been procured from the metropolis; but incidents that are
neither characteristic nor instructive, even such as would be
expected with reason in a regular life, are no part of my plan; while
those which are both interesting and illustrative I have been
precluded from mentioning, some from motives which have been already
explained, and others from still higher considerations. The most
important of these may be deduced from a reflection with which he
himself once concluded a long and affecting narration: namely, that
no body of men can for any length of time be safely treated otherwise
than as rational beings; and that, therefore, the education of the
lower classes was of the utmost consequence to the permanent security
of the empire, even for the sake of our navy. The dangers,
apprehended from the education of the lower classes, arose (he said)
entirely from its not being universal, and from the unusualness in
the lowest classes of those accomplishments which he, like Dr. Bell,
regarded as one of the means of education, and not as education
itself. If, he observed, the lower classes in general possessed but
one eye or one arm, the few who were so fortunate as to possess two
would naturally become vain and restless, and consider themselves as
entitled to a higher situation. He illustrated this by the faults
attributed to learned women, and that the same objections were
formerly made to educating women at all; namely, that their knowledge
made them vain, affected, and neglectful of their proper duties. Now
that all women of condition are well educated, we hear no more of
these apprehensions, or observe any instances to justify them. Yet
if a lady understood the Greek one-tenth part as well as the whole
circle of her acquaintances understood the French language, it would
not surprise us to find her less pleasing from the consciousness of
her superiority in the possession of an unusual advantage. Sir