Geneva.
In obedience to your request, I shall give you my opinion freely with
regard to Lord ——’s scheme of sending his two sons to be educated at
Geneva.
The eldest, if I remember right, is not more than nine years of age; and
they have advanced no farther in their education than being able to read
English tolerably well. His Lordship’s idea is, that when they shall have
acquired a perfect knowledge of the French language, they may be taught
Latin through the medium of that language, and pursue any other study
that may be thought proper.
I have attended to his Lordship’s objections against the public schools
in England, and after due consideration, and weighing every circumstance,
I remain of opinion, that no country but Great Britain is proper for
the education of a British subject, who proposes to pass his life in
his own country. The most important point, in my mind, to be secured in
the education of a young man of rank of our country, is to make him an
Englishman; and this can be done nowhere so effectually as in England.
He will there acquire those sentiments, that particular taste and turn of
mind, which will make him prefer the government, and relish the manners,
the diversions, and general way of living, which prevail in England.
He will there acquire that character, which distinguishes Englishmen
from the natives of all the other countries of Europe, and which once
attained, however it may be afterwards embellished or deformed, can never
be entirely effaced.
If it could be proved, that this character is not the most amiable, it
does not follow that it is not the most expedient. It is sufficient,
that it is upon the whole most approved of in England. For I hold it as
indisputable, that the good opinion of a man’s countrymen is of more
importance to him than that of all the rest of mankind: Indeed, without
the first, he very rarely can enjoy the second.
It is thought, that, by an early foreign education, all ridiculous
English prejudices will be avoided. This may be true;—but other
prejudices, perhaps as ridiculous, and much more detrimental, will be
formed. The first cannot be attended with many inconveniencies; the
second may render the young people unhappy in their own country when
they return, and disagreeable to their countrymen all the rest of their
lives.
It is true, that the French manners are adopted in almost every country
of Europe: they prevail all over Germany and the northern courts. They
are gaining ground, though with a slower pace, in Spain, and in the
Italian states.—This is not the case in England.—The English manners are
universal in the provinces, prevail in the capital, and are to be found
uncontaminated even at court.
In all the countries above mentioned, the body of the people behold this
preference to foreign manners with disgust. But in all those countries,
the sentiments of the people are disregarded; whereas, in England,
popularity is of real importance; and the higher a man’s rank is, the
more he will feel the loss of it.
Besides, a prejudice against French manners is not confined to the lower
ranks in England:—It is diffused over the whole nation. Even those who
have none of the usual prejudices;—who do all manner of justice to
the talents and ingenuity of their neighbours;—who approve of French
manners in French people; yet cannot suffer them when grafted on their
countrymen. Should an English gentleman think this kind of grafting at
all admissible, it will be in some of the lowest classes with whom he is
connected, as his tailor, barber, valet-de-chambre, or cook;—but never in
his friend.
I can scarcely remember an instance of an Englishman of fashion, who has
evinced in his dress or style of living a preference to French manners,
who did not lose by it in the opinion of his countrymen.
What I have said of French manners is applicable to foreign manners
in general, which are all in some degree French, and the particular
differences are not distinguished by the English.
The sentiments of the citizens of Geneva are more analogous in many
respects to the turn of thinking in England, than to the general opinions
in France. Yet a Genevois in London will universally pass for a Frenchman.
An English boy, sent to Geneva at an early period of life, and remaining
there six or seven years, if his parents be not along with him, will
probably, in the eyes of the English, appear a kind of Frenchman all his
life after. This is an inconvenience which ought to be avoided with the
greatest attention.
With regard to the objections against public schools, they are in many
respects applicable to those of every country. But I freely own, they
never appeared to me sufficient to overbalance the advantages which
attend that method of education; particularly as it is conducted in
English public schools.
I have perceived a certain hardihood and manliness of character in boys
who have had a public education, superior to what appears in those of the
same age educated privately.
At a public school, though a general attention is paid to the whole, in
many particulars each boy is necessitated to decide and act for himself.
His reputation among his companions depends solely on his own conduct.
This gradually strengthens the mind, inspires firmness and decision, and
prevents that wavering imbecility observable in those who have been long
accustomed to rely upon the assistance and opinion of others.
The original impressions which sink into the heart and mind, and form
the character, never change.—The objects of our attention vary in the
different periods of life.—This is sometimes mistaken for a change of
character, which in reality remains essentially the same.—He who is
reserved, deceitful, cruel, or avaricious, when a boy, will not, in any
future period of life, become open, faithful, compassionate, or generous.
The young mind has, at a public school, the best chance of receiving
those sentiments which incline the heart to friendship, and correct
selfishness. They are drawn in by observation, which is infinitely more
powerful than precept.
A boy perceives, that courage, generosity, gratitude, command the esteem
and applause of all his companions. He cherishes these qualities in his
own breast, and endeavours to connect himself in friendship with those
who possess them.—He sees that meanness of spirit, ingratitude, and
perfidy, are the objects of detestation.—He shuns the boys who display
any indications of these odious qualities. What is the object of applause
or contempt to his school-fellows, he will endeavour to graft into, or
eradicate from, his own character, with ten thousand times more eagerness
than that which was applauded and censured by his tutor or parents.
The admonitions of these last have probably lost their effect by
frequent repetition; or he may imagine their maxims are only applicable
to a former age, and to manners which are obsolete.—But he feels the
sentiments of his companions affect his reputation and fame in the most
sensible manner.
In all the countries of Europe, England excepted, such a deference is
paid to boys of rank at the public schools, that emulation, the chief
spur to diligence, is greatly blunted.—The boys in the middle rank of
life are depressed by the insolence of their titled companions, which
they are not allowed to correct or retaliate.—This has the worst effect
on the minds of both, by rendering these more insolent, and those more
abject.
The public schools in England disdain this mean partiality; and are, on
that account, peculiarly useful to boys of high rank and great fortune.
These young people are exceedingly apt to imbibe false ideas of their
own importance, which in those impartial seminaries will be perfectly
ascertained, and the real merit of the youths weighed in juster scales
than are generally to be found in a parent’s house.
The young peer will be taught by the matters, and still more effectually
by his comrades, this most useful of all lessons,—to expect distinction
and esteem from personal qualities only; because no other can make him
estimable, or even save him from contempt.—He will see a dunce of high
rank flogged with as little ceremony as the son of a tailor; and the
richest coward kicked about by his companions equally with the poorest
poltroon.—He will find that diligence, genius, and spirit, are the true
sources of superiority and applause, both within and without the school.
The active principle of emulation, when allowed full play, as in the
chief schools in England, operates in various ways, and always with a
good effect.—If a boy finds that he falls beneath his companions in
literary merit, he will endeavour to excel them in intrepidity, or some
other accomplishment.—If he be brought to disgrace for neglecting his
exercise, he will try to save himself from contempt by the firmness with
which he bears his punishment.
The listlessness and indolence to be found so frequently among our young
people of rank, are not to be imputed to their education at a public
school, which in reality has the greatest tendency to counteract these
habits, and often does so, and gives an energy to the mind which remains
through life.
Those wretched qualities creep on afterwards, when the youths become
their own masters, and have enfeebled their minds by indulging in all the
pleasures which fortune puts in their power, and luxury presents.
Upon the whole, I am clearly of opinion, that the earliest period of
every Englishman’s education, during which the mind receives the most
lasting impressions, ought to be in England.
If, however, the opinion of relations, or any peculiarity in situation,
prevents his being educated at home, Geneva should be preferred to any
other place. Or if, by some neglect, either of his own or his parents, a
young English gentleman of fortune has allowed the first years of youth
to fly unimproved, and has attained the age of seventeen or eighteen with
little literary knowledge, I know no place where he may have a better
chance of recovering what he has lost than in this city. He may have
a choice of men of eminence, in every branch of literature, to assist
him in his studies, a great proportion of whom are men of genius, and
as amiable in their manners as they are eminent in their particular
professions.
He will have constant opportunities of being in company with very
ingenious people, whose thoughts and conversation turn upon literary
subjects. In such society, a young man will feel the necessity of some
degree of study. This will gradually form a taste for knowledge, which
may remain through life.
It may also be numbered among the advantages of this place, that there
are few objects of dissipation, and hardly any sources of amusement,
besides those derived from the natural beauties of the country, and from
an intimacy with a people by whose conversation a young man can scarce
fail to improve.
_P. S._ An English nobleman and his lady having taken the resolution of
educating their son at Geneva, attended him hither, and have effectually
prevented the inconveniencies above mentioned, by remaining with him for
seven or eight years.
The hospitality, generosity, and benevolent dispositions of this family
had acquired them the highest degree of popularity. I saw them leave the
place. Their carriage could with difficulty move through the multitude,
who were assembled in the streets.—Numbers of the poorer sort, who
had been relieved by their secret charity, unable longer to obey the
injunctions of their benefactors, proclaimed their gratitude aloud.
The young gentleman was obliged to come out again and again to his old
friends and companions, who pressed around the coach to bid him farewel,
and express their sorrow for his departure, and their wishes for his
prosperity. The eyes of the parents overflowed with tears of happiness;
and the whole family carried along with them the affections of the
greater part, and the esteem of all the citizens.