Their reading, like their diet, may be light and more adapted to tickle a sickly palate, than to afford solid and substantial nourishment. But in youth, health, and vigour, who would voluntarily confine theirself to the weakness and insipidity of water gruel?

It is, indeed, lamentable to observe young persons of lively parts, and with a love of reading, devoting those years and those abilities, which might render them valuable members of society, to such studies as tend only to dissipate their ideas, to vitiate their morals, to womanize their spirits, and to render them the dastardly and degenerate sons of those to whom it was once a glorious distinction to bear the name of Britons.

No. CLVII.

On a Method of Study, written by Ringelbergius.

THERE is a little treatise on the method of study written by Ringelbergius, which, in the two last centuries, was a great favourite among scholars, and contributed much to animate their industry. The learned Erpenius acknowledges himself originally indebted to it for all his acquisitions. He met with it at the age of sixteen, and in consequence of its suggestions, though he was then totally averse from a studious life, and had made no proficiency in learning, yet he afterwards became a distinguished scholar. The treatise had become scarce, and Erpenius generously printed a new edition, that others

enjoyed. He published it with the title of Liber verè Aureus, or the truly Golden Treatise.

In the epistle to the reader which Erpenius has prefixed, he speaks of the animating effect of the book in terms so warm, and with so much gratitude, that a student would be wanting to himself not to gratify his curiosity, by at least giving it a perusal. It is short, and contains many passages which tend to encourage the scholar in his pursuits, and to inspire him with an ardour and enthusiasm, Jike that excited in the soldier by the drum and trumpet, as he is marching on to battle. I believe there could not be found a better exhortation to study for the use of boys, if the good passages were not disgraced by others so ridiculous, as almost bring the writer under the imputation of lunacy. His literary enthusiasm had certainly transported him, in several instances, beyond the limits of his own

reason.

I will select a few hints from the little tract, which may not only serve as a curious specimen to the English reader, but may rouse him from his indolence. The whole is, indeed, more valuable for the spirit and fire which it conduces to raise, than for its precepts and directions. It is rather exhortatory than didactic.

How mean," says he, speaking of the scope at which students ought to aim, "how timid, how abject, must be that spirit which can sit down contented with mediocrity. As for myself, all that is within me is on fire. I had rather," he proceeds in his strong manner, "be torn in a thousand pieces than relax my resolution of reaching the sublimest heights of virtue and knowledge. I am of opinion, that nothing is so arduous, nothing so admirable, in human affairs, which may not be obtained by the

industry of man. We are descended from heaven: thither let us go, whence we derived our origin. Let nothing satisfy us lower than the summit of all excellence. This summit then," says he, "I point out as the proper scope of the student.

"But labour must be beloved, and the pleasures of luxury despised. Shall we submit to be extinguished for ever withont honour, without remembrance, ἀνδρῶδες οὐδὲν επιδεδεγμένοι, without having done any thing like men?" The whole of this chapter is written in a very uncommon style of literary enthusiasm, and I think it can hardly fail of inflaming a youthful imagination. If such ideas were early infixed in the bosom of an ingenious and ingenuous boy, what improvement in virtue, and in all useful qualities, might not be expected?"

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"That we must never despair," is the title of his third chapter. If in our ascent- we should fall headlong a thousand times, we must begin to climb again every time more ardently, and fly to the summit with recruited vigour! Let no one be dejected if he is not conscious of any great advancement at first. The merchant thinks himself happy if, after a ten years voyage, after a thousand dangers, he at last improves his fortune; and shall we, like poor-spirited creatures, give up all hope after the first onset. Quodcunque imperavit animus obtinuit. Whatever the mind has commanded itself to do, it has obtained its purpose.

"Riches must have no charms, compared to the charms of literature. Poverty is favourable to the success of all literary pursuits. I mean not to throw contempt on money in general, but on that exorbitant wealth which allures the mind from study. But your parents," says he, "will rather choose that you should be guilty of perjury or mur

"The student must be desirous of praise. It is a promising presage of success to be roused by praise when one shall have done well, and to be grieved and incited to higher aims, on finding himself blamed or outdone by another. He who aspires at the summit must be passionately fond of glory.

"Thus have the first qualities, indispensably requisite in a youth devoted to study, been mentioned. He must aim at the highest points, he must love labour, he must never despair, he must despise riches, he must be greedy of praise. It remains that we prescribe the methods. There are then three gradations in the modes of study; hearing, teaching, writing. It is a good and easy method to hear, it is a better and easier to teach, and the best and easiest of all to write. Lectures are dull; because it is tedious to confine the liberty of thought to the voice of the reader. But when we teach or write, the very exercise itself precludes the tædium."

Though the treatise of Ringelbergius is short, yet to make an useful abbreviation of it would require more room than the limits I usually prescribe to my papers will allow. I mean only to give a little specimen of the manner in which this very extraordinary writer has composed his once celebrated treatise. There are certainly many things in it which can scarcely fail to stimulate an honest mind, sincerely and seriously devoted to letters. A severe critic, or a lover of ridicule, will find much both in the matter and the style to censure and deride. But still there is something so honest and so warm in this writer, that a good-natured mind cannot help being entertained even with his absurdities, and inclined to overlook them amidst the

the copies are not very scarce, and earnestly recommend, both to the young student and the lover of literary curiosities, to devote half an hour to the perusal of it, if it should fall into their hands.

Ringelbergius was a very ingenious man, not only in polite learning and in the sciences, but in the arts of mechanical writing, painting, and engraving. Indeed these were his first pursuits and employments, and he did not apply himself to learning Latin till his seventeenth year; but such was the force of his genius, that he then made a rapid proficiency. He was certainly a man of genius, and though not quite correct in his language, yet he wrote Latin with much more spirit and vivacity than most of the Dutch and German writers of his age. He acquired the Greek language, and could almost repeat Homer from beginning to end. He was well versed in various sciences, and wrote ingeniously upon them; but his tracts are, I believe, more curious than useful. He would have been an excellent writer, and profound philosopher, had he lived in an age when the follies of judicial astrology were exploded, and hypothesis reduced to the test of experiment.