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THE NATURE ANI) CAUSES (IF

Great objects, however, are evidently not necessary in orderto occasion the greatest exertions. Rivalship and emulationrender excellency, even in mean professions, an object of am-bition, and frequently occasion the very greatest exertions.Great objects, on the contrary, alone and unsupported by thenecessity of application, have seldom been sufficient to occa-sion any considerable exertion. In England, success in theprofession of the law leads to some very great objects of am-bition ; and yet how few men, born to easy fortunes, have everin this country been eminent in that profession!

The endowments of schools and colleges have necessarilydiminished more or less the necessity of application in theteachers. Their subsistence, so far as it arises from their sa-laries, is evidently derived from a fund altogether independentof their success and reputation in their particular professions.

In some universities the salary makes but a part, and fre-quently but a small part of the emoluments of the teacher, ofwhich the greater part arises from the honoraries or fees of hispupils. The necessity of application, though always more orless diminished, is not in this case entirely taken away. Re-putation in his profession is still of some importance to him,and he still has some dependency upon the affection, grati-tude, and favourable report of those who have attended uponhis instructions; and these favourable sentiments he is likelyto gain in no way so well as by deserving them, that is, bythe abilities and diligence with which he discharges everypart of his duty.

In other universities the teacher is prohibited from receivingany honorary or fee from, his pupils, and his salary constitutesthe whole of the revenue which he derives from his office.Ilis interest is, in this case, set as directly in opposition to hisduty as it is possible to set it. It is the interest of every manto live as much at his ease as he can; and if his emolumentsare to be precisely the same, whether he does, or does not per-form some very laborious duty, it is certainly his interest, atleast as interest is vulgarly understood, either to neglect it al-together, or, if he is subject to some authority which will notsuffer him to do this, to perform it in as careless and slovenlya manner as that authority will permit. If he is naturallyactive, and a lover of labour, it is his interest to employ thatactivity in any way, froffi which he can derive some advan-tage, rather than in the performance of his duty, from whichhe can deyive none.