THE WEALTH OE NATIONS.

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or what is very little better than nonsense. It must too beunpleasant to him to observe that the greater part of his stu-dents desert his lectures; or perhaps attend upon them withplain enough marks of neglect, contempt, and derision. Ifhe is obliged, therefore, to give a certain number of lectures,those motives alone, without auy other interest, might dis-pose him to take some pains to give tolerably good ones.Several different expedients, however, may be fallen upon,which will effectually blunt the edge of all those incitementsto diligence. The teacher, instead of explaining to his pupilshimself the science in which he proposes to instruct them,may read some book upon it; and if this book is written in aforeign and dead language, by interpreting it to them intotheir own; or, what would give him still less trouble, bymaking them interpret it to him, and by now and then makingan occasional remark upon it, he may flatter himself that heis giving a lecture. The slightest degree of knowledge andapplication will enable him to do this, without exposing him-self to contempt or derision, of saying any thing that is reallyfoolish, absurd, or ridiculous. The discipline of the college,at the same time, may enable him to force all his pupils tothe most regular attendance upon this sham lecture, and tomaintain the most decent and respectful behaviour during thewhole time of the performance. -The discipline of colleges and universities is in generalcontrived, nor for the benefit of the students, but for the in-terest, or, more properly speaking, for the ease of the masters.Its object is, in all cases, to maintain the authority of themaster, and whether he neglects or performs his duty, tooblige the students in all cases to behave to him as if he per-formed it with the greatest diligence and ability. It seemsto presume perfect wisdom and virtue in the one order, andthe greatest weakness and folly in the other. Where themasters, however, really perform their duty, there are no ex-amples, I believe, that the greater part of the students everneglect theirs. No discipline is ever requisite to force attend-ance upon lectures which are really worth the attending, asis well known wherever any such lectures are given. Forceand restraint may, no doubt, be in some degree requisite inorder to oblige children, or very young boys, to attend tothose parts of education which it is thought necessary forthem to acquire during that early period of life; but aftertwelve or thirteen years of age, provided the master does his