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THE NATURE AND CAUSES OE

zerland, in the protestant countries of Germany, in Holland ,in Scotland, in Sweden, and Denmark , the most eminent menol’ letters whom those countries have produced, have, not allindeed, but the far greater part of them, been professors inuniversities. In those countries the universities are continuallydraining the church of all its most eminent men of letters.

It may, perhaps, be worth while to remark, that, if weexcept the poets, a few orators, and a few historians, the fargreater part of the other eminent men of letters, both of Greece and Rome, appear to have been either public or privateteachers; generally either of philosophy or of rhetoric. Thisremark will be found to hold true from the days of Lysias and Isocrates, of Plato and Aristotle, down to those of Plu-tarch and Epictetus, of Suetonius and Quintilian . To imposeupon any man the necessity of teaching, year after year, inany particular branch of science, seems, in reality, to be themost effectual method for rendering him completely master ofit himself. By being obliged to go every year over the sameground, if he is good for any thing, he necessarily becomes,in a few years, well acquainted with every part of it: and ifupon any particular point he should form too hasty an opinionone year, when he comes in the course of his lectures to re-consider the same subject the year thereafter, he is very likelyto correct it. As to be a teacher of science is certainly thenatural employment of a mere man of letters; so is it likewise,perhaps, the education which is most likely to render him aman of solid learning and knowledge. The mediocrity ofchurch benefices naturally tends to draw the greater part ofmen of letters in the country where it takes place, to the em-ployment in which they can be the most useful to the public,and, at the same time, to give them the best education, per-haps, they are capable of receiving. It tends to render theirlearning both as solid as possible, and as useful as possible.

The revenue of every established church, such parts of itexcepted as may arise from particular lands or manors, is abranch, it ought to be observed, ot the general revenue of thestate, which is thus diverted to a purpose very different fromthe defence of the state. The tithe, for example, is a realland-tax, which puts it out of the power of the proprietors ofland to contribute so largely towards the defence of the stateas they otherwise might be able to do. The rent of land,however, is, according to some, the sole fund, and, accordingto others, the principal fund, from which, in all great mo-