The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-03-15 00:00:00, page 1

STOLEN out of the liable of the Subscriber, on the
night of the 7th inst. a bay Stallion, eight years
old, 16 hands high, with a star in his forehead, his
hind hoofs white, branded SS on both buttocks but
scarcely difcernable, Shod all round, trots and canters.
Seven Hundred Dollars reward will be given for se
curing the horse, and Three Hundred D >liars for the
thief, by ALEXANDER M'DONALD.
Princeton, Bth Feb. 1780. gw§ t.f.
H E PmTL
Noffau-Hall, Princeton, Ne<w-%rfo, Feb. 24, 1780.
AS the college and grammar-school in this place
are now beginning to recover from the desola
tion they have fuffered in consequence of the war;
as the Scholars are collected from the most distant
parts of the continent, and even the Weft-India islands;
and as the Trustees and Faculty are now exerting
themselves with great diligence for the improvement
of the seminary ; there are some things which I think
it of much importance on my part to communicate
to schoolmasters and parents. This would not have
been done in a newspaper if it had been possible to
find any other way as easy, speedy and effectual.
Schoolmasters are intreated to be as careful as pos
sible to make the boys intended for college, accurate
in their preparatory Rudies. If they come here ill
founded in classic learning, and obtain admission, it
will be impossible for us fully to remedy that defect
by going back to the firß principles; and there are
many cases in which to reject them for the fault of
their teachers, and not their own, would seem very
hard, besides other circumstances that often plead
strongly in their behalf. There is the greater neces
sity of attending to this, that the Trustees of the col
lege have seen it proper to allow of admission into the
junior class when they enter on the Rudy of the
sciences; and though they are kept reading a part of
their time in the higher classics, it is plainly imprac
ticable to enter so minutely into the principles of
grammar and syntax as would be necessary for those
who have these matters yet to learn. I will therefore
take the liberty of recommending a few particulars.
I. Let effectual pains be taken, and early, to teach
them readily to apply the rules of syntax ; for which
purpose there are many excellent books published.
Rudiman's Grammatical Exercises for beginners, and
Mair's Introduction for those farther advanced, are
among the best ; but any of them will do well enough
in the hands of a fkilful master. It ought to be re
membered that it is of much more consequence to
make them understand the grammar and Structure of
the language well, than to make them by force of
memory or application, translate passages of the clas
sics either in poetry or prose. Experience tells us,
that if they intermit their studies but a month or two
they will soon forget what they have learned, unless
the foundation is well laid, as above.
2. In prosecution of the fame plan, it were to be
James Randolph, ) Execu
2wf Tobias Hendrickson, ) tors.
T O BE S D,'
At Private Sale or RENTE D, the estate at Spotf
wood, in the county of Middkfex, New-Jersey,
CONSISTING of two grist-mills, one saw-mill,
and the iron-works, with a large trad of land
and a number of houses, all in tolerable good repair ;
they will be disposed of all together or feparate,as may
best suit. For farther particulars enquire of the sub
scriber in Allentown. 'JOSEPH HAICHT.
March 6, 1780. 3 wt
TO BE SOL D, BY
ISAAC COLLI N S,
At his PRINTING-OFFICE in TRENTON,
A FEW copies of the Laws passed at Mountholly
" in November and December last, price twenty
dollars; Evans's map of the middle Rates ; and also
a quantity of excellent LAMPBLACK, in neat paper
barrels.
r ro be fold by the Printer of this Gazette, one
I copy of an elegant edition of Miller's Gar
dener's Dictionary, one vol. folio.—Alfo a number
of The Saints Everlasting Rest, bound in leather.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
T O B E SO L D,
AT Publick Vendue on Tuesday the 21st day of
" March instant, at the house of Daniel Griggs,
at Tom's River, seventy acres of very good young
green Cedar Swamp, very handy to water-carriage,
on the branches of Cedar Creek ; 'late the property
of John Coward, deceased. —Attendance will be giv
en for several days before the day of sale at Tom's
River, to Shew the premises : The land will be fold
as belt suits the purchafei as to quantity, and attend
ance will be given by
[Vol. lII.]
WEDNESDAY, March 15, 1780.
wished that masters, inßead of pushing boys forward
to the higher classics, or making them change their
books often, would not only make them perfect in the
construction, but give them a very extensive vocabu
lary of the language by the use of easy books and such
as they have ideas Sufficiently comprehensive to un
derßand. By these I mean Corderius, Erasmus, 7E
fop's Fables, Selects e Veteri Teßamento Hiftorise,
all of which were written or collected by great men,
in order to facilitate the instruction of youth. To
this fnould be added tranllating always back from
English to Latin as well as from Latin to English,
and writing verlions of both kinds. For want of this,
nothing is more common than to meet with boys who
fay they have read Virgil or Horace who yet cannot
fptak three Sentences in Latin upon the mod common
Subjects, and cannot explain two pages of Corderius
or Erasmus unless they have read them lately ; nay,
will very simply answer, if they be desired to do it,
that they have not read them of a long time. This
is just as absurd as if in arithmetic they Should fay
they could do the rule ot Three, but bad forgot nume
ration and addition, not having applied to them for
some time past. I am persuaded that were boys taught
the whole construction of the Latin language from
such books as Corderius or Erasmus's Colloquies, and
could they express every thing readily in clallic Latin
that might be exprelled by the words to be found in
these books, they would be better Latin scholars than
many who have finished their college course. Let a
fchoiar so qualified open any book whatever, he
would understand almost every thing he saw, and of
the little he did not understand he would know very
well in what manner by a dictionary he might be
speedily informed.
3. It is earnestly recommended to masters to teach
the boys to read and pronounce properly, paying at
tention to the quantity of the syllables. They fliould
from the beginning be made to loie their place in the
class as certainly tor a falfc quantity aa for a wrong
word. If this is neglected at tiift, and they are fuf
fered to contract a vicious habit of pronouncing, it
will be in vain to think of correcting it afterwards by
teaching them the rules of prosody.
4. Masters of grammar-Schools are requeued by
frequent occasional or rather periodical exercises in
reading, spelling, speaking and writing, to make the
scholars accurate in their knowledge of their mother
tongue. Certainly this is of the firft importance, and
will be thought so by all parents whose approbation
is worth seeking for. You will fay this ought to be
done in Englifli Schools ; undoubtedly it ought : But
what knowledge they acquire there ought to be pre
served and increased in every Rage of their progicfs.
There is an advantage in a grammar-school and col
lege for this purpose, for when they are learning the
principles of grammar in general in order to obtain a
knowledge ot the dead languages, it will not hinder
but promote and facilitate their improvement to point
out to them the idioms of different languages, and
particularly wherein their own agrees with, or differs
from that which they arc endeavourirg to acquire.
I conclude with taking notice that the art of teach
ing any Science whatever to advantage, is built upon
two foeat principles. 1. That the learner Should be
made as perfect as possible in one thing before he be
carried forward to another. 2. That the Reps of
transition Should be as ir.confiderable, or in other
words, as easy and gentle as possible. The firft of
these I suppose will not be disputed by any body, and
is as easy in its application as it is just in its nature.
There are masters, however, who carry boys through
the grammar with any thing less than half learned,'fo
that in their teflons they are hammering and guessing,
laying one word right and two wrong, by which the
maker's time is wafted, and yet the profit of the Scho
lar very Small. The Second principle is as visibly just
as the other, but of much greater compass, variety
and difficulty in the application. It may be illustrat
ed by the way now frequently taken in teaching the
art of writing. Some masters have analyfed the whole
into a certain number of Simple Strokes, each of them
easily observed and imitated by itfelf; and after they
have learned these perfectly one by one, they join the
whole together with the utmost facility as well as ac
curacy. Something of this kind Should be constantly
in the view of the master of a grammar-school ; and
he is the most accomplished teacher who can make
the Steps by which the pupil proceeds the most easy,
natural and obvious.
I Shall now offer a few advices to parents who fend
their children to a grammar-school or college.
I. That they would not attempt to force their chil
dren on fafter than is for their real advantage. It
seems to be a very general object of dt fire or ambiti
on with parents to have their children taught in as
THE
CAMP at St. ROCH, in Spain, near Gibraltar, Oct. 3.
, ^=9 W ° sailors belonging to the Panther, and
■ a Hanoverian private, have deserted to us.
■ They agree in their accounts, and confirm
that the garrison is at half allowance. They
are reduced to the neceflity of drefling their
victuals with cedar furniture or pine. Their fatigue
men are allowed only 21b. of bread for three days,
and ilb. of meat. Their powder is bad.
Stockholm, Oct. 8. The King has been conferring
honors on several Swedish officers who served under
Count D'ERaing, and distinguished themselves by
their bravery, particularly in the naval action off
Grenada, and some others who were at the taking of
the Ship Ardent by the French frigate Juno.
Paris, Nov. 3. Some papers mention, that tw<
prizes which Paul Jones had sent into a port of Nor
way, have been delivered up on the requisition of tl
British Minister there. But the fact is, those veg
were fold lor the benefit of the captors.
Hague, Now. 10. In anfiver to the memorip ce
Sir Joseph Yorke, demanding from the States G n d
ral the restitution of the Seraphis and Counte, w
Scarborough, they fay, that they find that twat'
little time as possible in the grammar-school, and en
tered as high as possible in the clafics in college. No
thing can be more preposterous than this ; for cer
tainly it is more honourable as well as plcai'ant for a
boy to be at the head of one class, than at the bot
tom of the one immediately superior to it. Besides
it makes their work difficult, and their improvement
or success uncertain. If parents are desirous that
their children's education Should be soon finished,
that they may not arrive at the stature of men before
they have compleated the work of boys, it is a most
laudable purpose. But the true way to obtain it is
to begin early, that they may have time to be taught
in a proper and effectual manner. If this opportu
nity is already unhappily loft, I would recommend
altering the object of the instruction, and instead of
giving them a regular course, making them perfect in
some of the most essential branches and omiting others.
2. It is of much consequence that children be re
gular and constant in attendance. If they are called
home on trifling occasions, or Suffered to go home on
frivolous pretences, the hurt that it does them is much
greater than is commonly apprehended. It gives them
an idle turn, and takes their heads off from their
books: It breaks the thread of their instruction, and
throws them behind their class, which extinguishes
their emulation, and often produces a despondent in
difference and Both. They generally tell you when
requesting this licence that they will Rudy hard to
make up the time of their absence; but experience
tells me that the very reverse is commonly the case.
Nay, though they were in some degree to perform
their promise it would be of little avail ; for if parents
expert that masters will take the trouble of extra at
tendance in such cases, and add to the fatigue per
haps already too great, I believe they will be gene
rally mistaken.
In the last place, parents are requested to Support,
countenance, and co-operate with the moral govern
ment of the Seminary. It will be wholly in vain to
expect boys to profit in their studies if they are al
lowed to be loose in their morals. I look upon it as
certain that the pad prosperity and success of the
college of New-Jersey has been capitally owing to
the RriCt attention paid to this circumstance by the
Trustees from its first foundation. Now it is easy to
fee how injurious it must be to boys, if the fyfteni
of government and example at home is different from,
perhaps directly opposed to, that ot the seminary
where they receive their inflection. We fay they
Shall not be fuffered to play at cards or dice, to swear
and Speak profanely, or take their diversion abroad
on the Lord's day, and withal endeavour to persuade
them that thcle courses are the road to perdition.
But when they return home to their parents, all these
things are done frequently, openly, and without re
serve. Perhaps I Shall hereby expole myfelf to the
reproaches of that honourable class of men the Free
thinkers of the age. This gives me very little con
cern, and doesnot Shake my opinion in the least degree.
There are, however, some even of them who readily
admit that children and youth Should be kept from
Such practices in a feat of learning, though they make
no scruple of defending the fame indulgences in per
sons of riper years. The consistency of this I leave
them to make out at their leisure, and Shall only fay,
that at any rate those parents who approve of the
fyllem of education pradifed here, Should, for their
own fakes, be very cautious of counteracting or de
feating it either by discourse or example.
J. WITHERSPOON.
[Numb. 116.]