Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

The 2^d Speech

Wee have now heard y^e Advantages of Learning towards
y^e Improovement of any Country. y^e next Question our Superiours
thought proper to be discuss;^d before this hono^ble. Audience is—
whether it is better to be furnished with Education & y^e other—
means of Learning at home I mean within y^e Country of Virg^a:
or to trust to our Childrens procureing of it Abroad in England
or other forreigne parts

Now the Task Assigned to us in this dayes Excercises is to—
Show y^e Advantages of y^e. first of these a Virg.^a Education, &
I doe Soe much more willingly Apply my Self to this Subject
because I shall not need to proove it by any Nice And
Metaphysicall Arguments, but by Such a plaine and—
Easy way of Reasoning as I am Confident must bee
Obvious to y^e meanest Capacity

In Short then I think it is noe hard matter to demonstrate
yt Forreigne Education is not to be purchased but at a farr
greater Expence of time health and wealth besides the.
dishonour of wanting it in y^e Country, And yt after all
it is much more probable wee shall intirely miss our
Learning abroad then at home, And y^t if wee chance to.
Acquire it it will bee mixed with Soe many other bad
Qualities as will render us much more uneasy in y^e.
Country & more unserviceable Unto it, than if we had
Learned y^e. Same things at home, If I can make out
these Assertions I hope it will be noe hard Matter—
to Resolve y^e Question where we are to prosecut our
Studies in Europe or America in England or Virg:^a.

To begin with precious time ^who Looses most hee yt has his—
School within a dayes Rideing or two at furthest of his
Fathers house or he that has it at y^e distance of 6: 8.
10. or more weeks Sayling, I speak to men acquainted w^th
these
These things who know how Tedious it is to Rigg out
for Remote Voyages to prepare all things Necessary to—
take a solemn leave of their Friends it being Realy
an even Lay whether they shall ever See y^m againe or
not, to Ly in harbours waiting for fair winds or to bee—
driven back with Contrary ones to bee exposed to all Sorts
of Enemies & to their Barbarous Usage of their prisoners,
not to Speak of Some of them Soe inexorable, that it is
well if all a mans estate can redeem him from a perpetuall
Slavery. Let any Impartiall man consider these things and
he will be easily Convinced who Loses most time hee y^t
presently with all ease and Security Enters Upon his Study
at home, or hee y^t in makeing an English Voyage in
preparing for it and Settling himselfe after it though hee
Escapes y^e danger of Seas & enemies, Spends at Least
a greate many Moneths before he can enter upon his—
Business, and much more afterwards before he can Returne
and Settle himselfe to any Course of Life in his own Country.
Next to pretious time I look Upon y^e Loss of health to be.
one of y^e. greatest, Not yt I can or would Reflect
on y^e wholesomness of y^e English Air & Clymate but as
it has pleased y^e wise God to fitt all animals for y^e.
Severall Elements wherein hee designed they Should Live
Soe he has Soe fitted all mens bodies & Constitutions for
y^e Severall Aires & Clymats wherein they were Borne
& bred, That to carry them out of these into Remote &
Forreigne parts is Like y^e. Turning of Creatures out of y^e
their owne Elemen^t., Particularly it is an Easy thing to observe
yt every Change of Climat is attended with Certain Sorts
of dangerous diseases wh^ch. y^e. poore Stranger must undergoe
before he is Seasoned as they call it to y^t Forreigne Countrey
here. here is then a double Seasoning wee expose our Children too
by Obliging them to Travel into England for their Educations
One of y^t Loathsome Vile and dangerous disease of the
Small Pox before they are Seasoned to y^e Air of England.
in w^ch. a greate many of our Countrymen and Women have Lost
their Lives y^e. other of Feavors & Agues in w^ch. they must
Resolve to Run— a Risque of their Lives before they are—
Seasoned againe to their owne Native Air of Virginia—
Both w^ch. Risques are much more Easily prevented by—
Contriving y^e [illegible] ^means of good Education in our Own Countrys.
A third greate Loss wee Sustain by Running into Forreigne
Countrys for Education is yt of wealth & Riches The Rate
of English Education is soe disproportioned to Our Virgin^a:
Purses & Estates Y^t alass how few are there that
were ever able to Come up to it, or to goe therron with it
Even when they had not y^e Advantage they [illegible] ^now have
of Education at a farr cheaper Rate at home, I doe
Safely Appeal to those parents who ever sent their—
Children for England to be Educated Whether the—
Education of any one Such Child; did not Cost them as
dear As what would have been Reckoned A good Portion
for him in Virginia, It is true indeed yt good Education
is Costly Every where but I believe every one will
Acknowledge that in this Country it does not Cost neare.
One halfe of what it does in England. But Suposeing
it Cost realy as much, I hope all wise Patriots will—
Consider Y^t. though y^e Sumes bestowed by the Parents
Upon English or Virginia Education were Equal, Yet y^e.
Loss to y^e. Country would be very unequal & y^t for this
Plain reason, because all y^t goes for English Education is—
Soe much dead Loss to y^e Country, it is Soe much wealth—
Exported, & not only y^e expenders but y^e Country in Gen:^ll
is Soe much y^e poorer for it. whereas what goes for
Virg^ia: Education is again Spent in y^e Country, & Soe only
Circulates from one hand to Another. but upon y^e Ballance
of Trades this Country in Gennera^ll: is nothing the poorer—
what doe I say the poorer, I may Safely maintain that it is a
greate deale y^e Richer Soe much money is Saffed that
Must have gone Yearly out to England & a penny Sav^d. is a
penny gott. And a greate deale of y^{e money likewise} is Imported from
England. w^ch. if it had not been, ^{for ye means of Education here} wee should neither^never have—
seen besides y^t English [illegible] ^Donations wee have had towards the
building Viz^t from his Maj:^tie & others about 2600 pound. there
is a perpetuall fund of Settleme^t. ^{of a} Guift to our College w^ch. is
Equaly for y^e Hono^r. & profitt of the Country I mean y^e—
Legacy of y^e Famous & Hon^ble. Rob^t Boyle. by w^ch. a—
Land Estate in Yorkshire to y^e Vallue of 140^£ ayeare is—
for ever Granted to our College of Virgin^a: for y^e Education
of heathen Children in y^e Christian Faith by this One—
Example: it Appeares that in time this may be the meanes
of bringing to and Adding to y^e Countrys Stock of Wealth.
w^ch. I hope all y^t are Friends to y^e Common Wealth. & more
particularly they who have y^e. Honour to be Intrusted with y^e
Managem^t of y^e publick Consultacons for y^t and will think.
worthy of their Consideration, and will not bee Led away w^th.
a Vulgar Error w^ch. has been Industrously Spread among y^e.
Common people that y^e College will Ruin y^e. Country It
is plain to any man y^t without prejudice and partiality will
Consider matters. Y^t. not only all y^t money will be Saved—
w^ch. went Formerly out for European Education but alsoe
Y^t our Neighbouring Provinces on this greate Continent of—
America wil choose much Rather to Send their Children
hither for y^e Benefitt of a good Education than to Europe
where y^e Expence of money & y^e Loss of time and y^e danger.
of Sickness is much greater—

But if y^e. profitt were noe greater all men must owne y^t.
it is much more for y^e Credditt and Reputacon ^{of the Country to have the means of Education} with in our Selves
than to be beholding to forreign parts for a thing of Soe greate
Importance, If it was a greate Signe and Badge of Servitude—
Among y^e Israelites when they were not permitted to have any
Smiths Among them but were Necessitated to Sharpen their
Goads & Mattocks ^{to wish} — y^e Philistines it is Certainly a much greate^r
Badge of Servitude y^t wee can^t. have a Minister nor A—
Phisician nor a Lawyer nor a stastem^Statesman nor a Justice of Peace—
nor an ingenious gentleman witho^t: goeing a greate deal further
to S[illegible] p[deleted]s ^{Sharpen our} witts, ^& must be kepe^kept with our nose to y^e grindstone
to earn our Living with y^e hard Labour of y^e Rod^hoe till now
y^e old Stock of English man ^Gent being dead for want of Education
Among our selves ^that it is a Common complaint y^t in many Counteys there
are not men Enough to be found to fill y^e Bench & to admin^ister
Justice between man and man & wee insensibly decline to a
State of Ignorance & Abjectnes of Spirritt w^ch. is y^e Common consequen^ce
of it for after all it is not Soe much. y^e fertility of.
y^e Soil or y^e Blessings of air earth. & water y^t makes a.
brave Country as y^e Improoveing y^e. Spirritts of y^e inhabitants
with usefull knowledge and y^e Inspireing y^m. with Noble &
Vertuous Resolutions—

But I will venture to proceed further and Asert y^t our Youth.
is in a much fairer Election of Attaining Learning at home
than abroad for Supposeing y^e. Circumstances to be Equall in other
Respects w^ch. is y^e only fair way of Stating Such a Question I
Say it is noe way probable y^t a Child Should be either Soe diligent
in his Studies or soe Circumspect in his Manners abroad as
at home. For alass what is Youth when remoov,^d from Under
y^e Inspection of their parents and all other y^t Could have
Any power w^th them or Authority over y^m. and what are—
Masters too when there is noe parent to put them in mind
of their duty to y^e Children or to blame them for their—
Negligence What is a Bashful Stranger when Cowed &
Overaw'd w^th y^e insulting reflections of a Schoolfull of—
Boyes y^t with their Mothers Milk Learn to Contemn all
others y^t are not of their owne Nation? doe we believe y^t.
Learning is to be purchased Like a Cargoe of goods or that
a Facto^r. has either y^e time or y^e Naturall affection of
a Parent, to reflect^inspect y^e Education of Forreigne Children
or his Authority to Correct them if they Should proove—
stubborn & head ^strong Strong[deleted]as ^as Youth Generally is when Left to
it Selfe,

But supposeing w^ch. is not Easily to be Granted that A.
Child Should make as good proficiency in his Studies When
Left to himselfe as when under y^e. Inspection of his
parents Yet there are many other greate inconveniencies
W^ch. doe almost Necessarily Attend a Forreigne Education
One of y^e Least of these is that it is Imposible for y^e.
Parents to have y^e Comfort of Frequently Seeing them
or ^{or hearing from them or} knowing whether they doe well at their Studies or not,
And Yet y^e Comfort of these things is y^e greatest reward
Y^t parents Usualy have for all their paynes & Labour
Another is y^t a Child being Soe Long Left to him selfe,
has got Such a taste of Liberty y^t it is in Vain to—
Expect, Especialy if hee bee a Child of any Spirritt
Y^t ever hee will kindly submit himselfe to y^e Paternall
or Maternall Yoke after his Returne to his Owne
Country and w^ch. is worse by degrees hee is intirely
recovered ^weaned from his parents & Uterly forgott them As.
if hee were Under noe Filiall tye or Relation to Y^m—
Soe y^t insensibly there growes A Strangeness and a want
of Natureall affection & a third is y^t. when hee is Called
home hee comes frought more Commonly what ^with y^e Luxury then
What^with y^e Learning of England & knowes not how to brook our
more Simple and Less Costly way of Living in Virginia, Hee
has now another Gusto y^t cannott be Satisfyed. with y^e plainess
of his Country & soe either inclines him to Returne to y^e Oyiniony
& Flesh potts of Egypt y^e good eating & drinking fine playes
& Jovial Company of England, or if through y^e Necessity of his
Affaires hee finds himselfe Confined to this Country he becomes Soe
Uneasy to himselfe and all y^t are About him yt Neither Virg^a.
Victuals nor drink nor house nor Furniture nor Wife nor Serv^ts—
nor Company nor business nor any thing else Can Suit with his
New English humor & Soe if hee does not Morgage or Sell
his Virginia Estate in England, y^e Chief Fruit hee has reapt
by his English Education is y^t hee spends all his dayes in
Misery Cursing his hard Fate y^t has Condemned him to a Life
to Unsuitable to his humour and inclination, from all which
Considerations I think I may Safely Conclude y^t a Virginia—
Education is y^e Most proper & Suitable to Virg^a Children &
y^t w^th. noe Such Loss of time health Wealth or Reputation
& with a greate deale more Comfort to our Selves and all our—
Relations wee may Follow our Studies at home & Improove
our Naturall good Capacityes to y^e Service of y^e Church And
State in our own Country—.