? What shall a Man take in exchange for his Soul? But the Masters of great
Schools trouble themselves about no such thing. I have known a Lad of eighteen
at the University, who hath not been able to say his Catechism; but for my own
part, I always scourged a Lad sooner for missing that than any other Lesson.
Believe me, Child, all that Gentleman's Misfortunes arose from his being
educated at a public School.«
    »It doth not become me,« answer'd Joseph, »to dispute any thing, Sir, with
you, especially a matter of this kind; for to be sure you must be allowed by all
the World to be the best Teacher of a School in all our County.« »Yes, that,«
says Adams, »I believe, is granted me; that I may without much Vanity pretend to
- nay I believe I may go to the next County too - but gloriari non est meum.« -
»However, Sir, as you are pleased to bid me speak,« says Joseph, »you know, my
late Master, Sir Thomas Booby, was bred at a public School, and he was the
finest Gentleman in all the Neighbourhood. And I have often heard him say, if he
had a hundred Boys he would breed them all at the same Place. It was his
Opinion, and I have often heard him deliver it, that a Boy taken from a public
School, and carried into the World, will learn more in one Year there, than one
of a private Education will in five. He used to say, the School itself initiated
him a great way, (I remember that was his very Expression) for great Schools are
little Societies, where a Boy of any Observation may see in Epitome what he will
afterwards find in the World at large.« »Hinc illæ lachrymæ; for that very
Reason,« quoth Adams, »I prefer a private School, where Boys may be kept in
Innocence and Ignorance: for, according to that fine Passage in the Play of
Cato, the only English Tragedy I ever read,
 
If Knowledge of the World must make Men Villains,
May Juba ever live in Ignorance.
 
Who would not rather preserve the Purity of his Child, than wish him to attain
the whole Circle of Arts and Sciences; which, by the bye, he may learn in the
Classes of a private School? for I would not be vain, but I esteem myself to be
second to none, nulli secundum, in teaching these things; so that a