第44章
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  Theeducationofboysatdistantgreatschools,ofyoungmenatdistantcolleges,ofyoungladiesindistantnunneriesandboarding-schools,seems,inthehigherranksoflife,tohavehurtmostessentiallythedomesticmorals,andconsequentlythedomestichappiness,bothofFranceandEngland。Doyouwishtoeducateyourchildrentobedutifultotheirparents,tobekindandaffectionatetotheirbrothersandsisters?putthemunderthenecessityofbeingdutifulchildren,ofbeingkindandaffectionatebrothersandsisters:educatetheminyourownhouse。Fromtheirparent’shousetheymay,withproprietyandadvantage,goouteverydaytoattendpublicschools:butlettheirdwellingbealwaysathome。Respectforyoumustalwaysimposeaveryusefulrestraintupontheirconduct;andrespectforthemmayfrequentlyimposenouselessrestraintuponyourown。Surelynoacquirement,whichcanpossiblybederivedfromwhatiscalledapubliceducation,canmakeanysortofcompensationforwhatisalmostcertainlyandnecessarilylostbyit。Domesticeducationistheinstitutionofnature;publiceducation,thecontrivanceofman。Itissurelyunnecessarytosay,whichislikelytobethewisest。

  Insometragediesandromances,wemeetwithmanybeautifulandinterestingscenes,foundedupon,whatiscalled,theforceofblood,oruponthewonderfulaffectionwhichnearrelationsaresupposedtoconceiveforoneanother,evenbeforetheyknowthattheyhaveanysuchconnection。Thisforceofblood,however,Iamafraid,existsno-wherebutintragediesandromances。Evenintragediesandromances,itisneversupposedtotakeplacebetweenanyrelations,butthosewhoarenaturallybredupinthesamehouse;betweenparentsandchildren,betweenbrothersandsisters。Toimagineanysuchmysteriousaffectionbetweencousins,orevenbetweenauntsoruncles,andnephewsornieces,wouldbetooridiculous。

  Inpastoralcountries,andinallcountrieswheretheauthorityoflawisnotalonesufficienttogiveperfectsecuritytoeverymemberofthestate,allthedifferentbranchesofthesamefamilycommonlychusetoliveintheneighbourhoodofoneanother。Theirassociationisfrequentlynecessaryfortheircommondefence。Theyareall,fromthehighesttothelowest,ofmoreorlessimportancetooneanother。Theirconcordstrengthenstheirnecessaryassociation;theirdiscordalwaysweakens,andmightdestroyit。Theyhavemoreintercoursewithoneanother,thanwiththemembersofanyothertribe。Theremotestmembersofthesametribeclaimsomeconnectionwithoneanother;and,whereallothercircumstancesareequal,expecttobetreatedwithmoredistinguishedattentionthanisduetothosewhohavenosuchpretensions。Itisnotmanyyearsagothat,intheHighlandsofScotland,theChieftainusedtoconsiderthepoorestmanofhisclan,ashiscousinandrelation。ThesameextensiveregardtokindredissaidtotakeplaceamongtheTartars,theArabs,theTurkomans,and,Ibelieve,amongallothernationswhoarenearlyinthesamestateofsocietyinwhichtheScotsHighlanderswereaboutthebeginningofthepresentcentury。

  Incommercialcountries,wheretheauthorityoflawisalwaysperfectlysufficienttoprotectthemeanestmaninthestate,thedescendantsofthesamefamily,havingnosuchmotiveforkeepingtogether,naturallyseparateanddisperse,asinterestorinclinationmaydirect。Theysoonceasetobeofimportancetooneanother;and,inafewgenerations,notonlyloseallcareaboutoneanother,butallremembranceoftheircommonorigin,andoftheconnectionwhichtookplaceamongtheirancestors。

  Regardforremoterelationsbecomes,ineverycountry,lessandless,accordingasthisstateofcivilizationhasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablished。IthasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablishedinEnglandthaninScotland;andremoterelationsare,accordingly,moreconsideredinthelattercountrythanintheformer,though,inthisrespect,thedifferencebetweenthetwocountriesisgrowinglessandlesseveryday。

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