THE

Young Man's Own Book.

NECESSITY OF BEING WELL INFORMED.

THE young are apt to disregard the value of knowledge, partly, we fear, from the pertinacious constancy with which teachers, parents, and guardians endeavor to impress them with its inestimable worth. "Knowledge better than House and Lands," is the title of one of the first picture books presented to a child, and it is the substance of ten thousand precepts which are constantly dinned in his ears from infancy upwards; so that, at last, the truth becomes tiresome and almost detested.

Still it is a sober truth, of which every young man should feel the force-that, with the single exception of a good conscience, no possession can be so valuable as a good stock of information. Some portion of it is always coming into use; and there is hardly any kind of information which may not become useful in the course of an active life.

When we speak of information, we do not mean that merely which has direct reference to a man's trade, profession or business. To be skilful in these is a matter of absolute necessity; so much so, that we often see, for example, a merchant beginning the world with no other stock than a

good character and a thorough knowledge of business, and speedily acquiring wealth and respectability, while another, who is not well informed in his business, begins with a fortune, fails in every thing he undertakes, causes loss and disgrace to all who are connected with him, and goes on blundering to the end of the chapter.

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But a thorough knowledge of one's business or profession is not enough, of itself, to constitute what is properly called a well-informed man. On the contrary, one who possesses this kind of information only, is generally regarded as a mere machine, unfit for society or rational enjoyment. A man should possess a certain amount of liberal and scientific information, to which he should always be adding something as long as he lives, and in this free country he should make himself acquainted with his own political and legal rights. Keep a thing seven years and you will have use for it," is an old motto which will apply admirably well to almost any branch of knowledge. Learn almost any science, language or art, and in a few years you will find it of service to you. This truth is so important that I would add to it by way of commentary, " Employ that leisure, which others waste in idle and corrupting pursuits, in the acquisition of those branches of knowledge which serve to amuse as well as instruct; natural history, for example, or chemistry, or astronomy, or drawing, or any of the numerous kindred branches of study."

MEANS OF ACQUIRING INFORMATION.

THERE are five eminent means or methods whereby the mind is improved in the knowledge of things, and these are observation, reading, instruction by lectures, conversation, and meditation; which last, in a most peculiar manner, is called study. Let us survey the general definitions or descriptions of them all.

I. Observation is the notice that we take of all occurrences in human life, whether they are sensible or intellectual, whether relating to persons or things, to ourselves or others. It is this that furnishes us, even from our infancy, with a rich variety of ideas, words and phrases: it is by this we know that fire will burn, that the sun gives light, that a horse eats grass, that an acorn produces an oak, that man is a being capable of reasoning and discourse, that our judg ment is weak, that our mistakes are many, that our sorrows are great, that our bodies die and are carried to the grave, and that one generation succeeds another. All those things which we see, which we hear or feel, which we perceive by sense or consciousness, or which we know in a direct manner, with scarce any exercise of our reflecting faculties, or our reasoning powers, may be included under the general name of observation.

When this observation relates to any thing that immediately concerns ourselves, and of which we are conscious, it may be called experience. So I am said to know or experience that I have in myself a power of thinking, fearing, loving, &c., that I have appetites and passions working in me,

and that many personal occurrences have attended me in this life.

Observation therefore includes all that Locke means by sensation and reflection.

When we are searching out the nature or properties of any thing by various methods of trial, or when we apply some active powers, or set some causes to work to observe what effects they would produce, this sort of observation is called experiment. So when I throw a bullet into water, I find it sinks; and when I throw the same bullet into quicksilver, I see it swims: but if I beat out this bullet into a thin hollow shape, like a dish, then it will swim in the water too. So when I strike two flints together, I find they produce fire: when I throw a seed into the earth, it grows up into a plant.

All these belong to the first method of knowledge which we shall call observation.

II. Reading is that means or method of knowledge whereby we acquaint ourselves with what other men have written, or published to the world in their writings. The arts of reading and writing are of infinite advantage; for by them we are made partakers of the sentiments, observations, reasonings, and improvements of all the learned world, in the most remote nations, and in former ages almost from the beginning of mankind.

III. Public or private lectures are such verbal instructions as are given by a teacher while the learners attend in silence. This is the way of learning religion from the pulpit; or of philosophy or theology from the professor's chair; or of mathematics, by a teacher showing us various theorems or problems, i. e. speculations or practices by de.