The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public BenefitsMandeville, Bernard
Philosophy
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits
Mandeville, Bernard
Charity-schools -- Early works to 1800; Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Virtue -- Early works to 1800
Professors should, besides their stipends allowed them by the public,
have gratifications from every student they teach, that self-interest,
as well as emulation and the love of glory, might spur them on to
labour and assiduity. When a man excels in any one study or part of
learning, and is qualified to teach others, he ought to be procured, if
money will purchase him, without regarding what party, or indeed what
country or nation he is of, whether black or white. Universities should
be public marts for all manner of literature, as your annual fairs,
that are kept at Leipsic, Frankfort, and other places in Germany,
are for different wares and merchandises, where no difference is
made between natives and foreigners, and which men resort to from
all parts of the world with equal freedom and equal privilege.
From paying the gratifications I spoke of, I would excuse all students
designed for the ministry of the gospel. There is no faculty so
immediately necessary to the government of a nation as that of
theology, and as we ought to have great numbers of divines for the
service of this island, I would not have the meaner people discouraged
from bringing up their children to that function. For though wealthy
men, if they have many sons, sometimes make one of them a clergyman,
as we see even persons of quality take up holy orders, and there
are likewise people of good sense, especially divines, that from a
principle of prudence bring up their children to that profession, when
they are morally assured that they have friends or interest enough,
and shall be able, either by a good fellowship at the university,
advowsons, or other means to procure them a livelihood: but these
produce not the large number of divines that are yearly ordained,
and for the bulk of the clergy, we are indebted to another original.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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