Beef, Mutton, Veal, &c. without other Sawce than Hunger, is best; and great care should be used, that he eat Bread plentifully, both alone and with every thing else. And whatever he eats that is solid, make him chew it well. We English are often negligent herein; from whence follow Indigestion, and other great Inconveniences.

§.14. For Breakfast and Supper, Milk, Milk-Pottage, Water-Gruel, Flummery, and twenty other Things that we are wont to make in England, are very fit for Children: Only, in all these let Care be taken that they be plain, and without much mixture, and very sparingly seasoned with sugar, or rather none at all; especially all Spice, and other Things that may heat the Blood, are carefully to be avoided. Be sparing also of Salt in the Seasoning of all his Victuals, and use him not to highfeasoned Meats: Our Palates like the Seasoning and Cookery they are set to, and an over much Use of Salt, besides that it occasions thirst, and over-much Drinking, has other ill Effects upon the Body. I should think that a good Piece of well made, and well baked

Brown

Diet.

Dicti

Brown Bread, sometimes with, and sometimes without Butter or Cheese, would be often the best Breakfast for my young Master. I am sure 'tis as wholsom, and will make him as strong a Man as greater Delicacies: And if he be used to it, it will be pleasant to him. If he at any Time calls for ViEtuals between Meals, use him to nothing but dry Bread; if he be hungry more than wanton, Bread alone will down; and if he be not hungry, 'tis not fit he should eat. By this you will obtain two good effects. That by Custom he will come to be in love with Bread; for, as I said, our Palates are pleased with the Things we are used to. Another Good you will gain hereby is, That you will not teach him to eat more, nor oftner than Nature requires. I do not think that all People's Appetites are alike; some have naturally stronger, and some weaker Stomachs: But this I think, that many are made Gormans and Gluttons by Custom, that were not so by Nature and I see in some Countries Men as lusty and strong that eat but two Meals a Day, as others that have set their Stomachs

Stomachs by a constant Usage, like Diet. Larms, to call on them for four or five: and therefore, if it should not be thought too severe, I should judge it most convenient that he should have nothing but Bread too for Breakfast: } You cannot imagine of what Force Custom is: And I impute a great part of our Diseases in England to our eating too much Flesh, and too little Bread.

§. 15. As to his Meals, I should think Meals. it best, that, as much as can be conveniently avoided, they should not be kept constantly to an Hour; for when Custom has fixed his Eating to certain stated Periods, his stomach will expect Victuals at the usual Hour; and if he passes it, either grow indisposed, and as it were peevish, or lose its Appetite. In short, I think it best he should eat Flesh but once a Day, plain Flesh, and of one Sort at a time; and whilst young, Spoon-meat also once a Day; and if you please, once a Day Cheese or Butter with his Bread ; but I would have no Time kept constantly to, but rather varied almost every Day. And if betwixt these which I call Meals he will eat, let him have, as often as

he

Meals.

Drink.

he calls for it, good dry Bread. If any one think this too hard and sparing a Diet for a Child, let them know, that a Child will never starve, nor want Nourishment,who,besides Flesh once a Day, and other Things once or twice more, may have good Bread and Beer as often as he has a Stomach. Nor let any One think this unsuitable to one of Estate and Condition: A Gentleman in any Age ought to be so bred, as to be fitted to bear Arms, and be a Soldier; but he that in this breeds his Son so, as if he designed him to sleep over his Life in the Plenty and Ease of a full Fortune he intends to leave him, little considers the Examples he has seen, nor the Age he lives in.

§.16. His Drink should be only Small Beer; and that too he should never be suffered to have between Meals, but after he had eat a Piece of Bread. The Reasons why I say this are these:

§. 17. 1. More Fevers and Surfeits are got by People's Drinking when they are hot, than by any one Thing I know; therefore, if by Play he be hot and dry, Bread will ill go down, and so is he cannot have Drink, but upon

that

that Condition, he will be forced to Drinks forbear. For, if he be very hot, he should by no means drink; at least, a good piece of Bread first to be eaten, will gain Time to warm the Beer Bloodhot, which then he may drink safely. If he be very dry, it will go down so warm'd, and quench his Thirst better: And if he will not drink it so warm'd, Abstaining will not hurt him. Befides, This will teach him to forbear, which is an Habit of greatest Use for Health of Body and Mind too.

18. 2. Not being permitted to drink without eating, will prevent the Custom of having the Cup often at his Nose; a dangerous Beginning, and Preparation to Good-fellowship. Men often bring Habitual Hunger and Thirst on themselves by Custom; and if you please to try, you may, though he be weaned from it, bring him, by Use, to such a Necessity again of Drinking in the Night, that he will not be able to sleep without it: And it being the Lullaby used by Nurses, to still crying Children, I believe Mothers generally find some Difficulty to wean their Children from Drinking in the

C

Night,