Feet.

and ten-times as much more. And he
that considers how Mischievous and
Mortal a thing, taking Wet in the
Feet is to those, who have been bred
nicely, will wish he had, with the
poor People's Children,gone Bare-foot;
who, by that means, come to be so re-
conciled, by Custom, to wet in their
Feet, that they take no more Cold
or Harm by it, than if they were
wet in their Hands. And what is it,
I pray, that makes this great difference
between the Hands, and the Feet in
others, but only Custom? I doubt
not, but if a Man from his Cradle had
been always used to go bare-foot,
whilst his hands were constantly
wrapped up in warm Mittins, and co-
vered with Hand-shooes, as the Dutch
call Gloves; I doubt not, I say, but
such
a Custom, would make taking
Wet in his Hands, as dangerous to him,
as now taking Wet in their Feet is to
a great many others. The way to pre-
vent this, is, to have his Shooes made
so, as to leak Water; and his Feet wash-
ed every Night in cold Water, both
for Health and Cleanliness sake. But
begin first in the Spring, with luke-

warm,

warm, and so colder and colder every Night, till, in a few days, you come to perfectly cold Water, and then continue it so. For it is to be observed in this, as in all other Alterations from our ordinary way of Living, the Changes must be made by gentle and insenfible Degrees; and so we may bring our Bodies to any thing, without pain and without danger.

Alterations.

§.8. I shall not need here to mention Swiming. his learning to Swim, when he is of Age able to learn, and has any one to teach him. The advantages (besides that of Swiming) to health, by often bathing in the summer in cold Water, are so many, that I think nothing need to be laid to encourage it, provided this one caution be used, That he never go into the Water, when Exercise has at all warm'd him, or left any Emotion in his Blood or Pulse.

§. 9. Another Thing that is of great Advantage to every One's Health, but especially Children's, is, to be much in the open Air,and very little as may be by the Fire, even in Winter. By this he will accustom himself also to Heat and Cold, Shine and Rain; all which

B 4

Air.

which if a Man's Body will not endure, it will serve him to very little purpose in this World; and when he is grown up, it is too late to begin to use him to it; it must be got early, and by degrees. Thus the Body may be brought to bear almost any Thing. If I should advise him to play in the Wind and the Sun without a Hat, I doubt whether it could be born; there would a Thousand Objections be made against it, which at last would a mount to no more, in Truth, than be ing Sun-burnt: And if my young Ma fter be to be kept always in the Shade, and never exposed to the Sun and Wind, for fear of his Complexion, it may be a good Way to make him aBeau, but not a Man of Business. And although greater Regard be to be had to Beauty in the Daughters, yet I will take the Liberty to say, that the more they are in the Air, without pre-. judice to their Faces, the stronger and healthier they will be; and the nearer they come to the Hardships of their Brothers in their Education, the greater Advantage will they receive from it all the remaining Part of their Lives. ·

Playing

§. 10. Playing in the open Air has but Air. this one Danger in it,that I know; and that is, That when he is hot with running up and down, he should sit or lie down on the cold or moist Earth. This, I grant, and drinking cold Drink, when they are hot with Labour or Exercise, brings more People to the Grave, or to the Brink of it, by Fe vers, and other Diseases, than any Thing I know. These Mischiefs are easily enough prevented whilst he is little, being then seldom out of sight: And if, during his Childhood, he be constantly and rigorously kept from Sitting on the Ground, or drinking any cold Liquor, whilft he is hot, the Custom of forbearing grown into Habit, will help much to preserve him, when he is no longer under his Maid's or Tutor's Eye. This is all I think can be done in the Case; for, as Years increase, Liberty must come with them; and in a great many Things he must be trusted to his own Conduct, since there cannot always be a Guard upon him, except what you have put into his own Mind by good Principles, and established Habits, which is the