can ufe, is fcarce enough to cleanse the viciated Seed-Plat, over-grown with Weeds, and reftore us the Hopes of Fruits, to re ward our Pains in its Seafon.

6.85. This Courfe, if obferv'd, will spare both Father and Child the Trouble of repeated Injunctions, and multiply'd Rules of Doing and Forbearing. For I am of Opinion, that of thofe Actions which tend to vicious Habits, (which are thofe alone that a Father fhould interpofe his Autho rity and Commands in) none fhould be forbidden Children, 'till they are found guil ty of them. For fuch untimely Prohibiti ons, if they do nothing worfe, do at leaft fo much towards teaching and allowing 'em, that they fuppofe, that Children may be guilty of them, who would poffibly be fafer in the Ignorance of any fuch Faults. And the best Remedy to ftop them, is, as I have faid, to fhew Wonder and Amazement at any fuch Action, as hath a vicious Tendency, when it is firft taken No

tice of in a Child For Not

he is first found in a Lie, or any ill-natur'd Trick, the firft Remedy fhould be, to talk to him of it as a frange monsterous Matter, that it could not be imagin'd he would have done, and fofhame him out of it." 915 9 6153

6. 86. It will be (tis like) objected, That what foever I fancy of the Tractableness of Children, and the Prevalency of those fof

ter

ter Ways of Shame and Commendation, yet there are many, who will never apply themfelves to their Books, and to what they ought to learn, unless they are fcourg'd to it. This, I fear, is nothing but the Language of ordinary Schools and Fashion, which have never fuffer'd the other to be try'd as it should be, in Places where it could be taken Notice of. Why, elfe, does the Learning of Latin and Greek need the Red, when French and Italian need it not? Chil dren learn to dance and fence without Whipping; nay, Arithmetick, Drawing, &c. they apply themfelves well enough to without Beating: Which would make one fufpect, that there is fomething ftrange, unnatural, and difagreeable to that Age, in the Things requir'd in Grammar Schools, or in the Methods us'd there, that Children cannot be brought to, without the Severity of the Lafh, and hardly with that too; or elfe, that it is a Miftake, that those Tongues could not be taught them without Beating.

87. But let us fuppofe fome fo negligent or idle, that they will not be brought to learn by the gentle Ways propos'd: For we must grant, that there will be Children found of all Tempers; yet it does not thence follow, that the rough Difcipline of the Cudgel is to be us'd to all. Nor can any one be concluded unmanageable by the milder Methods of Government, till they have been

4

been throughly try'd upon him; and if they will not prevail with him to use his Endeavours, and do what is in his Power to do, we make no Excufes for the Obftinate. Blows are the proper Remedies for thofe; but Blows laid on in a Way diffe rent from the ordinary. He that wilfully neglects his Book, and ftubbornly refufes any Thing he can do, requir'd of him by his Father, expreffing hinifelf in a pofitive ferious Command, fhould not be corrected with two or three angry Lashes, for not performing his Tafk, and the fame Punishment repeated again and again upon every the like Default: But when it is brought to that Pass, that Wilfulness evidently fhews' it felf, and makes Blows neceffary, I think the Chaftisement fhould be a little more fedate, and a little more fevere, and the Whipping (mingl'd with Admonition between) fo continu'd, 'till the Impreffions of it on the Mind were found legible in the Face, Voice, and Submiffion of the Child, not fo fenfible of the Smart, as of the Fault he has been guilty of, and melting in true Sorrow under it. If fuch a Correction as this, try'd fame few Times at fit Diftances, and carry'd to the utmoft Severity, with the vifible Difpleasure of the Father all the while, will not work the Effect, turn the Mind, and produce a future Compliance, what can be hop'd from Blows, and to what Purpose fhould they be any more

us'd?

us'd? Beating, when you can expect no Good from it, will look more like the Fury of an enrag'd Enemy, than the good Will of a compaffionate Friend; and fuch Chaftifement carries with it only Provocation, without any Profpect of Amendinent. If it be any Father's Misfortune to have a Son thus perverfe and untractable, I know not what more he can do, but pray for him. But, I imagine, if a right Course be taken with Children from the Beginning, very few will be found to be fuch; and when there are any fuch Inftances, they are not to be the Rule for the Education of thofe, who are better natur'd, and may be manag'd with better Ufage.

6. 88. If a Tutor can be got, that, thinking himself in the Fa- Tutor. ther's Place, charg'd with his Care, and relifling thefe Things, will at the Beginning apply himfelf to put them in Practice, he will afterwards find his Work very eafy; and you will, I guess, have your Son in a little Time a greater Proficient in both Learning and Breeding, than perhaps you imagine. But let him by no Means beat him at any Time, without your Confent and Direction; at leaft 'till you have Experience of his Difcretion and Temper. But yet to keep up his Authority with his Pupil, befides concealing that he has not the Power of the Rod, you must be fure to ufe him with great Kefpect your felf,

and

and caufe all your Family to do fo too: For you cannot expect your Son fhould have any Regard for one, whom he fees you, or his Mother, or others flight. If you think him worthy of Contempt, you have chofen amifs, and if you fhew any Contempt of him, he will hardly fcape it from your Son: And whenever that happens, whatever Worth he may have in himself, and Abilities for this Employment, they are all loft to your Child, and can aftewards never be made ufeful to him.

§. 89. As the Father's Example must teach the Child Respect for his Tutor, fo the Tutor's Example muft lead the Child into those Actions he would have him do. His Practice muft by no Means crofs his Precepts, unless he intend to fet him wrong. It will be to no Purpofe for the Tutor to talk of the Reftraint of the Paffions, whilft any of his own are let loofe; and he will in vain endeavour to reform any Vice or Indecency in his Pupil, which he allows in himfelf. Il Patterns are fure to be follow'd more than good Rules, and therefore he muft alfo carefully preferve him from the Influence of il Precedents, efpecially the moft dangerous of all, the Examples of the Servant's i from whofe Company he is to be kept, not by Prohibitions, for that will but give him an Itch after it, but by other Ways I have mention'd.

§. 90.