from that Time forwards, prove a good Husband. This at leaft every Body muft allow, that nothing is likelier to keep a Man within compafs, than the having conftantly before his Eyes, the State of his Affairs in a regular courfe of Account.

Travel

§ 212 The laft part usually in Education is, Travel, which is commonly thought to finifh the Work, and compleat the Gentleman. I confefs Travel into Foreign Countries has great Advantages, but the time ufually chofen to fend young Men abroad, is I think, of all other, that which renders them leaft capable of reaping thofe Advantages. Thofe which are propos'd, as to the main of them, may be reduced to thefe Two, firft Language, fecondly an Improvement in Wisdom and Prudence, by feeing Men, and converfing with People of Tempers, Cuftoms, and Ways of living, different from one another, and efpecially from thofe of his Parish and Neigh bourhood. But from Sixteen to One and twenty, which is the ordinary time of Tra vel, Men are of all their Lives, the leaft fuired to thefe Improvements. The first Seafon to get Foreign Languages, and form the Tongue to their true Accents, I fhould think, fhould be from Seven' to Fourteen or Sixteen, and then too, a Tutor with them is ufeful and neceffary, who may, with those Languages, teach them other things. But to put them out of their Parents View at a

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great Distance, under a Governour, when they think themselves too much Men to be governed by others, and yet have not Prudence and Experience enough to govern themselves, what is it, but to expofe them to all the greatest Dangers of their whole Life, when they have the leaft Fence and Guard against them? Till that boyling boisterous part of Life comes in, it may be hoped, the Tutor may have fome Authority: Neither the ftubbornnefs of Age, nor the Temptation or Examples of others can take him from his Tutor's Conduct till Fifteen or Sixteen: But then, when he begins to confort himself with Men, and thinks himfelf one; when he comes to relish, and pride himself in manly Vices, and thinks it a fhame to be any longer under the Controul and Conduct of another, what can be hoped from even the most careful and difereet Governour, when neither he has Power to compel, nor his Pupil a difpofition to be perfwaded; but on the contrary, has the advice of warm Blood, and prevailing Fashion, to hearken to the Temptations of his Companions, juft as Wife as himself, rather than to the Perfwafions of his Tutor, who is now looked on as the Enemy to his Freedom? And when is a Man fo like to mifcarry, as when at the fame time he is both raw and unruly? This is the Seafon of all his Life, that most requires the Eye and Authority of his Parents, and Friends to govern it. The flexiblenefs of the former part of a Man's Age, not yet grown up to be headstrong, makes it more governable and fafe; and in the after-part, Reafon and Fore-fight begin a little to take place, and mind a Man of his Safety and Improvement. The time therefore I fhould think the fittest for a young Gentleman to be fent abroad, would be, either when he is younger, under a Tutor, whom he might be the better for; Or when he is fome Years old, without a Governour; when he is of Age to govern himself, and make Ob fervations of what he finds in other Countries worthy his Notice, and that might be of ufe to him after his return: And when too, being throughly acquainted with the Laws and Fashions, the natural and moral Advantages

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Advantages and Defects of his own Country, he has fomething to exchange, with thofe abroad, from whofe Converfation be hoped to reap any Knowledge.

S. 214. The ordering of Travel otherwife, is that, I imagine, which makes fo many young Gentlemen come back fo little improved by it. And if they do bring home with them any Knowledge of the Places and People, they have feen, it is often an admiration of the worst and vainest Practices they met with Abroad; retaining a relifh and memory of those Things wherein their Liberty took its firft fwing, rather than of what fhould make them better and wifer after their return. And indeed how can it be otherwife, going abroad at the Age they do, under the care of another, who is to provide their Neceffaries, and make their Obfervations for them? Thus under the Shelter and Pretence of a Governour, thinking themselves excufed from standing upon their own Legs, or being accountable for their own Conduct, they very feldom troubled themselves with Enquiries, or making useful Obfervations of their own. Their Thoughts run after Play and Pleasure, wherein, they take it as a leffening, to be controul'd; but feldom trouble themselves to examine the Defigns, obferve the Addrefs, and confider the Arts, Tempers, and Inclinations of Men, they meet with; that fo they may know how to comport themselves towards them. Here he that Travels with them, is to fkreen them ; get them out when they have run themfelves into the Briars; and in all their Mifcarriages be anfwerable for them.

: S. 215. I confefs, the Knowledge of Men is fo great a Skill,that it is not to be expected,a young Man fhould prefently be perfect in it. But yet his going abroad is to little purpose, if Travel does not fometimes open his Eyes, make him cautious and wary, and accuftom him to look beyond the out-fide, and, under the inoffenfive Guard of a civil and obliging Carriage, keep himself free and fafe in his Converfation with Strangers, and all forts of People, without forfeiting their good Opinion. He that is fent out to travel at the Age, and with the Thoughts of a Man

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Man defigning to improve himself, may get into the Converfation and Acquaintance of Perfons of Condition where he comes; which tho' a thing of most advantage to a Gentleman that travels, yet I afk amongst our young Men, that go abroad under Tutors, what one is there of an hundred, that ever vifits any Perfon of Quality? much lefs makes an Acquaintance with fuch; from whofe Converfation he may learn, what is good Breeding in that Country, and what is worth Obfer vation in it, tho' from fuch Perfons it is, one may learn more in one Day, than in a Years rambling from one Inn to another. Nor indeed is it to be wondred. For Men of Worth and Parts, will not easily admit the Familiarity of Boys, who yet need the care of a Tutor; tho' a young Gentleman and Stranger, appearing like a Man, and fhewing a defire to inform himfelf in the Customs, Manners, Laws, and Government of the Country he is in, will find welcome affiftance and entertainment, amongst the best and most knowing Perfons, every where, who will be ready to receive, encourage, and countenance an ingenious and inquifitive Foreigner.

S. 216. This, how true foever it be, will not, I fear, alter the Cuftom, which has caft the time of Travel upon the worst part of a Man's Life; but for Reasons not taken from their Improvement. The young Lad muft not be ventured abroad at Eight or Ten, for fear what may happen to the tender Child, tho' he then runs ten times lefs rifque than at Sixteen or Eighteen. Nor must he stay at home till that dan gerous heady Age be over, because he must be back again by One and twenty, to marry, and propagate. The Father, cannot flay any longer for the Portion, nor the Mother for a new Set of Babies to play with: And fo my young Mafter, whatever comes on't, muft have a Wife look'd out for him, by that time he is of Age; tho' it would be no prejudice to his Strength, his Parts, or his Iffue, if it were refpited for fome time, and he had leave to get, in Years and Knowledge, the start a little of his Children, who are often found to tread too near upon the heels of their Fathers,

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to the no great Satisfaction either of Son or Fathers But the young Gentleman being got within view of Matrimony, 'tis time to leave him to his Mistress. §. 217. Tho' I am now come to a ConConclu- clufion of what obvious Remarks have fugfion. gefted to me concerning Education, I would not have it thought that I look on it as a juft Treatife on this Subject. There are a thoufand other things, that may need confideration; efpecially if one fhould take in the various Tempers, different Inclinations, and particular Defaults, that are to be found in Children; and prefcribe proper Remedies. The variety is fo great, that it would require a Volume; nor would that reach it. Each Man's Mind has fome peculiarity, as well as his Face, that diftinguishes him from all others; and there are poffibly fcarce two Children, who can be conducted by exactly the fame Method. Befide that I think a Prince, a Nobleman, and an ordinary Gentleman's Son, fhould have different ways of Breeding. But having had here only fome general Views in reference to the main End, and aims in Education, and thofe defigned for a Gentleman's Son, who being then very little, I confidered only as white Paper, or Wax, to be moulded and fafhioned as one pleafes; I have touch'd little more than thofe Heads, which I judged neceffary for the Breeding of a young Gentleman of his Condition in general; and have now publifhed thefe my occafional Thoughts with this Hope, That tho' this be far from being a compleat Treatife on this Subject, or fuch, as that every one may find, what will juft fit his Child in it, yet it may give fome fmall light to thofe, whofe Concern for their dear little Ones makes thein fo irregularly bold, that they dare venture to confult their own Reafon, in the Education of their Children, rather than wholly to rely upon Old Cuftom.

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