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

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§. 212 The last part usually in Travel, Education is Travel, which is commonly thought to finish the Work, and compleat the Gentleman. I confefs Travel into Foreign Countries has great Advantages, but the time usually chosen to send young Men abroad, is I think, of all other, that which renders them leaft capable of reaping those Advantages. Those which are propos'd, as to the main of them, may be reduced to these Two, first Language, secondly an Improvement in Wisdom and Prudence, by feeing Men, and converfing with People of Tempers, Customs, and Ways of living, different from one another, and especially from those of his Parish and Neigh bourhood. But from Sixteen to One and twenty, which is the ordinary time of Travel, Men are of all their Lives, the leaft fuired to these Improvements. The first Seafon to get Foreign Languages, and form the Tongue to their true Accents, I should think, should be from Seven to Fourteen or Sixteen; and then too a Tutor with them is useful and neceffary, who may, with those Languages, teach them other things. But to put them out of their Parents View at a great

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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 expose them to all the greatest Dangers of their whole Life, when they have the least 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 stubbornness 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 him. felf one; when he comes to relish, and pride himself in manly Vices, and thinks it a shame to be any longer under the Controul and Conduct of another, what can be hoped from even the most careful and difcreet Governour, when neither he has Power to compel, nor his Pupil a disposition to be perfwaded; but on the contrary, has the advice of warm Blood, and prevailing Fashion, to hearken to the Temptations of his Companions, just 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 miscarry, 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 flexibleness of the former part of a Man's Age, not yet grown up to be headstrong, makes it more governable and safe; and in the after-part, Reason and Fore-fight begin a little to take place, and mind a Man of his Safety and Improvement. The time therefore I should 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 Observations of what he finds in other Countries worthy his Notice, and that might be of use to him after his return: And when too, being throughly acquainted with the Laws and Fashions, the natural and moral 1. Advantages Advantages and Defects of his own Country, he has something to exchange, with those abroad, from whose Conversation be hoped to reap any Knowledge.

§. 214. The ordering of Travel otherwise, is that, 1 imagine, which makes so many young Gentlemen come back so little improved by it. And if they do bring home with them any Knowledge of the Places and People, they have seen, it is often an admiration of the worst and vainest Practices they met with Abroad; ; retaining a relish and memory of those Things wherein their Liberty took its first swing, rather than of what should make them better and wiser after their return. And indeed how can it be otherwise, going abroad at the Age they do, under the care of another, who is to provide their Neceffaries, and make their Observations for them? Thus under the Shelter and Pretence of a Governour, thinking themselves excused 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 lessening, to be controul'd; but feldom trouble themselves to examine the Designs, observe the Address, and confider the Arts, Tempers, and Inclinations of Men, they meet with; that so they may know how to comport themselves towards them. Here he that Travels with them, is to skreen them; get them out when they have run themselves into the Briars; and in all their Miscarriages be answerable for them.

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§. 215. I confefs, the Knowledge of Men is fo great a Skill, that it is not to be expected, a young Man should presently 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 accustom 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

Man designing to improve himself, may get into the Conversation and Acquaintance of Perfons of Condition where he comes; which tho a thing of most advantage to a Gentleman that travels, yet I ask amongst our young Men, that go abroad under Tutors, what one is there of an hundre hundred, that ever visits any Perfon of Quality? much less makes an Acquaintance with fuch, from whose Conversation he may learn, what is good Breeding in that Country, and what is worth Obfer vation in it, tho' from fuch Persons it is, one may Jearn 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 shewing a defire to inform himself in the Customs, Manners, Laws, and Government of the Country he is in, will find welcome, affistance 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.

§. 216. This, how true foever it be, will not, I fear, alter the Custom, 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 must 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 dangerous heady Age be over, because he must be back again by One and twenty, to marry, and propagate. The Father cannot stay any longer for the Portion, nor the Mother for a new Set of Babies to play with: And fo my young Master, 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 Issue, if it were respited 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 Father But the young Gentleman being got within view of Matrimony, 'tis time to leave him to his Mistress.

§. 217. Thơ' I am now come to a ConConclu- clufion of what obvious Remarks have sugfion. gested to me concerning Education, I would not have it thought that I look on it as a just Treatise on this Subject. There are a thousand other things,. that may need confideration; especially if one should take in the various Tempers, different Inclinations, and particular Defaults, that are to be found in Children; and prescribe proper Remedies. The variety is so 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 distinguishes him from all others; and there are poffibly scarce 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, should have different ways of Breeding. But having had here only fome general Views in reference to the main End, and aims in Education, and those designed for a Gentleman's Son, who being then very little, I considered only as white Paper, or Wax, to be moulded and fashioned as one pleases; I have touch'd little more than those Heads, which I judged neceffary for the Breeding of a young Gentleman of his Condition in general; and have now published these my occafional Thoughts with this Hope, That tho' this be far from being a compleat Treatise on this Subject, or fuch, as that every one may find, what will just fit his Child in it, yet it may give some small light to those, whose Concern for their dear little Ones makes them so irregularly bold, that they dare venture to confult their own Reason, in the Education of their Children, rather than wholly to rely upon Old Custom.

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