3. Becaufe, whenever Men have Leifure to eat, they have Leifure enough alfo to make fo much Court to Madam Cloacina, as would be neceffary to our prefent Purpose; but elfe, in the Variety of human Affairs and Accidents, it was impoflible to affix it to any Hour certain, whereby the Cuftom would be interrupted. Whereas Men in Health, fldom failing to eat once a Day, tho' the Hour chang'd, the Custom might ftill be preferv'd.

§. 26. Upon thefe Grounds, the Experiment began to be try'd, and I have known none, who have been steady in the Profecution of it, and taken Care to go conftantly to the neceffary Houfe, after their firft eating, whenever that happen'd, whether they found themfelves call'd on or no, and there endeavour to put Nature upon her Duty, but in a few Months they obtain'd the defir'd Succefs, and brought themselves to fo regular an Habit, that they feldom ever fail'd of a Stool, after their firft eating, unlefs it were by their own Neglect: For,whether they have any Motion or no, if they go to the Place, and do their Part, they are fure to have Nature very obedient.

§. 27. I would therefore advife, that this Courfe fhould be taken with a Child every Day, prefently after he has eaten his Breakfaft. Let him be fet upon the Stool, as if difburthening were as much in his Power, as filling his Belly; and let not him, or his

Maid know any Thing to the contrary, but that it is fo; and if he be forc'd to endeavour, by being hinder'd from his Play, or eating again 'till he has been effectually at Stool, or at least done his Utmoft, I doubt not but in a little while it will become natural to him. For there is Reafon to fufpect, that Children being ufually intent on their Play, and very heedlefs of any Thing elfe, often let pafs thofe Motions of Nature, when the calls them but gently; and fo they neglecting the feafonable Offers, do by Degrees bring themfelves into an habitual Coitiveness. That by this Method, Coltiveness may be prevented, I do more than guefs, having known, by the conftant Practice of it for fome Time, a Child brought to have a Stool regularly after his Break-faft every Morning.

. 28. How far any grown People will think fit to make Tryal of it, mult be left to them; tho' I cannot but fay, that confidering the many Evils that come from that Defect, of a requifite Eafing of Nature, I fcarce know any Thing more conducing to the Prefervation of Health, than this is. Once in four and twenty Hours, I think is enough; and no Body, I guefs, will think it too much. And by this Means it is to be obtain'd without Phyfick, which commonly proves very ineffectual in the Cure of a fettl'd and habitual Coftiveness.

§. 29. This is all I have to trouble you

with concerning his Management in the ordinary Courfe of his Health. Perhaps it will be expected from me, that I fhould give fome Directions of Physick, to pre

Phyfick. vent Difeafes; for which I have only this one very facredly to be obferv'd; Never to give Children any Phyfick for Prevention. The Obfervation of

what I have already advis'd, will, I fuppofe, do that better than the Ladies Dyet-drinks or Apothecaries Medicines. Have a great Care of tampering that Way, leaft, instead of preventing, you draw on Difeafes. Nor even upon every little Indifpofition is Phyfick to be given, or the Phyfician to be call'd to Children, efpecially if he be a bufy Man, that will prefently fill their Windows with Gally-pots, and their Stomachs with Drugs. It is fafer to leave them wholly to Nature, than to put 'em into the Hands of one forward to tamper,or that thinks Children are to be cur'd, in ordinary Diftempers, by any Thing but Dyet, or by a Method very little diftant from it. It feeming fuitable both to my Reafon and Experience, that the tender Conftitutions of Children fhould have as little done to them, as is poffible, and as the abfolute Neceffity of the Cafe requires. A little coldftill'd red Poppy-water, which is the true Surfeit-water, with Eafe and Abftinence from Flesh, often puts an End to feveral Diftempers in the Beginning, which, by too forward Applications, might have been made

lufty

lafty Difeafes. When fuch a gentle Treatment will not ftop the growing Mifchief, nor hinder it from turning into a form'd Difeafe, it will be Time to feek the Advice of fome fober and difcreet Phyfician. In this Part, I hope, I fhall find an eafy Belief, and no Body can have a Pretence to doubt the Advice of one, who has spent fome Time in the Study of Phyfick, when he counfels you not to be too forward in making Ufe of Phyfick and Physicians.

§. 30. And thus I have done with what concerns the Body and Health, which reduces it felf to these few and easy obfervable Rules Plenty of open, Air, Exercife, and Sleep, plain Dyet, no Wine or frong Drink, and very little or no Phyfick, not too warm and ftrait Clothing, efpecially the Head and Feet kept cold, and the Feet often us'd to cold Water, and expos'd to wet.

§. 31. Due Care being had to keep the Body in Strength and Vigor, fo that it may be able to obey and execute the Or

ders of the Mind, the next and Mind. principal Bufinefs, is, to fet the

Mind right, that on all Occafions it may be difpos'd to confent to nothing, but what may be fuitable to the Dignity and Excellency of a rational Creature.

§. 32. If what I have faid in the Begin ning of this Difcourfe, be true, as I do not doubt but is is, viz. That the Difference to be found in the Manners and Abilities of Men,

is owing more to their Education, than to any Thing elfe, we have Reafon to conclude, that great Care is to be had of the forming Childrens Minds, and giving them that Seafoning early, which thall influence their Lives always after: For when they do well or ill, the Praife or Blame will be laid there; and when any Thing is done awkwardly, the common Saying will pass upon them, That it is fuitable to their Breeding.

S. 33. As the Strength of the Body lies chiefly in being able to endure Hardfhips, fo alfo does that of the Mind. And the great Principle and Foundation of all Vertue and Worth, is plac'd in this, That a Man is able to deny himself his own Defires, cross his own Inclinations, and purely follow what Reafon directs as beft, tho' the Appetite lean the other Way.

Early.

34. The great Miftake I have obferv'd in Peoples breeding their Children, has been, that this has not been taken Care enough of in its due Seafon; that the Mind has not been made obedient to Difcipline, and pliant to Reafon, when at firft it was moft tender, most easy to be bow'd. Parents, being wifely ordain'd by Nature to love their Children, are very apt, if Reafon watch not that natural Affection very wearily, are apt, I fay, to let it run into Fondnefs. They love their little ones, and 'tis their Duty; but they often, with them, cherish their Faults too. They

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