mous, ufeful, and able Men in their diftin&t Callings, tho' that most to be taken Care of, is, the Gentleman's Calling. For if thofe of that Rank are by their Education once fet right, they will quickly bring all the reft into Order.

I know not whether I have done more than fhewn my good Wishes towards it in this fhort Difcourfe, fuch as it is, the World now has it; and if there be any Thing in it worth their Accep tance, they owe their Thanks to Tou for it. My Affection to You gave the first Rife to it, and I am pleas'd, that I can leave to Pofterity this Mark of the Friendship has been between us. For f know no greater Pleafure in this Life, nor a better Remembrance to be left behind one, than a long continu'd Friendship with an honeft, useful, and worthy Man, and Lover of his Country. L

§. I.

A

Sound Mind in a found Body, is a fhort, but full Defcripti on of a happy State in this World. He that has thefe two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be but little the better

for any Thing elfe. Mens Happiness or Mifery, is moft part of their own making. He, whofe Mind directs not wifely, will never take the right Way; and he, whofe Body is crazy and feeble, will never be able to advance in it. I confefs, there are fome Mens Conftitutions of Body and Mind fo vigorous, and well fram'd by Nature, that they need not much Affiftance from others, but by the Strength of their natu ral Genius, they are from their Cradles carry'd towards what is excellent; and by the Priviledge of their happy Conftitutions, are able to do Wonders. But Examples

of

of this Kind, are but few, and I think I may fay, that of all the Men we meet with, nine Parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, ufeful or not, by their Education. "Tis that which makes the great Difference in Mankind. The little, or almoft infenfible Impreffions on our tender Infancies, have very important and lafting Confequences: And there 'tis, as in the Fountains of fome Rivers, where a gentle Application of the Hand turns the flexible Waters into Channels, that make them take quite contrary Courfes; and by this little Direction given them at firft in the Source, they receive different Tendencies, and arrive at laft, at very remote and diftant Pla

ces.

§. 2. I imagin the Minds of Children as eafily turn'd this or that way, as Water it felf; and though this be the principal Part, and our main Care fhould be about the Infide, yet the Clay Cottage is not to be neglected. Ifhall therefore begin with the Cafe, and confider firft the Health of Health. the Body, as that which perhaps you may rather expect from that Study I have been thought more peculiarly to have apply'd my felf to; and that alfo which will be fooneft difpatch'd, as lying, if I guess not amifs, in a very little Compass.

§. 3. How neceflary Health is to our Bufinefs and Happiness; and how requifite a trong Conftitution, able to endure Hard

fhips and Fatigue, is to one that will make any Figure in the World, is too obvious to need any Proof.

§. 4. The Confideration I fhall here have of Health, hall be, not what a Phyfician ought to do with a fick or crazy Child, but what the Parents, without the Help of Phyfick, fhould do for the Prefervation and Improvement of an healthy, or at least not fickly Conftitution in their Children: And this perhaps might be all difpatch'd in this one fhort Rule, viz. That Gentlemen fhould. ufe their Children as the honeft Farmers and fubftantial Yeomen do theirs. But because the Mothers poffibly may think this a little too hard, and the Fathers too fhort, Ifhall explain my felf more particularly only laying down this as a general and. certain Obfervation for the Women to con fider, viz. That moft Childrens Conftitutions are either fpoil'd, Tender-or at least harm'd, by Cockering nefs. and Tenderness.

§. 5. The firft Thing to be taken Care of is, That Children be not too warm

ly clad or cover'd, Winter or Sum-. Warmth. iner. The Face, when we are born,

is no less tender than any other Part of the Body.. 'Tis Ufe alone hardens it, and makes it more able to endure the Cold. And therefore the Scythian Philofopher gave a very fig nificant Answer to the Athenian, who won der'd how he could go naked in Froft and

A.5

Snow.

Snow. How, faid the Scythian, can you endure your Face expos'd to the fharp Winter Air? My Face is us'd to it, faid the Athenian. Think me all Face, reply'd the Scythian. Our Bo-. dies will endure any Thing, that from the Beginning they are accuftom'd to..

、

An eminent Inftance of this, though in the contrary Excefs of Heat, being to our prefent Purpose, to fhew what Ufe can do, I fhall fet down in the Author's Words, as. I meet with it in a late ingenious Nouveau Voyage. "The Heats, fays he, Voyage du .. are more violent in Malta, than Levant. in any Part of Europe: They exceed those of Rome it felf, and are perfectly ftifling; and fo much the "more, because there are feldom any cool"ing Breezes here. This makes the com"mon People as black as Gypfies: But yet "the Peafants defy the Sun; they work on "in the hotteft Part of the Day, without "Intermiffion, or fheltering themselves from "his fcorching Rays. This has convinc'd

me, that Nature can bring it felf to ma

ny Things which feem impoffible, provi"ded we accuftom our felves from our In"fancy. The Maltefes do fo, who harden "the Bodies of their Children, and recon

cile them to the Heat, by making them "go ftark naked, without Shirt, Drawers, or any Thing on their Heads, from their "Cradles, 'till they are ten Years old.