to Vertue, will not be refractary, or resty, in any Thing that becomes him; and therefore I cannot but prefer Breeding of a young Gentleman at Home in his Father's Sight, under a good Governor, as much the best and safest Way to this great and main End of Education, when it can be had, and is order'd as it should be. Gentlemens Houses are seldom without Variety of Company: They should use their Sons to all the strange Faces that come there, and engage them in Conversation with Men of Parts and Breeding, as foon as they are capable of it. And why those who live in the Country should not take them with them, when they make Visits of Civility to their Neighbours, I know not. This I am sure, a Father that breeds his Son at Home, has the Opportunity to have him more in his own Company, and there give him what Encouragement he thinks fit; and can keep him better from the Taint of Servants, and the meaner Sort of People, than is possible to be done Abroad. But what shall be resolv'd in the Case, must in great Measure be left to the Parents, to be determin'd by their Circumstances and Conveniencies; only I think it the worft Sort of good Hufbandry, for a Father not to strain himself a little for his Son's Breeding, which, let his Condition be what it will, is the best Portion he can leave him. But if, after all, it shall be thought by some, that the

Breed

Breeding at Home has too little Company, and that at ordinary Schools, not fuch as it should be for a young Gentleman, I think there might be Ways found out to avoid the Inconveniencies on the one Side and the other.

§. 71. Having under Confideration how great the Influence of Company is, and how prone we are all, especially Children, to Imitation, I must here take the Liberty to mind Parents of this one Thing, viz. That he that will have his Son have a Respect for him, and his Orders, muft himself have a great Reverence for his Son. MaxExample. ima debetur Pueris reverentia. You must do nothing before him, which you would not have him imitate. If any Thing scape you, which you would have pass to Fault in him, he will be fure for a Shelter himself under your Example, and Thelter himself so as that it will not be eafy to coine at him, to correct it in him the right way. If you punish him for what he fees you practise your felf, he will not think that Severity to proceed from Kindness in you, careful to amend a Fault in him, but will be apt to interpret it, the Peevishness and arbitrary Imperiousness of a Father, who, without any Ground for it, would deny his Son the Liberty and Pleafures he takes himself. Or if you affume to your felf the Liberty you have taken, as a Priviledge belonging to riper Years,

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to which a Child must not aspire, you do but add new Force to your Example, and recommend the Action the more powerfully to him. For you must always remember, that Children affect to be Men earlier than is thought; and they love Breeches, not for their Cut or Eafe, but because the having them is a Mark or a Step towards Man-hood. What I say of the Father's Carriage before his Children, must extend it felf to all those who have any Authority over them, or for whom he would have them have any Respect.

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Punish

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6.72. But to return to the Business of Rewards and Punishments. All the Actions of Childishness and unfashionable Carriage, and whatever Time and Age will of it felf be fure to reform, being (as I have faid) exempt from the Discipline of the Rod, there will not be so much need of beating Children, as is generally made Ufe of. To which, if we add learning to read, write, dance, foreign Language, &c. as under the same Priviledge, there will be but very rarely any Occafion for Blows or Force in an ingenious Education. The right Way to teach them those Things, is, to give them a Liking and Inclination to what you propose to them to be learn'd, and that will engage their Industry and Application. This I think no hard Matter to do, if Children be handl'd as they should be, and the Rewards

wards and Punishments above-mention'd be carefully apply'd, and with them these few Rules observ'd in the Method of instructing them.

Task.

§. 73. 1. None of the Things they are to learn, should ever be made a Burden to them, or impos'd on them as a Task. Whatever is so propos'd, presently becomes irksome; the Mind takes an Aversion to it, though before it were a Thing of Delight or Indifferency. Let a Child be but order'd to whip his Top at a certain Time every Day, whether he has or has not a Mind to it; let this be but requir'd of him as a Duty, wherein he must spend so many Hours Morning and Afternoon, and fee whether he will not foon be weary of any Play at this Rate. Is it not so with grown Men? What they do chearfully of themselves, do they not presently grow fick of, and can no more endure, as foon as they find it is expected of them as a Duty ? Children have as much a Mind to shew, that they are free, that their own good Actions come from themselves, that they are absolute and independent, as any of the proudest of you grown Men, think of them as you please.

§. 74. 2. As a Consequence of Difpofiti- this, they should feldom be put about doing even those Things

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you have got an Inclination in them to, but

but when they have a Mind and Difpofition to it. He that loves Reading, Writing, Musick, &c. finds yet in himself certain Seasons wherein those Things have no Relish to him; and if at that Time he forces himself to it, he only pothers and wearies himself to no Purpose. So it is with Children. This Change of Temper should be carefully observ'd in them, and the favourable Seasons of Aptitude and Inclination be heedfully laid hold of: And if they are not often enough forward of themselves, a good Difpofition should be talk'd into them, before they be fet upon any Thing. This I think no hard Matter for a discreet Tutor to do, who has study'd his Pupil's Temper, and will be at little Pains to fill his Head with suitable Idea's, such as may make him in Love with the present Business. By this Means a great deal of Time and Tiring would be fav'd; for a Child will learn three times as much when he is in Tune, as he will with double the Time and Pains, when he goes awkwardly, or is dragg'd unwillingly to it. If this were minded as it should, Chil fren might be permitted to weary themfelves with Play, and yet have Time enough to learn what is fuited to the Capacity of each Age. But no such Thing is confider'd in the ordinary Way of Education, nor can it well be. That rough Discipline of the Rod is built upon other Principles, has no

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