SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING Education. Doctrina vires promovet infitas, Hor. L. IV. Od. 4. By Mr. JOHN LOCKE The Fifth Edition Enlarged. LONDON, Printed for A. and J. Churchill, at the то Edward Clarke Of CHIPLEY, Efq;. SIR, T Hefe Thoughts concerning Education, which now come abroad into the World, do of right belong to You, being written feveral Tears fince for Your fake, and are no other than what You have already by You in my Letters. I have so little varied any thing, but only the Order of what was fent You at different Times, and on feveral Occafions, that the Reader will eafily find, in the Familiarity and Fafhion of the Style, that they were rather the private Converfation of two Friends, than a Difcourfe defigned for publick View. The Importunity of Friends is the common Apology for Publications Men are afraid to own themselves forward to. But You know I can truly fay, That if fome, who having heard of thefe Papers of mine, had not preffed to fee them, and afterwards to have them printed, they had lain dor A 2 mant mant still in that Privacy they were defigned for. But those whofe Judgment I defer much to, telling me, That they were perfuaded, that this rough Draught of mine might be of fome ufe, if made more publick, touch'd upon what will always be very prevalent with me. For I think it every Man's indifpenfible Duty, to do all the Service he can to his Country: And I fee not what Difference he puts between himSelf and his Cattel, who lives without that Thought. This Subject is of fo great Concernment, and a right way of Education is of fo general Advantage, that did I find my Abilities anfwer my Wishes, Ifhould not have needed Exhortations or Importunities from others. However, the Meannefs of thefe Papers, and my juft Diftruft of them, fhall not keep me, by the Shame of doing fo little, from contributing my Mite, when there is no more required of me, than my throwing it into the publick Receptacle. And if there be any more of their Size and Notions, who liked them fo well, that they thought them worth printing, I may flatter my self, they will not be loft Labour to every Body. I my felf have been confulted of late by fo many, who profefs themselves at a Lofs how to breed their Children; and the early Cor Corruption of Youth is now become fo general a Complaint,that he cannot be thought wholly impertinent, who brings the Confideration of this Matter on the Stage, and offers fomething, if it be but to excite others, or afford Matter of Correction. For Errours in Education should be lefs indulged than any: Thefe, like Faults in the firft Concoction, that are never mended in the fecond or third, carry their afterwards-incorrigible Taint with them,through all the Parts and Stations of Life." I am fo far from being conceited of any thing I have here offered, that I should not be forry, even for your fake, if fome one abler and fitter for fuch a Task, would in a juft Treatife of Education, fuited to our English Gentry, rectifie the Miftakes I have made in this; it being much more defirable to me, that young Gentlemen Should be put into (that which every one ought to be follicitous about) the best way of being formed and inftructed, than that my Opinion should be received concerning it. You will however, in the mean time bear me Witness, that the Method here propos'd has had no ordinary Effects upon a Gentleman's Son, it was not defigned for. I will not fay the good Temper of the Child did not very much contribute to it, but |