I am now going to fay; and that is, that children fhould, from their first beginning to talk, have fome difcreet, fober, nay, wife perfon about them, whofe care it (hould be to fashion them right, and keep them from ill, especially the infection of bad company. I think this province requires great fobriety, temperance, tenderness, diligence and difcretion; qualities hardly to be found united in perfons that are to be had for ordinary falaries, nor easily to be found any where. As to the charge of it, I think it will be the money beft laid out, that can be, about our children; and therefore, though it may be expenfive more than is ordinary, yet it cannot be thought dear. He that at any rate procures his child a good mind, well-principled, tempered to virtue and ufefulness, and adorned with civility and good breeding, makes a better purchase for him, than if he had laid out the money for an addition of more earth to his former acres. Spare it in toys and play-games, in filk and ribbons, laces, and other ufelefs expences, as much as you pleafe; but be not sparing in fo neceffry a part as this. 'Tis not good husbandry to make his fortune rich, and his mind poor. I have often with great admira. tion feen people lavish it profufely in tricking up their children in fine clothes, lodging and feeding them fumptuoufly, allowing them more than enough of useless fervants, and at the

fame time ftarved their minds, and not take fufficient care to cover that, which is the most fhameful nakednefs, viz. their natural wrong inclinations and ignorance. This I can look on as no other than a facrificing to their own. vanity, it fhewing more their pride than true care of the good of the children; whatfoever you employ to the advantage of your fon's mind, will fhew your true kindness though it be to the leffening of his eftate. A wife and good man can hardly want either the opinion or reality of being great and happy; but he that is foolish or vicious, can be neither great nor happy, what eftate foever you leave him and I afk you, whether there be not men in the world, whom you had rather have your fon be, with five hundred pounds per annum than fome other you know, with five thousand pounds.

$91. The confideration of charge ought not therefore to deter thofe who are able. The great difficulty will be where to find a proper perfon: for those of small age, parts, and virtue, are unfit for this employment, and thofe that have greater, will hardly be got to undertake fuch a charge. You must there. fore look out early, and enquire every where; for the world has people of all forts. And I remember, Montaigne fays in one of his ef fays, That the learned Caftalio was fain to make trenchers at Bafil, to keep himself from ftarving,

ftarving, when his father would have given any money for fuch a tutor for his fon, and Caftalio have willingly embraced fuch an employment upon very reasonable terms; but this was for want of intelligence.

$92. If you find it difficult to meet with fuch a tutor as we defire, you are not to wonder. I only can fay, fpare no care nor coft to get fuch an one. All things are to be had that way: and I dare affure you, that if you can get a good one, you will never repent the charge; but will always have the fatisfaction to think it the money, of all other, the best laid out. But be fure take no body upon friends, or charity, no, nor upon great commendations. Nay, if you will do as you ought, the reputation of a fober man, with a good ftock of learning, (which is all ufually required in a tutor) will not be enough to ferve your turn. In this choice, be as curious as you would be in that of a wife for him; for you must not think of trial or changing afterward: this will caufe great inconvenience to you, and greater to your fon. When I confider the fcruples and cautions I here lay in your way, methinks it looks as if I advised you to fomething, which I would have offered at, but in effect not done. But he that fhall confider how much the bufinefs of a tutor, rightly employed, lies out of the road, and how remote it is from the thoughts of many, even

of thofe who propofe to themselves this employment, will perhaps be of my mind, that one fit to educate and form the mind of a young gentleman, is not every where to be found, and that more than ordinary care is to be taken in the choice of him, or elfe you may fail of your end.

3. The character of a fober man and a fel olar, is, as I have above obferved, what every one expects in a tutor. This generally is thought enough, and is all that parents commonly look for: but when fuch an one has emptied out into his pupil all the Latin and Logick he has brought from the univerfity, will that furniture make him a fine gentleman ? Or,can it be expected, that he fhould be bet ter bred, better skilled in the world, better principled in the grounds and foundations of true virtue and generofity, than his young tutor is?

To form a young gentleman as he should be, 'tis fit his governor should himself be wellbred, understanding the ways of carriage, and meafures of civility in all the variety of perfons, times and places, and keep his pupil, as much as his age requires, constantly to the obfervation of them. This is an art not to be learnt or taught by books. Nothing can give it, but good company and obfervation, joined together. The taylor may make his clothes modifh, and the dancing-mafter give

fafhion

fashion to his motions; yet neither of these, though they fet off well, make a well-bred gentleman. No, though he have learning to boot, which, if not well managed, makes him more impertinent and intolerable in converfation. Breeding is that which fets a glofs upon all his other good qualities, and renders them ufeful to him, in procuring him the efteem and good-will of all that he comes near, without good breeding, his other accomplishments make him pass but for proud, conceited, vain, or foolish.

Courage in an ill-bred man, has the air, and escapes not the opinion of brutality. Learning becomes pedantry; wit, buffoon. ry; plainnefs, rufticity; good nature, fawning. And there cannot be a good quality in him, which want of breeding will not warp, and disfigure to his difadvantage. Nay, virtue and parts, though they are allowed their due commendation, yet are not enough to procure a man a good reception, and make him welcome wherever he comes. No body contents himself with rough diamonds,and wears them fo, who would appear with advantage. When they are polifhed and fet, then they give a luftre. Good qualities are the fubftantial riches of the mind, but 'tis good breeding fets them off, and he that will be acceptable, muft give beauty, as well as ftrength to his actions. Solidity, or even usefulness,