i

netrate deeper, muft do it by his own genius and induftry afterwards: for no body ever went far in knowledge, or became eminent inany of the sciences, by the difcipline and constraint of a mafter.

The great work of a governor, is to fafhion the carriage, and form the mind; to fettle in his pupil good habits, and the principles of virtue and wisdom; to give him by little and little a view of mankind, and work. him into a love and imitation of what is excellent and praife worthy; and, in the profe cution of it, to give him vigour, activity, and induftry. The ftudies, which he fets him: upon, are but as it were the exercifes of his. faculties, and employment of his time, to keep him from fauntering and idleness, to teach him application, and accuftom him to take pains, and to give him fome little tafte of what his own induftry muft perfect. who expects, that under a tutor a young. gentleman fhould be an accomplished critick,. orator, or logician? go to the bottom of metaphyficks, natural philofophy, or mathematicks? or be a master in history or chro nology though fomething of each of thefe is. to be taught him: but it is only to open the door, that he may look in, and as it were begin an acquaintance, but not to dwell there : and a governor would be much blamed that fhould keep his pupil too long, and lead him

For

too

..too far in moft of them. But of good breeding, knowledge of the world, virtue, indufry, and a love of reputation, he cannot have too much: And if he have thefe, he will not long want what he needs or defires of the other.

And fince it cannot be hoped he should have time and frength to learn all things, moft pains should be taken about that which is moft neceffary; and that principally looked after, which will be of moft and frequenteft ufe to him in the world.

Seneca complains of the contrary practice in his time; and yet the Burgursdicius's and the Scheiblers did not warm in thofe days, as they do now in thefe. What would he have thought, if he had lived now, when the tutors think it their great bufinefs to fill the ftudies and heads of their pupils with fuch authors as these? He would have had much more reason to fay, as he does, Non vitæ fed schola difcimus, we learn not to live, but to difpute; and our education fits us rather for the univerfity, than the world. But 'tis no wonder if those who make the fashion, fuit it to what they have, and not to what their pupils want.. The fashion being once established, who can think it strange, that in this, as well as in all other things, it should prevail? and that the greateft part of thofe who find their account in an eafy fubmiffion to it, fhould be ready to cry

out,

out, herefy, when any one departs from it? 'Tis nevertheless matter of aftonishment, that men of quality and parts fhould fuffer themselves to be fo far mifled by custom and implicit faith. Reafon, if confulted with, would advise, that their children's time fhould be spent in acquiring what might be useful to them when they come to be men; rather than to have their heads ftuffed with a deal of trash, a great part whereof they ufually never do, ('tis certain they never need to) think on again as long as they live; and fo much of it as does ftick by them, they are only the worfe for. This is fo well known, that I appeal to parents themselves, who have been at cost to have their young heirs taught it, whether it be not ridiculous for their fons to have any tincture of that fort of learning, when they come abroad into the world? whether any appearance of it would not leffen and difgrace them in company? And that certainly must be an admirable acquifition, and deferves well to make a part in education, which men are afhamed of where they are moft concerned to fhew their parts and breeding.

There is yet another reason why politeness of manners, and knowledge of the world should principally be looked after in a tutor; and that is, because a man of parts and years may enter a lad far enough into any of those fciences, which he has no deep infight into.

himself.

himself. Books in these will be able to furnifh him, and give him light and precedency enough to go before a young follower But he will never be able to fet another right in the knowledge of the world, and above all in breeding, who is a novice in them himself.

This is a knowledge he must have about him, worn into him by ufe and converfation, and a long forming himself by what he has obfer ved to be practifed and allowed in the best company. This, if he has it not of his own, is no where to be borrowed for the ufe of his. pupil or if he could find pertinent treatises of it in books, that would reach all the particulars of an English gentleman's behaviour, his own ill-fashioned example, if he be not well-bred himself, would spoil all his lectures; it being impoffible, that any one should come forth well-fashioned out of unpolished, ill-bred. company.

I say this, not that I think fuch a tutor is ever day to be met with, or to be had at the ordinary rates. But that thofe who are able may not be fparing of enquiry or coft in what is of fo great moment; and that other parents, whofe eftates will not reach to greater falaries, may yet remember what they should principally have an eye to in the choice of one to whom they would commit the education of their children; and what part they should chiefly look after themfelves, whilst they are

under

under their care, and as often as they come within their observation; and not think, that all lies in Latin and French, or fome dry fyftems of logick and philofophy.

Familiarity.

$ 95. But to return to our method again. Tho' I have mentioned the feverity of the father's brow,

and the awe settled thereby in the mind of children when young, as one main inftrument whereby their education is to be managed yet I am far from being of an opinion, that it should be continued all along to them, whilst they are under the discipline and government of Pupilage; I think it should be relaxed, as faft as their age, difcretion and good behaviour could allow it; even to that degree, that a father will do well, as his fon grows up, and is capable of it, to talk familiarly with him; nay, afk his advice, and confult with him about those things wherein he has any knowledge or understanding. this, the father will gain two things, both of great moment. The one is, that it will put ferious confiderations into his fon's thoughts, better than any rules or advices he can give him. The fooner you treat him as a man, the fooner he will begin to be one: And if you admit him into ferious difcourfes fometimes with you, you will infenfibly raife his mind a bove the ufual amufements of youth, and those trifling occupations which it is commonly waft

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