mach. This part of temperance was found fo neceffary, both for health and bufinefs, that the custom of only one meal a-day held out against that prevailing luxury, which their eattern conquefts and fpoils had brought in among them; and thofe who had given up their old frugal eating, and made feasts; yet began them not till the evening. And more than one fet meal a-day was thought fo monftrous, that it was a reproach as low down as Cæfar's time, to make an entertainment, or fit down to a full table, till towards fun-fet: and therefore, if it would not be thought too fevere, I fhould judge it moft convenient that my young mafter fhould have nothing but bread too for breakfaft. You cannot imagine of what force custom is; and I impute a great part of our diseases in England to our eating too much flesh, and too little bread.

§ 15. As to his meals, I should Meals. think it beft, that as much as it can be

conveniently avoided, they fhould not be kept conftantly to an hour: for when cuftom has fixed his eating to certain ftated periods, his ftomach will expect victuals at the ufual hour, and grow peevish if he paffes it; either fretting itself into a troublefome excefs, or flagging into a downright want of appetite. Therefore I would have no time kept conftantly to, for his breakfast, dinner and fupper, but rather varied almoft every day.

And

And if betwixt thefe, which I call meals, he will eat, let him have, as often as he calls for it, good dry bread. If any one think this toɔ hard and fparing a diet for a child, let them know, that a child will never ftarve nor dwindle for want of nourishment, who, befides flesh at dinner, and spoon-meat, or fome fuch other thing, at fupper, may have good bread and beer as often as he has a ftomach. For thus, upon fecond thoughts, 1 fhould judge it beft for children to be ordered. The morning is generally defigned for ftudy, to which a full ftomach is but an ill preparation. Dry bread, though the best nourishment, has the leaft temptation; and no body would have a child crammed at breakfast, who has any regard to his mind or body, and would not have him dull and unhealthy. Nor let any one think this unfuitable to one of estate and condition. A gentleman in any age ought to be fo bred, as to be fitted to bear arms, and be a foldier. But he that in this breeds his fon fo, as if he defigned him to fleep over his life in the plenty and eafe of a full fortune he intends to leave him, little confiders the examples he has feen, or the age he lives in.

16. Bis drink fhould be only Drink. fmall beer; and that too he fhould

never be fuffered to have between meals, but

after he had eat a piece of bread. fons why I fay this, are thefe.

The rea

$17.1. More fevers and furfeits are got by people's drinking when they are hot, than by any one thing I know. Therefore, if

by play he be hot and dry, bread will ill go. down; and fo, if he cannot have drink but upon that condition, he will be forced to forbear. For, if he be very hot, he should by no means drink; at least, a good piece of bread firft to be eaten, will gain time to warm the beer blood-hot, which then he may drink fafely. If he be very dry, it will go down fo warmed, and quench his thirft better; and if he will not drink it fo warmed, abftaining will not hurt him. Befides, this will teach him to forbear, which is an habit of great ufe for health of body and mind too.

18. 2. Not being permitted to drink without eating, will prevent the cuftom of having the cup often at his nofe; a dangerous beginning and preparation to good-fellowship. Men often bring habitual hunger and thirft on themselves by cuftom. And if you please to try, you may, though he be weaned from it, bring him by use to fuch a neceffity again, of drinking in the night, that he will not be able to fleep without it. It being the lullaby ufed by nurfes to fill crying children, I believe mothers generally find fome difficulty to wean their children from drinking in the

night, when they first take them home. Believe it, cuftom prevails as much by day as by night; and you may, if you pleafe, bring any one to be thirty every hour.

I once lived in a house, where, to appease a froward child, they gave him drink as of ten as he cried; fo that he was conftantly bibbing. And tho' he could not speak, yet he drank more in twenty four hours than I did. Try it when you pleafe, you may with fmall, as well as with ftrong beer, drink yourself into a drought. The great thing to be minded in education is, what habits Habits. you fettle; and therefore in this, as

all other things, do not begin to make any thing customary, the practice whereof you would not have continue, and increase. It is convenient for health and fobriety, to drink no more than natural thirst requires; and he that cats not falt meats, nor drinks ftrong drink, will feldom thirft between meals, unlefs he has been accustomed to fuch unfeafonable drinking.

§ 19. Above all, take great care that he feldom, if ever, tate any wine or

ftrong drink.

There is nothing

fo ordinarily given children in Eng

Strong

Drink.

land, and nothing fo deftructive to them. They ought never to drink any ftrong liquor, but when they need it as a cordial, and the doctor prefcribes it. And in this

cafe it is, that fervants are moft narrowly to be watched, and moft feverely to be reprehended when they tranfgrefs. Thofe mean fort of people, placing a great part of their hap piness in ftrong drink, are always forward to make court to my young mafter, by offering him that which they love beft themselves: and finding themfelves made merry by it, they foolishly think 'twill do the child no harm. This you are carefully to have your eye upon, and refrain with all the kill and induftry you can, there being nothing that lays a furer foundation of mifchief, both to body and mind, than childrens being used to strong drink, efpecially to drink in private with the fervants.

20. Fruit makes one of the most Fruit. difficult chapters in the government of health, efpecially that of children. Our first parents ventured Paradife for it; and 'tis no wonder our children cannot ftand the temptation, tho' it coft them their health. The regulation of this cannot come under any one general rule; for I am by no means of their mind, who would keep children almoft, wholly from fruit, as a thing totally unwholfome for them: By which strict way they make them but the more ravenous after it, and to eat good or bad, ripe or unripe, all that they can get, whenever they come at it. melons, peaches, moft forts of plumbs, and all

forts