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fort of useful books, amongst the number of filly ones that are of all forts, have yet had the fate to be neglected; and nothing that I know has been confidered of this kind out of the ordinary road of the hornbook, primer, pfalter, New Teftament and bible,

$158. As for the bible, which children are ufually employed in, to exercife and improve their talent in reading, I think, the promif cuous reading of it,, though by chapters as they lie in order, is fo far from being of any advantage to children, either for the perfecting their reading, or principling their religi. on, that perhaps a worfe could not be found. For what pleasure or encouragement can it be to a child, to exercife himfelf in reading thofe parts of a book where he understands nothing? And how little are the law of Mofes, the fong of Solomon, the Prophecies in the old and the Epiftles and Apocalypfe in the new teftament, fuited to a child's capacity? And though the hiftory of the evangelifts, and the acts, have fomething eafier; yet, taken all together, it is very difproportionable to the understanding of childhood. I grant, that the principles of religion are to be drawn from thence, and in the words of the scripture; yet none fhould be propofed to a child, but fuch as are fuited to a child's capacity and notions. But 'tis far from this to read through

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the whole bible, and that for reading's fake. And what an odd jumble of thoughts muft a child have in his head, if he have any at all, fuch as he fhould have concerning religion, who in his tender age reads all the parts of the bible indifferently, as the word of God, without any other diftinction! I am apt to think, that this, in fome men, has been the very reafon why they never had clear and diftinct thoughts of it all their life time.

$159. And now I am by chance fallen on this fubject, give me leave to fay, that there are fome parts of the fcripture which may be proper to be put into the hands of a child, to engage him to read: Such as are the ftory of Jofeph and his Brethren, of David and Goliab, of David and Jonathan, &c. and others, that he fhould be made to read for his inftructions, as that, What you would have others do unto you, do you the fame unto them: and fuch other eafy and plain moral rules, which being fitly chofen, might often be made ufe of, both for reading and instruction together; and so often read, till they are thoroughly fixed in the memory; and then afterwards, as he grows ripe for them, may in their turns, on fit occafions, be inculcated as the ftanding and facred rules of his life and actions. But the reading of the whole fcripture indifferently, is what, I think, very inconvenient for children, till after having been made acquainted

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with the plaineft fundamental part of it, they have got fome kind of general view of what they ought principally to believe and practise; which yet, I think, they ought to receive in the very words of the fcripture, and not in fuch, as men prepoffeffed by fyftems and analogies, are apt in this cafe to make use of, and force upon them. Dr. Worthington, to avoid this, has made a catechism, which has all its answers in precise words of the scripture; a thing of good example, and fuch a found form of words as no chriftian can except againft, as not fit for his child to learn. this, as foon as he can fay the Lord's prayer, creed, ten commandments, by heart, it may be fit for him to learn a queftion every day, or every week, as his understanding is able to receive, and his memory to retain them. And when he has this catechifm perfectly by heart, fo as readily and roundly to answer to any question in the whole book, it may be convenient to lodge in his mind the remaining moral rules fcatered up and down in the bible, as the best exercife of his memory, and that which may be always a rule to him, ready at hand, in the whole conduct of his life.

§ 160. When he can read enWriting. glith well, it will be feasonable to enter him in writing. And here the first thing to be taught him is to hold his

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pen right; and this he fhould be perfect in, before he fhould be fuffered to put it to paper: for not only children, but any body else, that would do any thing well, should never be put upon too much of it at once, or be fet to perfect themselves in two parts of an action at the fame time, if they can poffibly be feparated. I think the Italian way of holding the pen between the thumb and the forefinger alone, may be beft; but'in this you may confult fome good writing-mafter, or any other perfon who writes well and quick. When he has learned to hold his pen right, in the next place he fhould learn how to lay his paper, and place his arm and body to it. practices being got over, the way to teach. him to write without much trouble, is to get a plate graved with the characters of fuch a hand as you like beft: but you must remember to have them a pretty deal bigger than he fhould ordinarily write; for every one natu. rally comes by degrees to write a lefs hand than he at firft was taught, but never a bigger. Such a plate being graved, let feveral sheets of good writing paper be printed off with red ink, which he has nothing to do but go over with a good pen filled with black ink, which will quickly bring his hand to the formation of thofe characters being at firft fhewed where to begin, and how to form every letter. And when he can do that well, he muft then exe.cife

exercife on fair paper; and fo may easily be brought to write the hand you defire.

S 161. When he can write well Drawing and quick, I think it may be convenient not only to continue the ex

ercife of his hand in writing, but also to im prove the use of it farther in drawing: a thing very useful to a gentleman in feveral occafions; but especially if he travel, as that which helps a man often to exprefs, in a few lines well put together, what a whole sheet of paper in writing would not be able to reprefent and make intelligible. How many buildings may a man fee, how many machines and habits meet with, the ideas whereof would be easily retained and communicated by a little fkill in drawing, which being committed to words, are in danger to be loft, or at beft but ill retained in the moft exact defcriptions? I do not mean that I would have your fon a perfect painter; to be that to any tolerable degree, will require more time than a young gentleman can fpare from his other improvements of greater moment. But fo much infight into perspective and fkill in drawing, as will enable him to reprefent tolerably on paper any thing he fees, except faces, may, I think, be got in a little time, especially if he have a genius to it; but where that is wanting, unless it be in things abfolutely neceffary, it is better to let them pafs them by quietly, than

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