is to do nothing at all: and having never learned any laudable manual art wherewith to divert themselves, they have recourse to those foolish, or ill ways in ufe, to help off their time, which a rational man, till corrupted by cuftom, could find very little pleasure in.

§ 208. I fay not this, that I would never have a young gentleman accommodate himself to the innocent diverfions in fashion, amongst thofe of his age and condition. I am so far from having him auftere and morofe to that degree, that I would perfuade him to more than ordinary complaifance for all the gay eties and diverfions of thofe he converfes with, and be averfe or tefty in nothing they should defire of him, that might become a gentle. man and an honeft man. Though as to cards and dice, I think the fafeft and beft way is never to learn any play upon them, and fo to be incapacitated for thofe dangerous tempta tions and incroaching wafters of useful time. But allowance being made for idle and jovial converfation, and all fashionable becoming recreations; I fay, a young man will have time enough from his ferious and main business, to learn almost any trade. 'Tis want Trade. of application, and not of leisure, that men are not skilful in more arts than one; and an hour in a day, conftantly employed in fuch a way of diverfion, will

carry

carry a man in a fhort time, a great deal farther than he can imagine: which, if it were of no other ufe but to drive the common, vicious, ufeless, and dangerous paftimes out of fashion, and to fhew there was no need of them, would deferve to be encouraged. If men from their youth were weaned from that fauntring humour, wherein fome out of cuftom, let a good part of their lives run ufelefly away, without either business or recreation, they would find time enough to acquire dexterity and skill in hundreds of things, which, though remote from their proper callings, would not at all interfere with them. And therefore, I think, for this, as well as other reafons before-mentioned, a lazy, liftlefs humour, that idly dreams away the days, is of all others the leaft to be indulged or permitted in young people. It is the proper state of one fick and out of order in his health, and is tolerable in no body elfe of what age or condition fo

ever.

209. To the arts above-mentioned, may be added perfuming, varnishing, graving, and feveral forts of working in iron, brafs, and filver; and if, as it happens to moft young gentlemen, that a confiderable part of his time be spent in a great town, he may learn to cut, polish, and fet precious flones, or employ himself in grinding and polishing optick glaffes. Amongst the great variety there is

of ingenious manual arts, 'twill be impoffible that no one should be found to pleafe and delight him, unless he be either idle or debauched, which is not to be fuppofed in a right way of education. And fince he cannot be always employed in ftudy, reading and conversation, there will be many an hour, befides what his exercises will take up, which, if not spent this way, will be spent worfe. For I conclude, a young man will feldom defire to fit perfectly fill and idle; or, if he does, 'tis a fault that ought to be mended.

$210. But if his miftaken parents, frighted with the difgraceful name of mechanic trade, fhall have an averfion to any thing of this kind in their children; yet there is one thing relating to trade, which, when they confider, they will think abfolutely neceffary for their fons to learn. Merchant's ac Merchant's counts, tho' a science not likely to Accounts. help a gentleman to get an eftate, yet poffibly there is not any thing of more use and efficacy, to make him preferve the eftate he has. 'Tis feldom obferved that he who keeps an account of his income and expences, and thereby has conftant ly under view the courfe of his domestick affairs, lets them run to ruin: and I doubt not but many a man gets behind-hand before he is a-ware, or runs farther on, when he is once in, for want of this care, or the skill to do it.

I would therefore advise all gentlemen to learn perfectly merchants accounts, and not to think it is a kill that belongs not to them, because it has received its name, and has been chiefly practised by men of traffick.

§ 211. When my young mafter has once got the skill of keeping accounts, (which is a bufinefs of reafon more than arithmetick) perhaps it will not be amifs, that his father from henceforth require him to do it in all his concernments. Not that I would have him fet down every pint of wine, or play, that cofts him money; the general name of expences will ferve for fuch things well enough: nor would I have his father look fo narrowly into these accounts, as to take occafion from thence to criticife on his expences; he must remember that he himfelf was once a young man, and not forget the thoughts he had then, nor the right his fon has to have the fame, and to have allowance made for them. If therefore, I would have the young gentleman obliged to keep an account, it is not at all to have that way a check upon his expences (for what the father allows him, he ought to let him be fully mafter of) but only, that he might be brought early into the custom of doing it, and that it might he made familiar and habitual to him betimes, which will be fo useful and neceffary to be conftanty practifed the whole courfe of his life. A noble

1

noble Venetian, whofe fon wallowed in the plenty of his father's riches, finding his fon's expences grow very high and extravagant, ordered his cafhier to let him have for the future no more money than what he should count when he received it. This, one would think no great reftriant to a young gentleman's expences; who could freely have as much money as he would tell: but yet this, to one that was used to nothing but the purfuit of his pleasures, proved a very great trouble, which at laft ended in this fober and advantageous reflexion: if it be fo much pains to me barely to count the money, I would spend, what labour and pains did it coft my ancestors, not only to count, but to get it? This rational thought, fuggefted by this little pains impofed upon him, wrought fo effectually upon his mind, that it made him take up, and from that time forwards prove a good husband. This, at leaft, every body muft allow, that nothing is likelier to keep a man within compass, than the having constantly before his eyes the ftate of his affairs in a regular courfe of account.

§ 212. The last part ufually in Travel. education, is travel, which is com.

monly thought to finish the work, and complete the gentleman. I confefs travel into foreign countries has great advantages, but the time ufually chofen to fend young

men