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than of the children themselves, were as they should be, left only to time, and imitation, and riper years to cure, children would escape a great deal of mifapplied and ufelefs correcton, which either fails to overpower the natural difpofition of their childhood, and fo by an ineffectual familiarity, makes correction in other neceffary cafes of lefs ufe; or elfe if it be of force to reftrain the natural gaiety of that age, it ferves only to fpoil the temper both of body and mind. If the noife and buftle of their play prove at any time inconvenient, or unfuitable to the place or company they are in, (which can only be where their parents are) a look or a word from the father or mother, if they have eftablished the authority they fhould, will be enough either to remove or quiet them for that time. But this gamefome humour, which is wifely adapted by nature to their age and ten per fhould rather be encouraged to keep up their fpirits, and improve their ftrength and health, than curbed and reftrained; and the chief art is to make all that they have to do, sport and play

too.

Rules.

64. And here give me leave to take notice of one thing I think a fault in the ordinary method of education; and that is, the charging of chil dren's memories upon all occafions, with rules and precepts which they often do not under

ftand

ftand, and conftantly as foon forget as given. If it be fome action you would have done, or done otherwife, whenever they forget, or do it aukwardly, make them do it over and over again, 'till they are perfect; whereby you will get these two advantages. First, To fee whether it be an action they can do, or is fit to be expected of them: For fometimes children are bid to do things, which, upon trial, they are found not able to do, and had need be taught and exercised in, before they are required to do them. But it is much eafier for a tutor to command, than to teach. Secondly, Another thing got by it will be this, that by repeating the fame action, 'till it be grown habitual in them, the performance will not depend on memory or reflection, the concomitant of prudence and age, and not of childhood, but will be natural in them. Thus bowing to a gentleman, when he falutes him, and looking in his face, when he speaks to him, is by conftant use as natural to a wellbred man, as breathing; it requires no thought, no reflection. Having this way cured in your child any fault, it is cured for ever: And thus one by one you may weed them out all, and plant what habits you please.

$75. I have feen parents to heap rules on their children, that it was impoffible for the poor little ones to remember a tenth part of

them,

However,

them, much lefs to obferve them. they were either by words or blows corrected for the breach of thofe multiplied, and often very impertinent precepts Whence it naturally followed, that the children minded not what was faid to them, when it was evident to them that no attention they were capable of was fufficient to preferve them from tranfgreffion, and the rebukes which followed it.

Let therefore your rules to your fon be as few as poffible, or rather fewer than more than feem abfolutely neceffary. For if you burden him with many rules, one of thefe two things muft neceffarily, follow; that ei ther he must be very often punished, which will be of ill confequence, by making punishment too frequent and familiar; or elfe you muft let the tranfgreffions of fome of your rules go unpunished, whereby they will of courfe grow contemptible, and your authority become cheap to him. Make but few laws, but fee they be well obferved when once made. Few years require but few laws, and as his age increafes, when one rule is by practice well established, you may add another.

§ 66. But pray remember, children are not to be taught by rules which will be always flipping out of their memorics. What you think neceffary for them to do, fettle in them by an indifpenfable practice as often as the oc

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Habits.

cafion retures; and if it be poffible, make occafion. This will beget haLits in them, which being once eftablifhed, operate of themselves eafily and natu rally, without the affiftance of the memory. But here let me give too cautions. 1. The one is, that you keep them to the practice of what you would have grow into a habit in them, by kind words and gentle admonitions, rather as minding them of what they forget, than by harsh rebukes and chiding, as if they were wilfully guilty. 2. Another thing you are to take care of, is, not to endeavour to fettle too many babits at once, left by variety you confound them, and fo perfect none. When conftant custom has made any one thing cafy and natural to them, and they practise it without reflection, you may then go on to a

nother.

This method of teaching chil. Practice. dren by the repeated practice, and the fame action done over and over again, under the eye and direction of the tutor, 'till they have got the habit of doing it well, and not by relying on rules trufted on their memories, has fo many advantages, which way ever we confider it, that I cannot but wonder (if ill cuftoms could be wondered at in any thing) how it could poffibly be fo much neglected. I fhall name one more that comes now in my way. By this method we

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shall fee whether what is required of him be adapted to his capacity, and any way fuited to the child's natural genius and conftitution; for that too must be confidered in a right education. We must not hope wholly to change their original tempers, nor make the gay penfive and grave, nor the melancholy fportive, without fpoiling them. God has stumped certain characters upon mens minds, which like their fhapes, may perhips be a little mended, but can hardly be totally altered and transformed into the contrary.

He therefore that is about children fhould well ftudy their natures and aptitudes, and fee by often trials, what turn they eafily take, and what becomes them; obferve what their native flock is, how it may be improved, and what it is fit for: He fhould confider what they want, whether they be capable of having it wrought into them by industry, and incorporated there by practice; and whether it be worth while to endeavour it. For in many cafes, all that we can do, or fhould aim at, is, to make the best of what nature has given, to prevent the vices and faults to which fuch a conftitution is most inclined, and give it all the advantages it is capable of. Every one's na tural genius fhould be carried as far as it could; but to attempt the putting another up. on him, will be but labour in vain; and what is fo plaidered on, will at beft fit but untoward

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