66 46 stantly before them under an advantageous agreeable form, as the most excellent of all b sings, and most worthy a reasonable man, and "honourable to him, as a quality absolutely neces to procure him the affection and esteem of all n kind, and as the only means of being truly ha "The more frequently he puts them in mind of t duty, the less he will be obliged to punish th "Let him every day say something to them w they may carry away with them, and be the b "for. Though what they read may furnish t "with abundance of good examples, what he sa "them by word of mouth has a very different f "and produces a quite different effect, especia "it comes from a master, whom children that "well brought up both love and honour. For it "not be imagined, how easily we are led to cop "ter those, of whom we have a favourable opin These are the qualifications which Quintilian quires in a master of rhetoric; (and they equally cern all such as are intrusted with the instructio youth) to the end, says he, that as in this class there are usually a great number of scholars, [g wisdom of the master may preserve those, who are young, from being corrupted, and his gravity lay straint upon the licentiousness of such as a mor vanced age renders more difficult to be gover For it is not enough that he be a man of probity self, unless he also knows how to keep his schola order by an exact discipline. We need make no erit, hoc rariùs castigabit.... Ipse aliquid, imò multa quotidie dicat, que secum audita referant. Licet enin satis exemplorum ad imitandum ex lexione suppeditet, tamen viva illa, ut dicitur, vox alit pleniùs, præcipueque præceptoris, quem discipuli, si modo rectè sunt instituti, & amant, & verentur. Vix autem dici potest, quanto libentiùs imitemur eos, quibus favemus This passage may be applied to the case of manners. [f] They were severa upon the study of rhetoric; the scholars in the same class n of different ages. [g] Major adhibenda tu est, ut & teneriores annos a riâ sanctitas docentis custod ferociores à licentiâ gravitas reat. Neque verò satis est su præstare abstinentiam, nisi pline severitate convenie quoque ad se mores astrinxe tleness and insinuation, but at the same time far - successful. For we scarce ever arrive by correcat the only true end of education, which is to vince the mind, and inspire a sincere love of virtue; ich I proceed to treat in the following articles. ARTICLE II. OF CORRECTION. AS this article is of the utmost importance in edution, I shall dwell somewhat longer upon it than erest, and divide it into two parts. In the first, hall point out the inconveniences and dangers of e use of the rod: in the second, I shall lay down the Les we ought to follow in this kind of Correction. THE INCONVENIENCES AND DANGERS OF CORRECTION. The most common and shortest way of correcting ildren is by the rod, which is almost the only reedy that is known or made use of by those who are trusted with the education of youth. But this reedy becomes often a more dangerous evil than those ey would cure, if employed out of season, or beyond easure. For, besides that the Corrections of the rod d the lash, we are now speakingof, have something decent, mean, and servile in them, they have noing in themselves to remedy any fault committed, or is it likely that such a Correction may become seful to a child, if the shame of suffering for having one ill, has not a greater power over his mind, than e punishment itself. Besides, these Corrections give incurable aversion to the things we should endea vour to make them love. They do not change the mour, nor work any reformation in the natural position, but only restrain it for a time, and serv make the passions break out with more violence, w they are at liberty. They often stupify the mind, harden it in evil [h] For a child, that has sol honour as to be insensible to reproof, will accus himself to blows like a slave, and grow obsti against punishment. Must we therefore conclude, that we ought n to make use of this sort of correction? That is my meaning. For I am far from condemning in neral the use of a rod, after what has been said in several places of scripture, and especially in book of Proverbs. [i] He that spareth his rod ha his son, but he that loveth him, chasteneth him times.-[k] Foolishness is bound in the heart child, but the rod of Correction shall drive it far f him. The Holy Scripture, by these words, and ot of a like nature, may perhaps design punishmen general, and condemn the mistaken tenderness blind indulgence of parents, who shut their eyes on the vices of their children, and thereby render t incorrigible. But supposing that the word rod be taken literally, it is very probable that this rection is advised for such dispositions, as are r gross, indocile, untractable, and insensible to proof and honour. For can we imagine, that scripture, which abounds in charity and gentler and is so full of compassion for the weaknesses more advanced age, that the scriptures should ad to treat children with severity, when faults are quently rather the effects of levity than wickednes I therefore conclude, that the punishments we here speaking of may be used, but ought to be ployed very seldom, and for faults of conseque These Corrections are like the violent remedies, w [b] Si cui tam est mens illiberalis, ut objurgatione non corrigatur: is etiam ad plagas ut pessima quæque mancipia durabitur. Quintil. lib. i. c. 3. [i] Prov. xiii. 24. do by persuasion, make honesty and justice l if possible, and inspire an hatred for vice, and on for virtue. If this first attempt does not d, he may pass to stronger methods and sharper ches; and lastly, when all this has been emI to no purpose, he may then proceed to Coris, but by degrees, still leaving the hopes of n in view, and reserving the greatest for extreme and those he despairs of us compare a man of this wisdom and moderawith a master that is hasty, passionate and viosuch as Orbilius was, whom his scholar Horace [m] Plagosus; or with a person intrusted by Ciwith the education of his children, who was pase to a degree of madness. [n] This was a slave ad been made free, that Tully highly valued in respects, and in whom he reposed an entire cone. Dionysius quidem mihi in amoribus est. Putem aiunt eum FURENTER IRASCI, sed homo ctior, nec sanctior fieri potest. "I love Dionydearly. The boys indeed tell me that he is violy passionate, but a more learned or a more pious cannot exist." For my own part I do not here n either good understanding or prudence in Tulrejudiced in favour of this freedman, he does not to have any regard to the charge against him, neca, after reporting at large viour of a discreet physician bis patient, makes an appliit to governors thus: Ita leesidem civitatisque rectorem uamdiu potest verbis, & his bus, ingenia curare: ut fauadeat, cupiditatemque hoequi conciliet animis, facitiorum odium, pretium vir rem orationem, quâ moneat adhuc & exprobret : novissimè ad pœnas, & has adhuc leves & revocabiles decurrat: ultima supplicia sceleribus ultimis ponat, ut nemo pereat, nisi quem perire etiam pereuntis intersit. De Irâ, lib. i. cap. 5. [m] A lasher. One that is given to blows and whipping. Ep. i. lib. [n] Ad Att. Ep. i. lib. 6. 2. " as if such fault could be covered by learning, or sist with the quality of a man of very great pr sed homo nec doctior, nec sanctior fieri potest. H afterwards undeceived, when that cowardly and fidious slave had betrayed him. [o] Which of the two masters, says Seneca, we most esteem? He who strives to correct his lars by prudent advice and motives of honour, of ther who shall lash them to pieces for not rep their lesson as they ought, and faults of a like na If we undertook to manage a horse, could it b by beating him in this violent manner? Or wo not be a certain way of making him apt to sta fling, and to be unruly and restive? An able can break him better by caressing him with a hand; and why must men be treated with mo elty than beasts? II. RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN CORRECT 1. It is certain, that if children are early accu to submission and obedience by the steady bel of parents and masters, and that care is take to depart from this steadiness, till such time and respect are grown familiar to them, an appears not the least shadow of constraint submission and obedience; this happy habit c ted from their most tender years, will almo the necessity of any future punishments. usually obliges us to have recourse to that ext is the blind indulgence given to children which makes their faults almost incorrigible, neglected in their birth. [o] Uter præceptor liberalibus studiis dignior, qui excarnificabit discipulos, si memoria illis non constiterit, aut si parum agilis in legendo oculus hæserit: an qui monitionibus & verecundiâ emendare ac docere malit? Numquidnam æquum est, graviùs homini & du riùs imperari, quam imp malibus mutis? Atqui crebris verberibus exteri peritus magister. Fiet dolosus & contumax, ni blandiente permulseris. Clem. lib. i. c. 16. |