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ther blind, dull, or very dim-fighted; and requires to be polish'd or enlighten'd by Art. 'Tis like a barren Field, that wants cultivating. It will never grow better without proper Tillage. But till, or plough and fow the Ground well, and it will let no Tares grow up there; it will fuffer no Briars, nor Thorns, nor Thiftles, nor Weeds, nor any noxious Plants, to take Root: Nothing to flourish in it without Eradication, but only excellent Grain or Bread-Corn. The best natural Parts are but imperfect, with out Learning. 'Tis good Difcipline and acquired Knowledge, that must bring them to their great Perfection. The fureft Foundations of Virtue, Honour, and future Happiness, may be faid to be laid in our Cradles, and rais'd up in the Arms of our very Nurfes. Plutarch fays, The Beginning, Middle and End of a happy Life confifteth in good Education. It keeps Youth from Difobedience, preferves them from Corruptions, and prevents their contracting ill Habits. Nothing was more efteem'd or eftablifh'd among the Ancients, than the virtuous Inftitution of Youth. Plato infifts upon it as the greatest Duty of Parents, next to the Preservation of their Lives. By the Falcidian Law, if the Son was hang'd for any Offence, the Father was punish'd with Banishment for not inftructing him better; as an egregious Criminal, and highly acceffory to his Child's Deftru&tion. The famous Emperors, Trajan, and Adrian after him, brought up fome Thousands of Noblemen's Children to Learning, Virtue and Arms, at their own proper Coft and Charge. For this great and good End did our munificent Kings, of latter Days, with other bountiful Benefactors, Found fo many ftately Colleges and celebrated Universities all

over Christendom. They were appointed to cul tivate and improve the liberal Arts and Sciences, for the better Advantage of our youthful Education. Indeed every good Beginning of this Kind arifes from Nature; the great Progrefs of it, from the Precepts of Reafon; and the final Accomplishment of it, from a right Ufe, Exercise and Application of Knowledge. Nature without the Improvement of Learning is little worth; and Learning again, without the Helps of Nature, proves as difficult and dull of Apprehenfion. But both together, equally good, concurring in the fame Perfon, render him the most perfect Mafter of Reafon, or at least the most capable of Virtue, Wisdom and Religion. Lycurgus's familiar Example of the Two Dogs let loofe; the one taking after the Hare, and the other to the Porridge-Pot, plainly fhews, that the Power of Education far excels the Force of Nature, and alters the ordinary Bent of it for better things. Nothing avails more than Learning and Inftitution to turn our Hearts, excite our Wills, and conform our Paffions to Virtue. They correct all evil Inclinations and Preturbations of the Mind, and difpofe it to habitual Goodness, as well as invincible Tranquillity. Philofophy made the great Socrates, and the brave Themistocles, both naturally inclin'd to Vices at firft, the most famous Examples afterwards of Wisdom and Courage, of good Conduct, Honour and Fortitude. School Difcipline. like the Steel, fetches Fire out of the Flint of Nature; it gives Light, Life and Activity to all the hidden Powers of the Soul; it comforts the very Vitals of a virtuous Breast, warms his Heart with noble Defires, and inflames the dark Faculties of his Mind into the brightest Perform

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änces. But, above all other Perfons, the Sons of Princes, and Noblemen, &c. have the greateft Occafion for good Literature, to diftinguish them from the meaner fort of ignorant Mankind, or even to make fome more effential Difference between the King and the Cobler, a Peer and a Peafant, befides Crowns and Scepters, or Stars and Garters.

II. FROM hence again we may likewife discover the great Advantages, as well as the Conveniency and Reasonableness, of providing proper Masters or Miftreffes to inftruct our Children betimes, Male or Female, and to furnish their growing Judgments with the moft fubftantial Principles of future Felicity, as well as Knowledge. 'Tis certain, that as Seals and Signets can easily make any Impreffion upon foft Wax, fo wife Inftructors may foon caft upon the pliant Minds of Youth, as in a Mould, the fairest Images and Ideas of Virtue, Piety, and Prudence. They are naturally as fufceptible of Good or Evil, as capable of diftinguishing between Light and Darkness. But then the Choice of a prudent Tutor, is the chief Bufinefs of a Father or Mother of a Family, who defire their Sons and Daughters fhould be made good Scholars, or happy Proficients in Understanding. Learning is but a Labyrinth, without fuch a Guide. And what young Gentleman would venture to wander into an unknown Maze, and have no careful Conductor? A profperous Voyage depends very much upon the Skilfulness of the Pilot. In fhort, a difcreet Preceptor may reasonably be deem'd as neceflary for his Progrefs in the Studies of Happinefs, as an indulgent Parent for his Birth, or a kind Patron for his Prefervation and Preferment. Alexander the Great

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Great thought he ow'd as much at least, if not more, to his Mafter Ariftotle, than to his Father Philip; and he made little Difference between the Natural and Political Obligation of his Conscience; or no Diftinction at all between his noble Extraction, and his glorious Inftruction in Philofophy. How happy muft that Parent be, who finds out fuch a valuable Treasure as a learned and judicious Tutor; who is able to breed up his Pupil, (whether Royal, Princely, or of meaner Pedigree) to Honour by Knowledge, to Nobility by Merit, to Conqueft by Valour, to Dominion by Wisdom, and to the Felicity both of Earth and Heaven at laft, by downright Virtue and univerfal Veneration! As to the main Business of Inftitution, either in Matter, Form, or Method of Teaching, few good Parents can be thought fo illiterate, as not to know wherein and how they would have their Children well inftructed; whether to fecular Intereft and Profit, to good Manners and genteel Profeffions, or to profound Understanding and contemplative Learning. But however, it is to be remember'd always, that the great End of all their Studies must be strictly refer'd, by their fuperiour Directors, to the folemn Glory of God, and the ferious Service of their Neighbours, by living up exactly to their feveral Charges and Vocations, without any Selfishness, finifter Views, or indirect Practices. Ariftotle does not only recommend in general Terms, but particularly prefcribes alfo, that all Children of the most ordinary Capacities fhould diligently learn Grammar, bodily Exercife, Mufick, and Painting. For without grammatical Knowledge, he affirms no Bufinefs can be well done; which depends upon Speaking, Reading and Writing exactly, fit for

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common. Dealing and modern Commerce. The Gymnaftical Part will mightily contribute to their Health, Strength and Vigour; through honest Labours, moderate Exercifes, and manly Diverfions. Mufick will highly conduce to their Satisfaction, and ferve to folace or recreate their Minds after the Fatigue of their Bodies, with its innocent Mirth and reviving Harmony. And then for Painting, it will agreeably put them upon confidering the wonderful Beauty, wife Symmetry, and exact Compofition of all Things, by reprefenting them to the Life, and bringing their own Perfons, as well as their Pieces or Pictures, into Admiration. I might reasonably add to these Four Qualifications, One more, of Drawing; to be as brief as I can, abfolutely neceffary for moft Trades, as well as Mechanicks or Mathematicks. And indeed, according to report, there are fcarce any curious Workmen in all France, that do not understand this ufeful and ingenious Art, fo much neglected in England; wherein they find a very good Account, and a confiderable Advantage, by their niceft Performances. But I cannot forbear mentioning alfo this Author's own Rhetorick; which can never be too often read and revolv'd by the brightest Genius's or beft Orators, who delight in the charming Art of Elocution and Perfuafion : Witnefs Mr. Rapin's excellent Reflections. To fay nothing of Cofmography, Hiftory, and Chronology, fit for Statefmen; proper for Princes, Poets, or Politicians: Befides Law and Divinity, the Two noblest Profeffions in the Universe, and the most requifite Qualifications for the Service both of Heaven and Earth. To pafs by the Knowledge of the Clafficks, as the fole Bufinefs of the Learned, judicious and inquifitive Criticks

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