4. History is another accomplishment of youth and ornament of education. The narratives of the various occurrences in nations, as well as in the lives of particular persons, slide into younger minds with pleasure. These will furnish the soul in time with a treasure of knowledge, whence to derive useful observations, inferences and rules of conduct. These will enable us to gratify our acquaintance, by rehearsing such narrations at proper seasons, and render our own company agreeable and useful to mankind.

5. Nor can our education be called completely elegant without something of poesy, in so, very polite an age as this.

While I mentioned some knowledge of poesy as a proper ornament of youth, I would not be understood as though I recommended verse making to every young gentleman and lady. It is an old proverb, that poets are born and not made. And though I have been too far betrayed by an unguarded inclination, into attempts of this kind, in some of my former years, yet while I sometimes repent of having laid out so many days and hours of a short life in writing verses, I will not encourage others to practise it, unless they are blest with a brighter genius, and find an insuperable bent and bias of soul that way: and even then, let it be a diversion and not a business,

The thing therefore which I here recommend to persons of a polite education, is some acquaintance with good verse. Το read it in the best authors, to learn to know, and taste, and feel a fine stanza, as well as hear it, and to treasure up some of the richest sentiments and expressions of the most admired writers, is all that I mean in this advice. Nor is this a mere amusement or useless embroidery of the mind. It brightens and animates the fancy with a thousand beautiful images, it enriches the soul with many great and sublime sentiments and refined ideas, it fills the memory with a noble variety of language, and furnishes the tongue with speech and expression suited to every subject. It teaches the art of describing well, and of painting every thing to the life, and dressing up all the pleasing and the frightful scenes of nature and providence, vice and virtue, in their proper charms and horrors. It assists us in the art of persuasion, it leads us into a pathetic manner of speech and writing, and adds life and beauty to conversation.

How often have we been enabled to gild a gloomy hour of life, and to soften a rough and painful occurrence, by meditating and repeating the lines of some great poet? Between the colours and the harmony that belong to verse, our senses and our souls are sometimes sweetly entertained in a solitary retirement; and sometimes we entertain our friends agreeably, we regale them as with music and painting at once, and gladden the whole company.

But poetry hath still some sublimer powers. It raises our dying religion to a heavenly degree, and kindles a flame of holy love and joy in the heart.. If the memory be well stored with devout songs, we shall never be at a loss for divine meditation we may exalt the praises of God and our Saviour at all times, and feel our souls borne up as on the wings of angels, far above this dusky globe of earth, till we have lost all its flattering vanities and its painful vexations. Poesy was first designed for the service of religion, and dedicated to the temple. Moses and David made divine and illustrious use of it. The royal psalmist is raised on the wings of inspiration and sacred verse, far above the level of the Jewish ceremonies and shadows, and converses with heavenly things, and sheds abroad the glories of the future Messiah, amidst the raptures of his sublime and inimitable poesy.

But it is time to descend and mention some of the accomplishments of animal nature. The first of this kind, and perhaps the nearest to poesy is the art of singing. A most charming gift of the God of nature, and designed for the solace of our sorrows and the improvement of our joys. Those young persons who are blest with a musical ear and voice, should have some instruction bestowed on them, that they may acquire this delightful skill. I am sorry that the greatest part of our songs, whereby young gentlemen and ladies are taught to practise this art, are of the amorous kind, and some of them polluted too. Will no happy genius lend a helping hand to rescue music from all its defilements, and to furnish the tongue with a nobler and more refined melody? But singing must not be named alone.

Various harmony both of the wind and string were once in use in divine worship, and that by divine appointment. It is certain then that the use of these instruments in common life is no unlawful practice, though the New Testament has not ordained the use of it in evangelical worship. But if the voice be happily capable of this art, it is preferable to all instruments fashioned and composed by man this is an organ formed and tuned by God himself. It is most easily kept in exercise, the skill is retained longest, and the pleasure transcends all the rest. Where an ode of noble and seraphic composure is set throughout to music and sung by an artful voice, while the spirit at the same time enjoys a devout temper, the joys of the soul and the sense are united, and it approaches to the scriptural ideas of the celestial state. Happy the youth who has a bright and barmonious constitution, with a pious turn of soul, a cheerful spirit, and a relish of sacred melody? He takes a frequent flight above this lower world, beyond the regions of sense and time; he joins the concert of the heavenly inhabitants, and seems to anticipate the business and the blessedness of eternity.

Shall I be allowed after this, to mention drawing and painting as agreeable amusements of polite youth? Where the genius leads that way it is a noble diversion, and improves the mind. Nature has her share in this as well as in poesy; where nature inclines, let polite youth be taught to sketch a little on paper; let them have at least some taste of these arts, some capacity of being pleased with a curious draught, a noble painting, an elegant statue, and fine resemblances of nature. This is an ingenious and a graceful acquirement. Mr. Richardson's Essay on the Theory of Painting, is the best book that I know on that subject; and sufficient to give a young gentleman a general knowledge of the art.

Shall I now name the art of fencing and of riding the managed horse as an accomplishment for gentlemen? These are exercises of a healthy kind, and may be useful in human life. Shall I speak of dancing, as a modish accomplishment of both sexes? I confess, I know no evil in it. This also is a healthful exercise, and it gives young persons a decent manner of appearance in company. It may be profitable to some good purposes, if it be well guarded against all the abuses and temptations that may attend it. It was used of old in sacred and civil rejoicing; Ex. xv. 20, 21. 2 Sam. vi. 14. 1 Sam. xviii, 6. It is certainly an advantage to have the body formed early to graceful motion, to which the art of dancing may have contributed. But where it is so much beloved and indulged, it has most sensible dangers, especially mixed dancing. It leads youth too often and too early into company; it may create too much forwardness and assurance in the sex, whose chief glory is their modesty; it may kindle vain and vicious inclinations, and raise in young minds too great a fondness for the excessive gaieties and licentious pleasures of the age.

In all these affairs a wise parent will keep a watchful eye upon the child, while he indulges it in these gratifications of youth and inclination: a wise parent will daily observe, whether the son or the little daughter begin to be too much charmed with any of the gay ornaments and amusements of life; and, with a prudent and secret solicitude, will take care lest any of them entrench on the more necessary and more important duties of life and religion. And according to this view of things, the parent's hand will either give a looser rein to the pursuit of these exercises, or will manage the propensities of the child with a needful and becoming restraint.

But among all the accomplishments of youth, there is none preferable to a decent and agreeable behaviour among men, a modest freedom of speech, a soft and elegant manner of address, a graceful and lovely deportment, a cheerful gravity and good humour, with a mind appearing ever serene under the ruffling

accidents of human life: add to this, a pleasing solemnity and reverence when the discourse turns upon any thing sacred and divine, a becoming neglect of injuries, a hatred of calumny and slander, a habit of speaking well of others, a pleasing benevolence and readiness to do good to mankind, and special compas sion to the miserable; with an air and countenance, in a natural and unaffected manner, expressive of all these excellent qualifications.

Some of these, I own, are to be numbered among the duties and virtues, rather than among the ornaments of mankind: but they must be confessed to be ornaments as well as virtues. They are graces in the eye of man as well as of God. These will bespeak the affection of all that know us, and engage even an ill-natured world betimes in our favour. These will enable the youth of both sexes, who are so happy to attain them, to enter upon the stage of life with approbation and love, to pass through the world with ease, (as far as ease may be expected in so degenerate and unbappy a state of things) to finish the scenes of action on earth with applause, and to leave behind them the monument of a good name, when their bodies sleep in the dust, and their souls dwell with God.

SECT. VIII-A Guard against coil Influences from Persons and Things.

IT belongs also to a good education, that children be guarded and secured (as far as possible) from all evil influences and unhappy impressions, which they may be exposed to receive both from persons and things. I shall sufficiently explain this direction by particular instances.

Let not nurses or servants be suffered to fill their minds with silly tales and with senseless rhymes, many of which are so absurd and ridiculous, that they will not bear to be represented in a grave discourse. The imagination of young creatures is hereby flattered and deceived their reason is grossly abused and imposed upon; and by this means they are trained up to be amused with follies and nonsense, rather than to exercise their understanding, which is the glory of human nature.

Let not any persons that are near them terrify their tender minds with dismal stories of witches and ghosts, of devils and evil spirits, of fairies and bugbears in the dark. This hath had a most mischievous effect on some children, and hath fixed in their constitutions such a rooted slavery and fear, that they have scarcely dared to be left alone all their lives, especially in the night. These stories have made such a deep and frightful impression on their tender faucies, that it hath enervated their souls, it hath broken their spirits early, it hath grown up with them, and mingled with their religion, it hath laid a wretched foundatio for melancholy and distracting sorrows. Let these

sort of informations be reserved for their firmer years, and let them not be told in their hearing, till they can better judge what truth or reality there is in them, and be made sensible how much is owing to romance and fiction.

Nor let their little hearts be frighted at three or four years old with shocking and bloody histories, with massacres and martyrdoms, with cuttings and burnings, with the images of horrible and barbarous murders, with racks and red hot pincers, with engines of torment and cruelty, with mangled limbs, and carcases drenched in gore. It is time enough, when their spirits are grown a little firmer, to acquaint them with these madnesses and miseries of human nature. There is no need that the history of the holy confessors and martyrs should be set before their thoughts so early in all their most ghastly shapes and colours. These things, when they are a little older, may be of excellent use to discover to them the wicked and bloody principles of persecution, both among the heathens and the papists; and to teach them the power of the grace of Christ, in supporting these poor sufferers under all the torments which they sustained for the love of God and the truth.

Let their ears be ever kept from all immodest stories, and from wanton songs; from riddles and puns with double meanings and foul intentions: let them not be suffered to read wanton jests or amorous romances; and due care should be taken to remove all books out of their way that may defile their imagination, or teach them the language or the sentiments of impurity. Nor let their eyes be entertained with "lewd and unclean pictures, and images of things or actions that are not fit to be exposed." These things indeed have too often an unhappy influence to corrupt the fancy and the manners; and in riper years have been the occasion of numberless inischiefs: but especially they should be kept far away from the sight or hearing of children, lest too deep and dangerous impressions be made in those early years of life. Nothing but what is chaste, pure and innocent, should come within the reach of their eyes and ears. Even the common necessities and actions of nature, should be always expressed before them in the most modest forms of speech that our mother tongue can furnish us with. In this respect, (as the poet says) children should be treated with great reverence.

Maxima debetur pueris reverentia.

It is confessed that books of anatomy, and other parts of necessary science, are proper to be written; and these may be consulted by persons who are grown up to a due age, especially by those whose profession requires it. There is also some necessity of foul narratives, where foul crimes are committed, and ought to be publicly exposed and brought to justice and punishment. As the affairs of mankind stand, these things cannot