always be avoided but there is no manner of necessity that children should read them, or rash ungarded youth.

For some of the reasons before-mentioned, there should be a wise conduct in shewing children what parts of the bible they should read for though the word of God expresseth all things with due decency, yet there are some things which have been found necessary to be spoken of in scripture, both in the laws of Moses and in the representation of the wickedness of the Gentiles in the New Testament; in which adult persons have been concerned, which there is no necessity for children to read and hear, and they may be passed over or omitted among them. The Jews were wont to withhold Solomon's Song from their children till they were thirty years old and the late pious and prudent Bishop Tillotson (in a manuscript which I have seen) wishes that those parts of the bible wherein there are some of the affairs of mankind expressed too naturally (as he calls it) were omitted in the public lessons of the church; I think they may as well be excepted also out of the common lessons of children, and out of the daily course of reading in family worship.

Let parents take as much care as they can, in the choice of companions and play-fellows for their sons and their daughters, it would be a happy thing if children, who are bred up in in schools, could be secured from the company and evil influence of other children, who curse and swear, who take the name of God in vain, and use filthy and unclean language. Masters and mistresses should be very watchful and strict in their enquiries into the behaviour of their scholars of both sexes when they are out of their sight, that if it were possible there might not be one among them whose lips are impure or profane: for one diseased sheep may infect the whole flock. However, where children find such immorality practised by any of their fellows, they should be taught to shew their utmost abhorrence of it, and speedily forsake such peruicious company.

SECT. IX.-A Guard set on the Sports and Diversions of Children.

AS parents should take care to have their children employed in proper learning and business, so they should not think it beneath them to concern themselves a little about their sports and recreations. Human nature, especially in younger years, can, not be constantly kept intent on work, learning or labour. There, must be some intervals of pleasure to give a loose to the mind, and to refresh the natural spirits. Too long and intense a confinement to one thing, is ready to over-tire the spirits of youth, and to weaken the springs of activity by excessive fatigue. It is an old simile on this occasion, and a just one, that a bow kept always bent will grow feeble and lose its force. The alternate successions of business and diversion, preserve the body and

Soul of children in the happiest temper and learning is more closely pursued, and work better done after some agreeable re laxations. The young creatures apply themselves to their business with new vigour, after the enjoyment of some pleasurable release.

I confess it would be a considerable advantage, if the vari ous parts of learning and business in which children are employed, were so happily contrived, that one might be as it were a relaxation or diversion, when the mind is tired with the other: And if the children have a taste and relish of reading and improvement of the mind, there is a rich variety of entertainment to be found in books of poetry, history, accounts of the wonders of art and nature, as well as ingenious practices in mechanical and mathematical affairs. It is happiest indeed, where this relish is the gift of nature; yet children may be trained up by wise and alluring methods, to delight in knowledge, and to choose such sort of recreations, especially in winter nights and rainy seasons, when they cannot enjoy the more active diversions abroad. Yet besides these, some other sorts of sports will generally be found necessary for children of almost all dispositions.

And their sports ought to be such as are in some measure chosen by themselves, that they may be matter of delight, yet still under the regulation of the eye and prudence of a parent, No sort of play should be permitted, wherein sacred things become a matter of jest or merriment. No sport should be indulged wherein foul language, il names or scandal are practised; wherein there is any violation of modesty, or of the rules of decency and cleanliness; nothing must be suffered wherein there is any breach of the moral precepts of the law of God; wherein cozening or cheating, falsehood or lying, are practised or allowed. They should be confined to honesty, justice, truth and goodness, even in their very play. They should not be permitted to use such sporting as may tend to discompose their spirits, disorder their nature, injure their flesh, prejudice their health, break their limbs, or do mischief to themselves, or each other. This should rather be the play of dogs or horses than of children.

Nor should they ever be allowed to practise those diversions that carry an idea of barbarity and cruelty in them, though it be to brute creatures. They should not set up cocks to be banged with cudgels thrown at them about Shrove-tide; nor delight in giving a tedious lingering death to a young litter of dogs or cats, that may be appointed to be destroyed and drowned, lest they multiply too much in a house: nor should they take pleasure in pricking, cutting or mangling young birds which they have caught, nor using any savage and bloody practices towards any creatures whatsoever; lest their hearts grow hard and unrelent

ing, and they learn in time to practise these cruelties on their own kind, and to murder and torture their fellow-mortals; or at least to be indifferent to their pain and distress, so as to occasion it without remorse.

They should never be suffered to game for money, nor even for their own toys or play-things if they are costly and expensive: many sore inconveniences in riper years, arise from such indulgencies. And indeed no recreations should be accounted lawful, but those in which they can with courage recommend themselves to God, and desire his blessing upon them.

Those children who are kept pretty close to learning in a school, should be directed to pursue their recreations, as much as may be, in the open air; and to exercise their limbs with vigour and activity, that their growth and health may not be impaired by study, and too much confinement to a book. But in very foul weather, or in long winter evenings (as I hinted before) they may be taught to seek such diversions, as may at once refresh and improve their minds.

For want of this, in some families the games of draughts and chess are practised, and some other little sports upon a chessboard, without any stakes or ain at gain, beyond the mere pleasure of victory. In other bouses, cards and dice are introduced, for want of better recreations. The former of these, namely, draughts and chess, are innocent enough, and may wear off a heavy hour, when the mind or body are unfit for business: the latter have had the general censure of our wise and pious fathers, and there have been most unhappy effects attending them and indeed, these games are seldom used without depositing too much money as the stake; and this tends to engage the passions with greater vehemence thau the nature of a recreation can require, or should admit. But I leave it to those who are more skilful in casuistic divinity, to prove them absolutely unlawful in the very nature of the game.

However that be, I have often earnestly wished, that instead of all these games, there were some more profitable sports invented for a long evening, for a dull hour, or a rainy season: and I am well assured, that if some ingenious mind, which is well skilled in mathematical learning and in games, would but take pains to contrive some such diversions, there might be a much better account given of the hours of leisure and remission of business by persons of both sexes, and of all ages, than can be at present, for want of such useful and improving recreations..

What if cards and dice should be proved to be ever so lawful in themselves, yet there might be various inventions, of much more advantage to knowledge and virtue, placed in the room of them. May not some little tablets of pasteboard be made in imi

tation of cards, which might teach the unlearned several parts of grammar, philosophy, geometry, geography, astronomy, &c.

What if on one side of these tablets or charts a town or city were named and described, and on the other side the county, province, and kingdom where that town stands, with some geographical or historical remark on it; and whosoever in play. draws the chart with the town on it, should be obliged to tell the county where it stands, and the remark on it?

What if on one side were a geometrical figure, and on the other the demonstration of some property belonging to it?

What if one side bore the name or figure of any piece of money; and the other all the multiplies of it by the nine digits, or as far as twelve? This would be useful for children bred up to a trade.

What if the figure of some plant, animal, engine, or any thing else in the world of nature or art, were printed on one side; and on the other the name of the thing, which should be required to be spelled right by young scholars when they see the figure, in order to teach them the art of spelling. And if to this were added some beautiful expression or description of the thing, taken out of our best English poets, to be repeated by him who draws the chart which has the figure on it?

Or if on one side were a word in English, and on the other the same thing expressed in Latin, Greek or French, for such who learn those languages. Or if single names of famous men and women were on one side; and the reverse contained the history, or some short account, of those persons whose names are so famous.

:

What if in a sheet of paper, or a twopenny book, were written a hundred proverbs or wise sayings, collected out of moralists, ancient and modern, relating to all the virtues and yices: and a collection of the most eminent examples of these vices and virtues were superadded and if one or more solid bodies of wood, of sixteen, twenty, or thirty-two flat sides were formed with the name of one virtue or vice inscribed on each side; and by the trolling of this many-sided toy, the uppermost word or name should be an indication what proverb, or what example to require ?

There have been, I confess, several sorts of cards invented with proverbs, with various learned figures, and mathematical devices upon them; but, as far as I can learn, these have been but mere pictures and ornaments to the hearts and diamonds: these learned devices and figures have had no share in the game: the cards are used like common cards still, without any manner of improvement of any of the gamesters in these sciences. But what I propose, is a contrivance to render these words, or figures, or sentences, the very implements or engines of the sport itself,

without so much as the form of any spade, or club, or heart, or dia mond drawn upon the chart or tablet.

Some of these exercises and diversions, if happily contrived, may not only be fit to entertain children in their younger years, but may usefully amuse them when they are grown up toward manly age. For my part, I own myself to be so much unskilled in the various games used among us, that I am not fit to contrive, nor capable of inventing such useful pastime. But I wish some of the sons of ingenuity had science and virtue so much at heart, as to attempt such a service to mankind. And parents should seek some sort of delightful employments or recreations for the leisure hours of their sons and their daughters, when they are in the stage of youth, that they may be the more easily withheld from those diversions of the present age, which are so fashionable and yet so dangerous.

Among these dangerous and modish diversions, I cannot, forbear to mention midnight-assemblies, play-houses, gamingtables, and masquerades. Let parents who would willingly see their children walking in the paths of piety and virtue, endeavour to guard their inclinations from these enticing amusements. The religion and conscience of many a well-inclined youth, have been exposed to great and imminent danger among those scenes of vanity and folly, to say no worse. My business is not to rail at them, though some of my readers will hardly forgive me that I deal with them so tenderly, and give them names of so soft a sound. But this must be confessed, that if persons of piety fre quent them, they too much risk their character and their innocence, and expose their virtue and their piety to great and needless temptations; or at least by giving the sanction of their presence at such places, and on such occasions, may make thenselves accessary to the ruin of those who may be less fortified against their insnaring tendency.

Yet some of these diversions and amusements are so charming to many a young thoughtless creature, that no risk is thought too great to run, if they may but please their ears and their eyes, and gratify their idle and vain inclinations. Hence these houses of pleasure are filled and frequented: hence the theatres are crowded, and gaming rooms attended by multitudes of youth, whose parents have enjoyed the blessing of a stricter education: and though their estate can scarcely support their irregular expence, yet they gratify their children in these hazardous recreations, and take no pains to cure them of this pernicious folly.

But the children of our age will pertly reply," What, must we live like nobody? Must we turn old Puritans again? Must we look like fools in company, where there is scarcely any discourse but of plays, operas and masquerades, of cards, dice, and midnight-assemblies? And pray what sin is there in any of them?"