admiration of virtue; stirr'd up with high hopes of living to be brave men, and worthy patriots, dear to God, and famous to all ages; that they may defpife and scorn all their childish, and illtaught qualities, to delight in manly and liberal exercises: which he who hath the art and proper eloquence to catch them with, what with mild and effectual perfuafions, and what with the intimation of fome fear, if need be, but chiefly by his own example, might in a fhort space gain them to an incredible diligence and courage; infufing into their young breasts such an ingenuous and noble ardor, as would not fail to make many of them renowned and matchlefs men. At the fame time, fome other hour of the day, might be taught them the rules of arithmetick, and foon after the elements of geometry even playing, as the old manner was. After evening repaft, 'till bed-time, their thoughts will be best taken up in the eafy grounds of religion, and the ftory of Scripture. The next step would be to the authors. of Agriculture, Cato, Varro, and Columella; for the matter is most easy, and if the language be difficult, fo much the better, is is not a difficulty above their years: and here will be an occafion of inciting and enabling them hereafter to improve the tillage of their country, to recover the bad foil, and to remedy the waste that is made of good; for this was one of Hercules's praises. Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be, with plying hard, and daily) they cannot choose but be masters of an ordinary prose. So that it will be then seasonable for them to learn in any modern author, the use of the globes, and all the maps; first with the old names, and then with the new or they might be then capable to read any compendious method of natural philofophy. And at the fame time might be entring into the Greek tongue, after the fame manner as was before prescrib'd in the Latin; whereby the difficulties of grammar being foon overcome, all the historical phyfiology of Aristotle and Theophraftus are open before them, and, as I may fay, under contribution. The like accefs will be to Vitruvius, to Seneca's natural queftions, to Mela, Celfus, Pliny, or Solinus. And having thus paft the principles of Arithmetick, Geometry, Aftronomy, and Geography, with a general compact of phyficks, they may defcend in Mathematicks to the inftrumental fcience of Trigonometry, and 2 S from thence to fortification, architecture, enginry, or navigation. And in natural philofophy they may proceed leifurely from the history of meteors, minerals, plants and living creatures, as far as anatomy. Then alfo in course might be read to them out of fome not tedious writer the inftitution of phyfick; that they may know the tempers, the humours, the feasons, and how to manage a crudity: which he who can wifely and timely do, is not only a great physician to himself, and to his friends, but also may at fome time or other fave an army by this frugal and expenfelefs means only; and not let the healthy and flout bodies of young men rot away under him for want of this difcipline; which is a great pity and no lefs a fhame to the Commander. To fet forward all thefe proceedings in nature and mathematicks, what hinders, but that they may procure as oft as fhall be needful, the helpful experiences of hunters, fowlers, fishermen, fhepherds, gardeners, apothecaries; and in the other fciences, architects, engineers, mariners, anatomifts; who doubtless would be ready, fome for reward, and fome to favour fuch a hopeful feminary? And this will give them such a real tincture of natural knowledge, as they fhall never forget, but dail augment with delight. Then alfo those poet. which are now counted most hard, will be bot facile and pleasant, Orpheus, Hefiod, Theocri tus, Aratus, Nicander, Oppian, Dionyfius; an‹ in Latin, Lucretius, Manilius, and the rura part of Virgil. By this time, years and good general precept will have furnish'd them more distinctly with tha act of reason which in Ethicks is call'd Proairefis that they may with fome judgment contemplate upon moral good and evil. Then will be requir a special reinforcement of constant and found en doctrinating to fet them right and firm, inftruct ing them more amply in the knowledge of virtue and the hatred of vice: while their young and pliant affections are led thro' all the moral works, of Plato, Xenophon, Cicero, Plutarch, Laertius, and those Locrian remnants; but still to be res duc'd in their nightward ftudies, wherewith they close the day's work, under the determinate fentence of David or Solomon, or the Evangelifts and apoftolic Scriptures. Being perfect in the d knowledge of personal duty, they may then begin the study of oeconomics. And either now, or be er ore this, they may have easily learnt at any odd Sour the Italian tongue. And soon after, but with arinefs and good antidote, it would be wholeom enough to let them taste some choice comeies, Greek, Latin, or Italian: thofe tragedies althat treat of houfhold matters, as Trachiniae, Alceftis, and the like. The next remove must be o the ftudy of Politics; to know the beginning, nd, and reafons of political focieties; that they may not in a dangerous fit of the commonwealth be fuch poor, fhaken, uncertain reeds, of such a ottering confcience, as many of our great counTellors have lately fhewn themselves, but stedfast pillars of the state. After this they are to dive into the grounds of law, and legal justice; deliver'd first, and with best warrant, by Mofes; and as far as human prudence can be trusted, in those extoll'd remains of Graecian law-givers, Lycur gus, Solon, Zaleucus, Charondas; and thence to all the Roman Edicts and tables, with their Juftinian; and fo down to the Saxon and common laws of England, and the statutes. Sundays also and every evening may be now understandingly spent in the highest matters of Theology, and Church-history ancient and modern and ere this : |