SOLOMON tells us, Ecclef. iii. 1, 17. and viii. 5, 6. There is both Time and Judgment for every Work and for every Purpose under the Heaven: And that a wife Man's Heart difcerneth both Time and Judgment, i. e. he judgeth well concerning what is to be done, and the Time when to do it: And therefore the Mifery of Man is great upon him, because he knows not this Time and Judgment, he doth neither difcern what is proper to be done, nor the proper Season of doing it. Prudence confifts in judging well what is to be faid and what is to be done on every new Occafion; when to lie still and when to be active; when to keep Silence and when to speak; what to avoid and what to purfue; how to act in every Difficulty; what Means to make ufe of to compass fuch an End; how to behave in every Circumstance of Life and in all Companies; how to gain the Favour of Mankind in order to promote our own Happiness, and to do the moft Service to God and the moft Good to Men, according to that Station we poffefs, and thofe Opportunities which we enjoy.

FOR this Purpofe there is no Book better than the Proverbs of Solomon. Several of the first Chapters seem to be written for young. Men under the Name of Solomon's Son: And all the reft of them fhould be made familiar to Youth by their frequent Converse with them,

L 3

them, and treasuring them up in their Head and Heart.

AMONG human Writings of this Kind, perhaps the Book called Ecclefiafticus, though. it be among the Apocryphal Writings, is equal to the beft of the Antients. And among the Moderns I know not a better Col-. lection than the little Book of Directions, Counfels and Advices lately published by Dr. Fuller for the Ufe of his Son; though I could with he had rendered it more univerfally acceptable to all Readers, by avoiding fome Severities on the other Sex, and that he had fpared his little Railleries on the Name of Saints, though thofe offenfive Sentences are but few.

SEC T. VII.

The Ornaments and Accomplishments of Life.

TH

HE laft Part of Inftruction which I include in the Idea of a good Education, is an Inftruction of Youth in fome of the ufeful Ornaments aud Accomplishments of Life.

Ir has been the Cuftom of our Nation for Perfons of the middle and the lower Ranks of Life, who defign their Children for Trades and Manufactures, to fend them to the La

tin

tin and Greek Schools. There they wear out four or five Years of Time in learning a Number of strange Words, that will be of very little Ufe to them in all the following Affairs of their Station: And this very Learning alfo is generally taught in a very tirefome and moft irrational Method, when they are forced to learn Latin by Grammars and Rules written in that unknown Tongue. When they leave the School they ufually forget what they have learned, and the chief Advantage they gain by it is to spell and pronounce hard Words better when they meet them in English: Whereas this Skill of Spelling might be attained in a far fhorter Time and at an eafier Rate by other Methods*, and much of Life might be faved and improved to better Purposes.

As for the Sons of those who enjoy more plentiful Circumftances in the World, they may be inftructed in the Latin and Greek: Languages for feveral valuable Ends in their Station: And efpecially thofe who defign the learned Profeffions, ought thoroughly to understand them: And fuch as pursue the Study of Divinity must be acquainted also with Hebrew and Chaldee, that they may read the Old Teftament in its original Language as well as the New.

THE French is now-a-days esteemed also an Accomplishment to both Sexes. If they

Sce

my Art of Reading and Writing, Chap. 21.

have Time enough, which they know not how to employ better, and a good Memory, I would not forbid it. There are feveral good Books written in that Language which are not unworthy of our Perufal: And there are many Words now introduced in the English Language borrowed and derived from thence, as well as from the Latin and Greek; fo that it may not be improper for an English Gentleman to learn thefe Tongues that he may underftand his own the better. I add alfo, that if Perfons have much Acquaintance with the French Nation, or have Occafion to converfe with Foreigners at Court or in the City, or if they defign to travel abroad, the French is a neceffary Tongue, because it is fo much spoken in Europe, and especially in Courts. But otherwise, there are fo many of the valuable Writings of French Authors perpetually tranflated into English, that it is a needlefs Thing to go through much Difficulty or take much Pains in attaining it. I am inclined to believe that, (except in the Cafes abovementioned) few have found the Profit answer the Labour. As for thofe Perfons who are bred up to traffick with other Nations, they must neceffarily learn the Lan-guage of thofe Nations; and this I reckon not among their Accomplishments, but confider it rather as a Part of their proper Bufinefs in Life,

In short, it is a Thing of far greater Value and Importance that Youth fhould be perfectly well skilled in reading, writing and fpeaking their native Tongue in a proper, a polite and graceful Manner, than in toiling among foreign Languages. It is of more Worth and Advantage to Gentlemen and Ladies to have an exact Knowledge of what is decent, just and elegant in English, than to be a Critick in foreign Tongues. The very Knowledge of foreign Words fhould be improved to this Purpose: And in order to obtain this Accomplishment, they should frequently converse with those Perfons and Books which are efteemed polite and elegant in their Kind.

THUS far concerning the Knowledge of Words. But the Knowledge of Things is of much more Importance.

1. THE young Gentry of both Sexes fhould be a little acquainted with Logick, that they may learn to obtain clear Ideas; to judge by Reafon and the Nature of Things; to banish the Prejudices of Infancy, Custom and Humour; to argue closely and justly on any Subject; and to caft their Thoughts and Affairs into a proper and eafy Method.

2. SEVERAL Parts of Mathematical Learning are alfo neceffary Ornaments of the Mind and not without real Advantage: And ma ny of these are so agreeable to the Fancy that

Youth