ng, that they are not only useless Members of the Commonwealth, and of the Societies where they refide, but really do a great deal of Mischief by their Example in Places affign'd for Education: To what Purpose do Tutors reprefent to their Pupils the Advantages of an abftemious Life, early Hours, and a clofe Application to Study; when the young Gentlemen ob-> serve their Seniors indulging every Appetite, and seldom fee them in the Chapel, where they themselves are oblig'd to attend early every Morning. Will not one' Precedent of this kind operate more strongly on the Youth than twenty Lectures and: Ádmonitions of a Tutor, recommending Diligence and Temperance: His Pupils will be apt to imagine, that Luxury and Sloth are not attended with the ill Confequences he fuggefts, when they fee one of their Superiors, a Man eminent perhaps for Parts and Learning (if not for his Morals) give fuch Countenance to Sloth: But it is not only the Examples young Gentlemen meet with here, that makes them averse to College Rules: Their Reluctance to Difcipline frequently proceeds Lads infrom their having been humour'd and in- dulg'd too dulg'd from their Infancy in all their Follies, much in or from obferving how much Luxury and demies fashionable Liberties are countenanced by and priMen of Figure every where.

little Aca

vate Fa

milies.

Wine and

In the laft Age, when Children were made to know their Duty, and paid their Parents a proper Refpect: When their Appetites were lefs indulg'd, and a Lad was not fuffer'd to affume the Man, when he could fcarce write Boy. A Tutor had a much easier Task than he has at present: It requires now his utmost Skill and Addrefs to conquer Habits, and regulate the Lives of young Men, who have never known Restraint. It is not enough therefore, that a Tutor is Mafter of the learned Languages, and vers'd in Arts and Sciences, he must be a Man of Judgment and Experience, and know how to make Allowances for the Liberties his Pupils have been indulg'd in before they were committed to his Care.

Some Tutors have been fo happy to gain the Efteem and Affection of their Pupils, and to conquer their Averfion to Study and Application: They have enjoy'd the Fruits of their Labours, and feen the reform'd Youth taking every Opportunity of expreffing their Gratitude, truly fenfible how inftrumental their Teachers have been in rendering them capable of ferving their Country, and making an agreeable Figure in Life.

And if fame do mifcarry and prove unill Com tractable, it is to be imputed chiefly to the Occafion immoderate Ufe of intoxicating Liquors,

pany the

and

the Excef

and ill Company. When young Men are of moft of inflam'd with Wine, and countenanced by fes here. lewd Company, what Extravagancies will they not commit: All the wife Inftructions of their Superiors are then forgot, or made the Subject of their Ridicule.

Nothing therefore feems of more Importance in the University than the limiting the Number of publick Houfes, and fuppreffing those that are diforderly, or keep late Hours, and reftraining Students from reforting to fuch Houfes, whether Taverns, Inns, Coffee-houses, or Ale-houfes, for all vend the like ftrong Liquors at prefent.

It is very certain, that all Scholars of what Degree or Clafs foever are by their Statutes prohibited the frequenting fuch Places, and these are fupported by the Statute Law of the Kingdom, which exprefsly prohibits all Perfons, who have no Business there, to fit Tipling in publick Houses at any Time of the Day under fevere Penalties; notwithstanding which, fuch Houses are vaftly multiplied of late Years, both in the Universities, and other Parts of the Nation. There is one Parish in London where there are upwards of a thousand, which the Civil Magistrate would no more fuffer than the Governors of the Universities, if they knew how to suppress them, without incurring the Displeasure of their Superiors, by leffening the Re

venue, as every Gentleman contributes to do, who puts the Statutes in Execution against Tipling. Should they oblige publick Houfes to entertain no People, but those whofe Bufinefs or Neceffities called them thither. Should the Governors of the University infift on the Students being in their respective Colleges at Nine every Evening, the Confumption of ftrong Liquors, and confequently the Revenue of Excife muft amount to much less than it does at prefent: The advancing whereof is the only tolerable Reason I could ever hear given, why two Thirds of these Houses are not fupprefs'd, and the reft obliged to obferve fuch Rules as the Laws of the Kingdom, and thofe of the Univerfity require.

'It seems now to be the Bufinefs of moft Publicans to propagate Vice and Disorder many of them drink themselves to Death to fet an Example to their Customers. Unfortunate it is for the Nation, and ef pecially for the Universities, where the Youth of the Kingdom are educated, that the Excife is fo confiderable a Branch of the Revenue. It cannot be expected, that Gentlemen should put the Laws in Execution rigorously against Intemperance, when they may disoblige a Minister by their Activity.

But thus much we may depend upon, that those who have any Power or Influ

ence

ence on these Seats of Learning will never encourage Intemperance by their Example; however, others may be tempted to break the Laws of their Country, which they are commiffioned to execute.

Next to Sobriety, nothing is of greater Moment to a Student than the Choice of his Company; even that of a Tutor is not of more Importance. A lewd Companion fhall laugh and droll the beft difpofed Lad out of his Innocence, and baffle the wifeft Inftructions of his Tutor: But as Company fometimes proves a Misfortune, fo it often is, and always may be of excellent Use, if it is well chofen, especially in the Univerfity, where we meet with Men of the greatest Abilities. Gentlemen of Quality and Fortune particularly have the Advantage of affociating themselves here with the most learned Men, who are ever ready to communicate their Knowledge and Experience to fuch as are difpofed to receive Inftruction; and it is to be prefum'd, that thofe, who come hither for Education, will not difgrace their Understandings fo far as to trifle away thefe happy Opportunities, and exchange the most improving Converfation for that of Libertines.

An English University is the best School in the World, where Gentlemen make a wife Choice of their Company; but the very reverse, where they herd with ProAligates

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