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Infancy and Youth.

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OULD we make any Obfervations upon our State when we came into the World, could we remark the Progrefs of our Growth, and the Dawning of our Reafon, 'twould be a pleasant Employment. But the Wisdom of Providence has thought fit to keep this Scene out of fight. As the Cafe ftands, the Furniture of Life, and the Privileges of Being, grow up in the dark; they are convey'd, as it were, in our Sleep, and the Memory has no Records that run back to this Antiquity. Adam was a much better Judge of this Matter than any of his Pofterity: He was made in his full Stature; his Mind and Body came all at once, and never lay under the Ignorance and Incapacities of the Cradle. He was Object and Faculty at firft, big enough to peruse his Nature, and carry his View to the Confines of not Being. To ftep out of Nothing with this Advantage; to be a Major the first Minute, and born in the Bloom of Understanding, must be a

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mighty Satisfaction. Were a Lute animated, and the Skill of a great Master transfus'd into it, the Strings would be tranfported with their own Mufick, and the firft Tune especially would be ftrangely entertaining. And yet this would be no more than the Pleasure of a single Senfe. Adam had a greater Compass for Delight, and was fet out in a much richer Equipage. But this Privilege is in a great measure funk and determin'd with Adam and Eve. Now we are conceal'd from our felves for fome time: We move flowly, and ripen by degrees; and our Limbs and Understanding come as it were by Inches. The Organs of Seeing and Hearing feem not perfect at first, and it may be the Taste and Smell lie under the fame Difadvantage; but a few Years ferve to finish. the Senfès: For tho' a Man's Eyes and Ears grow bigger after seven Years ftanding, yet he does not receive more Intelligence from them. Should the Senfes begin at their ufual pitch, go forward with the Bulk of the Body, and keep growing along with the Limbs, they would have a mighty Force in them. We fhould fee farther than Eagles, out-fmell a Vulture, and lie more in the way of Pleafure and Pain; We should make a vaft Difcovery in Ná

ture,

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ture, and command abundance of Objects that are now out of reach: But this is ordered otherwife. Neither do the Senfes feem to keep proportion with Strength and Stature: The Dimenfions of the Örgan make no difference; nor has the Giant any advantage of the Dwarf. On the other fide; Were our Senses not to exceed their prefent Condition, and yet advanc'd fo flowly as not to be of Age till one and twenty, we fhould go on very lamely, and be ftrangely cramp'd in our Capacities and Pleafures. In this Cafe, Children would be ftupid and indocible upon the Comparison; and Life would look as if 'twere little more than half kindled: This would be an Incumbrance upon Education; and make Improvement of a very late Growth. The firft ten Years the animal Life is principally predominant, the Powers of Reafon are feeble, and the Soul fleeps as it were, in the Conftitution: Within this Period, the Paffions fpring wholly out of Mechanifm, and are diftinguifh'd by the Intereft of the Body: They turn all upon Pleasure and Pain; are govern'd by the Measures of Brutes, and we like or diflike Things only as they ftrike fimooth, or rough upon the Senfe. Being thus retain'd by Appetite, and preingag'd

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ingag'd to Flesh and Blood, we are the more apt to clap the Biafs on that fide. This makes the Fatigues of Business, the Exercises of Reason, and the Practice of Virtue, fomewhat more difficult than they would be otherwife. For thefe Things oftentimes difoblige the Body, and can't be gone through without Mortification and Restraint.

There's great Variety in the Humours of Children; fome feem to have their Tempers made in a finer Mould than others. They are particularly generous and difinterested, mild and governable, and easily gain'd by gentle Ufage. And fome are no lefs remarkable for Qualities of Difadvantage. Now tho' lome flender Difpofitions to this Difference may take their Rife from Nature, and grow out of Constitution, yet Manners are generally the Refult of Education. 'Tis the Advantage or Neglect of Difcipline, the Difference of Management, and the Force of Example, which produces this Variety, and makes Children fucceed or miscarry.

Some People, when they grow good for nothing, charge their Failings upon their Nature, and endeavour to fence off the Infamy by laying the blame upon Providence: But thele are only the ex

cufes

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cufes of ftrong Appetites and weak Principles, and belong to none but the Lazy and the Libertine. For Probity is impracticable to no Temper: There's no fuch Fatality in the Humours, no fuch unconquerable Stubbornness in the Blood, as thefe Men pretend. Socrates had as reftive a Constitution as his Neighbours, and yet reclaim'd it all by the Strength of his Philofophy. 'Tis true, those who are naturally moft enclin'd to Vice are in most danger. For this Reason they ought to move more warily, take the more pains, and decline the occafions of Mifcarriage. And for their Encouragement, they have better Opportunities of distinguishing themselves, and feem to be put in the Post of Honour. And upon due Application, may depend upon proportionable Affistance.

To return: Since fo much depends upon Education, great Care fhould be taken to form Children to the Principles of Religion: The Biafs fhould be fer right at first; and the Mind prepoffefs'd as it were, for the Interest of Virtue. This is the way to smooth the Paffage to a happy Life; to reconcile Appetite to Reason, and make the Affections more manageable afterwards. For the Motion' is strongly directed, and the Bent taken

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