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to be regulated and managed by the due Inftruction of Children in their younger Years. Now as the God of Nature has given Children Eyes, and Tongues, and Feet, and Arms, and Hands, it is expedient that Parents fhould teach their Children the proper Use of them.

1. THE God of Nature hath given them Eyes. Let their Parents teach them to use thefe Eyes aright. Would it be amiss in me here to give a Hint or two of this kind? May not Children be warned against a staring Look, against stretching their Eye-lids into a Glare of Wildness? May they not be forbid to look afide on any Object in a squinting Manner when their Faces are turned another Way? Should they not be instructed to look directly with their Face turned to the Thing they look at? May they not be taught with due Courage to look in the Face of the Perfon they fpeak to, yet with a humble modeft Afpect as befits a Child? A becoming Courage and a becoming Modefty dwell much in the Eye.

SOME Children should be often admonished to lay afide a gloomy and a frowning Look, a fcowling air, an uneafy and forbidding Afpect. They fhould be taught to fmooth the Ruffles of their Brow, and put on a lively pleafing and chearful Countenance among their Friends: Some there are who have all these Graces by Nature, but I 4 thofe

those who have them not may be corrected and foftened by the Care of Parents in younger years.

2. LET Parents teach Children to use their Tongues properly and agreeably; not only to speak, but to pronounce their Words plain and diftin&t. Let them be inftructed to keep due and proper Distances between their Words and Sentences, and not speak in a fwift Hurry, with a Tumult of Syllables and Clutter upon their Lips, which will found like a foreign Gibberish, and never be understood. Nor fhould they drawl out their Words in a flow long Tone, which is equally ungraceful and disagreeable.

THERE are two other common Faults in Speaking, and where they are found they should be corrected early in Children.

THE One is Lifping, which is a Pronunciation of the Letter S or Z or C before E and I, as though it were TH. Thus inftead of Spice they cry Thpithe, inftead of Ceafe they fay Theathe. This may be cured by teaching them to pronounce a few fuch Words

It may here be recollected by the Way, that a Gloominefs of Afpect does not always arife from a Malignity of Temper, but fometimes from Fear of difpleating and incurring Reproof; and is therefore often to be removed by fpeaking kindly to Children and encouraging them with Expreffions of Candor and Tenderness. To know how in fuch Cafes to divert a Child, and make him chearful and happy in the Company of a Parent, is none of the leaft important Cares of Education.

Words as thefe, where the Sound of the Letter S prevails, with their Teeth fhut close: And by forbidding them to put their Tongue between their Teeth at any Time except when (th) is to be pronounced.

THE other Fault is Stammering, which I fuppofe may be commonly prevented or cured by teaching Children not to speak much, and to fpeak flow always; and they should be warned against all Anger or Haftinefs or Eagernefs of Spirit; for fuch a Temper will throw out their Words fafter than the Organs of Speech can accommodate themselves to form the Syllables, and thus bring a Hurry and Confufion into their Speech: And they fhould alfo gain a good Degree of Courage or becoming Affurance, and not fpeak with much Concern or Fear; for Fear will ftop the Organs of Speech and hinder the Formation of Words.

BUT I infift no longer on the Ufe of the Tongue in Speaking.

3. As God hath given them Feet, let Parents teach them to ftand firm and ftrong, and to walk in a becoming and decent Manner without waddling from Side to Side, without turning either or both of their Feet inward, without little Jerks in their motion, or long Strides, or any of thofe Aukwardneffes which continue with many Perfons to old Age, for want of having these Irregularities corrected when they were young.

Children

Children should be indulged in their Sports fometimes in running fwiftly, and in leaping where there is no Danger, in order to exercise their Limbs and make them pliant and nimble, strong and active on all Occafions.

As to their Arms and Hands, they were formed, not to lie folded in the Bofom, but to be engaged in fome ufeful work; and fometimes, with due Moderation, in robuft and hardy Exercife and Toil; not so as to over-ftrain their Joints, but to acquire Firmnefs of Strength by Exercise.

AND more especially they who are to get their Bread by their Hands fhould be inured to toilfome and vigorous Labours almoft from their Infancy: They fhould be accuftomed to work in Heat and Cold, and to bear rougher Exercises and Fatigues of Body, that they may be fit to endure Hardships and go through thofe Difficulties which their Station of Life may call them to without any Injury or Inconvenience. And it

is defirable that the Sons of all Families (hould be in fome Degree inured to fuch Difficulties as thefe, which men of all ranks are fometimes called to incounter.

IF fome fond and tender Mothers had brought up their Children in this hardy Manner, they had not now, in all human Probability, been mourning over their Graves. In their younger Years they would

fcarce

fcarce let them fet the Sole of their Foot to the Ground, nor fuffer the Wind to blow upon them; Thus they grew up in a State of Tendernefs and Infirmity, fickly and feeble Creatures: A fudden Heat or a Cold feized them; their natures, which were never accustomed to bear Hardship, were unable to refift the Enemy; a Fever kindled in their Blood, or a Catarrh or Cough injured their Lungs, and early buried their Parents Hopes in the Duft.

THUS I have finished the fecond general Head of Inftruction, i. e. Children should be instructed to exercife and improve their natural Powers both of Mind and Body: And this is one neceffary Part of a good Education, which Parents and other Teachers fhould attend to betimes.

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SECT. III.

Self-Government,

Hildren should be inftructed in the Art of Self-Government. They should be taught, (as far as poffible) to govern their Thoughts: To ufe their Wills to be determined by the Light of their Understandings, and not by head-ftrong and foolish Humor; they should learn to keep the lower Powers

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