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155. When he can spea he can fpeak and Latin. read French well, which in this Method is usually in, a Year or two, he should proceed to Latin, which 'tis a wonder Parents, when they have had the experiment in French, should not think ought to be learn'd the same way, by talking and reading. Only Care is to be taken whilst he is learning these Foreign Languages, by speaking and reading nothing else with his Tutor, that he do not forget to read English, which may be preserv'd by chmay his Mother, or some-body else, hearing him read some chosen Parts of the Scripture, or other English Book every

Day.

I

Part

156. Latin, I look upon as absolutely necessary to a Gentleman, and indeed, Custom, which prevails over every thing, has made it so much a of Education, that even those Children are whipp'd to it, and made spend many Hours of their precious 995 time uneasily in Latin, who, after they Ce gone from School, are never to have more to do with it as long as they live. Can there be any thing more ridiculous, than that a Father Tex Hothould

are

Lein.

fhould wafte his own Money, and his
Son's time, in setting him to learn the
Roman Language, when at the same
time he designs him for a Trade,
wherein he having no use of Latin,
fails not to forget that little, which he
brought from School, and which 'tis
Ten to One he abhorrs, for the ill u-
fage it procur'd him? Could it be be-
liev'd, unless we had every where a-
mongst us Examples of it, that a
Child should be forced to learn the Ru-
diments of a Language, which he is
never to use in the course of Life, he
is designed to, and neglect all the while
the writing a good Hand, and cast-
ing Account, which are of great Ad-
vantage in all Conditions of Life, and
to most Trades indispensibly neceffa-
ry? But though there Qualifications,
requifite to Trade and Commerce,
and the Business of the World, are
seldom or never to b
or never to be had at Gram-
Schools,
Gen-
tlemen send their younger Sons, in-
tended for Trades; but even Tradef-
men and Farmers fail not to send their
Children, though they have neither
Intention nor Ability to make them

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mart thither, not o

Scholars.

"

Scholars. If you ask them why they Latin. do this, they think it as strange a Queftion, as if you should ask them, why they go to Church. Custom serves for Reason, and has to those who take it for Reason, so consecrated this Method, that it is almost Religiously observed by them, and they stick to it as if their Children had scarce an Orthodox Education unless they learn'd Lily's Grammar. sinfi qus auodiw

157. But how necessary soever Latin be to some, and is Thought to be to others, to whom it is of no manner of Use or Service yet the ordinary way of learning it in a Grammar School is that, which having had thoughts about fcannot be forward to encourage. The Reasons against it are so evident, and cogent, that they have prevailed with some intelligent Persons, to quit the ordinary Road, not without success, though the Method made use of, was not exactly that which I Imagine the easiest, and in Short is this: To trou ble the Child with no Grammar at all but to have Latin, as English has been, without the perplexity of Rules talk ed into him for if you will consider

Latin.

it, Latin is no more unknown to a Child, when he comes into the World, than English And yet he learns English without Master, Rule, or Grammar; and so might he Latin too, as Tully did, if he had some-body always talk to him in this Language. And

when we so often see a French-Woman teach a young Girl to speak and read French perfectly in a Year or Two, without any Rule of Grammar, or any thing else but pratling to her, I cannot but wonder, how Gentlemen have over-seen this way for their Sons, and thought them more dull or incapable than their Daughters. If therefore a Man could be got, who himself speaks good Latin, who would always be about your Son, and talk conftantly to him, and make him read Latin, that would be the true Genuine, and easy way of teaching him Latin, and that that I could wish, since besides teaching him a Language, without Pains or Chiding (which Children are wont to be whipp'd for at School Six or Seven Years together) he might at the same time,not only form his Mind and Manners, but instruct him also in

feveral

>

feveral Sciences, such as are a good Part Latin. of Geography, Astronomy, Chronology, Anatomy, besides some Parts of History, and all other Parts of Knowledge of Things, that fall under the Senses, and require little more than Memory: For there, if we would take the true way, our Knowledge should begin, and in those Things be laid the Foundation; and not in the abstract Notions of Logick and Metaphysicks, which are fitter to amuze, than inform the Underftanding, in its first setting out towards Knowledge: In which abstract Spe culations when young Men have had their Heads imploy'd a while without finding the Success and Imployment or Use of it which they expected, they are apt to have mean Thoughts, either of Learning or themselves, to quit their Studies, and throw away their Books, as containing nothing but hard Words, and empty Sounds; or else concluding, that if there be any real Knowledge in them, they themfelves have not Understandings capable of it; and that this is so, perhaps I could assure you upon my own Experience. Amongst other Things to