sports to which children accustom themselves, whether they make their own playthings or not, equivalent to the work or labour of grown persons? Yes, sir, I will venture to say they are, and more than equivalent to the exercises and labour of many.

Mr. Locke advises, that the child's playthings should be as few as possible, in which I entirely agree with him: that they should be in his tutor's power, who is to give him but one at once. But since it is the nature of the human mind to covet most what is prohibited, and to set light by what is in its own power; I am half doubtful, (only that Mr. Locke says it, and the matter may not be so very important, as other points, in which I have taken the liberty to differ from that gentleman) whether the child's absolute possession of his own playthings in some little repository, of which he may be permitted to keep the key, especially if he make no bad use of the privilege, would not make him more indifferent to them: while the contrary conduct might possibly enhance his value of them. And if, when he had done with any plaything, he were obliged to put it into its allotted place, and were accustomed to keep account of the number and places of them severally, this would teach him order, and at the same time instruct him to keep a proper account of them, and to avoid being a squanderer or waster. And if he should omit to put his playthings in their places, or be careless. of them, the taking them away for a time, or threatening to give them to others, would make him be more heedful.

Mr. Locke says, 'That he has known a child so dis'tracted with the number and variety of his playthings, 'that he tired his maid every day to look them over and was so accustomed to abundance, that he never thought 'he had enough, but was always asking, What more? 'What new thing shall I have? A good introduction,' adds he ironically, to moderate desires, and the ready way ' to make a contented happy man!'

All that I shall offer to this is, that there are few men so philosophical as one would wish them to be; much less

children. But no doubt that this variety engaged the child's activity; which, of the two, might be turned to better purposes than sloth or indolence; and if the maid was tired, it might be because she was not so much alive as the child; and perhaps this part of the grievance might not be so great, because, if she was his attendant, 'tis probable she had nothing else to do.

However, in the main, as Mr. Locke says, it is no matter how few playthings the child is indulged with: but yet I can hardly persuade myself, that plenty of them can have such bad consequences as the gentleman apprehends; and the rather, because they will excite his attention and promote his industry and activity. His inquiry after new things, let him have few or many, is to be expected as a consequence of those natural desires which are implanted. in him, and will every day increase: but this may be observed, that as he grows in years, he will be above some playthings, and so the number of the old ones will be always reducible, perhaps in a greater proportion than the new ones will increase.

6

Mr. Locke observes, on the head of good-breeding, that 'There are two sorts of ill-breeding; the one a sheepish 'bashfulness, and the other a misbecoming negligence and disrespect in our carriage; both which,' says he, 'are ' avoided by duly observing this one rule, not to think meanly of ourselves, and not to think meanly of others.' I think, as Mr. Locke explains this rule, it is an excellent But on this head I would beg leave to observe, that however discommendable a bashful temper is, in some instances, where it must be deemed a weakness of the mind; yet, in my humble opinion, it is generally the mark of an ingenuous one, and is always to be preferred to an undistinguishing and hardy confidence, which, as it seems to me, is the genuine production of invincible ignorance.

one.

What is faulty in it, which Mr. Locke calls sheepishness, should indeed be shaken off, as soon as possible, because it is an enemy to merit in its advancement in the world: But, sir, were I to choose a companion for your Billy, as

he grows up, I should not think the worse of the youth who, not having had the opportunities of knowing men, or seeing the world, had this defect. On the contrary, I should be apt to look upon it as an outward fence or enclosure, as I may say, to his virtue, which might keep off the lighter attacks of immorality, the Hussars of vice, as I may say, who are not able to carry on a formal siege against his morals; and I should expect such a one to be docile, humane, good-humoured, diffident of himself, and therefore most likely to improve as well in mind as behaviour while a hardened mind, that never doubts itself, must be a stranger to its own infirmities, and, suspecting none, is impetuous, overbearing, incorrigible; and if rich, a tyrant: if not, possibly an invader of other men's properties; or, at least, such a one as allows itself to walk so near the borders of injustice, that, where self is concerned, it hardly ever does right things.

6

Mr. Locke proposes (§ 148) a very pretty method to cheat children, as it were, into learning: but then he adds, "There may be dice and playthings with the letters 'on them, to teach children the alphabet by playing.' And in another place (§ 151), 'I know a person of great 'quality-who by pasting the six vowels (for in our language y is one) on the six sides of a die, and the remaining eighteen consonants on the sides of three other dice, 'has made this a play for his children, that he shall win, 'who at one cast throws most words on these four dice; whereby his eldest son, yet in coats, has played himself "into spelling with great eagerness, and without once having I been chid for it, or forced to it.'

I must needs say, my dear Mr. B., that I had rather your Billy should be a twelvemonth backwarder for want of this method, than forwarded by it. For what may not be apprehended from so early allowing, or rather inculcating, the use of dice and gaming upon the minds of children? Let Mr. Locke himself speak to this in his § 208, and I should be glad to be able to reconcile the two passages in this excellent author.-'As to cards and dice,' says he, 'I

think the safest and best way is never to learn any play upon them, and so to be incapacitated for these dangerous 'temptations, and encroaching wasters of useful time'and he might have added, of the noblest estates and fortunes; while sharpers and scoundrels have been lifted into distinction upon their ruins. Yet, in § 153, Mr. Locke proceeds to give particular directions in relation to the dice he recommends.

But, after all, if some innocent plays were fixed upon to cheat children into reading, that, as he says, should look as little like a task as possible, it must needs be of use for that purpose. But let every gentleman, who has a fortune to lose, and who, if he games, is on a foot with the vilest company, who generally have nothing at all to risk, tremble at the thoughts of teaching his son, though for the most laudable purposes, the early use of dice and gaming.

But, dear sir, permit me to say, how much I am charmed with a hint in Mr. Locke, which makes your Pamela hope she may be of greater use to your children, even as they grow up, than she could ever have flattered herself to be. 'Tis a charming paragraph! I must not skip one word of it. Thus it begins, and I will observe upon it as I go along. § 177. But under whose care soever a child is 'put to be taught,' says Mr. Locke, 'during the tender and 'flexible years of his life, this is certain, it should be one 'who thinks Latin and language the least part of edu'cation.'

How agreeable is this to my notions; which I durst not have avowed, but after so excellent a scholar! For I have long had the thought, that a great deal of precious time is wasted to little purpose in the attaining of Latin. Mr. H——, I think, says, he was ten years in endeavouring to learn it, and as far as I can find, knows nothing at all of the matter neither!-Indeed he lays that to the wicked picture in his grammar which he took for granted (as he has said several times, as well as once written), was put there to teach boys to rob orchards, instead of improving their minds in learning, or common honesty.

But (for this is too light an instance for the subject) Mr. Locke proceeds-One who knowing how much 'virtue and a well-tempered soul is to be preferred to any 'sort of learning or language' [What a noble writer is this makes it his chief business to form the mind of 'his scholars, and give that a right disposition.' [Ay, there, dear sir, is the thing!] 'Which if once got, though all 'the rest should be neglected' [charmingly observed], 'would in due time' [without wicked dice, I hope] 'pro'duce all the rest; and which, if it be not got and settled, so as to keep out ill and vicious habits, languages and 'sciences, and all the other accomplishments of education, 'will be to no purpose, but to make the worse or more dangerous man.' [Now comes the place I am so much delighted with!] 'And indeed whatever stir there is 'made about getting of Latin, as the great and difficult 'business, his mother' [Oh, thank you, thank you, dear sir, for putting this excellent author into my hands!] may 'teach it him herself, if she will but spend two or three 'hours in a day with him'-[If she will! Never fear, dear sir, but I will, with the highest pleasure in the world !] ' and make him read the Evangelists in Latin to her. [How I long to be five or six years older, as well as my dearest babies, that I may enter upon this charming scheme!] 'For she need but buy a Latin Testament, and having got 'somebody to mark the last syllable but one, where it is long, in words above two syllables (which is enough to regulate her pronunciation and accenting the words), 'read daily in the Gospels, and then let her avoid under'standing them in Latin, if she can.'

'Why, dearest, dear sir, you have taught me almost all this already; and you, my best and most beloved tutor, have told me often, I read and pronounce Latin more than tolerably, though I don't understand it: But this method will teach me, as well as your dear children. But thus the good gentleman proceeds: 'And when she understands the Evangelists in Latin, let her in the same manner read Æsop's Fables, and so proceed on to Eutropius, Justin,