This I take to be the most rational and most profitable way of learning languages, and whereby we may best hope to give account to God of our youth spent herein. And for the ufual method of teaching arts, I deem it to be an old error of univerfities not yet well recover'd from the fcholaftick groffness of barbarous ages, that inftead of beginning with arts most easy, (and those be fuch as are most obvious to the fenfe,) they prefent their young unmatriculated novices at first coming with the intellective abstractions of logick and metaphyficks: fo that they having but newly left those grammatick flats and fhallows where they stuck unreasonably, to learn a few words with lamentable construction, and now on the fudden tranfported under another climate to be toft and turmoil'd with their unballafted wits in fathomlefs and unquiet deeps of controverfy, do for the most part grow into hatred and contempt of learning, mock'd and deluded all this while with ragged notions and babblements, while they expected worthy and delightful knowledge; till poverty or youthful years call them importunately their feveral ways, and haften them with the fway of friends, either to an ambitious or mercenary, or ignorantly zealous divinity: fome allur'd to the trade of law, grounding their purpofes not on the prudent and heavenly contemplation of juftice and equity, which was never taught them, but on the promising and pleafing thoughts of litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees; others betake them to ftate affairs, with fouls fo unprincipled in virtue, and true generous breeding, that flattery, and court-fhifts, and tyrannous aphorifms appear to them the highest points of wisdom; inftilling their

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barren hearts with a confcientious flavery, if, as I rather think, it be not feign'd: others, laftly, of a more delicious and airy spirit, retire themfelves, knowing no better, to the enjoyments of ease and luxury, living out their days in feaft and jollity; which indeed is the wifeft and the fafeft course of all thefe, unless they were with more integrity undertaken. And these are the fruits of mifpending our prime youth at the schools and univerfities as we do, either in learning mere words, or fuch things chiefly as were better unlearnt.

I shall detain you no longer in the demonftration of what we fhould not do, but ftraight conduct you to a hill-fide, where I will point ye out the right path of a virtuous and noble education; laborious indeed at the firft afcent, but else fo fmooth, fo green, fo full of goodly profpect, and melodious founds on every fide, that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming. I doubt not ye fhall have more ado to drive cur dullest and łazieft youth, our ftocks and ftubs, from the infinite defire of fuch a happy nurture, than we have now to hale and drag our choiceft and hopefullest wits to that afinine feaft of fowthiftles and brambles which is commonly set before them, as all the food and entertainment of their tendereft and most

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docible age. I call therefore a complete and generous education that which fits a man to perform justly, fkilfully and magnanimoufly, all the offices, both private and publick, of peace and war. And how all this may be done between twelve and one and twenty, lefs time than is now beftow'd in pure trifling at grammar and fophiftry, is to be thus order'd,

First, to find out a fpacious houfe, and ground about it, fit for an Academy, and big enough to lodge an hundred and fifty perfons, whereof twenty or thereabout may be attendants, all under the government of one, who fhall be thought of defert fufficient, and ability either to do all, or wifely to direct, and overfee it done. This place fhould be at once both school and univerfity, not needing a remove to any other house of scholarship, except it be fome peculiar college of law, or phyfick, where they mean to be practitioners; but as for thofe general studies which take up all our time from Lilly to the commencing, as they term it, mafter of arts, it fhould be abfolute. After this pattern, as many edifices may be converted to this ufe, as fhall be needful in every city throughout this land, which would tend much to the increase of learning and civility every where. This number, lefs or more thus collected, to the convenience of a foot company, or interchangeably two troops of cavalry, fhould divide their days work into three parts, as it lies orderly: their studies, their exercise, and their diet.

For their ftudies, firft they fhould begin with the chief and neceffary rules of fome good grammar, either that now us'd, or any better: and while this is doing, their speech is to be fashion'd to a distinct and clear pronunciation, as near as may be to the Italian, especially in the vowels. For we Englishmen being far northerly, do not open our mouths in the cold air, wide enough to grace a fouthern tongue; but are obferv'd by all other nations to speak exceeding close and inward:

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fo that to fmatter Latin with an English mouth, is as ill a hearing as Law-French. Next to make them expert in the ufefulleft points of grammar, and withal to season them, and win them early to the love of virtue and true labour, ere any flattering feducement, or vain principle feize them wandring, fome eafy and delightful book of education should be read to them; whereof the Greeks have ftore, as Cebes, Plutarch, and other Socratic difcourfes. But in Latin we have none of claffic authority extant, except the two or three firft books of Quintilian, and fome felect pieces elsewhere. But here the main skill and ground-work will be, to temper them fuch lectures and explanations upon every opportunity, as may lead and draw them in willing obedience, inflam'd with the study of learning, and the admiration of virtue; stirr'd up with high hopes of living to be brave men, and worthy patriots, dear to God, and famous to all ages, that they may defpife and fcorn all their childish and ill-taught qualities, to delight in manly and liberal exercifes, which he who hath the art and proper eloquence to catch them with, what with mild and effectual perfuafions, and that with the intimation of fome fear, if need be, but chiefly by his own example, might in a short space gain them to an incredible diligence and courage; infufing into their young breasts such an ingenuous and noble ardor, as would not fail to make many of them renowned and matchlefs men. At the fame time, fome other hour of the day, might be taught them the rules of arithmetick, and foon after the elements of geometry even playing, as the old manner was. After evening-repafts, till bed-time, their thoughts will be beft taken up

in the eafy grounds of religion, and the ftory of fcripture. The next step would be to the authors of Agriculture, Cato, Varro, and Columella; for the matter is most eafy, and if the language be difficult, fo much the better, it is not a difficulty above their years and here will be an occafion of inciting and enabling them hereafter to improve the tillage of their country, to recover the bad foil, and to remedy the wafte that is made of good; for this was one of Hercules's praifes. Ere half these authors be read (which will foon be with plying hard, and daily) they cannot choose but be masters of an ordinary profe. So that it will be then seasonable for them to learn in any modern author, the use of the globes, and all the maps; first with the old names, and then with the new : Or they might be then capable to read any compendious method of natural philofophy. And at the fame time might they be entring into the Greek tongue, after the fame manner as was before prefcrib'd in the Latin; whereby the difficulties of grammar being foon overcome, all the hiftorical phyfiology of Ariftotle and Theophraftus are open before them, and, as I may fay, under contribution. The like accefs will be to Vitruvius, to Seneca's natural questions, to Mela, Celfus, Pliny, or So linus. And having thus paft the principles of Arithmetick, Geometry, Aftronomy, and Geography, with a general compact of phyficks, they may defcend in Mathematicks to the inftrumental fcience of Trigonometry, and from thence to fortification, architecture, enginry, or navigation. And in natural philofophy they may proceed lerfurely from the history of meteors, minerals, plants and living creatures, as far as anatomy. Then

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