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No. 313. It is certain from Suetonius, that the Romans thought Thursday, the Education of their Children a Business properly Feb. 28, belonging to the Parents themselves; and Plutarch, in 1712, the Life of Marcus Cato tells us, that as soon as his Son

was capable of Learning, Cato would suffer no Body to teach him but himself, tho' he had a Servant named Chilo, who was an excellent Grammarian, and who taught a great many other Youths.

On the contrary, the Greeks seemed more enclined to publick Schools and Seminaries,

A private Education promises in the first place Virtue and good Breeding, a publick School manly Assur ance, and an early Knowledge in the Ways of the World.

Mr. Locke, in his celebrated Treatise of Education, confesses that there are Inconveniencies to be feared on both Sides; if, says he, I keep my Son at Home, he is in Danger of becoming my young Master, it I send him Abroad, it is scarce possible to keep him from the reigning Contagion of Rudeness and Vice. He will perhaps be more innocent at Home, but more ignorant of the World, and more sheepish when he comes Abroad: However, as this learned Author asserts, That Virtue is much more difficult to be attained than Knowledge of the World; and that Vice is a more stubborn, as well as a more dangerous Fault than Sheepishness, he is altogether for a private Education; and the more so, because he does not see why a Youth, with right Management, might not attain the same Assurance in his Father's House, as at a publick School. To this End he advises Parents to accustom their Sons to whatever strange Faces come to the House, to take them with them when they visit their Neighbours, and to engage them in Conversation with Men of Parts and Breeding,

It may be objected to this Method, that Conversation is not the only Thing necessary, but that unless it be a Conversation with such as are in some Measure their Equals in Parts and Years, there can be no Room for Emulation, Contention, and several of the most lively Passions of the Mind; which, without being sometimes

moved by these Means, may possibly contract a Dull No. 313. ness and Insensibility.

Thursday, Feb. 28, pro- 1712.

One of these greatest Writers our Nation ever duced observes, That a Boy who forms Parties, and makes himself popular in a School or a College, would act the same Part with equal Ease in a Senate or a Privy Council; and Mr. Osburn speaking like a Man versed in the Ways of the World, affirms, that the well-laying and carrying on of a Design to rob an Orchard, trains up a Youth insensibly to Caution, Secrecy and Circumspection, and fits him for Matters of greater Importance,

In short, a private Education seems the most natural Method for the forming of a virtuous Man; a publick Education for making a Man of Business. The first would furnish out a good Subject for Plato's Republick, the latter a Member for a Community over-run with Artifice and Corruption.

It must however be confessed, that a Person at the Head of a publick School, has sometimes so many Boys under his Direction, that it is impossible he should extend a due Proportion of his Care to each of them. This is, however, in reality the Fault of the Age, in which we often see twenty Parents, who, tho' each expects his Son should be made a Scholar, are not contented all together to make it worth while, for any Man of a liberal Education to take upon him the Care of their Instruction.

In our great Schools indeed this Fault has been of late Years rectified, so that we have at present not only ingenious Men for the chief Masters, but such as have proper Ushers and Assistants under them, I must nevertheless own, that for Want of the same Encourage ment in the Country, we have many a promising Genius spoiled and abused in those little Seminaries,

I am the more inclined to this Opinion, having my self experienced the Usage of two rural Masters, each of them very unfit for the Trust they took upon them to discharge. The first imposed much more upon me than my Parts, tho' none of the weakest, could endure; and used me barbarously for not performing Impossi

bilities

No. 313,

1712.

bilities. The latter was of quite another Temper; and Thursday, a Boy, who would run upon his Errands, wash his Feb. 28, Coffee Pot, or ring the Bell, might have as little Con versation with any of the Classicks as he thought fit I have known a Lad at this Place excused his Exercise for assisting the Cook-maid; and remember a Neigh bouring Gentleman's Son was among us five Years, most of which Time he employ'd in airing and watering our Master's grey Pad. I scorned to compound for my Faults, by doing any of these elegant Offices, and was accordingly the best Scholar, and the worst used of any Boy in the School.

Í shall conclude this Discourse with an Advantage mentioned by Quintilian, as accompanying a publick way of Education, which I have not yet taken notice of namely, That we very often contract such Friend ships at School, as are a Service to us all the following Parts of our Lives.

I shall give you, under this Head, a Story very well known to several Persons, and which you may depend upon as real Truth.

Every one, who is acquainted with Westminster School, knows that there is a Curtain which used to be drawn a cross the Room, to separate the upper School from the lower. A Youth happened, by some Mis chance, to tear the abovementioned Curtain The Severity of the Master was too well known for the Criminal to expect any Pardon for such a Fault; so that the Boy, who was of a meek Temper, was terrified to Death at the Thoughts of his Appearance, when his Friend, who sat next to him, bade him be of good Cheer, for that he would take the Fault on himself. He kept his Word accordingly. As soon as they were grown up to be Men, the civil War broke out, in which our two Friends took the opposite Sides, one of them followed the Parliament, the other the Royal Party,

As their Tempers were different, the Youth, who had torn the Curtain, endeavoured to raise himself on the civil List, and the other, who had born the Blame of it, on the Military: The first succeeded so well, that

he

he was in a short Time made a Judge under the Pro- No. 313. tector. The other was engaged in the unhappy Enter Thursday prize of Penruddock and Grove in the West. I suppose, 1712. Feb. 28, Sir, I need not acquaint you with the Event of that Undertaking. Every one knows that the Royal Party was routed, and all the Heads of them, among whom was the Curtain Champion, imprisoned at Exeter. It happened to be his Friend's Lot at that Time to go the Western Circuit: The Tryal of the Rebels, as they were then called, was very short, and Nothing now remained but to pass Sentence on them; when the Judge hearing the Name of his old Friend, and observ ing his Face more attentively, which he had not seen for many Years, asked him, if he was not formerly a Westminster-Scholar? By the Answer, he was soon convinced that it was his former generous Friend; and, without saying any Thing more at that Time, made the best of his Way to London, where employing all his Power and Interest with the Protector, he saved his Friend from the Fate of his unhappy Associates,

The Gentleman, whose Life was thus preserved by the Gratitude of his School-Fellow, was afterwards the Father of a Son, whom he lived to see promoted in the Church, and who still deservedly fills one of the highest Stations in it.'

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I have man about young Woman of the AM a Young Man about eighteen Years of Age, and same Age about this half Year. I go to see her six Days in the Week, but never could have the Happiness of being with her alone. If any of her Friends are at home, she will see me in their Company; but if they be not in the Way, she flies to her Chamber, I can discover no Signs of her Aversion; but, either a Fear of falling into the Toils of Matrimony, or a childish

Timidity

No. 314.
Friday
Feb. 29,
1712,

Timidity, deprives us of an Interview a-part, and drives
us upon the Difficulty of languishing out our Lives in
fruitless Expectation. Now, Mr. SPECTATOR, if you think
us ripe for Oeconomy, perswade the dear Creature, that
to pine away into Barrenness and Deformity under a
Mother's Shade, is not so honourable, nor does she
appear so amiable, as she would in full Bloom
[There is a great deal left out before he concludes.]
Mr. SPECTATOR,

Your humble Servant,

Bob Harmless.'

If this Gentleman be really no more than Eighteen, I must do him the Justice to say he is the most knowing Infant have yet met with. He does not, I fear, yet understand, that all he thinks of is another Woman; therefore, till he has given a further Account of himself, the young Lady is hereby directed to keep close to her Mother.

The SPECTATOR

I cannot comply with the Request in Mr. Trott's Letter; but let it go just as it came to my Hands, for being so familiar with the old Gentleman, as rough as he is to him. Since Mr. Trott has an Ambition to make him his Father-in-Law, he ought to treat him with more Respect; besides, his Stile to me might have been more distant than he has thought fit to afford me; Moreover, his Mistress shall continue in her Confinement, till he has found out which Word in his Letter is not writely spelt.

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

I shall ever own myself your obliged humble Servant for the Advice you gave me concerning my Dancing: which unluckily came too late: For, as I said, I would not leave off Capering till I had your Opinion of the Matter; was at our famous Assembly the Day before I received your Papers, and there was observed by an old Gentleman, who was informed I had a Respect for his Daughter, told me I was an insignificant little Fellow,

and

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