follow'd in all discreet teaching. And feeing every Nation affords not Experience and Tradition enough for all kind of Learning, therefore we are chiefly taught the Languages of those People who have at any time been moft industrious after Wisdom; fo that Language is but the Inftrument conveying to us things ufeful to be known. And though a Linguift fhould Pride himself to have all the Tongues that Babel cleft the World into, yet, if he have not ftudied the folid things in them as well as the Words and Lexicons, he were nothing so much to be esteem'd a Learned Man, as any Yeoman or Tradefman competently wife in his Mother Dialect only. Hence appear the many Mistakes which have made Learning generally fo unpleafing and fo unfuccessful; firft we do amifs to spend feven or eight Years meerly in fcraping together fo much miferable Latin and Greek, as might be learnt otherwise easily and delightfully in one Year. And that which cafts our Proficiency therein fo much behind, is our time loft partly in too oft idle Vacancies given both to Schools and Univerfities, partly in a prepofterous Exaction, forcing the empty Wits of Children to compofe Theams, Verfes and Orations, which are the A&ts of ripeft Judgment and the final Work of a Head fill'd by long reading and obferving, with elegant Maxims, and copious Invention. These are not Matters to be wrung from poor Striplings, like Blood out of the Nofe, or the pluckling of untimely Fruit? Befides the ill Habit which they get of wretched barbarizing against the Latin and Greek idiom, with their untutor'd Anglicisms, odious to be read, yes

not to be avoided without a well continu'd and judicious converfing among pure Authors digefted, which they scarce tafte, whereas, if after fome preparatory grounds of Speech by their certain forms got into Memory, they were led to the Praxis thereof in fome chofen fhort Book leffon'd throughly to them, they might then forthwith proceed to learn the Subftance of good things, and Arts in due Order, which would bring the whole Language quickly into their Power. 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, 1 deem it to be an old Error of Universities not yet well recover'd from the Scholaftick grofsnefs of barbarous Ages, that inftead of beginning with Arts moft eafie, and those be fuch as are moft obvious to the Senfe, they prefent their Young unmatriculated Novices as frft coming with the moft intellective Abftra&tions of Logick and Metaphyficks: So that they having but newly left those Grammatick flats and

allows where they ftuck unreasonably to learn a few Words with lamentable Conftruction, and now on the fudden tranfported under another Climate to be toft and turmoil'd with their unballafted Wits in fadomlefs and unquiet deeps of Controverfie, do for the moft Part grow into hatred and contempt of Learning, mockt 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 and Mercenary, or ignorantly zealous Divinity; Some allur'd to the Trade of Law, grounding their Purposes not on the prudent and heavenly Contemplation of Justice and Equity which was never taught them, but on the promifing and pleafing Thoughts of litigious Terms, far Contentions, and flowings Fees; others betake them to State Affairs, with Souls fo unprincipled in Virtue, and true generous breeding, that Flattery, and Court shifts, and tyrannous Aphorifms appear to them the highest Points of Wisdom;' inftilling their barren Hearts with a confcientious Slavery, if, as

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rather think, it be not fain'd! Others laftly of a more delicious and airy Spirit, retire themselves, knowing no Better, to the En joyments of Eafe and Luxury, living out their Days in Feaft and Jollity; which indeed is the wifeft and the fafeft Course of all these, unless they were with more Integrity undertaken. And thefe are the Fruits of mifpending our Prime Youth at the Schools and Universities, as we do, either in Learning meer Words, Cornsuch things chiefly as were better Unlearnt,

I shall detain you no longer in the Demonftration of what we should not do, but ftrait conduct ye 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 Sounds on every fide, that the Harp of Orpheus was not more Charming. I doubt not but ye hall have more ado to drive our dulleft and la ziest Youth, our Stocks and Stubs from the infinite

defire of fuch a happy Nurture, than we have now to hale and drag our choifeft and hopefulleft Wits to that afinine Feaft of Sowthiftles and Brambles which is commonly fet before them, as all the food and entertainment of their tendereft and moft docible Age. I call therefore a compleat and generous Education that which fits a Man to perform juftly, skilfully and magnanimously 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 Sophistry, is ro be thus order'd.

First, to find out a fpatious House, and Ground about it, fit for an Academy, and big enough to lodge a 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 University» not needing a remove to any other Houfe of Schollarship, except it be fome peculiar Colledge of Law, or Phyfick, where they mean to be PraAtitioners; but as for thofe general Studies which take up all our time from Lilly to the commencing, as they term it, Mafter of Art, it should 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 encreafe of Learning and Civility every where. This number, lefs or more thus collected, to the convenience of a foot Compa ny, or interchangeably two Troops of Cavalry, fhould divide their days work into three Patts, as

it lies orderly. Their Studies, their Exercife, and their Diet.

For their Studies, Firft they fhould begin with the chief and neceffary Rules of fome good Gram-: mar, either that now us'd, or any better: and while this is doing, their Speech is to be fashion'd to a diftinct and clear Pronunciation, as near as may be to the Italian, efpecially in the Vowels. For we Englishmen being far Northerly, do not open our Mouths in the cold Air, wide enough to grace a Southern Tongue; but are obferv'd by all other Nations to speak exceeding clofe and inward: So that to fmatter Latin with an English Mouth, is as ill a hearing as Law-French. Next to make them expert in the usefulleft points of Grammar,and withall to season them, and win them early to the Love of Virtue and true Labour, ere any flattering Seducement, or vain Principle feife them wandering, fome cafie and delightful Book of E. ducation would be read to them; whereof the Greeks have Store, 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 fele&t Pieces elsewhere. But here the main skill and groundwork will be, to temper them fuch Lectures and Explanations upon every Opportunity, as may lead and draw them in willing Obedience, enflam'd with the Study of Learning, and the Admiration of Virtue; ftirr'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 Exercises: which he who hath the Art, and proper Eloquence