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OF EDUCATION,

TO MASTER SAMUEL HARTLIB.

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MASTER HARTLIB,

AM long fince perfwaded, that to fay, or doe ought worth memory, and imitation, no purpose or refpect should fooner move us, then fimply the love of God, and of mankinde. Nevertheleffe to write now the reforming of Education, though it be one of the greatest and noble defignes, that can be thought on, and for the want whereof this nation perishes, I had not yet at this time been induc't, but by your earnest entreaties, and serious conjurements; as having

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having my minde for the prefent halfe, diverted in the perfuance of fome other affertions, the knowledge and the ufe of which, eannot but be a great furtherance both to the enlargement of truth and honeft living, with much more peace. Nor should the lawes of any private friendship have prevail'd with me to divide thus, or tranfpofe my former thoughts, but that I fee thofe aims, thofe actions which have won you with me the esteem of a perfon fent hither by fome good providence from a farre country to be the occafion and the incitement of great good to this Iland. And, as I hear, you have obtain'd the fame repute with men of moft approved wisdom, and fome of highest authority

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among us. Not to mention the learned correfpondence which you hold in forreigne parts, and the extraordinary pains and diligence which you have us'd in this matter both heer, and beyond the Seas; either by the definite will of GoD fo ruling, or the peculiar fway of nature, which alfo is God's working. Neither can I thinke that fo reputed, and fo valu'd as you are, you would to the forfeit of your own difcerning ability, impofe upon me an unfit and over ponderous argument, but that the fatisfaction which you profeffe to have receiv'd from thofe incidentall difcourfes which we have wander'd into, hath preft and almost conftrain'd you into a perfwafion, that what you require from me in this point, I nei

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I neither ought, nor can in conscience deferre beyond this time both of fo much need at once, and fo much opportunity to trie what God hath determin'd. I will not refift therefore, what ever it is either of divine, or humane obligement that you lay upon me; but will forthwith fet down in writing, as you request me, that voluntary Idea, which hath long in filence prefented it felf to me, of a better Education, in extent and comprehenfion farre more large, and yet of time farre fhorter, and of attainment farre more certain, then hath been yet in practice. Briefe I fhall endeavour to be; for that which I have to fay, affuredly this nation hath extreame need fhould be done fooner than fpok'n. To

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tell you therefore what I have benefited. herein among old renowned authors, I fhall fpare; and to fearch what many modern Ianua's and Didactics more than ever I fhall read, have projected, my inclination leads me not. But if you

can accept of these few observations which have flowr'd off, and are as it were the burnishing of many ftudious and contemplative yeers altogether spent in the fearch of religious and civil knowledge, and fuch as pleas'd you so well in the relating, I here give you them to dispose of.

The end then of learning is to repair the ruin of our first parents by regaining to know GoD aright, and out of that knowledge to love him, to imitate him,

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