perceive what despicable creatures our common rimers and play-writes be, and fhew them, what Religious, what glorious and magnificent ufe might be made of Poetry both in divine and humane things. From hence and not till now will be the right feafon of forming them to be able writers and compofers in every excellent matter, when they fhall be thus fraught with an univerfall infight into things. Or whether they be to fpeak in Parlament or counfell, honour and attention would be waiting on their lips. There would then alfo appear in pulpits other visages, other geftures, and ftuffe otherwife wrought then what we now fit under, oft times to as great a triall triall of our patience as any other that they preach to us. Thefe are the ftudies wherein our noble and our gentle youth ought to bestow their time in a difciplinary way from twelve to one and twenty; unleffe they rely more upon their ancestors dead, then upon themfelves living. In which methodicall courfe it is fo fuppos'd they must proceed by the fteddy pace of learning onward, as at convenient times for memories fake to retire back into the middle ward, and fometimes into the rear of what they have been taught, untill they have confirm'd, and folidly united the whole body of their perfeted knowledge, like the laft embattelling of a Romane legion. legion. Now will be worth the feeing what exercises, and what recreations may beft agree, and become these ftudies. THEIR EXERCISE. The courfe of ftudy hitherto briefly defcrib'd, is, what I can gueffe by reading, likeft to thofe ancient and famous fchools of Pythagoras, Plato, Ifocrates, Ariftotle, and fuch others, out of which were bred up fuch a number of renowned Philofophers, orators, Hiftorians, Poets and Princes all over Greece, Italy, and Afia, befides the flourishing studies of Cyrene and Alexandria. But herein it fhall exceed them, and supply a defect as great as that which Plato, noted in the commonwealth of Sparta; whereas that that city train'd up their youth most for warre, and these in their Academies and Lyceum, all for the gown, this inftitu tion of breeding which I here delineate, fhall be equally good both for peace and Therefore about an hour and a warre. halfe ere they eat at noon fhould be allow'd them for exercife and due reft afterwards but the time for this may be enlarg'd at pleasure, according as their rifing in the morning fhall be early. The exercife which I commend first, is the exact use of their weapon; to guard and to ftrike fafely with edge, or point; this will keep them healthy, nimble, ftrong, and well in breath, is also the likelieft means to make them grow large, and tall, and to inspire them with a gal lant lant and fearleffe courage, which being temper'd with feafonable lectures and precepts to them of true fortitude, and patience, will turn into a native and heroic valour, and make them hate the cowardife of doing wrong. They must be alfo practiz'd in all the locks and gripes of wraftling, wherein Englishmen were wont to excell, as need may often be in fight to tugge, to grapple, and to clofe. And this perhaps will be anough, wherein to prove and heat their fingle ftrength. The interim of unfweating themselves regularly, and convenient rest before meat may both with profit and delight be taken up in recreating and compofing their travail'd fpirits with folemn and divine harmonies of mufick heard, |
