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where I will point ye out the right path of a vertuous and noble education; laborious indeed at the firft afcent, but elfe 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 but ye fhall have more adoe to drive our dulleft and laziest youth, our stocks and ftubbs from the infinite defire of fuch a happy nurture, then we have now to hale and drag our choifeft and hopefulleft wits to that afinine feaft of fowthiftles and brambles which is commonly fet before them, as all the food and entertainment of their tendereft and most doI call therefore a compleate

cible age. and generous education that which fits

a man

a man to perform juftly, fkilfully, and magnanimoufly all the offices both private and publike of peace and war. And how all this may be done between twelve and one and twenty, leffe time then is now beflow'd in pure trifling at Grammar and Sophistry, is to be thus order'd.

First to finde out a spatious 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 doe all, or wifely to direct, and overfee it done. This place fhould be at once both School and Univerfity, not needing

6

a re

a.remove to any other house of Schollership, except it be fome peculiar Colledge of Law, or Phyfick, where they mean to be practitioners; but as for those generall ftudies 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 use, as fhall be needfull in every city. throughout this land, which would tend much to the encrease of learning and civility every where. This number, leffe or more thus collected, to the convenience of a foot company, or interchangeably two troops of cavalry, should divide their daies work into three parts, as it lies or

derly.

derly.

Their ftudies, their exercife,

and their diet.

For their studies, 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 fpeech is to be fashion'd to a diftinct and cleer pronuntiation, as neer as may be to the Italian, efpecially in the vowels. For we Englishmen being farre northerly, doe not open our mouthes in the cold air, wide enough to grace a Southern tongue; but are obfery'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

of grammar, and withall to season them, and win them early to the love of vertue and true labour, ere any flattering feducement, or vain principle feise them wandering, fome eafie and delightfull book of education would be read to them; whereof the Greeks have ftore, as Cebes, Plutarch, and other Socratic difcourfes. But in Latin we have none of claffic authoritie extant, except the two or three firft books of Quintilian, and fome felect peeces elfewhere. But here the main kill 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 ftudy of learning, and the admiration of vertue, stirr'd

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