ANIMALS. 401 



drudgeries of office with content, or to fill up 

 the vacancies of life with variety. The child, 

 therefore, should by times be put to its duty, and 

 be taught to know, that the task is to be done* 

 or the punishment to be endured. I do not ob- 

 ject against alluring it to duty by reward; but 

 we well know, that the mind will be more strong- 

 ly stimulated by pain ; and both may, upon some 

 occasions, take their turn to operate. In this 

 manner, a child, by playing with its equals 

 abroad, and labouring with them at school, will 

 acquire more health and knowledge than by be- 

 ing bred up under the wing of any speculative 

 system maker ; and will be thus qualified for a 

 life of activity and obedience. It is true, indeed, 

 that when educated in this manner, the boy may 

 not be so seemingly sensible and forward as one 

 bred up under solitary instruction ; and, perhaps, 

 this early forwardness is more engaging than use- 

 ful. It is well known, that many of those chil- 

 dren who have been such prodigies of literature 

 before ten, have not made an adequate progress 

 to twenty. It should seem, that they only began 

 learning manly things before their time ; and 

 while others were busied in picking up that 

 knowledge adapted to their age and curiosity, 

 these were forced upon subjects unsuited to their 

 years; and, upon that account alone, appearing 

 extraordinary. The stock of knowledge in both 

 may be equal ; but with this difference, that each 

 is yet to learn what the other knows. 



But whatever may have been the acquisitions 

 of children at ten or twelve, their greatest and 



VOL. i. c c 



