BOOK II. CHAP. XII. 247 



him to prefer. The father, in the mean while, fends remittance 

 upon, remittance, or diredsa liberal allowance, that his fon may 

 learn the art of fqviandering from his very infancy ; and, not unfre- 

 quently, to gratify a little pride of heart, that little mafler may ap- 

 pear the redoubted heir to an affluent fortune. But, alas ! it fome- 

 times happens, that he fends no remittances: by which unlucky 

 omiffion,, his child is thrown upon the hands of the fa£lor, who 

 throws him upon the hands of the pedagogue; and, between both, 

 the poor wretch undergoes as much negled and ill ufige, as if he 



\ was a charity-boy ; and, in either cafe, too often comes from the 

 feet of Gamaliel ignorant, vicious,, idle, and prodigal; a difgrace 

 to his friends, and a nuifance to his country. Iffufferedto remain 

 in England, under the notion of finifhing his manners, we find: 

 him> in the other view, in general rolling on the wheels of money, 

 into every fpecies of town-debauchery ; lavlftiing in one week what 

 would maintain a poor family for a twelvemonth ;. the conftant 



I dupe of artifice ; the fure gudgeon of every knave and impoftor- 

 What a difadvantage is it to young men, of naturally ftrong paf- 

 fions and lively fpirits, that they have not the watchful attention- 

 of a parent, to check their intemperate fallies, to condud them., 

 into the ways of prudence, and habituate them in the praftice of 

 felf-denial ! How much to be regretted, that the fond father,, 

 whilft his fon thus remains unemployed in ufeful purfuits during 

 the moft headftrong career of his life, is wearing himfelf out with, 

 inceffant toil and anxiety, to no other effeft than feeding the paf- 

 fions of an indolent or profligate fpendthrift ! Without a parent,, 

 or monitor, at his elbow, to hold him under due awe and fubordi-- 

 nation, and gratified with plentiful fupplies of money, he foon ac-.- 

 knowledges no other governor than his own inclination, and takes- 

 pleafure for his preceptor. Few will venture to retrain him, who-' 

 either doubt their authority to, controul, or who fufpeft that fuch. 

 an interpofition may either wear the appearance of too fcrupulous a 

 rigour, or prove detrimental, fome time or other, to their intereft. 

 in bufinefs. . , ;:•..., 



The education of the youths r^W/Zf^ from this (land is, in ge-. 

 nerai, fo mifmanaged, that, was it not for their innate good qua- 

 lities, not one in ten would ever arrive at. the. age of difcretion, or/ 



return, 



