THE RURAL SOCRATES. 5/^ 



«^ preference to joys which are not attended' wlth-re- 

 '^ morfe, when let in competition with thofe that ren- 

 ^' der you incapable of profecuting your work, and 

 '*' which have frequently been followed by repent- 

 ** ance t I endeavor, whilft the mind is iie^iible, to in- 

 ** fpire my children with an inclination for rational 

 *' pleafure : it appears, to me. that I am fecuring their 

 '*■'•' future happinefs ! In teaching them to ihun thofe 

 *' miflaken pleafures you recommend, I hope to prefer ve 

 ^ them from that ruin, \i'hich has been the confequeiicc 

 ** of depravity of manners in io many families.*' 



The method Kliyogg ufes to cnconrag-e children to 

 work, by exciting their emulation, deferves to be taken 

 notice of. — Whilfl they are too young to labor with the 

 hoe, or fpade, he makes them eat their dinner upon the 

 iloor ; but from the moment they begin to be of fome 

 ufe in hufbandry, he admits them to fit at table with the 

 family. In this manner he teaches them to comprehend, 

 that io long as man is incapable of labor, aird lends no 

 affiftance to fociety ; he can be conlidered only as an an- 

 imal, who has a right to expert fubfiP.ence ; but no 

 claim to being treated as a member of the community. 



In other refpedts, he is peculiarly cautious of creating 

 the leafl diftindlions among the children. He feems to 

 love, with equal afieiStion, hisfons and his nephews : and 

 inflrut^lsthem with equal zeal and alliduity in the princi- 

 ples of virtue. — It is only by an obedient behaviour and 

 by doing well, that they can gain his friendlliip, or ex- 

 ped his carefles. His approbation is all the recom-- 

 penfe to which they afpire ; and he has found thefecret 

 of making himfelf equally beloved and feared by theme 



They are accuflomed from their infancy to hearty food, 

 fuch as is provided for the family j and he gives them 

 as much as will thoroughly fatisfy their hunger ; avoid- 

 ing carefully to excite gluttony by feeding them with 

 delicacies by way of reward, according to the pernicious 



H cuftoci 



