P R E 
FACE. 
xxi 
fame time, and under the fame govern- 
ment, to form a plan of moral, univerfal, 
ablolute reditude in the condud of hu- 
man life, they would all widely differ 
from each other. 
Mr. Willughby, in his Hiftory of Birds, 
pa. 1 68, fpeaking of Partridges in general, 
fays, they are very falacious birds, infa- 
mous for mafculine venery, &c. which 
account I received as romantick, till of 
late years I kept fome of the fmall Ban- 
tham poultry, the hens of which being 
loft, and three or four of the young 
cocks remaining where they could have 
do communication with hens, they foon 
laid afide their former animofities, ceafed 
to fight, and each endeavoured to tread 
his fellow, though none of them feemed 
willing to be trodden. Refledion on this 
odd circumftance hinted to me the rea- 
fon, why the natural appetites, in fome 
of our own fpecies, are diverted into 
wrong channels. It is a cuftoin with us 
to fend our male youth to fchools, colleges, 
-&c. where many of them continue till 
they are men 5 and one part of the tu- 
tors miftaken care is to debar them from 
the converfation of females of the fame 
age, under a pretence of keeping them 
virtuous. Our female youth are alfo 
•packed together in the fame manner un- 
der miftr dies, who, many of them, have 
•very rigid notions in refped to men, 
and put very unfavourable opinions into 
their pupils heads, in refped to the male 
youth, who are always carefully kept 
out of the bounds of the female fcholars; 
or, if necedity requires their admifiion, 
they are carefully watched : for young 
men are not allowed the mod innocent 
convcrfation with young ladies within the 
des plus / ages d'entre les hdmmcs , vivant 
en me me temps, et fous le meme gouverne- 
ment y entreprenoient de former un plan de 
re&itnde morale , univerjelle et abfolue , pour 
la conduite de la vie humaine , Us diff'ereroient 
prodigieufement les uns des autres. 
M. Willughby , parlant des Perdrix en 
general *, dit , que ce font des oifeaux fort 
lafcifsy abominables par Jeurs conjondlions 
mafculines, &c. Je pris ce recit pour une 
fable y jufqud ce qiiayant ‘chez moi y il y a 
quelques annees , de la volaille de Bentham 
de la petite efpice, les ponies fe per dirent , 
et il ne ref a que trois ou quatre jeuncs 
coqSy qui demeuroient dans un endroit oil tls 
ne pouvoient avoir aucime communication 
avec des poules : bienlot ces coqs depoferent 
leur afiimofite precedents , cefjerent de fe 
batire y r et chaain tachoit a cocker Jon cama - 
rade, quoiqu aucun ne parut bien aife d'etre 
coche, Les reflexions que je Jis fur cette 
strange circonflance, me firent decouvrir let 
raifon pourquoi les defirs naturelSy d Vegard 
de quelques uns de notre ej'pece, font detourncs 
dans d'ihjufies canaux. Ccfl la coutume 
chez nous d' envoy er les enfant s dux ecoles y 
aux colleges, &c. oil plujieurs demeurent 
jufqud Page d'homme \ et un article dit 
fein mal entendu de leur gouverneurs , ceft 
de leur inter dire tout commerce avec des 
jilles de leur age , feus pretexte de les gar an- 
tir du vice. Le; jeunes files font aujji 
rafl'emblees dans un meme lieu , de la mane 
maniere y fous des maitre fees, dont la plupari 
out des idees trop rigides d I’egard des 
hommeSy et met tent dans la fete de leurs pu - 
piles des penjees tres defavor ables des gar cons, 
qui J'ont conflamment elcignes a%ec Join des 
li mites de Tecole de files ; ou, fi Von efi 
oblige de les y introduire , on les vet lie ex- 
ablement : car on naccorde point aux jama 
* Hilt, des Oif. p. 168. 
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