that ever I communicated it to any body there. Thefe letters, or at least fome of them, have been feen by fome of my acquaintance here, who would needs perfuade me it would be of ufe to publish them your impatience to fee them has not, I affure you, flackened my hand, or kept me in fufpenfe; and I wish now they were out, that you might the fooner fee them, and I the fooner have your opinion of them. I know not yet whether I shall fet my name to this difcourse, and therefore fhall defire you to conceal it. You fee I make you my confeffor, for you have made yourfelf my friend.

I

Sir,

LETTER XLII.

Mr. Molyneux to Mr. Locke.

Dublin, April 18th, 1693. HAVE lately received farther teftimonies of your kindnefs and friendship to me, in your laft of March 28th, which brings withal the welcome news of your having committed your work Of Education to the prefs; than which, I know not any thing that I ever expected with a more earnest defire. What my brother told me, relating to that treatife, he had from yourself in Holland; but, perhaps, you might have forgot what paffed between you on that occafion. I perceive you fear the novelty of fome notions therein may feem extravagant; but, if I may venture to judge of the author, I fear no fuch thing from him. I doubt not but the work will be new and peculiar, as his other performances; and this it is that renders them estimable and pleafant. He that travels the beaten. roads, may chance indeed to have company; but he that takes his liberty, and manages it with judgment, is the man that makes useful discoveries, and most beneficial to those that follow him. Had Columbus never ventured farther than his predeceffors, we had yet been ignorant of a vast part of our earth, preferable (as fome fay) to all the other three. And if none may be allowed to try the ocean of philofophy farther than our ancestors, we fhall have but little advancements or discoveries made in the mundus intellectualis; wherein, I believe, there is much more unknown than what we have yet found out.

Sir,

LETTER XLIII.

From the fame to the fame

Dublin, August 12th, 1691. OURS of July 15th, came to my

You

hands about a fortnight fince; and I had, ere this, acknowledged the favour thereof, but that I waited the arrival of your much defired piece, Of Education, which came not to me till about three days ago. I immediately fet myself to read it, as all things from its author, with the utmost attention; and I find it anfwerable to the higheft expectations I had of it. And fince, with your ufual modefty, you are pleafed to require my thoughts more particularly concerning it, I thall with all freedom, but at the fame time with all deference, propofe them to you, not doubting of your favourable interpretation and pardon, where you lea it needful. And first, in general, I think you propofe nothing in your whole book but what is very reasonable, and very practicable, except only in one particular, which feems to bear hard on the tender fpirits of children, and the natural affec tions of parents: it is page 117, 118 where you advise, "That a child should "never be fuffered to have what "craves, or so much as fpeaks for "much less if he cries for it." I ac knowledge what you fay in explaining this rule, Sect. 101. in relation to m tural wants, especially that of hunge may be well enough allowed; but Sect. 102. where you come to apply it wants of fancy and affectation, you fee too ftrict and fevere. You fay indeed "This will teach them to file the "defires, and to practife modeity

temperance:" but, for teaching the virtues, I conceive we fhall have oct fions enough in relation to their hurti defires, without abridging them fo wholl in matters indifferent and innocent, th tend only to divert and please their bu fpirits. You allow indeed, "That!

would be inhumanity to deny the "those things one perceives would d

light them :" if fo, I fee no refó why, in a modeft way, and with fut million to the wills of their fuperior they may not be allowed to declare wh will delight them. No, fay you; "B

in all wants of fancy and affectation "they should never, if once declared, b

"hearkenet

of repute and difhonour, are certainly very juit.

The contrivances you propofe for teaching them to read and write, are very ingenious. And becaufe I have practifed one much of the fame nature, I will "It is by writventure to defcribe it. ing fyllables and words in print-hand, on the face of a pack of cards, with figures or cyphers adjoined to each "word; by which I can form twenty "feveral forts of games, that fhall teach "children both to read and count at the "fame time; and this with great va

66

hearkened to or complied with." This I can never agree to, it being to deny that liberty between a child and its parents, as we defire, and have granted us, between man and his Creator. And as in this cafe man is allowed to declare his wants, and with fubmiffion to recommend his requests to God; fo I think children be allowed, by their parents or gomay vernors. And as between the creature and the Creator all manner of repining, upon denial or difappointment, is forbidden; fo in the cafe of children, all frowardness or difcontent, upon a refufal, is feverely to be reprimanded. But thus far l agree with you in the whole, “That "whether it be in wants natural or fanciful, that they exprefs their defires in "a froward humourfome manner, there they fhould be furely denied them." A farther reafon for my allowing children a liberty of expreffing their innocent defires is, that the contrary is impracticable; and you must have the children almot moped for want of diverfion and recreation, or elfe you must have thofe about them ftudy nothing all day but how to find employment for them and You are certainly in the right of it, how this would rack the invention of any relating to the manner of acquiring lanman alive, I leave you to judge. And guages, French, Latin, &c. and in what befides, were it an eafy task for any you lay down concerning grammaradult perfon to ftudy the fancy, the un-chools, themes, verfes, and other learnaccountable fancy, and diverfion of chil- ing. But above all, what you direct in dren, the whole year round; yet it would every particular, for the forming of t prove delightful to a child, being not children's minds, and giving them an is own choice. But this, you will fay, early turn to morality, virtue, religion, is what you would have imprinted on them, "That they are not to chufe for themfelves:" but why not in harmless things, and plays or iports, I fee no reafon. In all things of moment, let them live by the conduct of others wifer than themfelves.

riety." One thing more I fhall venture to add to what you direct concerning writing; that is, I will have my fon taught fhort-hand; I do not mean to that perfection as to copy a speech from the mouth of a ready fpeaker, but to be able to write it readily for his own private bufinefs. Believe me, Sir, it is as ufeful a knack as a man of bufinefs, or any fcholar, can be mafter of; and I have found the want of it myself, and feen the advantage of it in others frequently.

This, Sir, is all, that in your whole book I flick at; to all the reft I could fubfcribe. And I am not a little pleafed, when I confider that my own manage ment of my only little one has hitherto been agreeable, in the main, to your rules, fave only in what relates to his hardy breeding; which I was cautious in, becaufe he is come from a tender and ackly mother; but the child himself is hitherto (God be thanked) very healthful, though not very strong.

The rules you give for the correcting of children, and implanting in their minds anearly feufe of praife or difpraife,

&c. is moft excellent.

One

And I can only fay in general, that I can give no better proof of my liking your book in all thefe precepts, than by a ftrict obfervance of them in the education of my own fon, which I fhall pursue (God willing) as exactly as I can. thing I fear I fhall be at a lofs in, that is, a tutor agreeable to the character you prefcribe. But in this, neither shall my endeavours be wanting, though I leave him the worfe eftate, to leave him the better mind.

I could heartily have wifhed you had been more particular in naming the authors you would advife gentlemen to read, and be converfant in, in the feveral parts of learning you recommend to their ftudy. Had you done this, I know no logic that deferves to be named, but the Eifay of Human Understanding. So that fear you would rather have left that

C c

head

head open, than recommended your own work.

The last thing I fhall take notice of, is what mightily pleafes me, it being the very thought of my own mind thefe many years; which is, your "recommending a manual trade to all gentlemen.' This I have ever been for, and have wondered how it comes to país that it is fo generally neglected; but the lazy, effeminate luxuriouliefs, that ever-runs the nation, occafions the neglect thereof. Painting I have ever deigned for my fon; but you have raifed two objections against it, that are not eafily antwered; efpecially its taking up fo much time to attain a maftery in it.

I have now given you my opinion of your book, and now I am obliged to thank you for fending me a prefent which I fo highly value.

Y

Sir,

Mr. Locke to Mr. Molyneux.

Cates, 23d August 1693. OURS of Auguft 12th, which I received laft night, eafed me of a great deal of pain your filence had for fome time put me in; for you must allow me to be concerned for your health, as for a friend that I could not think in danger, or a disease, without a concern and trouble, fuitable to that great efteem and love I have for you. But you have made me amends plentifully, by the length and kindnefs, and, let me add too, the freedom of your letter. For the approbation you fo largely give to my book is the more welcome to me, and gives me the better opinion of my method, becaufe it has joined with it your exception to one rule of it; which I am apt to think you yourself, upon fecond thoughts, will have removed, before I fay any thing to your objections. It confirms to me that you are the good-natured man I took you for; and I do not at all wonder that the affection of a kind father fhould ftartle at it, at first reading, and think it very fevere, that children fhould not be fuffered to exprefs their defires; for fo you feem to understand me. And fuch a refraint, you fear, would be apt to mope them, and hinder their diverBut if you pleafe to look upon e place, and obferve my drift, you will

fon.

find that they fhould not be indulged, or
complied with, in any thing their conceits
have made a want to them, as neceffary
to be fupplied. What you fay, That
children would be moped for want of
diverfion and recreation, or elfe we must
have thofe about them tudy nothing all
day, but how to find employment for
them; and how this would rack the in-
vention of any maa living, you leave
me to judge; rooms to intimate as if you
underfood that children thould do no-
thing but by the profcription of their
parents or tutors, chalking out each
action of the whole day in train to them.
I hope my words exprefs no fuch thing,
for it is quite contrary to my fenfe, and
I think would be ufelefs tyranny in their
governors, and certain ruin to the child-
ren. I am fo much for recreation, that
I would, as much as poflible, have all
they do be made fo. I think recreation
as ncceffary to them as their food, and
that nothing can be recreation which does
not delight. This I think, I have fo ex-
preffed; and when you have put that
together, judge whether I would not
have them have the greatest part of their
time left to them, without restraint, to
divert themfelves any way they think
beft, fo it be free from vicious actions,
or fuch as may introduce vicious habits.
And therefore, if they fhould ask to play,
it could be no more interpreted a want
of fancy, than if they asked for victuals
when hungry; though where the matter
is well ordered, they will never need to
do that: for when they have either done
what their governor thinks enough in any
application to what is ufually made their
bufinefs, or are perceived to be tired with
it, they fhould of courfe be dismissed to
their innocent diverfions, without ever
being put to ask for it. So that I am for
the full liberty of diverfion as much as
you can be; and upon a fecond perufal
of my book, I do not doubt but you will
find me fo. But being allowed that, as
one of their natural wants, they fhould
not yet be permitted to let loofe their
defires or importunities for what they
fancy. Children are very apt to covet
what they fee thofe above them in age
have or do, to have or do the like, efpe-
cially if it be their elder brothers and
fillers. Does one go abroad? the other
ftrait has a mind to it too. Has fuch an
one new or fine clothes, or play-things?

they

under that warm and cautious management, has left him, and is now no longer his parents conftant apprehenfion, as it

was.

I am of your mind as to fhort-hand : I myfelf learned it fince I was a man, but had forgot to put it in when I writ; as I have, I doubt not, overseen a thoufand other things, which might have been faid on this fubject. But it was only at firft a fhort scheme for a friend, and is published to excite others to treat it more fully.

I know not whether it would be useful to make a catalogue of authors to be read by a young man, or whether it could be done, unless one knew the child's temper, and what he was defigned to.

they, if you once allow it them, will be impatient for the like, and think themfelves i dealt with, if they have it not. This being indulged when they are little, grows up with their age, and with that enlarges itself to things of greater confequence, and has ruined more families in the world than one. This fhould be fuppreffed in its very firft rife; and the defires you would not have encouraged, you should not permit to be spoken, which is the best way for them to filence them to themselves. Children fhould by conftant ufe learn to be very modeft in owning their defires, and careful not to afk any thing of their parents, but what they have reafon to think their parents will approve of and a reprimand upon their ill bearing a refufal comes too late, when the fault is committed and allowed; and if you allow them to afk, you can fcarce think it ftrange they fhould be troubled to be denied: fo that you fuffer them to engage themfelves in the diforder, and then think the fittest time for a cure; and, I think, the fureft and easiest way is prevention. For we muft take the fame I nature to be in children, that is in grown men; and how often do we find men take ill to be denied what they would not have been concerned for, if they had not afked? But I fhall not enlarge any farther in this, believing you and I shall agree in the matter; and indeed it is very hard, and almost impoffible, to give general rules of education, when there is icarce any one child, which in fome cafes fhould not be treated differently from another. All that we can do in general, is only to fhew what parents and tutors fhould aim at, and leafe to them the ordering of particular circumdances, as the cafe thall require.

One thing give me leave to be immore
tunate with you about: you fay your fon
is not very ftrong; to make him from,
you maft ufe him bardy, as I have de
rected; but you muit de fire to do hty
very infenible degrees, and begin as
hardship you would bring him to say
the Spring. This is all the contine

be uted. I have an emile of it is
the house I live in, where the only for of
a very tender mother was almost de
ftroyed by a too tender keeping. H
now, by a contrary ufage, come so bear

I

LETTER XLV.
Mr. Molyneux to Mr. Lacke.
Dublin, June 24, 1694.

Sir,
A highly obliged to you for the fa-
vour of your last, of May 26th, which
received yesterday. It brought me the
welcome news of the fecond edition of
your Effay being publied; and that
you have favoured me with a copy,
which I fhall expeft with fome impa
tience; and when I have perufed it, I
fhall, with all freedom, give you my
thoughts of it.

And now that you have cleared your hands of your fecond edition, I hope you may have leifure to turn your though is to the object I have fo often proposed to you; but this, you will fay, is a crocky in me, that no fooner you are rid of we trouble, but I fet you on another. To%, Sir, were I fenfible it could be a trade to you, I fould hardly preme bo fir on your goodness; bit I know toole things are in eafy and natural to your with, that the ghe you to sur probition A2 I know a you averíal love of

cost nothing troillekime tat tends to their good, it a

wind and weather, and wet in tis fr: Hell now fre at and the cough, which trasened