already well advanced in the Latin grammar, and fome authors.

That none, though never fo rich, fhall pay any thing for their teaching; and that, if any profeffor shall be convicted to have taken any money in confideration of his pains in the school, he shall be expelled with ignominy by the governors; but if any persons of great eftate and quality, finding their fons much better proficients in learning here, than boys of the fame age commonly are at other fchools, fhall not think fit to receive an obligation of fo near concernment without returning fome marks of acknowledgment, they may, if they pleafe, (for nothing is to be demanded) bestow fome little rarity or curiofity upon the fociety, in recompence of their trouble.

And, because it is deplorable to confider the lofs which children make of their time at moft fchools, employing, or rather cafting away, fix or feven years in the learning of words only, and that too very imperfectly:

That a method be here eftablished, for the infufing knowledge and language at the fame time into them; and that this may be their apprenticeship in natural philofophy. This, we conceive, may be done, by breeding them up in authors, or pieces of authors, who treat of fome parts of nature, and who may be underftood with as much ease and pleasure, as those which are commonly taught ; fuch are, in Latin, Varro, Cato, Columella, Pliny, part of Celfus and of Seneca, Cicero de Divinatione, de Naturâ Deorum, and several - fcattered:

fcattered pieces, Virgil's Georgics, Grotius, Nemefianus, Manilius: And, because the truth is, we want good poets (I mean we have but few), who have purpofely treated of folid and learned, that is, natural matters (the most part indulging to the weakness of the world, and feeding it either with the follies of love, or with the fables of gods and heroes), we conceive that one book ought to be compiled of all the scattered little parcels among the ancient poets that might serve for the advancement of natural fcience, and which would make no small or unuseful or unpleasant volume. To this we would have added the morals and rhetorics of Cicero, and the inftitutions. of Quinctilian; and for the comedians, from whom almost all that neceffary part of common difcourfe, and all the most intimate proprieties of the language, are drawn, we conceive, the boys may be made masters of them, as a part of their recreation, and not of their task, if once a month, or at least once in two, they act one of Terence's Comedies, and afterwards (the most advanced) fome of Plautus's; and this is for many reafons one of the best exercises they can be enjoined, and most innocent pleafures they can be allowed. As for the Greek authors, they may study Nicander, Oppianus (whom Scaliger does not doubt to prefer above Homer himself, and place next to his adored Virgil), Aristotle's history of animals, and other parts, Theophraftus and Diofcorides. of plants, and a collection made out of feveral both. poets and other Grecian writers. For the morals and rhetoric, Ariftotle may fuffice, or Hermogenes and Longinus be added for the latter. With the hiftory of

"

animal.

animals they should be shewed anatomy as a divertisement, and made to know the figures and natures of thofe creatures which are not common among us, dif abusing them at the fame time of those errors which are univerfally admitted concerning many. The fame method should be used to make them acquainted with all plants; and to this must be added a little of the ancient and modern geography, the understanding of the globes, and the principles of geometry and astronomy. They fhould likewise use to declaim in Latin and Englih, as the Romans did in Greek and Latin; and in all this travail be rather led on by familiarity, encouragement, and emulation, than driven by feverity, punishment, and terror. Upon feftivals and play-times, they fhould exercife themselves in the fields, by riding, leaping, fencing, mustering, and training, after the manner of foldiers, &c. And, to prevent all dangers and all diforder, there fhould always be two of the scholars with them, to be as witneffes and directors of their actions; in foul weather, it would not be amifs for them. to learn to dance, that is, to learn just so much (for all beyond is fuperfluous, if not worse) as may give them. a graceful comportment of their bodies.

Upon Sundays, and all days of devotion, they are to be a part of the chaplain's province.

That, for all these ends, the college fo order it, as that there may be fome convenient and pleafant houfes thereabouts, kept by religious, difcreet, and careful perfons, for the lodging and boarding of young fcholars; that they have a conftant eye over them, to fee that they be bred up there pioufly, cleanly, and plentifully,

fully, according to the proportion of the parents' expences.

And that the college, when it shall please God, either by their own industry and fuccefs, or by the benevolence of patrons, to enrich them fo far, as that it may come to their turn and duty to be charitable to others, fhall, at their own charges, erect and maintain fome houfe or houses for the entertainment of fuch poor men's fons, whofe good natural parts may promise either use or ornament to the commonwealth, during the time of their abode at school; and shall take care that it fhall be done with the fame conveniences as are enjoyed even by rich men's children (though they maintain the fewer for that cause), there being nothing of eminent and illuftrious to be expected from a low, fordid, and hofpital-like education.

CONCLUSION.

IF I be not much abused by a natural fondness to my own conceptions (that cogy of the Greeks, which no other language has a proper word for), there was never any project thought upon, which deferves to meet with fo few adverfaries as this; for who can without impupudent folly oppofe the establishment of twenty wellfelected perfons in fuch a condition of life, that their whole business and fole profeffion may be to study the improvement and advantage of all other profeffions, from that of the highest general even to the lowest artifan who shall be obliged to employ their whole time, wit, learning, and induftry, to thefe four, the most useful that can be imagined, and to no other ends; Dd z firfts

first, to weigh, examine, and prove, all things of nature delivered to us by former ages; to detect, explode, and ftrike a cenfure through, all false monies with which the world has been paid and cheated fo long; and (as Ì may fay) to fet the mark of the college upon all true coins, that they may pass hereafter without any farther trial fecondly, to recover the lost inventions, and, as it were, drowned lands of the ancients: thirdly, to improve all arts which we now have and lastly, to difcover others which we yet have not: and who shall, befides all this (as a benefit by the bye), give the best education in the world (purely gratis) to as many men's children as fhall think fit to make use of the obligation? Neither does it at all check or interfere with any parties in a state or religion; but is indifferently to be embraced by all differences in opinion, and can hardly be conceived capable (as many good inftitutions have done) even of degeneration into any thing harmful. So that, all things confidered, I will fuppofe this propofition fhall encounter with no enemies: the only question is, whether it will find friends enough to carry it on from difcourfe and defign to reality and effect; the neceffary expences of the beginning (for it will maintain itself well enough afterwards) being fo great (though I have fet them as low as is poffible, in order to fo vaft a work), that it may feem hopeless to raise fuch a fum out of thofe few dead relics of human charity and public generofity which are yet remaining in

the world.

CON.