An essay on the government of children, under three general heads, viz. health, manners, and educationNelson, James
History
An essay on the government of children, under three general heads, viz. health, manners, and education
Nelson, James
Child rearing -- England -- History -- 18th century
An easy Submission to our Lot in Life is one of the greatest Attainments
towards Happiness. View a young Lady with a strong Passion for Dress;
every new thing strikes her; one Companion has a richer Silk than
herself; another has the sweetest Lace she ever saw; a third has
Ear-rings ten times handsomer than her own; she burns with Impatience
to equal them, and that granted, new things arise, and the others are
old tho’ not worn out; that is, her Relish for them is lost. Thus a
continual round of Fashions keep her incessantly anxious; and tho’
perhaps she possesses every thing, she enjoys nothing. Not so the calmer
well-instructed Fair; she considers that Propriety of Dress is what suits
her Station; and covets not another’s Jewels: she wears, without a Blush,
a meaner Silk than her meaner Companion; and free from the Extremes of
Negligence or Pride, she is qualify’d for all the Dignity that Dress can
give her; but is equally happy in an inferior Appearance. Thus too it
happens with our Sons: One is in the continual Pursuit of Pleasure, has
a thousand Contrivances to reach a Play, a Ball, or a Horse-race; and
is miserable if these things are going on without him: while another,
awaken’d by Reason, and check’d by Temperance, takes these things as they
come; and neither insipidly refuses the Chearfulness of an Entertainment,
nor is disturb’d of his Rest, or loses either his Temper or his Appetite,
if he is disappointed. Such is the Difference between Passion and Reason,
such the genuine Effects of Temperance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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