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
Thus much for the Usefulness of Drawing in Building; but I should injure
this Art if I stop’d here, for it is still far more extensive. It is not
enough that a Gentleman builds himself a House, it must be furnish’d
too; and if he be a Man of Fortune and Taste, he will not be contented
with what is merely useful, but will add the ornamental likewise: hence
appears the Necessity of the Artificers in this Way learning to draw in
order to excel. If an Upholsterer be sent for, it is an Advantage to him
not only to give the proper Dimensions of Furniture, but to display the
several Ornaments and Fancies in use, and even strike out new Designs of
his own; that he may convince People he is a Master in his Way: he cannot
shew a Piece of Damask or printed Linen, but the Draughtsman appears in
it; and it is right that he should be equally knowing in his own Business.
But if we take a more general Survey of things, in order to give us
a true and solid Estimation of real Life, we shall find this Art of
surprising Use. How many Trades are there subservient to the Arts and
Sciences? all those who make Maps, Charts, and Globes; all those who make
mathematical Instruments, and the vast Apparatus for the different Parts
of Experimental Philosophy; so too Engravers, Sculptors, Painters, and
Anatomists; all these, with many others, needless to enumerate, stand in
need of Drawing: So vast is it’s Use, and so necessary is the Knowledge
of it!
The last Step of Education for Boys of this Class is Geography, or the
Knowledge of Maps. Geography makes us acquainted with the whole Surface
of the Earth; the whole terraqueous Globe: it is first divided into
Quarters, viz. _Europe_, _Asia_, _Africa_, and _America_; again, these
Quarters are subdivided, so as to make us acquainted with particular
Provinces, Kingdoms, States, and Empires: hence it is easy to see the
Pleasure and Use that arises from this Knowledge. Men of every Rank
are liable to leave their native Country; and indeed it is often the
only Way to their Advancement. What a Pleasure then must it be to be
acquainted with a Road we never saw? to travel in a Country without Pain
from our Fore-knowledge of it? which is really the Case with an Adept in
Geography. But supposing our Travels exceed not the Bounds of our own
Country; it is a Subject of great Delight to be thoroughly acquainted
with that. Or farther yet: supposing we do not travel at all; Geography
has still it’s Use: it assists us in the Knowledge of History, and
thereby adds Instruction and Pleasure to our Reading: in fine, it makes
us acquainted with the whole World, without going out of our Closets.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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