The Romans of whom we have been speaking, and before them the Greeks--in the good times of their republics, brought up their children in the contempt of luxury and effeminacy: they taught them to esteem glory--to be ardent, not to heap up riches, but to conquer those kings who possessed them--to believe that virtue alone was the road to happiness. This spirit was so strongly established in the foregoing republics, that they atchieved incredible things according to those maxims which were so contrary to the opinions of all other people. The examples of so many martyrs, and of other primitive christians of all conditions and ages, demonstrates that the grace of baptism being united with the help of education, may make impressions still more wonderful among the faithful, to enable them to despise every thing which is attached to the body. Seek then for every agreeable circumstance, every striking comparison, to convince children that our bodies are like the brutes--our souls like angels. Represent a knight mounted on a horse and directing its course: and say, that the soul is to the body, what the horseman is to the horse. Finish your remarks by observing that the soul is weak and miserable, when abandoned to the direction of the body; which, like a furious horse, would hurl it down a precipice. Relate, also, that the beauty of the body, or external person, is like a flower which blossoms in the morning, and withers and is trod under foot in the evening--but that the soul is the express image of the immortal beauty of God. There is, you may add, an order of things much more excellent, which cannot be seen by the gross eyes of the flesh--whereas every thing here below is subject to change and corruption. In order to make children sensible that there are really certain things, which neither the eyes nor the ears can apprehend, you may ask them whether it is not true that such a person is wise--and that such an one is witty or ingenious.--When they have answered _yes_, you may observe--"But have you _seen_ the wisdom of such a person? Of what colour is it? Have you _heard_ it? Does it make much noise? Have you _touched_ it? Is it cold or hot?" The child will laugh: nevertheless put the same questions relating to wit or ingenuity.--She will appear quite astonished when she is asked of what colour is wit--whether it is round or square? Then you may make her remark that she knows there are many things in reality which she can neither see, touch, nor hear; and that these things are spiritual. But you must enter with great soberness and caution on these sort of conversations with girls. I only propose it here for the sake of those, whose curiosity and reason, will bring you, in spite of every effort to the contrary, to such questions. You must regulate the discourse according to the bias of the child's mind, and the necessity of the case.