: ther, whilst he was at the University, and had ever preserved the tendereft Regard and Affection for her, the fole and only Object of his fondest Wishes. Nature feemed in her to have formed a Recompence for fo much Virtue and Goodnefs as existed in my Father Her Perfon was agreeable; but fuch a Mind shone thro' that Person, as wonderfully dignified every Action of her Life. The little Levities and Frailties of the Sex fhe was an utter Stranger to; her very Love to her Husband was conducted with an Air of fo much real good Senfe and Discretion, that every-body was charmed that approached her. He had furnished her Soul with every useful Knowledge that renders a Woman amiable and useful; which rather was improved by the Oeconomy and domeftic Management of her Family Affairs, in which she took great Delight, and where a Regularity and Decorum is fo much the Qrnament of a good Woman. They lived together in a real Harmony and Friendship, which Trifles never had the Power to disturb; and then were fo happy as to have had very few confiderable Disquiets. Such was the Pair to whom I had the Happiness to be born; and I the more particularly have defcribed them, to let the World know that I had no Excufe to plead for my subsequent Follies, from the bad Qualities or Examples of my Parents; which have generally fo vifible an Effect on the Actions of their Children. When I arrived at about three Years of Age, my Father who doated upon me, took me under the Shadow of his own Wings, and began to teach me the Ufe of my Letters; his Maxim being, that even that infantile Branch of Education fhould be conducted with Propriety, and not trufted to old Women, who can fcarcely fee the Letters they pretend to teach. Under his endearing Care, at Five I read every Thing with a proper Emphasis; and had imbibed from him fuch Precepts of Morality as fuited with my Years. At Six I could write a tolerable good Hand, and was efteemed a very fharp and promifing Child. My Proficiency furprized every-body; and the quick Progress I made induced the Country Women to fay, That it was impoffible I should live, I was fo fharp and fo witty. My Father, who very much approved of the Way of Education in public Schools, in my ninth Year, by which Time I had made fome Progrefs in the Latin Tongue, determined to fend me from Home, for my further Inftruction in the Languages. He used to say, That a Number of Youths together generally spurred and excited each other to an Emulation in their Pursuit of Learning, and laid the Foundation of a Knowledge of the World, and of Friendships with one another, of the utmoft Ule in the future Courfe of Life. A's As I had been fo tenderly treated at Home, the Thoughts of being fent from my Parents gave me fome childish Concern, which was foon diffipated when I was informed how many Sports I fhould partake of with my Schoolfellows; for I had yet had no other Companions than my Father's Family, he himself having condefcended to divert himfelf with joining in my moft puerile Amusements. After fome Difficulty, my Father fixed upon a Gentleman of his own Order, near a Town about twenty Miles from us, who kept a Boarding-School, whom he knew to be a Man of confiderable Learning, and who had also the Reputation of treating his Scholars with Humanity and Kindness: Accordingly, after every Thing was provided, my Father and Mother fet out with me for the House of Mr. Profody, for that was the Name of my intended Tutor. At our Arrival, we were received by this Gentleman with great Civility. Every Thing fettled, and Dinner over, they took their Leaves of me, whilft I could not refrain from Tears, which I shed in Abundance at this firft Separation from them; my Mother not forgetting to leave me a Token of her Love in my Pocket, which was of great Importance to gain the Good-will of my Schoolfellows. CHA P. II. Digreffion on Schoolmasters. Character of Mr. Profody and his Wife, and their Daughter Urfula.-Miferable Temper of bis Mafter and Miftrefs.-Avarice thought to be conftitutional.-Mifs Urfula in Love, which is oppofed by her Father.-He makes great Progress in his Learning. Almoft ftarved. punished. Robs Orchards. Is feverely INCE I have been capable of Reflection, I SIN have often been puzzled to find a Reason, not only why Parents were fo mistaken in providing proper Inftructors for their Children, but alfo how fo many improper Perfons were to be found in fo very interesting a Profeffion as that of the Education of Youth. The Solution of the firft Difficulty is pretty hard, and various Reasons, I think, may be affigned; but I believe the principal ones are Want of Attention, and that the generality of Parents fondly view the defired End, but are not fo anxious, nor take fo much Pains, about the Means to procure it. This, indeed, is the Misfortune of most of us, in every Thing we undertake; and Mankind, in the Grofs, may be faid to pursue laudable Views, but are woefully deficient in the Means to attain them; and thus, for Want of a proper Fore Forethought, and fagacious Deliberation, what fhould redound to our great Benefit often proves. the Reverse. That we have fo many queer and improper Tutors is not fo hard to account for ; many Men are deftined to Learning, whofe Souls never were formed to taste the Pierian Spring; and after wafting a Number of Years in acquiring a Knowledge of the dead Languages, without any Thing else to recommend them, they launch into the World; but their small Abilities not affording Opportunities to rife, having little other Knowledge to recommend them, they, per Force, retreat, for Shelter from Want, to the Bufinefs of a Schoolmaster, where alone they can be important, and retaliate the bad Conduct of their Parents on the Morals and Breeches of our Children. I foon difcerned the Difference between being under the tender Eyes of my Parents, and the harsh and crabbed Documents of my Master, and subject to the Humours of his Family. Mr. Profody was now in the down-hill Part of his Life, the Afcent of which had been turmoiled with Care and Anxiety; partly flowing from the Hardships he had undergone in a pitiful Curacy, and partly from his own. Want of Genius, and the fordid Difpofition of his Heart, which influenced, and ftill continued to influence all his Motions. He had thus contracted fuch an habitual Morofenefs of Countenance, that, whenever you looked at him, you must conceive the B 5 most |