The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of the breeding of Children.

CHildren should be taught at first, the best, plainest, and purest of their language, and the most significant words; and not, as their nurses teach them, a strange kind of gibbridge, bro∣ken language of their own making, which is like scraps of se∣veral meats heapt together, or hath'd, mixt, or minced: so do they the purest of their language; as for example, when Nurses teach children to go, instead of saying go, they say do, do, and instead of saying come to me, they say tum to me, and when they new∣ly come out of a sleep, and cannot well open their eyes, they do not say My Child cannot well open his, or her eyes, but my chid tant open its nies, and when they should bid them speak, they bid them peak, and when they should ask them if they will or would drink, they ask them if they will dinck, and so all the rest of their language they teach Children, is after this man∣ner, when it is as easy for those that learn Children to speak, and more easy for the Children to learn, plainly, and the right language, than this false language, which serves them to no use, but only takes up so much the more time to learn to speak plain, and as they should do, which time might be imployed in the understanding of sense, which is lost in words. And it is not on∣ly the foolish, and ill-bread nurses that speak to Children thus, but their Fathers, which many times are accounted Wisemen, and their Mothers discreet Women, which my thinks is very strange, that wise and rational men, when they talk to Children, should strive to make themselves Children in their speech, and not rather strive to make Children speak like wise men: yet such is the power of custom, that wisemen will follow it, although it be unnecessary, uneasy, and foolishly hurtful; for certainly this broken compounded and false language they teach Children, is so Imprinted in the Brains, as it can hardly be rubbed out again, and the Tongue gets such a habit of an ill and false pronuntia∣tion, as when they are grown to men and womens estate, their speech slows not so easy nor sweet, nor their tongue moves not so voluble nor smooth, as other ways they would. Likewise they learn them the rudest language first, as to bid them say such a one Lies, or to call them Rogues and the like names, and then

laugh as if it were a witty jest. And as they breed them in their language, so they breed them in their sports, pastimes, or exercises, as to play with children at boe-peep, blind-man-buff, and Cocks hod, as they call them, that is, to muffle their head and eyes, and then they run about to knock their heads against the doors, posts, and tables, to break their Legs over stools, thresh∣holds, or to run into the fire, where many times they desorm themselves with the mischiefs that follow; or to hide themselves behind hangings and old cubbords, or dirty holes, or the like places, where they foul their cloaths, disaffect the Brain with stincks, and are almost chokt with durt and dust Cobwebs, and Spiders, Flys and the like getting upon them; also to role upon the ground, likewise to stand upon their heads, when dan∣cing might be learned with the feet, as easy as tumbling in several postures, and to stand upon the head; and is it not as ea∣sy to learn them to write, and read, as to build houses with Cards? they are both but making of figures, and joyning toge∣ther; and is it not as easy to learn them the Globe, as to play at Cards? and is it not as easy to tell them of Arts and Sciences, as to tell them feigned and foolish tales of Tom Thum, and of Spi∣rits, and the like, frighting them so much as makes them of ti∣morous natures, and Effeminat Spirits? when Children would take as much delight in Arts and Sciences, nay more, if they were taught them at first. Likewise it were as easy, and less dan∣ger, to teach them to valt, which is necessary for horsemen, as to climb a Pear-tree and the like; and likewise it were as ea∣sy to learn them to fence with a stick, or at least to hold it in a defensive posture, as to play at Cat, or Chick stone, Quaits, or the like; wherefore it is no wonder there are so few wise men, when Children are bread so foolishly; so many so unhand∣somely behaved, when Children are bred so rudely; so many Cowards, when Children are bred so fearfully; so many defor∣med, when Children are taught such dangerous, mischievous, and hurtful sports; so many false, when they are taught to tell lyes from their Cradles, as thinking it no vice, or fault in Children; and many more examples might be given of the ill breeding of Children.