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this Child in Greek at eight years old *; and at fourteen he composed a Tragedy in the fame language; as the younger + Pliny had done before him.

He learned the Oriental Languages of Erpenius, who refided fome time with his Father for that purpose. Hé had so early a relish for the Eastern way of writing, that even at this time he composed (in imitation of it) the Thousand and One Arabian Tales, and also the Persian Tales, which have been fince tranflated into feveral languages, and lately into our own with particular elegance, by Mr. Ambrofe Philips. In this work of his Childhood, he was not a little affifted by the hiftorical Traditions of his Nurse.

CHAP. V.

A Differtation upon Play-things.

HERE follow the Inftructions of Cornelius Scriblerus concerning the Plays and Play-things to be used by his fon Martin.

"Play was invented by the. Lydians as a remedy a"gainst Hunger. Sophocles fays of Palamedes, that he

invented Dice to ferve fometimes inftead of a Dinner. "It is therefore wifely contrived by Nature, that "Children, as they have the keenest Appetites, are most "addicted to Plays. From the fame caufe, and from

thenprejudiced and incorrupt fimplicity of their "minds it proceeds, that the Plays of the Ancient

So Montaigne fays of his Latin. George Bucanan et Mark Antoine Muret, mes precepteurs domestiques, m'ont dit fouvent que j'avois ce language en mon enfance si prest et fi à main qu'ils craignoient a m'accofter.Somme, nous nous latinizames tant, qu'il en regorgea jusqu'à nos villages tout autour, ou il y a encores, et ont pris pied par l'usage, plufieurs appellations Latines d'Artifans et d'outils.

† Plin. Epift. lib. vii.

M 2

"Children

"Children are preferved more entire than any other of "their Cuftoms. In this matter I would recommend ❝to all who have any concern in my Son's Education, "that they deviate not in the leaft from the primitive "and fimple Antiquity.

"To speak firft of the Whistle, as it is the first of all "Play-things. I will have it exactly to correspond "with the ancient Fistula, and accordingly to be com"pofed feptem paribus disjunēta cicutis.

I heartily with a diligent search may be made after "the true Crepitaculum or Rattle of the Ancients, for that (as Archytas Tarentinus was of opinion) kept the Child"ren from breaking Earthen Ware. The China cups in thefe days are not at all the fafer for the modern Rat"tles; which is an evident proof how far their Crepita<cula exceeded ours.

"I would not have Martin as yet to fcourge a Top, till I am better informed whether the Trochus, which "was recommended by Cato, be really our prefent Top, or rather the Hoop which the boys drive with a stick. Neither Cross and Pile, nor Ducks and Drakes are quite fo ancient as Handy-dandy, though Macrobius and St. Auguftine take notice of the firft, and Minutius Fælix defcribes the latter; but Handy-dandy is mentioned by Ariftotle, Plato, and Ariftophanes.

"The Play which the Italians call Cinque, and the "French Mourre, is extremely ancient; it was played at ચંદ by Hymen and Cupid at the Marriage of Pfyché, and "termed by the Latins, digitis micare.

66

Julius Pollux describes the Omilla or Chuck farthing: "though fome will have our modern Chuck-farthing to be nearer the Aphetinda of the Ancients. He alfo mentions the Bafilinda, or King I am; and Myinda, · or "Hoepers-hide.

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* Dr. Arbuthnot used to say, that notwithstanding all the boafts of the fafe conveyance of Tradition, it was no where preserved puré and uncorrupt but amongst Children; whose Games and Plays are delivered down invariably from one generation to another.

But

But the Chytrinda defcribed by the fame Author is certainly not our Hot-cockle; for that was by pinching

and not by ftriking; though there are good authors "who affirm the Rathapygifmus to be yet nearer the mo"dern Hot-cockles. My fon Martin may ufe either of "them indifferently, they being equally antique.

66 Building of Houfes, and Riding upon Sticks, have been ufed by children of all ages, Edificare cafas, equitare in * arundine longa. Yet I much doubt whether the riding upon Sticks did not come into use after the age of the "Centaurs.

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"There is one Play which fhews the gravity of an"cient Education, called the Acinetinda, in which child"ren contended who could longeft ftand still. This we

have fuffered to perish entirely; and, if I might be "allowed to guefs, it was certainly firft loft among the

"French.

"I will permit my Son to play at Apodidafcinda, which be no other than our Pufs in a Corner.

can

66

Julius Pollux, in his ninth book, speaks of the Malolonthe or the Kite; but I queftion whether the Kite of "Antiquity was the fame with ours; and though the "Opruloxoniz or Quail-fighting is what is moft taken notice દ of, they had doubtless Cock-matches also, as is evident

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"from certain ancient Gems and Relievos.

"In a word, let my Son Martin difport himself at "any Game truly antique, except one, which was in"vented by a People among the Thracians, who hung "up one of their Companions in a rope, and gave him a "a Knife to cut himself down; which if he failed in, "he was fuffered to hang till he was dead; and this was "only reckoned a fort of joke. I am utterly against "this, as barbarous and cruel.

"I cannot conclude, without taking notice of the "beauty of the Greek names, whose etymologies acquaint

us with the nature of the fports; and how infinitely, "both in fenfe and found, they excel our barbarous

names of Plays."

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Notwithstanding the foregoing injunctions of Dr. Cornelius, he yet condefcended to allow the Child the use of fome few modern Play-things; fuch as might prove of any benefit to his mind, by inftilling an early notion of the sciences. For example, he found that Marbles taught him Percuffion, and the Laws of Motion; Nut-crackers, the ufe of the Leaver; Swinging on the ends of a board, the Balance; Bottle-fcrews, the Vice; Whirligigs, the Axis and Peritrochia; Bird-cages, the Pully; and Tops the Centrifugal motion.

Others of his fports were farther carried to improve his tender foul even in Virtue and Morality. We fhall only inftance one of the most useful and instructive, Bobsherry, which teaches at once two noble Virtues, Patience and Conftancy; the first in adhering to the pursuit of one end, the latter in beating a difappointment.

Befides all thefe, he taught him as a diverfion, an odd and fecret manner of Stealing, according to the Custom of the Lacedæmonians; wherein he fucceeded fo well, that he practised it to the day of his death.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Gymnafticks, in what Exercifes Martinus was educated; fomething concerning Mufic, and what fort of a Man his Uncle was.

NOR

OR was Cornelius lefs careful in adhering to the rules of the pureft Antiquity, in relation to the Exercifes of his Son. He was ftript, powder'd, and a

nointed, but not conftantly bath'd, which occafioned many heavy complaints of the Laundress about dirtying his linen. When he played at Quoits, he was allowed his Breeches and Stockings; because the Difcoboli (as Cornelius well knew) were naked to the middle only. The Mother often contended for modern Sports, and

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common Customs, but this was his conftant reply, "Let "a Daughter be the Care of the Mother, but the Edu"cation of a Son fhould be the Delight of his Father."

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It was about this time, he heard, to his exceeding content, that the Harpaftus of the Ancients was yet in ufe in Cornwall, and known there by the name of Hurling. He was fenfible the common Foot-ball was a very imperfect imitation of that exercise; and thought it neceffary to fend Martin into the Weft, to be initiated in that truly ancient and manly part of the Gymnafticks.. The poor boy was fo unfortunate as to return with a broken leg. This Cornelius looked upon but as a flight ailment, and promised his Mother he would inftantly cure it: He flit a green Reed, and caft the Knife upward, then tying the two parts of the Reed to the difjointed place, pronounced these words *, Daries, daries, aftataries, diffunapiter; huat, hanat, huat, ifta, pista, fifta, domi abo, damnauftra. But finding, to his no small aftonifhment, that this had no effect, in five days he condefcended to have it fet by a modern Surgeon.

Mrs. Scriblerus, to prevent him from expofing her fon to the like dangerous Exercifes for the future, propofed to fend for a Dancing-mafter, and to have him taught the Minuet and Rigadoon. 66 Dancing (quoth Cornelius) I much approve, for Socrates faid the beft Dancers were the beft warriors; but not thofe fpecies of "Dancing which you mention: They are certainly "Corruptions of the Comic and Satyric Dance, which "were utterly difliked by the founder Ancients. Mar"tin fhall learn the Tragic Dance only, and I will fend. ❝all over Europe, till I find an Antiquary able to in“fruct him in the Saltatio Pyrrhica. Scaliger t, from whom

Plin. Hift. Nat. lib. xvii. in fine. Carmen contra luxata membra, cu. jus verba inferere non equidem ferio aufim, quanquam a Catone prodita. Vid. Caton, de re ruft, c. 160.

Scalig Poetic. I. x. c. 9. Hanc falrationem Pyrrhicam, non fæpe et diu juflu Bonifacii patrui, coram Divo Maximiliano, non fine stupore totius Ger

maniæ,

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