AN
ESSAY
ON THE
Government of Children,
Under Three General Heads,
VIZ.
Health, Manners, and Education.
By JAMES NELSON, Apothecary.
The THIRD EDITION.
Just as the Twig is bent, the Tree’s inclin’d. Pope.
LONDON:
Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, in Pall-mall;
And Sold by J. Hinxman in Pater-noster-row. 1763.
TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE
Countess of ——
MADAM,
Happiness being thegrand Object of humanPursuit, it may, I imagine,be modestly presumed, thatevery Attempt, however ineffectual,to render That universal,must be universally well received.And yet, conscious as I am thatthe following Essay aims solelyat this Point, the Fear of it’s beingtoo feeble to stand alone,makes me desirous of procuringit the additional Strength of yourLadyship’s Countenance andProtection.
The Subject is undoubtedlyof great Moment, namely, theproper Government of Children;which being ranged under theHeads of Health, Manners,and Education, affords notonly the Opportunity of exposingmany Errors, too generallyadopted, but also of pointing outa more natural and rationalMethod of attaining the Endproposed, than is usually pursued.And I cannot but think,that, if this Method were seriouslyattended to, the Happiness of allMankind would be built on amore solid Basis, than it has incommon hitherto been.
Works of this Kind naturallycalling on the Great and Goodfor Patronage; it cannot bethought strange that I aspire tothe Honour of your Ladyship’sProtection is the Privilege of thePowerful: And therefore, wherePower is happily joined withGoodness, the Recourse of theWeak to it’s beneficent Influence,is but a just Tribute ofthat Homage which is due tosuperior Merit: And such isthe unfeigned Respect I meanto pay your Ladyship by thisAddress.
I have yet another Motive forpresuming to offer this Performanceto your Ladyship; namely,the Hopes that it’s Use may, bythis Means, be farther extended.The World, Madam, has it’sEyes upon You: The many Excellenciesof Mind and Heart soconspicuous in Yourself; and theuncommon Lustre of every eminentVirtue in the noble Lord,with whom you have wisely chosento share the Dignity andDuties of the Matrimonial andParental State, have justly gainedyou, not only general Admiration,but general Esteem.
When the World shall beholdyou declining many of it’s Allurements,to yield to the strongerAttraction of Parental Affection;when it shall see you oftendecline the Assemblies of theGreat, and retreat from the Splendorof a Court, to take upon youthe Office of a tender Mother, bycherishing, watching over, andinstructing your Offspring; whenthe World, I say, shall beholdyou employed in Actions likethese, it will not only be charmedwith the pleasing Task you haveundertaken, but be powerfullyanimated to pursue the sameMeasures; which alone can procurethat solid Happ