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tions which children discover by difpofing them into fituations the leaft dangerous to their particular characters. Thus I would make choice of a retired life for young perfons addicted to licentious pleasures; of private stations for the proud and paffionate; of liberal profefsions, and a town life, for the mercenary and sottish : and not, according to the general practice of parents, fend diffolute youths into the army; penurious tempers to trade; or make a crafty lad an attorney; or flatter a vain and haughty temper with elevated names, or fituations, or callings, to which the fashion of the world has annexed precedency and distinction, but in which his difpofition, without at all promoting his fuccefs, will ferve both to multiply and exafperate his disappointments. In the fame way, that is, with a view to the particular frame and tendency of the pupil's character, I would make choice of a public or private education. The reserved, timid, and indolent will have their faculties called forth, and their nerves invigorated by a public education. Youths of ftrong fpirits and paffions will be fafer in a private education. At our public fchools, as far as I have obferved, more lite

rature

rature is acquired, and more vice: quick parts are cultivated, flow ones are neglected. Under private tuition, a moderate proficiency in juvenile learning is feldom exceeded, but with more certainty attained.

CHAP.

СНАР. Х.

THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS.

T1

HE Rights of Parents refult from their duties. If it be the duty of a parent to educate his children, to form them for a life of usefulness and virtue, to provide for them fituations needful for their fubfiftence and suited to their circumftances, and to prepare them for those fituations; he has a right to fuch authority, and in fupport of that authority to exercife fuch difcipline, as may be neceffary for these purposes. The law of nature acknowledges no other foundation of a parent's right over his children, befide his duty towards them (I speak now of such rights as may be enforced by coercion). This relation confers no property in their perfons, or natural dominion over them, as is commonly fuppofed.

Since it is, in general, neceffary to determine the deftination of children, before they are capable of judging of their own happiness, parents have a right to elect profeffions for them.

As

As the mother herself owes obedience to the father, her authority muft fubmit to his. In a competition, therefore, of commands, the father is to be obeyed. In cafe of the death of either, the authority, as well as duty, of both parents devolves upon the furvivor.

These rights, always following the duty, belong likewise to guardians; and fo much of them, as is delegated by the parents or guardians, belongs to tutors, school-mafters, &c.

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From this principle, "that the rights of rents result from their duty," it follows, that parents have no natural right over the lives of their children, as was abfurdly allowed to Roman fathers; nor any to exercise unprofitable severities; nor to command the commiffion of crimes: for these rights can never be wanted for the purposes of a parent's duty.

Nor, for the fame reafon, have parents any right to fell their children into flavery. Upon which, by the way, we may observe, that the children of flaves are not, by the law of nature, born flaves; for, as the mafter's right is derived to him through the parent, it can never be greater than the parent's own.

Hence alfo it appears, that parents not only pervert, but exceed their juft authority, when they confult

VOL. I.

B b

confult their own ambition, intereft, or prejudice, at the manifest expence of their children's happiness. Of which abuse of parental power, the following are instances: the shutting up of daughters and younger fons in nunneries and monafteries, in order to preserve entire the estate and dignity of the family; or the ufing of any arts, either of kindness or unkindness, to induce them to make choice of this way of life themselves; or, in countries where the clergy are prohibited from marriage, putting fons into the church for the fame end, who are never likely either to do or receive any good in it, fufficient to compenfate for this facrifice; the urging of children to marriages, from which they are averfe, with the view of exalting or enriching the family, or for the fake of connecting eftates, parties, or interefts; or the opposing of a marriage, in which the child would probably find his happiness, from a motive of pride or avarice, of family hoftility or perfonal pique.

CHAP.

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