most easy, and if the language be difficult, so much the better, it is not a difficulty above their years. And here will be an occasion of inciting and enabling them hereafter to improve the tillage of their country, to recover the bad soil, and to remedy the waste that is made of good ; for this was one of Hercules' praises. Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with plying[1] hard, and daily) they can not choose but be masters of any ordinary prose.[2] So that it will be then seasonable for them to learn in any modern author, the use of the globes, and all the maps; first with the old names, and then with the new: or they might be then capable to read any compendious method of natural philosophy. And at the same time might be entering into the Greek tongue, after the same manner as was before prescribed in the Latin; whereby the difficulties of grammar being soon overcome, all the historical physiology of Aristotle and Theophrastus[3] are open before them, and as I may say, under contribution. The like access will be to Vitruvius,[4] to Seneca's natural questions,[5] to Mela,[6] Celsus,[7] Pliny,[8] or Solinus.[9] And having thus passed the principles of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and geography with a general compact of physics, they may descend in mathematics to the instrumental science of trigonometry and from thence to fortification, architecture, engineering, or navigation. And in natural philosophy they may proceed leisurely from the history of meteors, minerals, plants and living creatures as far as anatomy. Then also in course might be read to them out of some not tedious writer the institution of physic; that they may know the tempers,[10] the humors,[10] the seasons, and how to manage a crudity;[11] which he who can wisely and timely do, is not only a great physician to himself, and to his friends, but also may at some time or other, save an army by this frugal and expenseless means only; and not let the healthy and stout bodies of young men rot away under him for want of this discipline; which is a great pity, and no less a shame to the commander. To set forward all these proceedings in
- ↑ Applying themselves.
- ↑ I.e., Latin prose.
- ↑ A pupil of Aristotles.
- ↑ On architecture.
- ↑ On physics.
- ↑ On geography.
- ↑ On medicine.
- ↑ On natural history.
- ↑ An abridgement of Pliny.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The temperament was supposed to be due to the predominance of one of the four humors in the body.
- ↑ Indigestion.
