his insolence, your wife, or the person he has offended, must beg him
off.

SECT. 8. Severe discipline is never to be inflicted immediately before
the school breaks up, or very soon after the return.

SECT. 9. Setting a maid upon her head, or pissing upon a mistress's new
gown, is a flogging matter, no more; it might look like partiality.

SECT. 10. The best punishment for idleness is confinement and short
commons.

By an adherence to this rule you will not endanger the children's
health; you will save your victuals, expose your scholars to sufficient
disgrace, and give them an opportunity of learning their book.

CHAP. VI.

INSTRUCTION.

The instruction of youth you must commit in a great measure to your
ushers; it is for this purpose you employ them, (see article USHER.)
But not to omit any thing material, which may concern you, take the
following rules.

SECT. 1. If your principal boys ask too hard questions, make it a rule
never to tell them; it would be excusing them from a necessary part of
their duty. Tell them it is easy enough, and send them back; the more
pains they take to acquire their learning, the longer they will retain
it.

SECT. 2. If you be ever obliged to have a hard lesson said to you, busy
yourself in writing letters, or take an occasional nap; the boys will
be glad of it, and it may prevent their accusing you of ignorance.

SECT. 3. Never explain a passage in a difficult author; your scholars
will hereafter have a greater pleasure in making the discovery
themselves.

SECT. 4. If you ever condescend to hear your head boys tell them of it;
it will make them get their lesson the better, and thereby give you
less trouble. If they happen to meet with a _ne plus ultra_, abuse
them, and send them back; if they grumble, flagellation is necessary.

SECT. 5. If you see a boy sent back by an usher, and the boy cries,
call him, unseen by the usher, hear him, and let it pass; it will
please the boy mightily.

SECT. 6. Never let your boys get too forward; the longer they stay, the
longer they pay. I have known a dozen boys of six years standing in an
academy, who neither knew the declension or conjugations of their
accidence, their multiplication or pence table, or any thing else
besides, which they had been sent to learn, and for the learning of
which, some of them to my certain knowledge had paid upwards of three
hundred pounds. What then? the boys are rather slow, and require time;