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Bishop Burnet on Education

His governour had also to look well to himselfe.; for in this age youths are most prying and censorious, and will discerne one’s weaknes; and finding any are apt because of it to contemne them, and disregard what they say.

As for their learning, they should be made still to continue in the practice of the tongues they have acquired, and for further improvement should get a general touch of most things.

I should begin with anatomy, as ane easy and useful piece of knowledge, not troubling the youth to get by heart the names of the veins, arteries, nerves, and muscules, but to make him understand the use, function, situation and figure, and dependence of the chieff parts of the body; and this will be neither a tedious nor ane unpleasant work; especially if wee be where wee may see dissections. Yet good copper prints will compense in a good degree this want, if the youths have a nimble fancy.

Next I would teach him the nature of herbs and trees, with the waies of cultivating and nursing them; and as this seems to have been intended by God for Adam his first task, so it is ane exercise so full of pleasure, that I know whether to call it a study or a recreation .

The govenour should also acquaint him with the natural history, and the chieffe experiments that are of late made, and this is the best apparatus for philosophy.