rowly on the Shield, declared their affent to this latter opinion, and defired Cornelius to be comforted; affuring him it was a Sconce, and no other. But this, instead of comforting, threw the Doctor into fuch a violent fit of Paffion, that he was carried off groaning and fpeechlefs to bed; where, being quite fpent, he fell into a kind of flumber... DIBID. P. 78. :

I

THE NUTRITION OF SCRIBLERUS. CORNELIUS now began to regulate the Suction of his Child; feldom did there pafs a day without difputes between him and the Mother, or the Nurse, concerning the nature of aliment. The poor woman never dined but he denied her fome dish or other, which he judged prejudicial to her milk. One day fhe had a longing defire to a piece of beef; and as fhe ftretched her hand towards it, the old gentleman drew it away, and spoke to this effect: "Hadft thou read the Ancients, O

Nurfe, thou would'ft prefer the welfare of the Infant which thou nourisheft, to the indulging "of an irregular and voracious appetite. Beef,

it is true, may confer a Robustnefs on the limbs "of my Son, but will hebetate and clog his intel

lectuals." While he spoke this, the Nurfe looked upon him with much anger, and now and then cast a wishful eye upon the beef." Paffion "(continued the Doctor, ftill holding the dish) "throws the mind into too violent a fermentation:

"it is a kind of fever of the foul, or, as Horace

expreffes it, a fhort Madness. Confider, Woman, "that this day's Suction of my Son may cause him "to imbibe many ungovernable Paffions, and in a manner spoil him for the temper of a Philofopher.. Romulus, by fucking a Wolf, became of a fierce "and favage difpofition: and were I to breed fome "Ottoman Emperor, or Founder of a Military. "Commonwealth, perhaps I might indulge thee"in this carnivorous Appetite."—What, interrupted the Nurse, Beef fpoil the understanding? that's fine indeed how then could our Parfon preach as he does upon Beef, and Pudding too, if you go to that? Don't tell me of your Anci, ents, had not you almoft killed the poor babe with a Dish of Dæmonial black Broth Lacedæmo"nian black Broth, thou would'ft fay (replied "Cornelius); but I cannot allow the furfeit to

have been occafioned by that diet, fince it was "recommended by the Divine Lycurgus. No, "Nurse, thou must certainly have eaten fome "meats of ill digeftion the day before; and that "was the real cause of his disorder. Confider, "Woman, the different Temperaments of diffe"rent Nations: What makes the English phleg,

matick and melancholy, but Beef? What ren"ders the Welsh fo hot and cholerick, but Cheese "and Leeks? The French derive their levity from "their Soups, Frogs, and Mufhrooms. I would "not let my Son dine like an Italian; lest, like an

"Italian,

J

Italian, he-fhould be jealous and revengeful.. "The warm and folid diet of Spain may be more "beneficial; as it might endow him with a pro"found Gravity; but, at the fame time, he might "fuck in with their food their intolerable Vice of "Pride. Therefore, Nurfe, in fhort, I hold it "requifite to deny you, at prefent, not only beef, "but likewife whatfoever any of: thofe Nations "eat." During this fpeech, the Nurfe remained pouting and marking her plate with the knife, nor would the touch a bit during the whole dinner. This the old Gentleman obferving, ordered that the Child, to avoid the rifque of imbibing ill hamours, fhould be kept from her breast all that day, and be fed with butter mixed with honey, according to a prescription he had met with fomewhere in Euftathius upon Homer. This indeed gave the Child a great loofenefs, but he was not concerned at it, in the opinion that whatever harm it might do his body, would be amply recompenfed by the improvements of his understanding. But from thenceforth he infifted every day upon a particular Diet to be obferved by the Nurfe; under which, having been long uneafy, fhe at laft parted from, the family, on his ordering her for dinner the Paps of a Sow with Pig; taking it as the highest indignity, and a direct infult upon her Sex and Call.. ing..

IBID. p. 81.

PLAY-THINGS.

HERE follow the Inftructions of Cornelius Scriblerus concerning the Plays and Play-things to be ufed by his fon Martin.

66

"Play was invented by the Lydians, as a remedy against Hunger. Sophocles fays of Palamedes, that he invented Dice to ferve fometimes instead “of a Dinner. It is therefore wifely contrived by Nature, that Children, as they have the "keenest Appetites, are most addicted to Plays.. "From the same caufe, and from the unpreju"diced and incorrupt fimplicity of their minds, it

proceeds, that the Plays of the Ancient Chil"dren are preferved more entire than any other of "their Cuftoms. In this matter I would recom-

mend to all who have any concern in my Son's Education, that they deviate not in the leaft "from the primitive and fimple Antiquity.

"To speak first of the Whistle, as it is the first "of all Play-things. I will have it exactly to correfpond with the ancient Fiftula, and accordingly "to be compofed feptem paribus disjuncta cicutis.

"I heartily wifh a diligent fearch may be made "after the true Crepitaculum, or Rattle of the An"cients, for that (as Architas Tarentinus was of "opinion) kept the Children from breaking "Earthen-Ware. The China cups in these days "" are not at all the fafer for the modern Rattles;

"" which

er which is an evident proof how far their Crepi"tacula exceeded ours.

"I would not have Martin as yet to fcourge a

Top, till I am better informed whether the Tro"chus, which was recommended by Cato, be re

ally our prefent Tops, or rather the Hoop which "the boys drive with a ftick. Neither Cross and 66 Pile, nor Ducks and Drakes, are quite fo ancient "as Handy-dandy, though Macrobius and St.

Auguftine take notice of the first, and Minutius "Falix defcribes the latter; but Handy-dandy is " mentioned by Ariftotle, Plato, and Aristophanes.

"The Play which the Italians call Cinque, and the French Mourre, is extremely ancient; it was "played at by Hymen and Cupid at the Marriage "of Pfyche, and termed by the Latins, Digitis "micare.

"Julius Pollux defcribes the Omilla or Chuck"farthing though fome will have our modern Chuck-farthing to be nearer the Aphetinda of the Ancients. He alfo mentions the Bafilinda, or King I am; and Mynda, or Hoopers-hide.

But the Chytrindra, defcribed by the fame Au"thor, is certainly not our Hot-cockles-; for that was by pinching, and not by ftriking; though there are good authors who affirm the Rathapigifmus to be yet nearer the modern Hot-cockles. My Son

Martin