GOOD MANNERS for SCHOOLS, Or, A PARAPHRASE upon QUI MIHI, &c.
BOys, that wou'd Scholars be, your Minds dispose
To learn Good Manners and obey these Laws.
Rise early, and shake off the drowsy Nod;
Then kneel you down, and humbly Pray to God.
First, wash your Hands and Face; then comb your Hair,
And dress you with a neat and decent Air.
Keep your Apparel clean from Ink or Stain,
And nasty Spots of Dirt or Grease refrain:
Your Cloths not torn to Tatters ev'ry Day,
By stubborn Fighting, and your Ramping Play.
Fly Slothfulness, and make away to School;
And never play the Tardy-lingring Fool,
That loses both his Time and breaks my Rule.
There, a Good morrow to your Master pay,
And greet your Fellows with a Happy Day.
Sit down, and your appointed Seat ne'er quit,
Without Command, or Leave to vacate it,
When Nature prompts you to refresh your Wit.
He's Highest still who best performs his Part:
And understands his Lesson best by Heart:
For Real Merit always must take Place,
And Undeserving Idle Boys disgrace.
Pen, Ink and Paper, are such useful Tools,
As must be ready in the Lab'ring Schools,
Fit for your Bus'ness; But Good Pens, I mean;
Your Ink the Blackest, and your Paper Clean:
That you may write your Master's Dictates Fair,
T'emprove your Learning and commend your Care;
Without one fulsom Fault or filthy Blot,
Like a dull Sloven or an Idle Sot.
But for good Precepts, little Books are fit;
Fair Writing to loose Papers ne'er commit:
You should preserve, not throw away your Wit.
Weigh what you read; your Lesson often Conn,
Till you well know the meaning of what's done:
For chatt'ring, like a Parrot, Things by Rote,
Is arrant Nonsense, and a mighty Fau't.
Consult your Fellows and your Betters ask,
Upon a difficult or doubtful Task;
By Doubts and Questions Knowledge is obtain'd,
Who nothing doubted, nothing ever gain'd.
Dull Block-heads stand, like thoughtless Statues, mute,
That seek no Information in a Doubt,
To know the Truth of Things beyond dispute.
Who ask no Questions and make no demand,
Will never Learn, and never Understand.
Learn Wisdom; and make what is taught your own;
Oblivion will provoke an awful Frown.
To be instructed, and forget the Sense,
Argues intolerable Negligence.
It is in vain to teach a rambling Brain,
That never thinks, and nothing will retain.
You must be mindful and attentive still,
To hear your Master's Judgment and his Will.
All his Instructions and his Words must be
Laid up in Everlasting Memory:
For if what's told the heedless Boy, is lost;
He might as well have taught a Sensless Post.
Nothing's so Hard, so Crabbed and Abstruse
In a dark Author, or mysterious Muse,
But may be quickly overcome with Ease:
And difficulties, after Conquest, please.
Take pains; and Learning easy you will find,
By care and application of the Mind.
When you're so careful and industrious grown,
Knowledge and Glory will your Labour Crown.
For as the Earth's uncultivated Soyl,
Without good Tillage and continual Toyl,
Brings forth no hopeful Flow'rs nor Lovely Fruit;
But all lies Wast and Barren Ground about:
So Boys, that do not exercise their Sense
With earnest study and great diligence,
For loss of Time may justly be revil'd;
Their Parts are Fruitless, and their Wit grows Wild.
The Laws of speaking you must nicely mind;
Pratling's impertinent and noisy Wind.
Govern the forward Tongue, and still be free
From too much Babling and Loquacity.
Clamour creates your Master mighty Pain;
Offends his Ear, and more disturbs his Brain.
Plying your Lesson then, avoid all Noise;
Speak with a Modest, Low, submissive Voice:
But saying to your Master, speak aloud,
To be distinctly heard and understood.
Learn at your Fingers Ends what e'er you get,
And ev'ry Word without your Book repeat.
Pronounce your Latin roundly; stamm'ring shun;
That common Vice, call'd Hesitation.
Let no one prompt or tell you when you say;
Such fault'ring Repetitions spend the Day,
Make Lessons long and tedious by delay.
All Prompting prejudices foolish Boys;
The sense confounds, and Memory destroys.
To ev'ry Question let your Answer be
Modest, Ingenious, Pertinent and Free;
Wise answers will your commendation raise;
Advance your Learning, and deserve great Praise.
Gabling too fast or drawling out too slow,
Your Words, are two abhorr'd Extreams, you know,
Of speaking well: Betwixt both Vices lye,
The grace of Speech, and common Decency.
As often as occasion bids you speak,
It must be still in Latin, or in Greek,
As ev'ry Boy's capacity, among
Your Fellows; understands each diff'rent Tongue.
But barb'rous Language and false Latin shun,
Like an Infection spreading through the Town,
This Vice is dangerous, and catching grown.
Instruct your Fellows too, when they require,
And th' ignorant with better light inspire;
Shew them in ev'ry dark and unknown Line,
The great advantage of good Discipline.
Whoever teaches the unlearn'd, will find,
His own improvement in the others Mind,
And though he were the most unlearn'd, before;
What he Imparts, like Char'ty to the Poor,
Will both Confirm his Knowledge and increase his Store.
But forward Babblers never imitate,
Who Barbarism do confidently prate;
Talk Latin fluent; but gross Smatt'rers be,
To the disgrace of Roman Purity.
The Silly'st Coxcomb of 'em all is Proud
Of being cry'd-up by the Barb'rous Crowd:
As if Assurance Falshood justifies,
And Popular Applause makes Ign'rance Wise.
If you would rightly know the Grammar Rules,
And learn to speak true Latin in the Schools,
With greater Elegance and better Grace;
You must more Learned Company embrace;
Read the best Authors of the Latin Race.
Study their Writings of the purest Note,
One Easy Subjects for Good Breeding Taught.
Tully, and Terence, and great Virgil's fit,
T'employ your Youth and Exercise your Wit.
Who never read their Famous Books, ne're saw
The Light of Learning, nor the Roman Law.
Some naughty Boys delight to spend their Times
In Sordid Trifles, or Notorious Crimes;
Who ne'er to Virtue do their Minds apply;
Renounce all Goodness and Sobriety,
For a more lazy Life of Tempting Play,
Which Scholars to Ill Courses does betray.
Others are better Fed then Taught at Home;
Grow to their Fellows Rude and Troublesome;
Disturb the Studious with their Hands or Feet,
And never will be Quiet in their Seat.
Others again do boast themselves well-Born,
Inferiours Hector, and Revile with Scorn.
But their Illustrious Birth and Noble Blood,
Can ne'er make Pride or such Ill-Manners Good:
And they will no Respect of Persons find,
With a Just Master and Impartial Mind,
To all Distinctions, but of Merit, Blind.
Such Vile Examples and such ill-bred Fools,
You must not Follow in well-govern'd Schools;
For fear of such Correction as the Wise
Have thought Convenient to punish Vice.
You must not Buy, nor Sell, nor give one Cross;
Nor Mony Lend, nor Change, nor Things Ingross,
To reap Advantage by Another's Loss.
Mony's the Root of Evil and Disgrace,
And makes fond Boys Extravagantly Base.
But what Ingenuous Education brings,
Are gen'rous and Unmercenary Things.
Rude Brawling, Giggling, and wild Noise decline,
Banish'd to Frantick Bedlam's Discipline.
Loud Laughter, Scoffing, and Reproach forsake;
They breed Ill Blood and Mad Distraction make.
Lewd Quarrels, little Lyes, and Pilf'ring Crimes
Of wicked Boys to Newgate sent betimes,
Condemn for fatal Qualities, portend
Some growing Mischief, or some Dismal End.
Your Common Chat must always be secure,
From Language that's Immodest or Impure.
Speak not one Word that's Smutty or Prophane;
But filthy Talk and Vile Discourse refrain,
May Virtue Teint or Reputation Stain.
Observ't, as certain as you draw your Breath,
That ev'ry Tongue has Pow'r of Life and Death.
Of Monstrous Faults and Horrid Sins beware;
In Conversation neither Curse nor Swear.
For 'tis a Foul Abominable Vice
To give Ill Language to your Enemies.
And with Reproachful Words to treat your Friends,
Is the Ingratitude of Human Fiends.
But to Prophane the Sacred Name of GOD,
Can never Mercy find, nor 'scape the Rod.
Remember this unalterable Rule,
To keep the Faithful Secrets of the School:
For Treachery and Telling Tales abroad,
Incur Displeasure of the Angry Rod.
Therefore, Good Boys, observe, where'er you go,
Great Government, and Manly Conduct show.
Your Books and all your Things in Order keep:
By Care, this Satisfaction you will reap;
No Apprehensions can disturb your Sleep.
For when the bus'ness of the School you've done,
You'll go to Bed with Recreation,
And Rise again both unconcern'd and Gay,
For th' Exercises of the coming Day.
In short, you must consult your Master's Ease,
And for your Life do nothing may displease;
Provoke his Anger, or disturb his Peace.
London, Printed by J. Rawlins, for JOHN PLACE at Furnivals-Inn-gate in Holborn, MDCC. Price 3 d.