With respect to the health of children, I fear the present management is not right. The mistaken indulgence of parents, in pampering11 and spoiling the appetites of children, lays the foundation of a permanent train of diseases, which an endless supply of medicines and nostrums12 will never restore to its pristine13 vigour14. Skilful15 medical aid may, indeed, be of use, but nothing is so sure as a recurrence16 to a plain diet, temperance, and exercise. The next obstacle to remedy, I fear, will not be easily removed; for it is built upon the prejudices of mothers themselves, dictated17 by notions of fashion and gentility which have taken a deep root. When folly18 has given the fashion, she is a persevering19 dame20, and “folly ever dotes upon her darling.” Instead of impressing upon the minds of girls the importance of knowing household affairs, and other useful knowledge, and cultivating cheerfulness and affability along with the courtesies of life, they must undergo a training to befit them for appearing in frivolous21 company. To insure this, the mother, or some boarding school mistress, insists that these delicate young creatures be tightened22 up in a shape-destroying dress, and sit and move in graceful23 stiffness. They must not spring about or make use of their limbs, lest it might be called romping24, and might give them so vulgar, so robust25, and so red-cheeked a look that they would not appear like ladies. The consequence of this is, that they become like hot-house plants;—the air must not blow upon them;—and, in this state, they must attend routs26 and balls, and midnight assemblies, which send numbers of them to an untimely grave.[36] If they survive these trials, still they leave behind a want of health and vigour, which hangs upon them through life, and they become the nerveless outcasts of nature. They are then unfit to become the mothers of Englishmen; they twine27 out a life of ennui28, and their generation dies out. I have all my life been grieved to find this description too often realized. It is paying too dear for female accomplishments29. It is surely desirable that a change should take place, by which fashionable follies30 may be narrowed in their boundaries, and a better line drawn31 out; prescribed by propriety32, affability, modesty33, and good sense, on which the courtesies of life, and the invaluable34 embellishments of civilisation35, and everything graceful and charming in society, is founded. I wish the ladies of the British Isles36 may set the example, and take the lead in this, so that ignorant rudeness and vulgarity may be banished37 from the face of the earth.
If I could influence the fair sex, there is one thing to which I would draw their attention; and that is Horticulture; and, connected with this, I would recommend them, as far as convenient, to become Florists38, as this delightful39 and healthy employment,—which has been long enough in the rude hands of men—would entice40 them into the open air, stimulate41 them to exertion42, and draw them away from their sedentary mode of life, mewed up in close rooms, where they are confined like nuns43. This would contribute greatly to their amusement, and exhilarate their spirits. Every sensible man should encourage the fair sex to follow this pursuit. What would this world be without their help, to alleviate44 its burdens? It would appear a barren waste. It would no longer be a wide-spread garden of Eden, nor an earthly paradise within the reach of our enjoyments45. May the fruits and flowers of it, reared and presented by their fair hands, ever operate as a charm in ensuring the attentions and unabating regard of all men! And of all good men it will. In thus dictating46 to them, no embarrassment47 can follow; and, if they ever know of the liberty I thus have taken, it will probably be when all embarrassments48 are, with me, at an end. And I can only further leave behind me a wish that health may eternally blush their cheeks, and virtue49 their minds.
Next in consideration to the ladies,—who they must in courtesy follow,—are the freeholders of this favoured land. Such of these as, by their attainments51, arrive at the degree of gentlemen, are, or ought to be, the pride and glory of every civilised country in the world. Placed in opulence52 and independence, they are, and must be looked up to as, the patrons of every virtue in the people, who, in their station of life, may need such help to encourage them. May gentlemen never lose sight of this important duty, and ever be able to stem the torrent53 of gambling54 and dissipation; so that their ancient mansions55 may remain in their names for ever, as pledges of their worth, and as ornaments56 to the country. Without their countenance57, arts and sciences, and artisans, would languish58, industry would be paralyzed, and barbarism again rear its benumbed hands and stupid head. It is to be hoped that the business of their wine vaults59, their horses, and their dogs, may cease to be the main business of their lives, and only be looked to as matters of amusement wherewith to unbend their minds. And, as no man can, while he is in possession of his faculties60, rest in happiness unless he is exercising them, and some hobby-horse must engage his attention, it therefore becomes a question for their consideration in what way they can best employ themselves. I would earnestly recommend that gentlemen should endeavour to improve their lands, and lay the foundation of fertilising them: and instead of spending—perhaps squandering—their money in follies abroad, as far as possible, spend it at home. The late good and wise first Lord Ravensworth used to say, there was nothing grateful but the earth. “You cannot,” said he, “do too much for it; it will continue to pay tenfold the pains and labour bestowed upon it.” Estates so managed would then exhibit the appearance of clean-weeded nurseries. As an act of justice due to the industrious61 farmer, he ought, on entering upon his lease, to have his farm valued, and, when his lease is out, valued again; and, whatever improvements he may have made, ought to be paid for on his leaving. I am well aware that these remarks may not be relished62 by those whose pride, dictated by the wish to domineer, will not give in to this fair proposal, for fear of the independent spirit it might rear; but it must be allowed that the landlord could come to no loss by it, and that the community would be greatly benefited by the adoption63 of such a plan. Those gentlemen who have moor64 lands, however exposed and bleak65 they may be, may yet do something to make them more productive, by enclosing them with dry stone dykes66, beset67 and bound with ivy68, and intersected with whin hedges;[37] and this shelter would form a bield for sheep and cattle, and besides would produce grass both in quantity and quality such as never grew there before.
The chief offices which gentlemen and freeholders are called upon to fulfil are, member of Parliament, magistrate69, and juryman. The first is the most important; but, indeed, in that as well as the others, the requisite70 ingredients are honesty and intelligence. If we look at the wretched tools which boroughmongers obtrude71 upon the nation, we may anxiously look to the importance of electing gentlemen who will unceasingly and boldly oppose such men ever being allowed to sit as representatives. But these have already gone far on the road towards paralysing the British constitution, and establishing on its ruins an oligarchy72, which is the worst and most odious73 of all governments.
In the troublesome and gratuitous74 office of magistrate, great sagacity and penetration75 are requisite to enable the holders50, in their political capacity, to discriminate76 between stretching too far the, perhaps, ill-defined, and often arbitrary laws, beyond the due bounds prescribed by justice and mercy. They ought to detest77 being made the tools of despotic acts of corruption78, and being like Turkish Bashaws spread over the provinces. In their civil capacities, matters come more nearly home to them; and in this they have much need of cool deliberation, as well as extreme vigilence, for without these there would be no such thing as living in peace while such numbers of the dregs of the people remain in ignorance and depravity. These latter do not know the meaning of either religion or morality, and it is only the strong arm of the law that can keep people of this description in order. Their evidence ought always to be suspected. Oaths have little weight: they are so used to them. One of our poets says,—
“Of all the nauseous complicated crimes
“There’s none which can with impious oaths compare,
But, bad as these reprobate81 oaths are, there are others which I think are still worse; and these are the numerous oaths used, and indeed imposed, on so many and on such improper82 occasions, where Omnipotence83 is impiously appealed to in all the little dirty transactions between man and man. It would be well to remember that an honest man’s word is as good as his oath,—and so is a rogue’s too. Surely some remedy might be fallen upon to check these swearing vices84; especially perjury85, bearing false witness, as well as when a man is proved to have broken his word and his honour.
There is another vice, of an odious complexion86, advancing with rapid strides to enormity, which cries aloud to be checked. Bad men, with hardened effrontery87, only laugh at their breaking down every barrier to modesty and virtue, and thus disrobing innocence88, and rendering89 deformed90 that which ought to be the brightest feature of civilisation. The crime to which I allude91 needs only to be examined to convince any one of its cruelty to the fair sex, and its extensively demoralising influence on society. Let any man ask himself how he would feel were his daughter or his sister to be betrayed. This question ought to be fairly canvassed92. Although it will be allowed that men, devoid93 of honour and modesty, who have let loose their unbridled, bad passions, will not be easily stopped in their career, yet, notwithstanding, this evil may be, by the strong arm of the law, greatly banished from the land, and innate94 modesty planted in its stead.
All men and women in health, and of good character, ought to be countenanced95 in marrying; and it is for them to consider whether they can properly rear and educate a family; and, should there be an over-abundant population, then colonisation might be resorted to at the public expense; and this globe will be found large enough to hold additional millions upon millions of people. There are few contracts between human beings which should be more delicate than that of marriage. It is an engagement of the utmost importance to individuals and to society, and which of all others ought to be the most unbiased; for it cannot be attended with honour, nor blessed with happiness, if it has not its origin in mutual96 affection. The rules to be observed in thus selecting and fixing the choice are few, simple, and easily understood. Both males and females, if of unsound constitution, ought to forbear matrimony. It is the duty of every man to endeavour to get a healthy woman for the sake of his children, and an amiable97 one for his own domestic comfort. The fair sex should observe the like rules. If a woman marries a man who has broken down his constitution by his own dissipation, or has imbibed98 a tainted99 one from his parents, she must not be surprised at becoming a nurse to him and his nerveless, puny100, offspring. One cannot help wondering at the uncommon101 pains a gentleman will take in buying a horse, to see that the animal is perfectly102 sound, and without blemish103, and that he should not take the same pains in choosing a wife, which is of infinitely104 more importance to him. He, perhaps to repair his shattered fortune, will marry any woman if she has plenty of money. She may, indeed, be the innocent heir to the full-charged hereditary105 diseases of a pair of voluptuous106 citizens, just as that may happen to be. No gentleman need to look far from his home, to be enabled to meet with an helpmate, possessing every requisite to make him happy; but, if he cannot meet with such a one, or cannot please himself in his own neighbourhood, he had better travel in search of one from Land’s End to John o’ Groat’s House, than not get a proper partner as the mother of his children.
I have often thought that the children of gentlemen—boys particularly—are too soon put to school under improper restraints, and harassed107 with education before their minds are fit for it. Were they sent to the edge of some moor, to scamper108 about amongst whins and heather, under the care of some good old man—some mentor—who would teach them a little every day, without embarrassing them—they would there, in this kind of preparatory school, lay in a foundation of health, as well as education. If they were thus allowed to run wild by the sides of burns—to fish, to wade109, and to splash in—they would soon find their minds intently employed in sports and pleasures of their own choosing. It would be found that youth so brought up, besides thus working out any little hereditary ailments110, would never forget the charms of the country, which would impart to them a flow of spirits through life such as very few, or none, brought up in a town ever know, and, besides this, lay in a strong frame work on which to build a nervous constitution, befitting the habitation of an energetic mind and a great soul. Let any one look at the contrast between men thus brought up, and the generality of early-matured Lilliputian plants, and he will soon see, with very few exceptions, the difference, both in body and mind, between them.
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1
watchfully
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| 警惕地，留心地 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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honourably
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| adv.可尊敬地，光荣地，体面地 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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pampering
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| v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的现在分词 ) | |
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nostrums
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| n.骗人的疗法，有专利权的药品( nostrum的名词复数 )；妙策 | |
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pristine
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| adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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recurrence
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| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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romping
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| adj.嬉戏喧闹的，乱蹦乱闹的v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的现在分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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routs
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| n.打垮，赶跑( rout的名词复数 )；（体育）打败对方v.打垮，赶跑( rout的第三人称单数 )；（体育）打败对方 | |
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twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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florists
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| n.花商，花农，花卉研究者( florist的名词复数 ) | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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entice
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| v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿 | |
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stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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nuns
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| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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alleviate
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| v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等) | |
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enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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dictating
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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embarrassments
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| n.尴尬( embarrassment的名词复数 )；难堪；局促不安；令人难堪或耻辱的事 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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languish
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| vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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dykes
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| abbr.diagonal wire cutters 斜线切割机n.堤( dyke的名词复数 )；坝；堰；沟 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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obtrude
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| v.闯入；侵入；打扰 | |
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oligarchy
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| n.寡头政治 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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gratuitous
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| adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的 | |
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penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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discriminate
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| v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待 | |
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detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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reprobate
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| n.无赖汉；堕落的人 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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omnipotence
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| n.全能，万能，无限威力 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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canvassed
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| v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的过去式和过去分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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countenanced
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| v.支持，赞同，批准( countenance的过去式 ) | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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blemish
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| v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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voluptuous
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| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
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harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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ailments
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| 疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 ) | |
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