teen he composed a Tragedy in the same language, as the younger Pliny had done before him.

He learned the Oriental Languages of Erpenius, who resided some time with his father for that purpose. He had so early relish for the Eastern way of writing, that even at this time he composed (in imitation of it) the Thousand and One Arabian Tales, and also the Persian Tales, which have been since translated into several languages, and lately into our own with particular elegance, by Mr. Ambrose Philips. In this work of his Childhood, he was not a little assisted by the historical Traditions of his Nurse.

CHAP. V1.

A DISSERTATION UPON PLAY-THINGS.

HERE followed the instructions of Cornelius Scriblerus concerning the Plays and Play-things to be used by his son Martin.

Plin. Epist. Lib. 7. P.

1 Whatever may be determined of other parts of these Memoirs, yet this chapter, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth, and twelfth chapters, appear to be the production of Arbuthnot, as they contain allusions to many remote and uncommon parts of learning and science, with which we cannot imagine Pope to have been much acquainted, and which lay out of the reach and course of his reading. The rich vein of humour which, like a vein of Mercury, runs though these memoirs, is much heightened and increased by the great variety of learning which they contain: it is a fact in literary history worth observing, and which deserves to be more attended to than I think it usually is, that

Play was invented by the Lydians as a remedy against Hunger. Sophocles says of Palamedes, that he invented Dice to serve sometimes instead of a dinner. It is therefore wisely contrived by Nature, that Children, as they have the keenest Appetites, are most addicted to Plays. From the same cause, and from the unprejudiced and incorrupt simplicity of their minds, it proceeds, that the Plays of the Ancient Children are preserved more entire than any other of their Customs. In this matter I would recommend to all who have any concern in my Son's Education, that they deviate not in the least from the primitive and simple Antiquity.

"To speak first of the Whistle, as it is the first of all play-things. I will have it exactly to correspond with ancient Fistula, and accordingly to be composed septem paribus disjuncta cicutis.

"I heartily wish a diligent search may be made after the true Crepitaculum, or Rattle of the Ancients, for that (as Archytas Tarentinus was of opinion) kept the children from breaking Earthen Ware. The China Cups in these days are not at all the safer for the modern Rattles; which is an evident proof how far their Crepitacula exceeded ours.

the chief of those who have excelled in exquisite works of wit and humour, have at the same time been men of extensive learning. We may instance in Lucian, Cervantes, Quevedo, Rabelais, Arbuthnot, Fielding, and Butler, above all; for no work in our language contains more learning than Hudibras.

2 Dr. Arbuthnot used to say, that notwithstanding all the boasts of the safe conveyance of tradition; it was no where preserved pure and uncorrupt but amongst School-boys; whose games and plays are delivered down invariably the same, from one generation to another. W.

"I would not have Martin as yet to scourge a Top, till I am better informed whether the Trochus which was recommended by Cato be really our present Top, or rather the Hoop which the boys drive with a stick. Neither Cross and Pile, nor Ducks and Drakes, are quite so ancient as Handy-dandy, though Macrobius and St. Augustine take notice of the first, and Minutius Felix describes the latter; but Handy-dandy is mentioned by Aristotle, 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 Psyché, and termed by the Latins, digitis micare.

"Julius Pollux describes the Omilla, or Chuckfarthing; though some will have our modern Chuckfarthing to be nearer the Aphetinda of the Ancients. He also mentions the Basilinda, or King I am; and Myinda, or Hoopers-Hide.

"But the Chytrindra described by the same Author is certainly not our Hot-cockle; for that was by pinching and not by striking; though there are good authors who affirm the Rathapygismus to be yet nearer the modern Hot-cockles. My son Martin may use either of them indifferently, they being equally antique.

"Building of Houses, and Riding upon Sticks, have been used by Children in all ages; Ædificare casas, equitare in arundine longa. Yet I much doubt whether the Riding upon Sticks did not come into use after the age of the Centaurs.

"There is one Play which shews the gravity of

ancient Education, called the Acinetinda, in which children contended who could longest stand still. This we have suffered to perish entirely; and, if I might be allowed to guess, it was certainly first lost among the French.

"I will permit my Son to play at Apodidascinda, which can be no other than our Puss in a Corner.

"Julius Pollux in his ninth book speaks of the Melolonthe or the Kite; but I question whether the Kite of Antiquity was the same with ours: and though the 'Oprvуoкoría or Quail-fighting is what is most taken notice of, they had doubtless Cockmatches also, as is evident from certain ancient Gems and Relievos.

"In a word, let my son Martin disport himself at any Game truly Antique, except one, which was invented by a people among the Thracians, who hung up one of their Companions in a Rope, and gave him a Knife to cut himself down; which if he failed in, he was suffered to hang till he was dead; and this was only reckoned a sort of joke. I am utterly against this, as barbarous and cruel.

"I cannot conclude, without taking notice of the beauty of the Greek names, whose Etymologies acquaint us with the nature of the sports; and how infinitely, both in sense and sound, they excel our barbarous names of Plays."

Notwithstanding the foregoing Injunctions of Dr. Cornelius, he yet condescended to allow the Child the use of some few modern Play-things; such as might prove of any benefit to his mind, by instilling

3

an early notion of the Sciences. For example, he found that Marbles taught him Percussion and the Laws of Motion; Nut-crackers the use of the Lever; Swinging on the ends of a Board, the Balance › Bottlescrews the Vice; Whirligigs the Axis in Peritrochia; Bird-cages the Pulley; and Tops the Centrifugal motion.

Others of his sports were carried farther to improve his tender soul even in Virtue and Morality. We shall only instance one of the most useful and instructive, Bob-cherry, which teaches at once two noble Virtues, Patience and Constancy; the first in adhering to the pursuit of one end, the latter in bearing a disappointment.

3 This passage is equalled in humour by the Oxford Guide, p. 11.

"The schools of this university are also more numerous than is commonly supposed; among which we must reckon three spacious and superb edifices, situated to the southward of the Highstreet, one hundred feet long, by thirty in breadth, vulgarly called Tennis Courts; where exercise is regularly performed both morn ́ing and afternoon. Add to these, certain schools, familiarly denominated Billiard Tables, where the laws of motion are exemplified, and which may be considered as a necessary supplement to our courses of experimental philosophy. Nor must we omit the many nine-pin and skittle-alleys, open and dry, for the instruction of scholars in geometrical knowledge, and particularly for proving the centripetal principle.

"Other schools, and places of academical discipline, not generally known as such, may be mentioned. The Peripatetics execute the courses proper to their system upon the Parade; Navigation is learnt on the Isis, Gunnery on the adjacent hills, Horsemanship on Port-meadow, Bullington-green, the Henley, Wycombe, Woodstock, Abingdon, and Banbury Roads. The Axis in Peritrochia is admirably illustrated by a scheme in a phaeton; the doctrine of the screw is practically explained most evenings in the private rooms, together with the motion of fluids."