have no natural right over the lives of their children, as was abfurdly allowed to Roman fathers; nor any to exercife unprofitable feverities; nor to command the commiffion of crimes: for thefe rights can never be wanted for the purposes of a parent's duty.

Nor, for the fame reafon, have parents any right to fell their children into flavery. Upon which, by the way, we may obferve, that the children of faves are not, by the law of nature, born slaves; for, as the mafter's right is derived to him through the parent, it can never be greater than the parent's

Own.

Hence alfo it appears, that parents not only pervert, but exceed their juft authority, when they confult their own ambition, intereft, or prejudice, at the manifeft expence of their children's happiness, Of which abufe of parental power, the following are inftances: the fhutting up of daughters and younger fons in nunneries and monafteries, in order to preferve entire the eftate and dignity of the family; or the ufing of any arts, either of kindness or unkindnefs, to induce them to make choice of this way of life themselves; or, in countries where the clergy are prohibited from marriage, putting fons into the church for the fame end, who are never likely either to do or receive any good in it, fufficient to compenfate for this facrifice; the urging of children to marriages, from which they are averfe, with the view of exalting or enriching the family, or for the fake of connecting eftates, parties, or interefts; or the oppofing of a marriage, in which the child would probably find his happiness, from a motive of pride or avarice, of family hoftility or perfonal pique.

CHAP.

CHA P. XI.

THE DUTY OF CHILDREN.

THE duty of Children
I. During childhood.

II. After they have attained to manhood, but continue in their father's family.

III. After they have attained to manhood, and have left their father's family.

I. During childhood.

Children must be fuppofed to have attained to fome degree of difcretion before they are capable of any duty. There is an interval of eight or nine years, between the dawning and the maturity of reafon, in which it is neceffary to fubject the inclination of children to many reftraints, and direct their application to many employments, of the tendency and ufe of which they cannot judge; for which caufe, the fubmiffion of children during this period must be ready and implicit, with an exception, however, of any manifeft crime, which may be commanded him.

II. After they have attained to manhood, but continue in their father's family.

If children, when they are grown up, voluntarily continue members of their father's family, they are bound, befide the general duty of gratitude to their parents, to obferve fuch regulations of the family as the father fhall appoint; contribute their labour to its fupport if required; and

confine

confine themselves to fuch expences as he fhall allow. The obligation would be the fame, if they were admitted into any other family, or received fupport from any other hand.

III. After they have attained to manhood, and have left their father's family.

In this ftate of the relation, the duty to parents is fimply the duty of gratitude; not different i kind, from that which we owe to any other benefactor; in degree, juft fo much exceeding other obligations, by how much a parent has been a greater benefactor than any other friend. The fervices and attentions, by which filial gratitude may be teftified, can be comprifed within no enumeration. It will fhew itfelf in compliances with the will of the parents, however contrary to the child's own tafte and judgment, provided it be neither criminal, nor totally inconfiftent with his happiness; in a conftant endeavour to promote their enjoyments, prevent their wishes, and foften their anxieties, in fmall matters as well as in great; in affifting them in their bufinefs; in contributing to their fupport, cafe, or better accommodation, when their circumftances require it; in affording them our company, in preference to more amufing engagements; in waiting upon their fickness or decrepitude; in bearing with the infirmities of their health or temper, with the peevifhness and complaints, the unfashionable, negligent, auftere manners, and offenfive habits, which often attend upon advanced years; for where muft old age find indulgence, if it do not meet with it in the piety and partiality of children?

The moft ferious contentions between parents and their children, are thofe commonly, which relate to marriage, or to the choice of a profeffion.

A parent has, in no cafe, a right to destroy his child's happiness. If it be true. therefore, that

there

there exift fuch perfonal and exclufive attachments between individuals of different fexes, that the poffeffion of a particular man or woman in marriage be really neceffary to the child's happiness; or if it be true, that an averfion to a particular profeffion may be involuntary and unconquerable; then it will follow, that parents, where this is the cafe, ought not to urge their authority, and that the child is not bound to obey it.

The point is, to difcover how far, in any particular inftance, this is the cafe. Whether the fondnefs of lovers ever continues with fuch intenfity, and fo long, that the fuccefs of their defires conftitutes, or the disappointment affects, any confiderable portion of their happinefs, compared with that of their whole life, it is difficult to determine; but there can be no difficulty in pronouncing, that not one half of thofe attachments, which young people conceive with fo much hafte and paffion, are of this fort. I believe it alfo to be true, that there are few averfions to a profeffion which refolution, perfeverance, activity in going about the duty of it, and above all, defpair of changing, will not fubdue yet there are fome fuch.. Wherefore, a child who refpects his parents' judgment, and is, as he ought to be, tender of their happiness, owes, at leaft, fo much deference to their will, as to try fairly and faithfully, in one cafe, whether time and absence will not quench an affection which they disapprove; and in the other, whether a longer continuance in the profeffion which they have chofen for him may not reconcile him to it. The whole depends upon the experiment being made on the child's part with fincerity, and not merely with a defign of compaffing his purpofe at laft, by means of a fimulated and temporary compliance. It is the nature of love and hatred, and of all violent affections, to delude the mind with a perfuafion, $

that

that we fhall always continue to feel them, as we feel them at prefent. We cannot conceive that they will either change or ceafe. Experience of fimilar or greater changes in ourfelves, or a habit of giving credit to what our parents, or tutors, or books teach us, may control this persuasion; otherwise it renders youth very untractable; for they fee clearly and truly, that it is impoffible they fhould be happy under the circumstances propofed to them, in their prefent ftate of mind. After a fincere, but ineffectual endeavour, by the child, to accommodate his inclination to his parent's pleasure, he ought not to fuffer in his parent's affection, or in his fortunes. The parent, when he has reasonable proof of this, fhould acquiefce: at all events, the child is then at liberty to provide for his own happiness.

Parents have no right to urge their children upon marriages, to which they are averfe; nor ought in any fhape, to refent the children's difobedience to fuch commands. This is a different cafe from oppofing a match of inclination, because the child's mifery is a much more probable confequence; it being easier to live without a perfon that we love, than with one whom we hate. Add to this, that compulfion in marriage neceffarily leads to prevarication; as the reluctant party promifes an affection, which neither exifts, nor is expected to take place and parental, like all human authority ceases, at the point, where obedience becomes criminal.

In the above-mentioned, and in all contefts between parents and children, it is the parent's duty to represent to the child the confequences of his conduct; and it will be found his beft policy to reprefent them with fidelity. It is ufual for parents to exaggerate these descriptions beyond probability, and by exaggeration to lofe all credit with their children;