Thus we advance in the estate of Mariage, from one pleasure to another.  O how happy you’l be, if your children be but pliable and courteous, and grow up in obedience, and according to your example!  But we see in the generality, that as their understanding increases, that also their own wills and desires do in like manner not diminish.

Perhaps you meet with some such symptoms as these are in your own son; for having been some years learning the Latine Tongue at Pauls or Merchant Tailors School; he is then inveagled by some of the neighbors sons to go with them to learn the Italian or French language; to which purpose they know of a very delicate Boarding school a little way out of the City; and then they baptize it with the name, that he hath such a longing and earnest desire to learn it, that he cannot rest in the night for it.

What will you do?  The charge there of, the bad times, and the necessity you have for him at home, makes you perswade him from it, and to proffer him convenient occasions in the City; but what helps it, the fear of drawing the child from that which he has so much a mind to; and may be, that also, wherein his whole good fortune consists, causes you to take a resolution to fullfill his desire.  Away he’s sent then, and agreed for.  And then there must be a Trunk furnisht, with all manner of linnen and cloaths, with other toys and sweet meats, and mony in his pocket to boot.

Having been some small time there he sends some letters for what he wants.  Which is, with recommendations of being saving and diligent, sent unto him.  And it is no small pleasure for the Parents, if they do but see that he is an indifferent proficiant.  All their delight and pleasure is, when time will permit, to go to their son, and to shew him their great love and affection.

But the Daughter, which goes along with her Mother, is kindled with no small matter of jealousie to see that her Brother puts her Parents to so much charge, gets what he pleases, and that their minds are never at rest about him.  When she, on the contrary, being at home, is thrust by her Mother into the drudgery of the house, or kept close to her needle.  Yet these are pacified with a fine lace, a ring, or some such sort of trinkom trankoms; and then with telling them into the bargain, when your brother comes home he shall keep the shop.

This the Father is in expectation of.  And the son being come home, gives a great Pleasure to his Father and Mother, by reason he speaks such good Latin and Italian, and is so gentile in his behaviour:  but to look to the shop, he hath no mind to.  Say what they will, talk is but talk.  All his desire and mind is to go to the University either of Oxford or Cambridge.  And although the Father in some measure herein yeelds and consents; the Mother, on the other side, can by no means resolve to it; for her main aim was, that her son should be brought up in the shop; because that in the absence, or by decease of her husband, he might then therein be helpfull to her.  Besides that, it is yet fresh in her memory, that when her Brother studied at Oxford, what a divellish deal of mony it cost, and what complaints there come of his student-like manner of living.  Insomuch that there was hardly a month past, but the Proctor of the Colledge, or the Magistracy of the City must have one or other penalty paid them.