Men

Lady Befuddled:     As I said before, I shudder at the thought of sending my dear Son Thomas to school.  It may have been a beneficial place at one point and it may nowadays give a boy connections, but the mischief has such weight that the connections mean nothing.  I am set on giving Thomas a private tutor.

Sir Peabody:     Madame, your complaint is not an uncommon one.  In On the Management and Education of Children⁵, Juliana-Susannah Seymour writes a letter to her niece speaking directly to this matter:  

“As to your Boys, I am very well acquainted with the Advantages of a School Education; the Freedom it gives to their Manners, the Acquaintance it leads them early into with the World; and the Friendships and Connexions it gives Birth to, which may be often useful.  But while I am sensible of all the Advantages, I am also aware of the Mischiefs; and they are so great that they vastly over-balance the other”⁵

Sometimes they say schools are so bad that a boy scarcely learns anything at all but how to play marbles.  For myself, I cannot believe that all schools could be so horrible.  However, their level of proficiency can, at times, be so different that one cannot comfortably trust any school to be doing its work.

But enough of that, let us get on to what your son should be learning.  To make this simplest for you, my dear dear Lady, I will construct a list based on James Nelson’s⁷ ideas of proper education for the classes:

Nobleman: A nobleman should learn at least one or more of the classic languages, such as Latin or Greek.  It is absolutely necessary that he know French.  In addition, he should study at least one other language, this commonly being Italian.  Since most operas are written and performed in Italian, knowledge and understanding of the language will enlighten and enhance his experiences at the opera.  It is also essential that a nobleman learn philosophy; mathematics; the laws of the country; the customs, laws and manners of other nations; literature; poetry; painting; music; dancing; fencing; riding and architecture.  Above all, a nobleman’s obligations to his estate and the necessity of him recognizing other’s woes demands he have an honest heart.  Lastly, to uphold his authority and position, he must never fall a slave to any irregular passion.

Gentry: The education of a man of gentry is dictated by the order of his birth.  If he is born first and is to inherit his parent’s estate, then he should be raised with an education much like a nobleman’s.  It is highly probably that the inheritor will rise in his position after receiving his inheritance and he must be prepared for that responsibility.  The younger sons will be engaging in some sort of profession for advancement in the world.  Other than the learned professions, the younger sons will also have open to them the sea, the army and the exchange.  It is important to remember not to push any son into a profession he does not desire to follow, this will only discourage him and most likely set him in a position he is under qualified to fill.  Likewise, young men are fanciful, they may on many occasions state a desire to fill multiple differing professions.  Hence, do not jump and run out to purchase your son a uniform the moment he states a desire to join with the army, the next week he may already be of a different mind.