Liber II, Pars II — Qualis cura habenda est de filiis a septimo anno usque ad decimum quartum annum. Cap. XVI.

Liber II, Pars II — Qualis cura habenda est de filiis a septimo anno usque ad decimum quartum annum. Cap. XVI.

When we distinguish the ages of children by decades, we say that until the age of seven they should be governed in this way: from the seventh to the fourteenth year, they should be instructed in this manner; such decades should be shortened or extended according to the diversity of individuals. Some are stronger in body at twelve years old than others are at sixteen. Therefore, since we cannot give a precise rule for such cases, some things must be left to the judgment of the teacher, who should instruct the children so they can anticipate and extend this time as seems appropriate to him. In this time, which is from the seventh to the fourteenth year, three things should be considered regarding the upbringing of children. For a person is divided, in the first division, into soul and body. The soul, indeed, has principal powers, including understanding and desire. Therefore, three things must be attended to in children. First, the nature of understanding. In order for young people to have a well-ordered body, they need to engage in appropriate exercises and movements. To have a well-ordered will, they should be guided toward the appropriate virtues and the works of those virtues. But in order for them to have a perfect understanding, they need to be instructed in the necessary sciences. Therefore, knowledge, virtue, and practice must be attended to in the upbringing of children. From the very beginning of their lives, in order to avoid the inertia of children, they should be encouraged to engage in some activities. However, once they reach the age of fourteen, they should gradually become accustomed to more advanced tasks and stronger exercises. For example, playing ball according to Tacuinum, or wrestling according to the Philosopher, are considered appropriate exercises for young people. In the second seven years, however, they should take on more advanced exercises than in the first. However, at this age, since it is still very tender, they should not take on military or strenuous activities. The philosopher states this. In his Politics. He says that until they reach puberty, which is until the fourteenth year, they should take on lighter exercises so that their growth is not hindered. It follows that, in order for young people to be well-prepared physically, they should take on more vigorous work from the seventh year until the fourteenth year than they did in the first seven years. It remains to see how they should be guided toward virtues so that they have a well-ordered will. Therefore, it must be noted that the philosopher states this. In his Politics. He says that it is very bad not to instruct children in virtue and in the observance of useful laws. The Philosopher inquires, In Politics, he states that until puberty, which is until the fourteenth year, lighter exercises should be taken on, so that growth is not hindered. It is clear that, for young people to be well-disposed in body, from the seventh to the fourteenth year they should take on stronger labors than in the first seven years. Now we must see how they should be guided toward virtues, so that they have a well-disposed will. The Philosopher states, In Politics, it is primarily necessary to care for how children have a well-disposed will, rather than how they have a scientific understanding. No one has a well-ordered will unless they have a moderated desire; for from the disorder of the sensitive appetite, disorder overflows into the will. If desires are held in check by the body, then the intellect is held in check by the soul, because the body is prior to the soul in generation; therefore, it is more important to focus on how we have moderated desires and a well-ordered will than on how we have an enlightened intellect. The way to moderate the desires of youth is to apply special caution regarding those things in which they are most likely to fail. If young people are driven by passions and desires, and easily deceive themselves, doing everything to excess—loving too much when they love, playing too much when they play, and always going overboard in other things—then caution must be taken so that they do not follow their desires; instead, they should be abstinent and sober, not deceitful but truthful, and not do everything to excess but maintain moderation in their actions and words. Having seen these things, it remains to consider how they should be well-prepared in terms of intellect. For when we say that in the second seven-year period it is more important to focus on the ordering of the appetite than on the perfection of the intellect, it should not be understood that we should not care at all about how they have a perfect intellect, but because from the seventh year until the fourteenth year, young people are abundant in desires and deficient in the use of reason, it is therefore more important to focus on the ordering of the appetite. For during the entire second seven-year period, children learn only words; for they are not yet of such understanding that they can consider things themselves; therefore, in the second seven-year period, children can be taught grammar, which is the science of language; and logic, which is more a method of knowing than a science; and practical music, which consists of a certain modulation of voices; for at that time, children are deficient in the use of reason and cannot know perfectly. Yet, when they begin to have the use of reason, they should not be completely unprepared for knowledge; they should be accustomed to other arts, which we have mentioned.