"From their cradle she instilled into them the most perfect maxims of piety, and contempt of the world. the ancient Romans dreaded nothing more in the education of youth than their being ill taught the first principles of the sciences; it being more difficult to unlearn the errours then imbibed, than to begin on a meer tabula rasa, or blank paper"
— Butler, Alban (1709-1773)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Date
1756-9
Metaphor
"From their cradle she instilled into them the most perfect maxims of piety, and contempt of the world. the ancient Romans dreaded nothing more in the education of youth than their being ill taught the first principles of the sciences; it being more difficult to unlearn the errours then imbibed, than to begin on a meer tabula rasa, or blank paper"
Metaphor in Context
She managed the estate of her children with great prudence and frugality, knowing this to be part of her duty to God, but she was sensible that their spiritual instruction in virtue was of infinitely greater importance. From their cradle she instilled into them the most perfect maxims of piety, and contempt of the world. the ancient Romans [end page 159] dreaded nothing more in the education of youth than their being ill taught the first principles of the sciences; it being more difficult to unlearn the errours then imbibed, than to begin on a meer tabula rasa, or blank paper. Wherefore Anthusa provided her son the ablest masters in every branch of literature, which the empire at that time afforded. [...]
(pp. 159-60)
(pp. 159-60)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "tabula rasa" in ECCO
Citation
See Butler, Alban. The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints: Compiled from Original Monuments, and Other Authentick Records, 4 vols. (London, 1756-59), vol. I.
Theme
Blank Slate
Date of Entry
10/11/2006
Date of Review
02/10/2010
