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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. THE CHILD OF HEATHENDOM. Having at some length discussed the characteristics of childhood in numerous instances, to which an observant reader might add to almost any extent, it will be worth while to notice the place the child has occupied in some of the ancient civilizations, and also to observe the influence of the civilization and religions of various countries upon children. It might be expected that an advanced civilization would be favourable to the well-being of the child, and that the children of barbarous peoples would be placed at a great disadvantage, but it is not always so, as will be seen further on. Neither is religion any guarantee of the child's protection and happiness. With some the sacred rites of religion have included the sacrifice of innocent children, who have had a back-handed compliment paid to them by those who have offered the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul. And again, the heathen have often put to shame, in their care of children, the boasted superiority of Christian nations. THE CHILDREN OF EGYPT. Following Wilkinson, who quotes from Plato, we learn that in the education of youth they were particularly strict; and 'they knew, ' says Plato, 'that children ought to be early accustomed to such gestures, looks, and motions as are decent and proper, and not be suffered to either hear or learn any verses and songs, than those which are calculated to inspire them with virtue; and they consequently took care that every dance and ode introduced at their feasts or sacrifices should be subject to certain regulations.' They particularly inculcated respect for old age; and the fact of this being required even towards strangers, argues a great regard for the person of a parent; for we are informed that, like the Israe...

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