n, in the farewell scene between Hector and Andromache, the little
Astyanax, terrified at the plume floating from a helmet, fails to
recognize his father, throws himself, crying, upon his nurse's breast,
and wins from his mother a smile bright with tears, what ought to be
done to soothe his fear? Precisely what Hector does. He places the
helmet on the ground, and then caresses his child. At a more tranquil
moment, this should not have been all. They should have drawn near the
helmet, played with its plumes, caused the child to handle them. At
last the nurse should have lifted the helmet and laughingly set it on
her own head--if, indeed, the hand of a woman dared touch the armor of
Hector.

If I wish to familiarize Emile with the noise of fire-arms, I first
burn some powder in a pistol. The quickly vanishing flame, the new
kind of lightning, greatly pleases him. I repeat the process, using
more powder. By degrees I put into the pistol a small charge, without
ramming it down; then a larger charge; finally, I accustom him to the
noise of a gun, to bombs, to cannon-shots, to the most terrific noises.

I have noticed that children are rarely afraid of thunder, unless,
indeed, the thunder-claps are so frightful as actually to wound the
organ of hearing. Otherwise, they fear it only when they have been
taught that thunder sometimes wounds or kills. When reason begins to
affright them, let habit reassure them. By a slow and well conducted
process the man or the child is rendered fearless of everything.

In this outset of life, while memory and imagination are still
inactive, the child pays attention only to what actually affects his
senses. The first materials of his knowledge are his sensations. If,
therefore, these are presented to him in suitable order, his memory can
hereafter present them to his understanding in the same order. But as
he attends to his sensations only, it will at first suffice to show him
very clearly the connection between these sensations, and the objects
which give rise to them. He is eager to touch everything, to handle
everything. Do not thwart this restless desire; it suggests to him a
very necessary apprenticeship. It is thus he learns to feel the heat
and coldness, hardness and softness, heaviness and lightness of bodies;
to judge of their size, their shape, and all their sensible qualities,
by looking, by touching, by listening; above all, by comparing the
results of sight with