God, which is the beginning wisdom, holds primacy over grammar;120 besides, devotion to our Lady, mother of purity, will make sure that children are intelligent and docile, and endowed with memory, so that they may learn well”.121
Finally, extra special attention should be given to adolescence, that is to the period between 14-21. According to secular and traditional canons handed down to us by Aristotle in his Rhetoric,
Adolescence is the most dangerous period of life: in fact, adolescents are full of whims and
passions, bold enough to try to get whatever they want; they so much want to go hunting
and horseback riding; they don't think much about useful and necessary things; they are not
careful in managing their money; they do not like being reprimanded, or given advice; they
are easily deceived and just like soft wax, easily moulded to follow vice; they love hanging
out with people of the same age; they easily strike up friendships for the sake of pursuing
pleasures and amusements since they love to laugh and play. Much more is said and might
be said about the nature of adolescents, but their greatest enemy, as the philosopher has
already pointed out, is incontinence of the flesh, namely lust. It is this which plagues them
most.122
A preventive education during infancy and childhood is more decisive than ever. “And certainly, if adolescence is not preceded by a good education, and if the fear of God and the love of virtue have not yet taken root in the youngster’s soul, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for him to win out... If infancy has not been accustomed to carrying the yoke of discipline when the spirit is less daring, nothing much can be expected when older, when the spirit is more robust and stimulated by more powerful interests such as licentiousness and dissolute living”.123At any rate, the norms previously given for religious and moral education should be followed and strengthened: frequent reception of the sacraments; following the advice and the encouragement provided by a wise confessor, including outside of confession; obedience to one's father. “The father of the family should be aware of the fact that he has the duty to hold on to his authority with his son and the respect due to him, to the point that his own son should not be able to realise, in a certain sense, that he has left his childhood. But a father should not deal with his son as though he were still a little child. This demands that he should have much prudence, so he should take a middle-of-the-road approach, not treating the young man too harshly so that love may not be in question, but not treating him too indulgently either, so that fear may not disappear. Instead he should be serious and moderate”.124
Still, a pedagogy of restraint, preservation and vigilance would be needed: an adolescent should be warned ahead of time to be on guard as far as “bad and corrupt companions, bad company” are concerned. Consequently, the father of a family should take the greatest care and be vigilant lest his son be caught up with “suspicious associations, dangerous friends”.125 He should encourage him to “strike up friendships with those who are good, with deeply virtuous types and not at all with friendships leading to vice, cemented by the bond of charity, sincere love, and not by interest or brief and passing pleasure; he should strike up friendships especially with his father’s friends126; with people of his own age too, if the diligent eyes of the father are keeping an eye on him;127 he should
120ibid, book 3, Ch. 35, sheet 146v-147r. Come i maestri debbiano esercitar cotidiamente i fanciulli nella pietà cristiana. 121ibid; cf book 2, Ch. 35, sheet 52r-v, Della particolar divotione verso la Santissima Madre di Dio.
122 ibid, book 3, Ch. 53, sheet 158r-v. De i pericoli della adolescenza.
123ibid, book 3I, Ch. 53, sheet 18v.
124 ibid, book 3, Ch. 54, sheet 158v-159v. Della conrinuatione degli esercitij christiani, et della riverenza verso del padre. 125ibid, book 3, Ch. 55, sheet 159v-160v. Quanto spetialmente nella adolescenza siano pericolose le male prattiche. 126 S. Antoniano, book 3, Ch. 56, sheet 160v-161r. Della utilità delle buone prattiche, et amicitie; cf. Ch. 57 sheet 161r-v,
Della conversatione del figliuolo di famiglia con gli amici paterni.
127 ibid, book 3, Ch. 58, sheet 161v-162r. Della conversatione con i giovani eguali; cf. Ch 59, sheet 162v-163r, Della
conditione de gli amici, et offitij dell’amicitia.