parts of all the countries in the world: so the addition of the names of places about Timbuctoo, and a minute enumeration of other matters equally important, did not make a sufficiently strong impression on the youthful mind to give any decided advantage in their school examinations.

So also in History, the characters and chief exploits of all the Kings of England were learned from a short and simple history by the classical pupils, and the larger history which the English pupils read served rather to puzzle than to inform. The little history contained as much as they could understand, and what was beyond their comprehension made them forget much that the boys whose attention was less divided easily retained.

As to Orthography, they were in no way improved, because writing, drawing maps and sums, prevented their being as much liable to the correction of the master as when they had nearly all their instruction by word of mouth. With Arithmetic, the same result followed as with History; the Classical pupils advanced as fast as the development of their faculties allowed, and the English class could go no faster.

But did they not read the fine authors of their own language? Yes, they had daily administered what they could never either relish or digest, homœopathic doses of Milton, and Pope, and Cowper; nay more, they were examined in the history of the Church, but all with very little profit; certainly not more than was gained by the

Classical pupils, who still had time to learn six or seven hundred lines of select pieces of poetry. In Writing, their progress was very little greater, because daily exercises and translations written with great care, with a writing lesson twice a week, will suffice to form, and more will only tire the hand.

This, I trust, will be enough to shew why those who confine their attention to English subjects only, will gain but little accession of modern knowledge to compensate for the neglect of the Classics. Because, in short, a boy's mind is not formed for much modern knowledge. "Then, is it formed for ancient?" Certainly not; it is formed for very little knowledge of any kind, and therefore it is that I say, Be content to form, train and discipline the mind, while it is in such a state that all experience shews you waste your time if you try to fill it. Instead of endeavouring to carry out visionary schemes, storing the youthful mind with Useful Knowledge, be satisfied to prepare him to make Knowledge or facts Useful when he has them. Act as if you had a long day's work before you, and devote a portion of the morning of life to sharpening your tools.

Not long since, I was speaking of my experience with Classical and English pupils, to the Author of some popular works, who had been placed in a similar position and his remark was briefly this; "When I have imparted as much instruction in modern subjects as my pupil's mind will bear, I do not know what to do with the rest of the time

:

why should I not be allowed to devote it to Classics, for there is time for both?"

But to revert to the experience which I was relating, I have yet to answer another question, namely, why the training of the mind may not be accomplished by English subjects.

I have already said that the impracticability of training by French and Italian, or German, arose from the unfitness of foreigners for the task. Every schoolboy makes fun of his French master.

With English, you cannot make a child apply rules as with Latin and Greek. He sees his way, and without going step by step, he jumps to a conclusion. Consequently you cannot make him think whereas with Latin he can scarcely take one step without thinking. With the one you can hardly exercise any faculty but the Memory, and that not to the greatest advantage; with the other even the memory is more habitually employed, and tasked in a greater variety of ways, both for general rules and single words, their roots and meanings, all which will tend to make the memory more prompt, ready, and generally available. And as to the Reasoning powers, the habit of applying rules and conjecturing the order and construction of one sentence by observation of its resemblance to others, far exceeds any discipline that is attainable in a mere English class. The pupils to whom I refer, devoted more time than those in the Classical department to solitary occupations, that is, to drawing maps, writing copies, &c., consequently they had less of the class disci

pline, less of the benefit that results from the constant collision and communication with the mind of their master and of each other.

So much have I to relate from one peculiar opportunity of experience, to which I purposed to confine myself, and which I believe I have given so faithfully that some of my old friends will at once recognise time, place, and parties concerned : but to make assurance doubly sure, that no one for lack of knowledge shall ever give his Son any other than a Classical education, I will further add,

1st. That though we might conceive modern or English masters of very superior character and cast of mind, and though we might also imagine a modern class, in which every attempt should be made to make the training equal to that of a Classical school, yet that no man must reckon on meeting with such advantages in practice. There are all kinds and qualities of Schoolmasters. Dionysius, when expelled, kept a school. Milton had a day school in a garret. Undergraduates expelled or plucked, or both, take pupils not uncommonly; and, in fact, just as speculators among the lower orders set up Green-grocers' shops as an occupation requiring little practical knowledge and small capital, to precisely the same opinion do we owe the great number of Schools. Men reason themselves into them perhaps by a kind of negative induction; they think they must be fit for Schoolmasters, because they are sure they are fit for nothing else.

These pretenders escape having their title questioned, chiefly because mankind too generally evince the utmost indifference about the highest interests, and also from an opinion which I wish to correct, that most men know enough to teach a child.

Now I once met one not of the most hopeful of my College friends, and asking if his pupil was yet with him, was answered "No: I could only teach him six months, for in that time I taught him all I knew, and then I thought it only fair to let him try elsewhere." Now seriously there are many men who have equal reason for refusing the responsibility of pupils as my friend, and a very great number indeed, who without being actually bankrupt in lore, have so small a capital as to be very unprofitable persons to deal with; but I will just suppose that, as I expressed it, most masters do know enough, that is, that they have fact enough to impart, and a sufficient stock of scholastic information; but what then? I have already maintained that mere facts and crude knowledge are not the chief points in a boy's education, but mental habits.

Once prove to me that a master is qualified to form the mind and correct the taste of a boy, and I will not ask much about the extent of his reading; because this qualification, as I shall presently shew, involves a sufficient guarantee of a store of available information, or at all events, of a facility and willingness to gain information in all cases of doubt or deficiency, "But what is this qualifica