BY WILLIAM BUTLER, = TEACHER OF WRITING, ACCOUNTS, AND GEOGRAPHY, The knowledge of numbers is neceffary for every one who is acquainted with Arithmetic is of fo general ufe, in all parts of life and buGnefs, that fcarcely LOCKE. He that requires the attention and application of children, fhould endeavour to THE FIFTH EDITION, ENLARGED. Ibid. 2-10-43 PREFACE. T has been well remarked, that "it is every his beft endeavours, however infignificant, to leave it as much wifer and as much better as he can." If this obfervation inculcates a general duty, it applies with peculiar force to perfons engaged in inftruction by their profeffion. Viewing the admonition in this obligatory light, I conftantly endeavour to render the feveral parts of my profeffional occupation as fubfervient to the great end that it aims to promote, as their nature will admit. Upon this plan most of the following questions have been compofed, which, with feveral others of a fimilar kind, but on a more confined scale, have been long diftributed among my own fcholars; and I have often had the fatisfaction of finding them fignally inftrumental in inspiring a defire of more extensive and circumstantial information. hope of rendering the queftions more generally ufeful, and a defire of removing the toil of frequent transcription, are my motives for the publication of them. I am nevertheless, aware, that the accomplishment of the former far more important view muft depend greatly upon the exertions of the teacher. Should he, inheriting the apathy of Mrs. Shandy, efteem it a matter of utter indifference, "whether the world turns round or ftands ftill;" he will, of courfe, benefit his pupils just as much by the common fums, as by A 2 A any any that could be felected for him. But other inftructors, poffeffing more animation and zeal, will occafionally require minute accounts of the hiftorical, geographical, chronological, and other fubjects which had before ferved as arithmetical themes. They will, perhaps, with the author, deem the time when the fcholars are affembled in claffes to repeat their tables (which, I fhall take for granted, is always once a week) the beft fuited for promoting general emulation, and diffeminating the defired knowledge among fuch as are lefs diligent, or lefs advanced. For this purpose I have found it highly beneficial to my pupils to give them a task out of the Index, enjoining them to acquire a perfect knowledge of the words, the exact fituation of the places, &c. &c. that may occur in the refpective parts of their leffons. The Queftions for Examination are employed alternately, in the fame manner, and alfo occafionally afked when the fums are prefented for infpection. It is, * It will not, I truft, be thought irrelevant to the prefent fubject to remark in this place, that, befides the method here recommended, of an attempt to diffufe, in a small degree at leaft, general knowledge, through the medium of a particular branch of education, a WRITING-MASTER has it, moreover, in his power, to introduce much mifcellaneous information into the schools that he attends, by means of a judicious choice of copies for the fenior pupils t, particularly geographical ones, (both facred and profane) and fuch as contain hiftorical facts, biographical anecdotes, &c. relative to places, rivers, and the like. These examples being tranfcribed by the scholar, committed to memory, the refpective places fought in an atlas (a purfuit which will always afford great entertainment) and then recited to the mafter, at the times above Specified, the pupil, withal, being enjoined to relate in what particular part of the map, fection of the globe, &c. the places were found, will, in a fhort time, and with very little additional trouble to either + See the Preface to my engraved Introduction to Arithmetic. party, is, however, confeffed, that the methods now propofed are impracticable in their full extent, except on the fuppofition that, during the master's abfence, the fenior pupils have accefs to books which treat more largely of some of the subjects recommended to their ftudy. The mention of this circumftance naturally leads me to advert to the great utility of a fchool-library for the ufe of thofe fcholars. * In party, be found to furnish even fuch as do not learn geography fcientifically, with a confiderable portion of the knowledge in queftion, and tend to imprefs, almoft indelibly, upon the minds of thofe who do, the most valuable part of the leffons which they periodically receive in this delightful fudy. Let me add, that this is not a mere fpeculative, theoretical plan, but one the practicability and fuccefs of which have been fanc tioned by more than forty years extenfive experience. nus circumftauced, I may, without an inexcufable prefumption, confider myself as having earned the privilege of fpeaking with fome degree of confidence on the fubject. I do therefore moft earneftly recommend to the younger part of my profeffional brethren, the adoption of a fimilar mode of inftruction, as a certain way of augmenting their usefulness in life, of gratifying the intelligent part of their connexions, and of infallibly premoting their own intereft and reputation. * To a library properly furnished, the parents of fuch chil dren as are capable of benefiting by it, could not reafonably object to fubfcribe 10s. 6d. a year; a fum which, in a tolerably large fchool, would, in no great length of time, completely reimburse the governefs for the expence incurred by the first purchase of the books, and enable her to make occafional additions. In the former Editions of this Volume, I had fuggefled hints for the formation of a library suitable to the female mind and manners; but fo many works of merit have recently been added to the ftores of polite literature, and the talk of recommending fome of these for felection in preference to others, might appear fo invidious, that I fhall presume on the good fenfe, tafte, and discrimination of the governeffes, for making their refpective bibliothecal arrangements; only obferving, in general terms, that they fhould comprife books of General History, Biography, Geography, Voyages and Tra A 3 vels, |