as an animal, with nutritive food, muscular out-door exercise, and plenty of sleep; and do this, and this only, for some years." We allude to the subject of precocity thus early, in treating of intellectual training, because its indications often appear in very early infancy, and erroneous treatment cannot be too soon avoided. Before two years of age, much important intellectual education is going on. It is not the education of books; it is gradual introduction to surrounding objects. How early the eyes are used to gaze at, and the hands stretched out to grasp and become familiar with, every thing presented or observed, need not be here insisted on. A judicious nurse will direct this impulse of nature, and much assist this self-education, so that the earliest impressions may be made by such objects as form the materials of existence, and their qualities, never to be effaced in after life; while the observing faculties will have a healthier growth, by means of an easy and pleasingly directed exercise. Modern educationists have often complained of a prevalent want, in people of all ages, of what may be called observativeness-the power or rather habit of noticing what is before and around us. Multitudes pass through life, of whom it may be said that they have missed four objects in five which came in their way. This could be met in early infancy by taking the proper means of establishing habits of observation. "Look here" "see this," "feel that;" "weigh the other thing?" "what beautiful colours," "smell that flower," should be the simple and constant lessons of the nurse; and she would find both the intellect and dispositions of the child improved by such exercise. The contrast, in after life, between children so trained, and those who never observe any thing, would be both striking and instructive. (1) FROM TWO TO SIX YEARS OF AGE.-Intellectually prepared by the nurse up to the point at which we have arrived when the child has reached the age of two years, and when, if it can by any means be so arranged, he or she should join an infant school-the intellectual education will, so to speak, take a more scholastic form. The lessons will be somewhat more systematic, and suited for the simultaneous attention of numbers. But still the caution will never be lost sight of, that, from two to six, the intellectual exercises should be light and attractive, and never long continued at one time; air, exercise, and play, regularly alternating with instruction. The paramount object at that period of life, let it never be forgotten, is moral training; to which object companions of the same age, in considerable number, are as essential as light is to the exercise of the eyes, or air to that of the lungs. Benevolence, truth, justice, honesty, attachment, all imply companions. Although, at that age, the intellectual training is secondary, when compared with the moral, yet, without tasking the infant faculties, without giving to the pursuits any character less attractive than regulated play, a great degree of intellectual acquisition and improvement may be realised. The introduction which the child has received in the nursery to the material world, will form a stage in his progress for the more systematic teaching from two to six years of age. Objects will still be the materiel of his studies; but they will be so arranged and classed as to conduct him through a complete knowledge of the external features, qualities, and uses short of their chemical composition-of nearly all the objects with which ordinary life is conversant;-simple objects, parts of objects, objects natural and artificial, mineral, vegetable, animal, with their parts, conditions, differences, agreements, manufacture, and abstract qualities, and classification of objects by resemblances and differences. In these exercises several hundred useful ideas may be imparted; all of them made real by the connexion of each with some material type. Simultaneously and incidentally, the words expressing the objects and their qualities, &c., will be given, and, in connexion with the object, will never be for gotten. Incidentally, too, the word will be exhibited printed, and so read as well as pronounced, and likewise spelled. The letters of the alphabet will be separately taught as objects. This learning of things and words together will be found beneficial as to both. When the senses are explained, which we assume has been done, the exercise will be easy and improving which connects the objects with each sense, or with several at a time; in other words, whether the pupil has seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted, or weighed, the object or its quality. Thus, without a task, almost insensibly, and as it were at play, the child, in four years, will have attained a sum of knowledge of great extent and value, which will form the basis of an enlarged mind in after life, and prepare for the future acquisitions of science and philosophy. The rule should be rigidly observed, that no object in nature or art should ever be spoken of to a child without an endeavour being made to present it to him either in reality, model, or drawing, and this practice should be continued till the object has become familiar to him. Between two and six, besides the acquisition of knowledge of objects, much elementary knowledge may be gradually, easily, and almost insensibly, imparted ;the simpler geography-arithmetic by means of Wilderspin's ball-frame, or arithmeticon-the pence-tableweights and measures-letters, syllables, words, lessons on pictures, of animals, &c.-lessons on maxim's moral and prudential-anecdotes and stories with a moral and improving tendency, told elliptically, that is, by words being left out for the children to supply, &c. At this age the vocal powers and musical ear should be exercised, which is both amusing and instructive to the children; many of the lessons may be sung. Much knowledge of common and useful things, connected with life and manners, may be communicated at this age, with an impression that will never be effaced. Lessons, too, connected with exercise in the practice, may be given on the benefits of cleanliness, ventilation, temperance, with all the evil effects of their contraries; while prejudices, fallacies, tyrannies, cruelties, unfairnesses, selfishnesses, bad habits, &c., all of which operate so mischievously on society, may be met by anticipation in lessons and counter-practice, so as to be avoided in after life. It is plain that the moral and intellectual training must proceed hand in hand. (2) FROM SIX TO FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE. In a rightly arranged and complete course of elementary intellectual education, it is presumed that the period from two to six years of age has been spent in an infant-school. The effect which such a preparation has in facilitating the subsequent operations of the teacher is so great, that every effort should be made to give children the advantage of it. From six to fourteen is the period of the elementary schools. This is the time during which children, besides having their moral education carried on efficiently, are to be introduced to those branches of instruction which are necessary for the business of life-a process which includes within itself the exercise and development of the intellectual faculties, and the formation of habits of intellectual application and taste. The two great questions are, what is to be taught? and how are we to teach it? Mother tongue-the power of reading it, acquaintance with its grammatical structure, and with the exact meanings of its words, and the power of composing it with fluency and eleganceis certainly entitled to the first attention. There are three modes of teaching it. First, the old practice of instructing children in it by rote, without regarding whether they ever thoroughly comprehend a single syllable of it, or are ultimately able to make the least use of it. Second, what is called the Explanatory Method, practised in the Edinburgh Sessional School and many other seminaries, whereby it is at least secured that the pupils have some synonyme for every term that comes under their notice, so as to give some reason to believe that they understand it. Third, the Exhibitory Method, which adds to other expedients that of showing, in all possible cases, the objects referred to in lessons, or at least presenting drawings of them on a black board or otherwise. Considering how little the young are prepared for the abstract, and how eagerly, under a natural impulse, they grasp at the tangible, we need scarcely say that the last method appears to us as one of which advantage should be taken as far as possible. The first step may be a regular series of lessons on the consonants, single and compound, as they occur both at the beginnings and ends of words. In the selection of monosyllabic words for this purpose, care should be taken, for obvious reasons, to avoid such as refer to coarse and mean ideas. The powers of single vowels being thus also taught, it will be proper next to advance to words in which double vowels or digraphs are exemplified; and so on, as in the work here referred to. (3) The lessons for practice should consist of sentences of such a nature as to admit of amusing explanation and illustration by sketches on the black board, and by sensible objects. what is read-proved by searching examination, and illustratively aided by real objects. What is called the elliptical method is here much used, the child supplying the omitted words, and receiving, according to the skill and information of the teacher, much collateral information. Very simple ideas only ought to be called up, and such matters alluded to as may be supposed to interest and encourage the dawning faculties. We cannot too earnestly recommend the practice of illustration by pictures and sensible objects. The black board and chalk should be in constant use, and every teacher should qualify himself to draw ready off-hand sketches. The rudest outline done on the spot excites more interest than the finest engraving. The lessons themselves, in detail, are given in the work here referred to. (5) The curiosity of young persons is necessarily first excited by the things which lie most immediately around them, and the cir cumstances and procedure of familiar life. These are the subjects of their earliest inquiries, and it is extremely desirable that clear, distinct, and correct ex 1. Names of things will perhaps be best explained byplanations of them should be invariably given. Most showing the object itself, or its picture, and by asking the children to tell what they know about the object. Their own simple definitions are very often the best. 2. Names of qualities, by requesting children to name objects that have the quality. For example, to explain deep-"Tell me any thing that is deep." The following have been named—“ The sea, a well, a coal-pit, a canal." 3. Names of actions, by performing the action named, or describing it by some interesting anecdote, so as to show practically the meaning of the word. These suggestions may by some be considered trifling and childish, but a proper trial is requested, and the result will show whether children make more real improvement by the above simple and obvious expedients, or by etymological crudities and dictionary definitions. (4) Grammar will incidentally accompany the reading, in the form of parsing. By what is called the incidental method much advantage is gained; knowledge of an object and its qualities is obtained; its name is pronounced, written down, and read; while its description is read and parsed; all which exercises, instead of impeding, actually aid and facilitate each other. A judicious extension of the incidental method may be made one of the most important means of advancing popular education. Learning to spell orally columns of a book, is a waste of time and an irksome labour. We spell only when we write; and the power is really not attained by the old school exercise of spelling, but by reading; the words become familiar to the eye as specific forms. No one who reads much can remain a bad orthographer; and no one writes much who has not previously read much more. parents of intelligent and well-regulated minds take care that such should be the nature of the answers given to the first inquiries of children; but it is needless to point out, that many persons who have children under their care, either possess not the ability, or have not the necessary leisure, or will not be at the pains, to give correct and satisfactory answers. Lessons should be given which aim strictly at an explanation of exter nal appearances in the natural and social world. Prin ciples are for subsequent study. The subjects may be such as the following:-Of God and the works of crea tion; of animated creatures; of mankind; of the coun try; processes of husbandry; inanimate objects of all common kinds. (6) In elementary education, after some progress has been made in the power of reading, the different conditions of a child at about seven, and at from ten to fourteen years of age, suggest the necessity of two series or courses of instruction-one of a simple, primer-like character, the other more advanced, but both going over nearly the same ground. This is the more necessary, as so many children are taken from school about ten years of age. In the construction of a series of school-books, already more than once quoted, we have proceeded so far upon this arrangement, most of the volumes of the advanced course being fore shadowed in that which may be called the preliminary. We observe the same arrangement on the present occasion. Preliminary. Introduction to Geography. The pupil having, in the infant school, had some instruction in the simplest elements of geography, may, in his seventh or eighth Simple Lessons in Reading. The child may now year, pursue the study more regularly. Lessons may make a step forward in the art of reading and spel- now be given which will suit those whose education ling, and be prepared for more methodical intellec- allows but a small portion of time for geographytual culture. At the same time, in order to amuse, lessons calculated to impress a fair measure of that and induce reading for the pleasure it communicates, most useful knowledge even on the future manual the subjects of the lessons should be of that species labourer. These need not give copious lists of locaof narrative which delights the infant mind, bearing, lities, capes, bays, districts, and towns, it being prein each case, a reference to the perceptions of the sumed that the learner has maps before him on which pupil, or tending to encourage in him a love of the he will be exercised. He cannot, moreover, be intro beautiful in nature. Instead of the old unprofitable duced too early to the GLOBE, for the spherical as well reading and spelling in schools, the improved plan of as relative position of its great divisions, with their instruction in English consists of-First, Correct read- latitude and longitude. Proportion should also be iming, dividing and spelling of words; meaning by spell-pressed upon him; this is apt to be confused by maps ing, not the laborious and useless committal to me- of different sizes. The relative situation of countries mory of whole columns of spelled words, but, 1, nam- need not be much adverted to, that being best learned ing letters singly by their powers, grouping them into on the maps. The chief attention should be devoted to syllables, and these again into words, so as to read a the characters, physical and political, of the countries. language; 2, putting down letters on paper, in proper The plan should be followed of treating, generally, in number, order, &c., so as to produce a combination ex- the first place, of the plants, animals, and races of men, pressive of sound, and thus write a language. Spelling in the different regions; and, in the second, of the most is acquired by constant practice in reading, writing from important particulars peculiar to each country, which dictation, copying pieces from good authors, composing cannot be brought under general heads. With the and correcting original essays, and performing syste-maps and globe always before the pupil, much useful matic grammatical exercises. Second, Understanding information may by this method be conveyed. (9) Writing. This is entirely an art, to be acquired by practice, with the assistance, first of a skilled teacher, to train to the mode of sitting, of holding the pen, &c.; and, second, of suitable exemplars of the various kinds of writing. A free and bold practice with chalk upon a black board would probably form a good introduction to the art of writing. It was by such means, under the guidance of his father, that the celebrated Porson acquired that accomplishment of singularly elegant writing, for which he was scarcely less remarkable than for his extraordinary attainments in classical liteIntroduction to Arithmetic.-The simplest elements of arithmetic are presumed also to have been taught in the infant school, by means of the instrument called the Arithmeticon. In this early school period, it may be pursued by means of regular exercises wrought upon slates, according to the rules presented in an appropriate book. An active teacher may also do much for this part of school education by conducting mental exercises, or exercises in which no sensible figures are used. It is found an excellent discipline for giving habits of attention and concentration. rature. Introduction to English Composition.-The pupil may be, at this early period, introduced to English composition. We recommend the modern plan of teaching the rules last. Let the pupil successively compose and write down nouns; then their qualities, or adjectives; then the action or change, or verbs. He has been a composer from the moment he began as a child to prattle. Let him go on, and he will insensibly infer the essential laws of language, by his own experience and his teacher's hints, more rationally and more thoroughly than from a system of grammatical rules, necessarily dry, irksome, and repulsive. In giving these lessons on composition, the following suggestions will be attended to:-1. It is suggested that, previously to a pupil's entering on composition, he should spend a few weeks in copying, with great accuracy, short pieces in prose from some good author. This will give the habit of neatness and exactness in the use of points, capitals, &c., and, if carefully managed, will form an excellent preliminary exercise. 2. Each pupil should be provided with a quantity of common paper for the scroll copy, an exercise-book for transcribing, and this text-book. 3. Let the teacher place fifteen or twenty familiar objects on a table or desk before the class, and request the pupils to comply with the direction in the first lesson, by writing on the spot the names of the articles; and so on with the other lessons, in order. 4. When the lists are finished, they should be exchanged, and each pupil should correct the spelling, &c., of his neighbour's work. 5. This done, the papers may be returned to their owners, for the purpose of their reviewing the criticisms; and all should be encouraged to protest against false corrections. 6. The teacher should then pass round the class, deciding disputed points, explaining the ground of each decision, questioning the pupils, and allowing them freely to question him. 7. The scroll-copy, thus corrected, should be taken home by its owner, neatly transcribed into the exercise-book, which, duly dated, should be handed to the teacher next day. 8. The teacher may then mark the errors in the transcript, asking the pupils to show the cause of each correction. 9. The exercise-book should then be returned to the owner, with a number (in the teacher's handwriting) indicating the rank of the exercise. 10. At the end of each lesson, the pupils should be questioned on the parts of speech employed, meaning of words, knowledge gained, &c. 11. The pupils should use black ink in writing the exercise, and red in correcting. teacher's criticisms, remarks, and numbers, should be in blue ink. These distinctions, though apparently trifling, will be found important. 12. Three or four lessons may be given weekly, according to circumstances. Less than half an hour will suffice for writing each exercise, and little more than that time will be required for correction. The lessons will proceed from objects to qualities and actions, each embracing a very The wide field of exercise. The derivation of words from other languages, or ETYMOLOGY, both simple and compound, may, at the same time, be an incidental exercise. (10) At Introduction to the Sciences.-The pupil has hitherto been conversant with the external features of objects, and the ordinary uses to which they are put. the age of nine or ten he may be gradually introduced to philosophical principles-to a connected and systematic view of nature, the most obvious parts of which it is composed, and the laws by which it is governed. The subjects will be-the extent of the material world; the stars, solar system, the earth as a planet, the moon, eclipses, masses of matter their attractions and motions; the earth-its general super'ficial features, its structure; the soil, the atmosphere, heat, light, electricity, and magnetism; evaporation, clouds, rain, frost, ice, snow, the winds; elements of matter-their combinations; the vegetable creation; animal creation; man-his general character and history, his bodily nature, his mental nature. (7) Rudiments of Music.-About this stage of education, the pupil may be introduced to the principles and rules of vocal music. This is invariably a branch of education in several continental countries, and is attracting marked attention in Britain. In the infant school we have already recommended simple singing by the ear; the pupil may now not only study musical rules, but learn to sing from notes.* Advanced. Geography. A year or two after the pupil has mastered the Geographical Primer, he may proceed to study geography in a more enlarged and generally informing manner. Taking England as the first of a series of countries, he will study its situation, extent, division, and general detail of localities; after which will come its physical geography, including superficial features, climate, soil, and vegetable productions, minerals, animals, natural curiosities; next, its historical geography, including remarkable events, antiquities; its political geography, including its civil state, revenue, army and navy, and ecclesiastical state; its social geography, including its national character, language, literature, arts and sciences, manufactures and commerce. In thus studying the geography of particular countries, a constant reference to maps is necessary. By having these sufficiently large, and the natural features strongly marked, as in the series here referred to (26), a whole class can learn at once. Arithmetic and Grammar.—These branches are now pursued on more comprehensive plans, and with a deeper investigation of principles. In connexion with the former stands book-keeping; with the latter etymology and composition-all of which will now be thoroughly mastered, as technicalities of the greatest importance for the business of life. Drawing. This is an art, of the same character as writing, less imperatively necessary, but yet entitled to more attention than is generally paid to it. Its elements may be acquired by all, and are calculated to be useful in many circumstances throughout life. These may be taught by the use of chalk upon a We are far from being satisfied with the means yet practised for teaching vocal music in schools. Very encouraging progress is making in London by Mr Hullah, under the eye of Dr Kay, the able and excellent Secretary of the Committee of Privy-Council, sanctioned by the Committee. The method employed by Mr Hullah is the synthetic method of M. Wilhem's work, published in Paris under the sanction of the Minister of Public Instruction. The method is successfully practised in the school for teachers at Kay; and a singing school for teachers, on that method, approved Battersea, established and almost exclusively supported by Dr by the committee, has been established in Exeter Hall. The their minutes devotes eleven octavo pages to a minute description committee have published the first part of a Manual; and one of of the organisation of singing schools on the Wilhem method. We much approve of the system, and trust it may lead to the uni. versal introduction of good vocal music into education. black board. The objects should be the simplest de- When he has become familiar with the mechanics of lineations of common things, beginning with practice solids, he will proceed to the study of the laws of fluids, in straight and curved lines, and proceeding to a pal- including the aëriform fluids. The hydrostatical part ing, a wall, a gate, a guide-post, a house, a rustic embraces pressure of water, levels, specific gravity, bridge, utensils, tools, and implements, flowers, pat-fluid support, &c. Under hydraulics-the hydraulic terns, and animals. On the black board, the chalk, press, aqueducts, fountains, friction between fluids and compasses, and rule, may be employed; on the slate, solids, action of water in rivers, waves, change of temonly the hand and eye should be used at this stage of perature, &c. the young pupil's progress. Deeper lines will show Under pneumatics are comprised-the atmosphere, foregrounds-lighter, backgrounds; and thus the first laws of air, pressure of air, the air-pump, pressure of notions may be given of aerial perspective. By ren-air on solids and liquids, on mercury; the barometer, dering universal some instruction in drawing of common pumps, siphons, steam, latent heat, winds, sea and land objects, real talent, where it exists, will never be con- breezes, ventilation, diving-bell, buoyant property d cealed; while much pleasure will be derived from aëriform fluids, balloons. (17) efforts far short of those of the higher order of genius. (11) The pupil will in due time advance to the elements of drawing and perspective, and the art of sketching from nature. (12) Terms in the art of perspective should be explained to him, and figures delineated, which are nothing more than the simpler geometrical diagrams. The sector, visual rays, points of sight, all the rules of perspective, should be plainly and intelligibly laid down. Black-lead pencil drawing, characters of foliage, light and shade, and tinting; styles and modes of treatment in sketching from nature, both landscape and figures, with the rules for arrangement and effect, should all be made plain to and practised by the pupil, the teacher guiding his efforts. We may remark here, and the observation is of general application, that the teacher must keep in mind that intellectual powers are bestowed on different individuals in different degrees; and such differences must be allowed for. It will soon be seen whether the pupil possesses powerfully the drawing or pictorial faculties. If he does not, he should never be pushed beyond the simplest elements of the art. The same is true of other branches of study. Optics, Acoustics, and Astronomy, will complete a course of natural philosophy. Chemistry. It will now be time to lay a foundation for the pupil's future progress in chemical science, and at the same time impart to him a practical knowledge of the chemical laws and operations which are at work around him in daily life. (14) Such are respiration, combustion, heat, light, water, poisonous gases; these are all matters upon which comfort, health, and life itself, may depend. The teacher should begin with showing experiments, and should be possessed of a museum of substances and chemical agents, with an apparatus. Animal Physiology. The important purpose served by including this subject in juvenile education, is the preservation of health, not its restoration when lost; the prevention of disease, not its cure, with which last the ignorant cannot be trusted. It ought to be im pressed as a maxim, that although we ought not to be our own doctors, we need not be our own destroyers. We ourselves can bear testimony to the successful and gratifying introduction of this study in a Scottish parish school in Falkirk, under the care of Mr Downie; and to the interest taken by the pupils of both sexes, from nine to twelve years of age, in the lessons, which are illustrated, as they ought always to be, by diagrams. (13) Mental Philosophy.-This is a department of science which it is the fashion of our age to overlook. Yet what can be more important than a knowledge of that wonderful power by which we think and act, and which more especially connects us with the things above and beyond this humble and transitory scene? No service able manual as yet exists for imparting a knowledge of mind in schools; but an intelligent master has it in his power to do much by oral instruction. Natural or Mechanical Philosophy.-The pupil, now advancing to his eleventh and twelfth year, may proceed to the elements of mechanical philosophy, by custom, though too extensively, called natural philosophy or phy sics; seeing that, under that denomination, chemistry and even natural history have as good a claim to be ranked. It is a question whether this branch of physical science, or chemistry, should be studied first. We think they may, in their elements, proceed together; but if singly, it seems rather more natural to attend to the more visible and tangible properties and powers of matter, unchanged in its substance, than to those that require a change in the constitution of matter, often its de- Mathematics. This important branch of study canstructive analysis, to ascertain its composition. All not be omitted in elementary education. In its widest should be familiar with the laws of matter and motion-sense, it is that science which treats of measurable with matter's impenetrability, extension, figure, divisi- quantity, in magnitude and in number. Geometry is bility, inertia, attraction, cohesion, capillary attraction, the branch of mathematics which treats of that species chemical attraction, magnetic attraction, gravitation, of quantity called magnitude, both theoretically and repulsion, heat, evaporation, contraction, ignition, practically. Theoretical geometry investigates the redensity, specific gravity, compressibility, elasticity, dila- lations and properties of magnitudes in three dimentability; with motion and forces, weight in falling sions-as lines, surfaces, and solids. Although magbodies, centre of gravity, pendulum, centrifugal force, nitudes have no material existence, they may be repreprojectiles, action and reaction, motion in elastic sented by diagrams. That branch of geometry which bodies, reflected motion, composition of motion and of relates to magnitudes described on a plane, is called forces. (15) Plane Geometry. This requires six elementary booksMechanics and Machinery.-The pupil, after having a book on the quadrature and rectification of the circle, attained a competent knowledge of the above particu- a book on geometrical maxima and minima, an expolars, may proceed to study the mechanical powers, and sition of the method of geometrical analysis, and an their philosophy-the lever, pulley, and inclined plane, additional second and fifth book. The basis of the first which are the primary mechanical powers; while from six books should be the Elements of Euclid, as given in the lever and inclined plane come the other three, or the very correct edition by Simpson, with the improved secondary mechanical powers-the wheel and axle from fifth book by Playfair, and the other improvements of the lever, and the wedge and the screw from the in- the latter geometrician contained in his original edition clined plane. The combinations of mechanical powers, of Euclid's Elements. The pupil will proceed with the defriction, human labour, horse-power, draught, water-finitions, postulates, and axioms. (18) Solid and sphe power, and steam-power, and all the science of machinery, will naturally follow. (16) Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, and Pneumatics, will next in order engage the pupil's attention; and he should not be suffered to proceed without having mastered, by the test of strict and searching examination, the previous subjects, which form a series. rical geometry and conic sections (19) will next engage the pupil; and, finally, the elements of algebra. (0) Elocution may be the next pursuit of the pupil. In this branch of study, the subjects of articulation, inflection, modulation, and the measure of speech, will be familiarly explained. (25) History, &c.-History and biography are important branches of information, of which it is well to acquire | the acquirement of one or two ancient languages, and the elements at school. The history of the mother country, its literature, and great men, has the most immediate claim upon attention, after which come the histories of the countries to which geographical and political circumstances, or any other cause, have given importance in our estimation. (21 22 23 24) Natural History.-As a study for the two last years of the fourteen, ought to be reserved natural history, which is better understood, and more beneficially acquired, after than before the study of the elements of chemistry and mechanical philosophy. The pupil, in this branch, will learn to distinguish the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms; the atmosphere and its phenomena; the winds, the ocean with its tides and currents; the discoveries of geology; the nature of animals and plants, &c. Political Economy.-A pupil who has entered his fourteenth year, with his mind stored with the knowledge and strengthened by the exercise of the education we have described, should be introduced to the elementary principles of political economy. Society suffers in its vital interests from the prevalence of ignorance and prejudice in this great field of speculation and action. Logic. The elements of logic appear to us to form the appropriate conclusion to our practical elementary course from six to fourteen. All that precedes it is knowledge, and as such chiefly addressed to the knowing faculties of the mind. But man has also reflecting faculties; and it constitutes the chief end and object of our knowledge to furnish these with materials for their exercise, which is called reasoning. This, the highest operation of mind, is regulated by laws in the nature of things, which right reason both discovers and obeys. These laws systematised constitute the science, practically the art, of logic. The pupil, while he masters its principles, should be well exercised in their applica tion. Religion. The first principles of religion are understood to have been imparted under the circumstances indicated in our section on moral education. In a school course, due provision must be made to carry out this all-important department. Looking only to what the principles of education ask from us on this point, we would direct, first, the continuation of the method formerly described; next, daily scripture reading; next, a subjection of the individual pupils to the agency of the ordinary means of diffusing religious knowledge and maintaining religious impressions.* Languages. Though it is a great error to regard * CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE. 1. Infant Treatment under Two Years of Age. 4. Second Book of Reading. 5. Simple Lessons in Reading. 6. Rudiments of Knowledge. 7. Introduction to the Sciences. & The Moral Class-Book. 9. A Geographical Primer. 10. Introduction to English Composition. 11. First Book of Drawing. 12. Second Book of Drawing. 13 Animal Physiology. 14. Rudiments of Chemistry. 15. Natural Philosophy, First Book. 16. Natural Philosophy, Second Book. 17. Natural Philosophy, Third Book. 18. Elements of Plane Geometry. 19. Solid and Spherical Geometry. 20. Elements of Algebra. 21. History and Present State of the British Empire. 22. Exemplary and Instructive Biography. 23. History of the English Language and Literature. 24. History of Greece. 23. Principles of Elocution. 26. School-Room Maps of England, Ireland, Scotland, Europe, Asia, Palestine, North America, South America, Africa, and the Hemispheres. a school study of a few of the books written in them, as constituting a liberal education, unquestionably a liberal education ought to include that acquirement and that study. The commencement of a classical course, as it is called, may be made during the latter part of the elementary period; but it should mainly be postponed till after fourteen, when the comparative ripeness of the mind enables a pupil to acquire more of this kind of knowledge, and that more effectually, in one year, than in three or four at an earlier stage. The study of the classical languages is a special education, required by those whose occupations are to be of a philosophical or literary character. In an expressly literary education, they would always form a conspicuous element. And the refining effect which the admirable productions of the Grecian and Roman writers is calculated to have upon the minds of all must be at once admitted. The abuse of these languages in education has been solely in their being made the sum and substance of all education, and, though in a less degree, in their being taught at a period of life when it is impossible to experience their softening and improving influence. MECHANISM FOR EDUCATION. The mechanism for education may be said to be of two kinds-that which is furnished in the family circle, and that which is furnished by public establishments. The mother is an educator of nature's appointment, and the first. To her falls the duty of securing the sound organisation of the infant, as far as it can be done by obedience to nature's rules before and after his birth. She has the duty of drawing his senses and intellectual faculties into that gentle exercise which gives them vivacity without being attended by danger, and that of establishing the basis of regular and correct moral habits. For all these purposes she is in a position of great influence; for her infant, accustomed to look chiefly and most immediately to her for protection, kindness, and every comfort, is unavoidably disposed to pay to her that veneration on which genuine influence depends. She is, as has been well said, the DEITY of the child, and nothing but a sad misuse of her own feelings can prevent her from being all-powerful over him for the regulation of the whole economy of his being, at least during the first two or three years of his life. So far as moral education depends, as we have shown, on moral atmosphere, and the influence of immediate example, the importance of home as a part of the mechanism of education must be acknowledged. Before the period of school attendance, home is all in all: thereafter, it still continues to bear a great share in the duty. The formation of moral habits, and the developinent of religious feelings, will depend much on what is done in these respects in the family circle. Parents may even serve as aids to the business of school, to a degree of which they have in general little conception. First, they may do much in the way of enforcing and providing for that important requisite, regular attendance. Second, they may strengthen the hands of the teacher by paying him a proper respect. Compared with these objects, the mere superintendence of lessons given out to be learned at home, is, though itself important, a trifle. There is a tendency in parents to be over-easy in the admission of excuses for attending school; and they often take away their children for a considerable time, for reasons affecting their own conveniency and pleasure. It is also not uncommon for them to look down upon teachers, and speak of them, and even to them, in no very respectful terms. All these are errors of a fatal character, seeing that they weaken the school mechanism in some of its most important requisites. A child becomes a fit subject for the education of public establishments at two years of age. From this age till six, he should, if possible, attend an infant school. The infant school, although a modern invention, is a |