Dr. Collier's Histories. I. NEW JUNIOR CLASS-BOOK. HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, With Copious Questions. By W. F. COLLIER, LL.D. 12mo, 208 pages, cloth. Price 1s. 6d. NOTE TO TEACHERS. The Questions appended to this work will be found of great use, not only for classexamination, but also as the headings for easy Exercises in Composition. Every teacher is aware of the suggestive force upon intelligent children of well arranged questions. They not only recall the information received, but prompt its expression in a variety of forms, which prove that the pupil has made it his own. It is suggested, therefore, that—especially in schools where the teacher has more than one class to superintend—the questions be used as Notanda, from which to compose a short narrative of the events recorded in each chapter or section. Before commencing, the teacher should draw attention to the points brought forward in each lesson; note the train of thought running through the narrative; warn against the frequent or improper use of conjunctions; insist, especially in the earlier stages of such Exercises, on clear expression in short sentences; and then leave each pupil entirely to his own resources. As a really good Exercise must not only be correct in spelling, in grammar, and in the statement of facts, but should likewise manifest thought in variety of expression, or in the filling up of the outlines, it is obvious that all Exercises should be examined by the teacher himself. This will be best done when the pupil is at his side, by pointing out and suggesting the appropriate correction of inaccuracies, want of clearness or force of expression, and whatever in any degree renders the language of the Exercise less effective in conveying the intended meaning. It is scarcely necessary to say that the Exercises are meant chiefly for those who may not have formally entered on the study of English Composition. With even little technical knowledge of English grammar, the boy who feels interested in a story will repeat or reproduce it with few or no important modifications. Indeed any such changes will make the narrative from him more natural than the mere transcript or verbatim rehearsal of the original would be. As a first Exercise, the Interrogative form of the questions may be simply changed to the Indicative, with any other alterations that may be necessary to complete the affirmation. We take the first paragraph-" CHIEF EVENTS OF THE ROMAN PERIOD" --and give it something like the form we might expect it to assume in the hands of an average pupil of ten or eleven years of age : In the year 55 B.C. the Romans invaded Britain. The time of their stay is called the Roman Period. It lasted about 450 years. In the reign of the Emperor Claudius, A.D. 45, the Romans gained a very decided success. About 84 A.D., Agricola, who was the chief Roman governor in Britain, defeated the Caledonians under Galgacus in the Battle of the Grampians. The Romans built walls across the island, to prevent their conquest again falling into the hands of the natives. The principal walls were the Wall of Hadrian, between the River Tyne and the Solway Firth, built in 121 A.D.; and the Wall of Antonine, between the Firths of Forth and Clyde, erected about the year These walls were signs of weakness in the Romans. About the year 300 A.D., 140 A.D. DR. COLLIER'S HISTORIES. Carausius, one of their admirals, seized Boulogne, and made himself ruler in Britain. Sixty years later the Roman power had become so weakened in the island that the Picts and Scots actually sacked London itself. In the year 410 the Emperor Honorius wrote a letter finally withdrawing the Roman legions from Britain. So ended what is called in British History the Roman Period. A second Exercise, or one for pupils a little more advanced, should narrate the same facts with equal correctness and in a similar order. It should, moreover, incorporate in their proper places the more detailed circumstances given in the body of this volume. This will sometimes make it necessary to divide, for such Exercises, a chapter into still shorter portions. In this there will be no disadvantage, as it will tend to counteract that tendency to diffuseness and inconsecutiveness into which young composers are apt to fall, and will give room for more complete and finished work. The same plan ought to be followed with pupils who have reached the author's next book, "THE SENIOR CLASS-BOOK OF BRITISH HISTORY." The questions in it should be used as the ground-work for more advanced Exercises, embodying the whole narrative with such attendant circumstances as might fairly be presumed to be connected with it. In preparing such advanced Exercises, it is desirable that, wherever possible, copies of the Junior book should be used for home reading. The one book may be said to be the complement of the other. The fuller details of the Senior will be relieved by the biographical and picturesque character of the Junior History. The perusal of both will not only lend interest to the subject, but will give more completeness to the instruction. After very considerable experience and success in thus teaching History, we can confidently add that teachers will be astonished at the facility and power developed by such Exercises in pupils even under twelve years of age. HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. With Copious Questions. By This work is an Enlarged Edition, with Copious Questions, of DR. COLLIER'S HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE," published at 2s., and which can still be had. To prevent mistakes, teachers wishing the new work are requested to order it under the title of "THE SENIOR CLASS-BOOK OF BRITISH HISTORY." HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. Crown 8vo, 508 pages. 3s. 6d. T. NELSON AND SONS, LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK. Price |