whoever studies these authors with real advantage*. Without these the finest sense and the finest writing must be utterly thrown away upon the reader.

Children consequently under the name of fashionable histories often read what to them is absolute nonsense: they have very little motive for the study of history, and all that we can say to keep alive their interest, amounts to the common argument, "that "such information will be useful to them hereafter, "when they hear history mentioned in conversation."

When our pupils grow up, at whatever age they may be capable of understanding history, the best authors who have written on each side of the question, the best works, without any party considerations, should be put into their hands; and let them form their own opinions from facts and arguments, unin fluenced by passion, and uncontrouled by authority.

Gray's Memoria Technica is a useful book to help the memory. For children, the little ballad of the chapter of kings will not be found beneath the notice of mothers who attend to education. If the technical terminations of Gray are inserted, they will never be forgotten.

Small charts upon the plan of Priestley's might be provided for young people to fill up themselves with any names that may occur in history. They may be bound in octavo like maps by the middle so as to unfold both ways: thirty nine inches by nine will be a convenient size.

In order to read the history of England with advantage, young people should perhaps be previously acquainted with Blackstone's Commentaries and Smith's Wealth of Nations, or some other works of a similar nature.-Editor.

Prints, maps, and medals, which are a part of the constant furniture of a room, are seldom attended to by young people; but when circumstances excite an interest upon a particular subject, that is the moment to produce the symbols which record and communicate knowledge.

We wish that a writer equal to such a task would write trials for children, as exercises for their judgment, beginning with the simplest, and proceeding gradually to the more complicated cases in which moral reasoning can be used. We do not mean that it would be adviseable to initiate young readers in the technical forms of law; but the general principles of justice, upon which all law is founded, might, we think, be advantageously exemplified. There is a slight attempt at this kind of composition in "Evenings at Home." We should prefer truth to fiction; any trials suited to the capacity of young people, selected from the occurrences of real life, would be preferable to any that could be invented by the most skilful writer. Edgeworth,

The superficial question-and-answer way, in which young women often learn history, furnishes the mind with little to lean on: the events being detached and separated, the actions having no links to unite them with each other, the chronology being reduced to disconnected dates, they cannot fasten themselves on the understanding, but rather float on the memory, than contribute to form the mind of the reader, or enrich his judgment in the important science of men and manners.-More's Strictures.

香

CHAPTER XIX.

Geography and Astronomy.

GEOGRAPHY I think should be begun early, for the learning of the figure of the globe, the situation and boundaries of the four parts of the world, and that of particular kingdoms and countries, being only an exercise of the eyes and memory, a child with pleasure will learn and retain them. These things, that he will thus learn by sight, and have by rote in his memory, is not at all, I confess, that which he is to learn on the globes; but yet it is a good step and preparation to it, and will make the remainder much easier when his judgment is grown ripe enough for it, besides which it is a great saving of time. When he understands a little of arithmetic, he may then advance farther in geography, and be taught longitude and latitude, and by them be made to understand the use of maps, and by the numbers placed on their sides to know the respective situation of countries, and how to find them out on the terrestrial globe.-Locke.

Geography is an absolutely necessary part of education. Through not learning it when young, many persons continue ignorant of it through life, and expose themselves by mistakes that render them very

any

ridiculous. A quarter of an hour daily and regularly bestowed on this study will suffice to perfect them in it. After the general principles have been explained, the pupils should never be suffered to pass by the name of considerable town or river mentioned by any author, without showing their places on the map. They should also learn to point out the situation of every city, with reference to the other places spoken of. They should trace the rivers from their sources to the place where they discharge themselves into the sea or some great river, and point out the considerable towns by which they pass. When they are tolerably well instructed, they may be set to travel over a map, or be taught by word of mouth, asking them, for instance, what route they would pursue from Paris to Constantinople, and so of other places. To render this study less dry and irksome, it would be well to add certain short stories, which might fix the towns in their minds, and teach them many curious facts. They should also follow some great general through all his expeditions, as a Hannibal or a Scipio, which will lead them over all the memorable places of the world, and thus indelibly imprint in their minds various series of facts and the situations of towns, To teach them modern geography, it may be well sometimes to let them read at home certain pages of the gazette, and set them to trace out upon the map the various places. mentioned. All this is little more than amusement, yet will teach them geography more permanently than all the regular lessons they could learn.

What I have said supposes the children to have maps in their apartments; nor indeed should they ever

be without them. I question whether it would not also be useful to have them in the classes: perhaps two tables of chronology might be added, one down to the birth of Christ, and the other to our own times. Fontenoy.

You wish to teach your pupil geography and astronomy, and send for globes, spheres, and maps; what an useless apparatus! Why not begin by showing him the objects themselves, that he may at least know of what you are talking. On a fine summer evening take a walk to some favourable spot, where he may have a full view of the setting sun, and remark any object by which you may remember the exact point where he sets. The next morning return to the same place to enjoy the fresh air before sunrise. Observe his approach by the rays of light which will gild the whole horizon, till at length the sun appears and decks the face of nature in smiles. Having contemplated this beautiful sight, and suffered your pupil to express his admiration, remain silent as if thinking deeply, and then say, "I am considering that last night the sun set at such a spot, and he has risen nearly opposite this morning. How can this be?" Do not add any thing more; and if he asks you any questions, do not answer him but turn the conversation. Leave him to himself, and you may be sure he will reflect on it; for if you wish to direct a child's attention to any remarkable phenomenon, you must suffer him to be perplexed about it for a few days before you explain it to him. If by the method here recommended he should not understand the rising and setting of the