BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON! Does any one appear? BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON! 'No body came, and I mounted. My heart beat violently. I put my clinched hand on the platform where the judges sat, and hung the other over my hat. There was a dead silence; then I heard pens moving; then there was a great buzz. I feared to look about. At last I turned my head right facing the spectators. First, the whole row of counsellors were looking like ferrets, knitting their brows, and turning their legal faces up to me with a half-piercing, half-musing stare. I saw nothing behind but faces, front and profile, staring with all their soul. Startled a little, I turned, and caught both judges with their glasses off, darting their eyes with a sort of interest. I felt extremely agitated. My heart swelled. My chest hove up, and I gave a sigh from my very soul. I was honorably acquitted, bowed low, and retired.' Here our extracts must end; but we cannot close the volumes without again commending them to the reader as replete with instruction and entertainment the most varied. The work is well put before the public by the publishers. MACLAURIN'S SYSTEM OF WRITING. In twelve Parts. Published by CHARLES B. NORTON, Number 71, Chambers-street, IRVING-House. WHILE all other branches of education have kept pace with the progress of the age, the art of writing alone seems to have lagged behind it is precisely where it was forty years ago, when CARSTAIRS promulgated his method in England. From that time to the present, system after system, method after method, have shot, like meteors, before the public gaze, and, after an evanescent popularity, sunk below the horizon, into perpetual darkness and oblivion. Indeed, our educational institutions, public and private, have been, and still are, flooded with writing-books of every imaginable character and pretension. They are, however, one and all, but the crude, ill-digested productions of unreflecting, inefficient persons; mere abortive attempts, necessarily so from the total absence of any leading principle, and merely ringing the changes on shades of difference scarcely perceptible; so much so, that the term 'writingmaster' has become a synonym for intellectual weakness and imbecility, for brains of the size and organization of an ostrich's; in short, for a word which is its own most comprehensive definition a writing-master! In view of these circumstances, it may well be imagined in what frame of mind we approached the examination of another system of writing. That examination, however, reluctantly undertaken, has succeeded in convincing us that the present is the best, and, indeed, the only system of writing that deserves that appellation. It is philosophical in its principles, and logical and rational in its deductions: it must accomplish, in every instance, the object it proposes to effect. The work embraces twelve books, which are regularly progressive in their character. In all the systems hitherto in use, the faculty of imitation is entirely relied upon, to enable the pupil to produce, as nearly as possible, a fac-simile of the copy before him. Now, it would be equally rational to set before the pupil a picture of RAPHAEL, furnish him paints and brushes, and bid him copy it. There are those who have a natural talent or faculty of imitation: such will become good writers under any system, or no system at all. But the great mass of scholars require some contrivance by which to make amends for the absence of the imitative faculty. The work in question professes to give, and we believe does give, the necessary assistance. All previous systems propose to enable the pupil to write well, first, and, at some indefinitely-subsequer.t period, to superadd the ability to write fast. The experience of the world, up to the present moment, proves this method to be an entire failure. A lad who has learned at school to write well, slowly, will find himself utterly unable to increase the speed of his writing, and at the same time to retain its elegance. The moment he attempts to write faster than he is accustomed to, he writes an entirely different hand, having no connection with, or similarity to, his original slow hand. MACLAURIN'S system combines the two elements, rapidity of execution, and correctness of form, from the very first lesson. The work consists of a series of models, enlarged to several times the ordinary size, which are to be overrun fifty or sixty times each. This practice is intended to produce the greatest possible freedom in the motion of the whole arm and hand. In a more advanced stage, the motion of the fingers is added, thereby combining the two distinct movements, viz.: that of the whole arm and hand, and that of the fingers alone. Indeed, this division of the work may be denominated a system of gymnastic exercises, intended to train the hand and arm, so that the hand may be carried, with unerring accuracy, to any part of the page, while the fingers are trained to do, with equal rapidity, the small part of producing the letters. All this is effected with the utmost rapidity, from the very first lesson, combining, at the same time, the most perfect correctness of form. The author assures us, that pupils, varying in age from eight to fifty years, by going over this course of practice, are enabled to write, easily and handsomely, at the rate of twenty folios per hour; a degree of rapidity which has never been attained by any other process, the ordinary rate for an accomplished penman being ten to twelve folios per hour. Independently of its intrinsic merits, this system has received the sanction of some of the most distinguished teachers and educationalists in the country. Madame CHEGARAY, whose celebrated school for young ladies has, for so many years, been one of the ornaments of our city; JAS. N. MACELLIGOTT, LL. D., one of our most successful and scientific teachers; Mr. BERTRAM HARRISON, Principal of the BANCROFT Institute; Mr. CHAS. COUDERT, Principal, for the last thirty years, of the Lyceum bearing his name, together with others, equally favorably known to the community, have given the most flattering testimonials of the system, after witnessing its success in their respective establishments. This system is now in successful operation in more than fifty of the public and private schools of New-York and vicinity. In France, it has been submitted to the Minister of Public Instruction, and we have seen a report thereon, published in the official paper, the 'Journal Général de l'Instruction Publique,' of October 22, 1853, in which the system is highly praised, and recommended for adoption. We consider this the first step in the right direction, in reference to the teaching of writing, and cordially recommend the work to teachers and all those interested in the subject of education, as well as to all commercial men. In all that has been above said, we do not wish to detract from the merit or ability of any persons now engaged in the business of writing. Many of them we know to be elegant penmen; but it has not been sufficiently considered, that the ability to write, and the ability to teach writing, are entirely distinct qualifications. A man may be a splendid writer, and yet unable to teach others to write. MACLAURIN'S system teaches writing, by a process equally applicable to those possessing a remarkable faculty of imitation, and to those devoid of any such faculty. road and deep, resting on the simple but solid virtues : acterized the government of that extraordinary peopl sregard,' the PRESIDENT said, 'of these unpretending Fathers sadly into temptation. Grown bold by un indifference, when they extended their open palms, rs, for an honest grasp, but to obtain the price of the ond these delinquencies,' he farther remarked, 'how n of our City, the operation of sound principles thus migration, good faith, and fair dealing, gave impulse had steadily pursued, and which has showered upon he had produced this mighty result, in connection with e 'Saxon element,' solely, of modern boast? Were th blood than the original inhabitants of Holland? Both , only the former swarmed at a distance from home, and n's possessions. The Hollander, clinging to his pate nce, had added to it a great domain, rescued from old to the same spatula-fingered race-the peculiar mari found. he ARCHIMEDIAN lever, which was to move with resistle this country, had for its fulcrum, not the singular meri those also of that other great race, the CELTIC, whose future era in our history its form and pressure.' PRESIDENT went on to say that in the successive multit e means of improving their condition, this process of an going on. By intermarriage, the Saxon and cognate Ba inal stocks,) mingling in blood with the CELT, will pour the great arteries of this Republic, and animate its no ous character of the population which is to give to thes 'solidarity.' templified his views by a characteristic anecdote, told to h uished authoress of our country, who observed that she neous' without its recalling the following incident of her c ted some friends to dine with him, and had set aside a de tting introduction after dinner. Before the company w Dom, she, unobserved, found her way there, to look at e. At a glance she saw that the decanters on the table ere not equally full: so at once she went to work to mak from one into the other until she had attained her object. perceived, just as the company came into the room. The social conversation resumed, the reserved decanter was i An eminent statesman present, was asked what he thoug 'Between seven and eight o'clock, the Society and its invited guests moved, to the inspiriting sounds of a most excellent Band, to the new dining-hall of the Hotel. This splendid apartment, by far the most elegant in the city, with its superb chandeliers, elegantly-frescoed ceiling, and very tasteful arrangement of tables, presented a coup-d'œil of the most attractive character. The flags of Holland and the United States meeting in graceful folds over the immense mirrors and the Society's picture of New-Amsterdam in its infancy, were the only additional decorations of the room. A dais was elevated at the southern extremity of the hall, in the centre of which presided the newly-elected PRESIDENT, supported on either side by the invited guests of the Society. Four tables, profusely decorated, extended at right angles, and received the members. A temple, immediately in front of the PRESIDENT, surmounted by a beautifullyexecuted figure of the PATRON SAINT in full robes, crozier in hand, was deservedly very much admired, while many of the ornaments of the other tables well attested the skill and ingenuity of the 'artists' of the establishment. Grace was appropriately said, and thanks returned by the Chaplains of the Society. Nearly two hours were consumed in discussing the admirable bill of fare, when the appearance of the venerable cockéd-hat on the brow of the PRESIDENT, and the ever-watchful Cock that always is found at the festivities of the Society, keeping a sharp look-out to the north-east from his elevated pedestal, called the attention of the members to the intellectual feast that was to follow. “Mr. DE PEYSTER, arose amidst cordial greetings on every side, and after making his acknowledgments to the Society for the honor which they had conferred upon him by electing him as their PRESIDENT, and assuring them of his devotion to their best interests, continued: He was not unmindful of the qualifications of those who had presided theretofore at their festive gatherings, nor of his immediate predecessor, in whose foot-steps he fain would follow. But how could he, unless this venerable hat retained some of the virtues attributed to the 'winged cap' of MERCURY? He said they all remembered how, on a certain occasion, a giant statesman of the Union - now, alas! no more! was welcomed among them by that gentleman. In his eloquent allusions to this Koh-i-noor of New-England, all witnessed the coruscations of wit and radiant humor, which then, as at all times, showed our own HOFFMAN to be a diamond of the first water.' There sat,' the PRESIDENT proceeded to say, 'at our board last year, a former PRESIDENT, venerable in age and standing, who addressed them with the warmth of younger days. In SAMUEL JONES were united profound juridical learning and eminent professional skill. To the graces of the Christian he added the social qualities which embalm his memory. They ever welcomed his venerated form among them, for the deep interest he took in the Society, and for his companionable disposition. Like the ripened fruit of Autumn, touched by its frosty finger, he had gently fallen to his mother earth, to rise, he trusted, in a happier world.' 'From this brief tribute to departed worth, he turned to the active duties comprehended in the design of their incorporation. The Society seemed to have lost sight of the important ends it had in view, beside their social fellowship. It was made incumbent on them to collect and preserve information respecting the early settlement and manners of our City, not in a Pickwickian sense, nor as delineated by the racy humor of their own IRVING, whose playful pen, on the gossamer tissues of his weaving, had represented the ancient KNICKERBOCKERS with scenic effect, in characters as fantasticas were some of the legends, (saving his Reverence,) of their PATRON SAINT himself! "The beacon-lights, earliest erected at Jamestown and New-York, needed rekindling for wider illumination; or the patent magnifying reflectors in the 'Light' on Plymouth Rock would so dazzle by their glare as to make theirs loom up feebly in the distance! It was due to themselves and their Fatherland, not to let the memory of the past grow dim. While subject to the sway of Holland, the foundations of this City and State had been laid broad and deep, resting on the simple but solid virtues and sterling principles which characterized the government of that extraordinary people. "The disregard,' the PRESIDENT said, 'of these unpretending virtues has led some of our City Fathers sadly into temptation. Grown bold by unchecked extravagance and public indifference, when they extended their open palms, it was not, like their predecessors, for an honest grasp, but to obtain the price of their self-estimated influence. Beyond these delinquencies,' he farther remarked, 'how pleasant it is to trace, in the dawn of our City, the operation of sound principles thus early inculcated. Unchecked emigration, good faith, and fair dealing, gave impulse to that career which New-York had steadily pursued, and which has showered upon her unexampled prosperity. "What had produced this mighty result, in connection with her favored position? Was it the 'Saxon element,' solely, of modern boast? Were the Anglo-Saxons more Saxon in blood than the original inhabitants of Holland? Both belonged to the same great hive, only the former swarmed at a distance from home, and made their honey in other men's possessions. The Hollander, clinging to his paternal estate by manly perseverance, had added to it a great domain, rescued from old Ocean. Both, in fact, belonged to the same spatula-fingered race- -the peculiar mark of the pure Saxon wherever found. 'But the ARCHIMEDIAN lever, which was to move with resistless energy the public mind of this country, had for its fulcrum, not the singular merits solely of this great race, but those also of that other great race, the CELTIC, whose blended qualities will give to a future era in our history 'its form and pressure.' 'The PRESIDENT went on to say that in the successive multitudes seeking on our shores the means of.improving their condition, this process of amalgamation was continually going on. By intermarriage, the Saxon and cognate Batavian or Hollander, (the original stocks,) mingling in blood with the CELT, will pour their united stream through the great arteries of this Republic, and animate its noble heart. It is this homogeneous character of the population which is to give to these United States their crowning 'solidarity.' 'He exemplified his views by a characteristic anecdote, told to him (he remarked) by a distinguished authoress of our country, who observed that she never heard the word 'homogeneous' without its recalling the following incident of her childhood. Her father had invited some friends to dine with him, and had set aside a decanter of choice wine for its fitting introduction after dinner. Before the company were ushered into the dining-room, she, unobserved, found her way there, to look at the arrangements of the table. At a glance she saw that the decanters on the table and that on the sideboard were not equally full: so at once she went to work to make the desired level by pouring from one into the other until she had attained her object. This done, she stole away, unperceived, just as the company came into the room. The cloth being removed, and the social conversation resumed, the reserved decanter was introduced and passed round. An eminent statesman present, was asked what he thought of this wine. He |