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ties, but is varied according to the talents, dispositions, and future views. A select and ample library is open to the scholars.

They are divided, according to their age and studies into classes of twenty-five; each forming a separate habitation, with a school and sleeping rooms, under the care of an experienced teacher, who watches over their manners and conduct, assists their inexperience in literary toil, forms their character by remonstrating on their faults and teaching them their duties, sees that they read no improper books, and that they write regularly to their friends. He presides over their repasts, attends when they rise and go to bed, in short, never quits them, except when he brings them to the professors, adopting every care of a good master and father of a family. A careful servant confined to each class or division, is charged with the physical care of the children, their dress, and personal cleanliness. It may not be improper to add, that they sleep alone, and are carefully watched by the teacher, who is placed in the centre of the division; and that the domestic and a night watcher walk through the sleeping rooms, to guard against the smallest accident or impropriety.

The games and recreations of the children are always superintended by the masters, and their walks in particular are well watched. A regulation approved by the government, forbids them to leave the house upon any pretence, except during the vacations, when they may visit their families. They are, however, indem nified by the extent of their own domains, even those at Paris passing the summer days of vacation at the large house and park of Vanvres,

in gymnastic exercises, swimming, and such little exercises in gardeing and agriculture, as they may choose.

Although sickness be rare, a phy sician and surgeon constantly reside in the house; and there is an intrmary where the sick children are attended with the same care as i they were in their own families. A: the same time every attention is pad to the general health. The bas and rooms are well aired, a regular warmth distributed in winter, the food of a salutary nature, and the beginning of any disease carefuly marked and opposed.

Such is the general plan of this institution, in which there is doubt less much to be praised; but in the division of the courses, it may be doubted whether the Latin shoul enter into the first course, where writing might supply its place; and. in fact, this first course ought wholly to belong to the primary schools. Yet, upon the whole, the education is excellent, and the ci tribution of the prizes, which takes place before the summer vacation. forms a very interesting and crowded spectacle. After discourses by the director, and by the minister of the interior, or any other member of the administration named to dignify the ceremony by his presence, the names of the boys who have distin guished themselves in each branch are solemnly proclaimed, with flor rishes of music, and the plaudits the audience. The boy advances is embraced by the minister, who places on his head a wreath c laurel, and gives him some valuab book. The catalogue of the victors and prizes is afterwards published, to the great satisfaction of parents and friends.

Le:

Let me not be accused of being tedious on a subject of such infinite importance as practical education, the subject of innumerable books, but of difficult execution, as what seems true and salutary in theory, often in practice proves false and detrimental. Nor shall an apology be offered for some further illustrations of this interesting topic, and which though sometimes minute, may be of lasting consequence to the community.

The board at the Prytanée, now the Lyceum at Paris, is nine hun dred francs a-year (not thirty-eight pounds sterling), but each boarder must pay quarterly, and by advance. Each boarder must bring a trunk, containing the following articles;

A great coat of broad cloth, colour, iron grey-the uniform of the school.

An uniform coat of iron grey, with blue collar and sleeves.

Two waiscoats, &c. of the same. Two white waistcoats, one of cloth the other of dimity.

Two pair of sheets of ten ells.
One dozen napkins.
One dozen of shirts.
Two bed-gowns.
Twelve handkerchiefs.

Six cravats of double muslin, and two of black silk.

Six pair of cotton stockings, of mixed blues, and two white.

Six cotton night caps.

Two hats, one three cornered
Two pair of shoes.

Two combs, and a comb brush.
A clothes brush.

A plate and goblet of silver, or other metal, at the choice of the parents, and marked with the number of the scholar, which is also put on his other effects, that no other may use them.

After this first equipment, no further expence is incurred for the children, whether sick or in health. The dress and all the other articles are renewed at the expence of the institution, during the whole course of the studies, except losses positively ascertained to have been made by the scholars themselves. For books, maps, and paper, used in the third course, there is an additional charge of twenty-five franks, or a guinea a year. The trunk, except the sheets and napkins, is returned when the scholar leaves the Lyceum; and as only French manufactures are permitted, the articles, in case of diffi culty, may be easily procured at the house.

The boyseducated at this seminary are very numerous, generally appear stout and healthy, and possessed with an interesting emulation. The military part of their education is rather to be regretted; but it is to be feared that the ambition of France will render it necessary in other countries.

The work of Champagne, the director, on Public Education, is valuable, as the production of a practical man; but several of his ideas are objectionable. That education should be connected with politics seems illusory, it ought rather, like a national bank, to be independant of the government, and an absolute silence observed on political subjects. Of what consequence are the politics of a boy? Even a thinking man finds it difficult to choose, when there are faults on all sides, and attended with such dismal and unforeseen consequences. He supposes the primary schools are between six and seven thousand, a number certainly too small for the extent of France; and he justly observes great defects

in

in the organization, especially the want of encouragement for the mas ters, and the deficiency of fixed elementary books.

The population of the French empire being at this moment about thirty-four millions, there must be three millions of children under the age of twelve; and supposing that the sixth part of the parents can afford to pay liberally for the education, and that there be sixty scholars for each country school, more than forty-seven thousand teachers of both sexes will be required. The commencement ought of course to be to teach the teachers, by instituting a grand foundation for needy and deserving young men, in order to qualify them for this office, which should be accompanied with a salary for life, only to be lost by notorious and scandalous misconduct. If, during the rage of innovation, the voice of reason could have been heard, the funds, revenues, and buildings of the ancient universities, would have been admirably adapted to this purpose; and the useless fellowships, and other sinecures, might have been supplanted by a most useful body of men, the future schoolmasters, who, after a residence of two years might have made room for others.

A moderate salary to the masters of the primary schools ought to be secured by a tax upon land and houses; but it is supposed that one half of the salary might be paid by such parents as are in tolerable circumstances, while the poorer class ought to pay nothing. This landtax might be called the tax of instruction; and ought to be rendered perpetual as far as human foresight can penetrate into futurity.

But I forget Champagne, who

recommends public schools support. ed by beneficent societies. He justly observes, that before parochial schools were spread through the Highlands of Scotland, there were frequent disturbances and rebellicos, which have ceased since the country became more enlightened. He pr poses that the tax upon bachelon should be allotted to the public instruction; and that, of fifty thou sand places of clerks, employed n the different offices under govern. ment, one quarter should be r served for schoolmasters who hav performed that office during t years. But the chief object would seem to be, that, by a moderate tas on land and houses, each pari should support its own scho

master.

This practical writer also observes, that there was too violent a tras tion between the primary and the central schools, where the boy wh had only been taught to read a write, and the four first rules arithmetic, was suddenly introduce to the ancient languages. This fect was chiefly owing to the be? not having been taught gramme and orthography. Before the rele lution there were three gradatio ́s the little schools, the colleges, te universities; the instruction of the first being necessary to all ranks that of the second for liberal prfessions; while the universities qua lified men to become masters the selves. That the utility of th secondary schools may become m apparent, he computes that in French empire there are sixty tho sand officers in the land and st service; fifty thousand agents & clerks in the administration and finances; some thousand judges a professors; while there ought to

at least twenty thousand masters of ing.
primary schools, not to speak of
men of business, merchants, and
artists, who ought to receive a
liberal education. Of these a great
part must necessarily belong to poor
families, for the son of a rich man
will not employ his time for such
moderate salaries. It therefore
becomes necessary that the colleges
be encouraged by the government,
and the three hundred and twenty
colleges, formerly existing in France,
were ill supplanted by one hundred
and four central schools, one for
each department. These schools
were also objectionable, as each was
to contain nine masters and a libra-
rian; a number often ridiculously
disproportioned to the little villages,
which have become the chief places
of the departments.

Champagne proposes that the central schools, or universities, should be restricted to the twentynine cities where there are tribunals of appeal; and that there be founded one hundred and fifty small colleges, each with five professors, in towns of the second order. This idea seems to have been in part adopted by the government, the secondary schools, or colleges, having been reestablished; while the lycées supply the place of the central schools or universities.

He afterwards proceeds to consider the plan of education, supposing that the boys leave the primary schools at the age of ten years, and remain at the secondary till the age of thirteen or fourteen. He proposes, as already mentioned, that there should be five professors in each secondary school, two for grammar, one for elements of history and the arts of composition; one for arithmetic and simple geometry, one for draw

The professors of grammar are chiefly for instruction in the French language, interspersed with elements of Latin and of geography. He rightly recommends that grammar be taught from the native tongue; and regards it as absurd to place abruptly the rudiments of Latin in the hands of children, to whom the words adverb, pronoun, verb, mood, number and case, are as unintelligible as the Latin itself, and the child is taught the unknown by the unknown; a great cause that so many educations totally fail: nay, perhaps, the more understanding a child has, the more he appears a dunce, because dulness may learn by perseverance, where intelligence is totally confounded by seeing the palpable darkness. observation may explain why so many men of distinguished talents have appeared dunces in common schools!

After some observations upon the hours of labour employed by each professor, he recommends that a person skilled in natural history should accompany the boys in their walks, to give them some rudiments of botany and mineralogy, which might be useful to them on many occasions. His remarks on the central schools are also just and practical, but do not fall into my present design. The professorship of legislation is a truly singular title for a teacher of the laws of nations, and of the French laws. The academy of legislation existing at Paris, is liable to the same objection, and should be styled the academy of jurisprudence. There ought, as he observes, to be four professors, of natural laws, of ancient laws, of civil and French law: and he adds that there might even be a professor of the forms of procedure, which

might tend to prevent the avidity and cunning of some professional men. "Yet, amongst the ancients and the moderns, the wisest laws have not been able to prevent this evil, which re-appears under a thousand shapes. If the knowledge of the forms of procedure were generally spread; if all the tricks and turns of chicane were well known, and ceased to be the useful secret of knaves; no one would dare to use them: and, perhaps by means of this course, the gradual destruction might be operated of that chicane, which is the most dangerous malady of justice." Though there be schools for the education of lawyers and physicians, it is believed there are none especially dedicated to that of the clergy; and with the universities all degrees have expired. He justly praises the liberality of the ancient government, which, at the college of Louis the Great, educated six hundred boys, free of all expence, and founded the excellent military schools, which formed so many great men. The various universities also enjoyed very numerous free scholarships. He justly regrets the sale of the funds destined for these laudable purposes, and quotes, with deserved applause, the example of Washington, who bequeathed a great part of his wealth for the public instruction of his country. He proposes, therefore; 1. That such donations be authorized by law. 2. That small contributions be paid by those who have received their education in these seminaries. 3. That the

or six years purchase of the test, should be disposed of to administre tors, on condition of paying the price at the end of six years, whe the departments might be excited by the certainty of the pledge, to contribute by gifts or loans to defray the expence.

He concludes with remarks up the rewards to be offered, in orde to excite emutation; and recu mends that, after solemn examin tions, the most meritorious ef poor scholars should have an allos. ance of certain sums, in order prosecute their studies, or be place at the public offices, where intrig and interest have too long supplaster merit, and states sometimes pens by the ignorance of subalterns. justly and somewhat boldly rea bates the military education give by the ancient Greeks and Roma

Where what was called a repuax was a handful of men, who kept ur rest of the people in oppression an slavery."

If this important subject of a tional education have diffused itse to more length than was intences it must be considered in apole that some degree of minuteness essential to its illustration: and was thought that the practical cpnions of an experienced master, i country where an unprecedente: revolution had authorized every es periment and innovation, deserve to be weighed with particular atte tion.

Vol. II.

government, actually in possession Luxury of Paris. From the Sam of eight millions of acres of woods, sold for a very trifling profit, should allot the whole, or a part, for this purpose. 4. That a part of the national lands, generally sold at five

An Englishman who has net sited Paris, wiH scarcely bel that the luxury of London casa

exceede

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