boy on his catechism. "I will answer you," replied the child, "when you have told me where he is not." 2. Destruction of our enemies. Some one reproached the emperor Sigismond with loading his conquered enemies with favours instead of putting them to death, and with enabling them again to injure him. "Do I not destroy my enemies," replied he, "by making them my friends?" 3. Gravity. That profound philosopher and divine, Doctor Samuel Clark, was of a very playful disposition, and was pleased with the company of young people. One day, while he was partaking in the sports of his little comrades, he was informed of the arrival of a certain fop; Now, my friends," said he to them, "let us look grave: here comes a fool." By this selection from the contents of the Narrateur, our readers will have perceived that it is a work indicating great skill in actual teaching, and much care for the mental habits of the pupil. The diligent learner receives all the aid he could wish, but is not overwhelmed with officious helps. There is no embarrassing impediment to his advances, and no deduction from the cheering consciousness of progress made by personal effort and application. This useful work, we are happy to learn, will soon be rendered accessible to teachers in this country.* * See advertising sheet. INTELLIGENCE. EDUCATION IN SWITZERLAND. THE city of Zurich is marching in the same career as the capital of Argovie. Its citizens have formed an association to which some bring the tribute of mere scientific knowledge, and others the needful pecuniary aid for the support of a Technological College, where at the age of 16 years, are received the pupils of other schools, who abandon their classical studies to devote themselves more especially to commerce and the arts of life. It is only since the commencement of the present year, that this Institution has been open, and it already includes some of the most skilful professors of the canton. The Instruction is divided into two classes; the first comprehends commercial arithmetic and logarithms, applied geometry, practical mechanics, an abridged history of the three kingdoms of nature; geography, physical and mathematical; natural philosophy; technology; statistics, commercial and manufacturing, of different nations; the German and French languages; calligraphy; drawing; and manual exercises in different trades. The second class are taught algebra, trigonometry, theoretical mechanics, zoology, mineralogy, botany, applied chemistry, descriptive geometry, civil architecture, commercial law, the art of modelling, and German, French, Italian, and English literature. Thus, the impulse given in England and France, by a few philanthropists, is communicated by degrees, to various parts of the continent; Lausanne, Berne, Geneva and Bâsle, have already technological Institutes for youth or Scientific courses, brought to the level of the comprehension of ordinary adult workmen. These beneficent creations, besides yielding the happiest fruits to the soil where they are already transplanted, cannot fail to extend the influence of good examples to the neighbouring cantons, which include a numerous manufacturing population, worthy of enjoying the zeal of the philanthropists.-Rev. Ency. transl. in Silliman's Journal. COLLEGES IN THE UNITED STATES. From such documents as are afforded us by the Collegiate Record' in our files, we have prepared the following table, exhibiting the number of Graduates of the present year from some of the oldest and most flourishing Institutions of our country. Waterville College, Maine, Bowdoin College, Maine, Dartmouth College, New-Hampshire, Vermont University, Middlebury College, Vermont, Williams College, Massachusetts, Amherst College, Massachusetts, Harvard College, Massachusetts, Hence, it appears, that the number of graduates in the above named Colleges in 1827 is 640. Allowing the number graduated from each of the other Colleges in the Union-to be equal to one fifth of the number of students in each, we find from the Gazetteer, that the graduates for 1827 will not be less than 800. From the first 16 Colleges in the above list, including one or two newly organized in the same states, there are 15 more graduates the present year than on any preceding year. The whole number of Colleges in the United States is more than 50. The whole number of graduates annually is estimated at not less than 800, and allowing to each quadruple the number of the graduating class which, by the way, is considerably less than the truth, it will make the number of undergraduates in the American Colleges 3,200. The number of Students in our Medical Schools in 1824, was 2,130. It is now probably increased and is equal to, or, perhaps exceeds the number both of Divinity and Law Students in our country. Of the number of our schools for Law and Divinity-our documents do not afford us an exact account. Our population is 12,000,000, for the education of which, we have 50 colleges, besides several times this number of well endowed and flourishing academies leaving primary schools out of the account. For meeting the intellectual wants of this 12,000,000, we have about 600 newspapers and periodical journals. There is no country, (it is often said), where the means of intelligence are so generally enjoyed by all ranks and where knowledge is so generally diffused among the lower orders of the community, as in our own. The population of those portions of Poland which have successively fallen under the dominion of Russia, is about 20,000,000. To meet the wants of which there are but 15 newspapers, eight of which are printed in Warsaw. But with us a newspaper is the daily fare of almost every meal in almost every family. This is one of the good results of the liberty of the press. While we thus contemplate the large and constantly increasing number of our colleges and periodical publications, operating as the engines of acquiring and diffusing intelligence and happiness among the people, we cannot help admiring the wisdom of that "little band" which devised the means of bringing them into existence,-acknowledged its obligation to support them-and which declared, that the worst of despotisms is that in which ignorance has the power of rule, or is made the instrument of corrupt men in accomplishing their corrupt designs. Richmond Visitor. HIGH SCHOOLS OF NEW-YORK. From the Third Annual Report, made Nov. 12, 1827. The trustees of the High School Society of New-York, in obedience to the direction of their charter, present to the stockholders a general account of the state of the institution under their charge, and of their proceedings during the last year. It will be recollected that the schools were in credit and prosperity, when the present board of trustees were elected, and the general course and nature of the studies were detailed at large, in the last year's annual report. We have the satisfaction to assure the stockholders, that nothing has occurred during the present year, either to check the useful career of the institution, or to diminish the public confidence in the diligence and ability with which the principals and teachers in the two schools have discharged their trust. In the High School for boys, the present amount of scholars is five hundred and forty-three, which falls short of the full compliment; but this deficiency is probably but temporary, and the schools are necessarily subject to some fluctuations in the number of scholars, arising from local causes, which have no connexion with the permanent character and merit of the establishment. We were apprehensive at one time of losing the valuable services of Mr. Barnes, one of the principals of the High School, but we are happily relieved from that misfortune, and we entertain confident expectations of the full and continued patronage of the public. The monitorial system of instruction has recommended itself by the test of experience, and there is rarely any instance in our country to be met with of such large communities of scholars, affording equally excellent and indubitable proofs of order, discipline, emulation, ardent study, and rapid improvement. In the introductory department of the boys' High School, the average number of scholars during the last year has been 210, and of that number 60 have been promoted to the higher studies of the junior department. In this large class of very young boys, there is one teacher, one assistant, and a considerable number of monitors. Here are disclosed the very first symptoms of infant genius, and the tender mind receives its earliest impressions of the elements of science, and the value and beauty of moral principles. The boys in this department study the alphabet, spelling, reading, writing on slates, the simplest and most general principles of arithmetic and geography; and instruction is also given in the most attractive manner, by pictures and familiar lectures on natural history. A committee of the trustees who visited this department, observed in one of their reports, that the boys at that time amounted to 243, and they found that 184 were studying arithmetical tables, and 64 geography, and nearly all of them were studying words, definitions, and spelling lessons, and that their proficiency in geography in particular was highly commendable. The junior department of the boys' school presents the higher interest, of a further enlargement of the faculties of the young scholar. The average number of boys during the last year was 185, and of them 65 have been promoted to the senior department. There is here one teacher, and two assistants, and the monitorial system appears in all its advantage. This system throughout the entire school is now greatly assisted by a double class of monitors, one of which is under the instruction of a teacher, while the other class is on duty. The scholars and the monitors therefore advance with equal steps in the course of improvement, and while the one class is instructing the pupils, the other is enlarging its own capacity to teach. The studies in this department are spelling, reading, penmanship, English grammar, arithmetic, geography, American history, elocution, linear drawing, and the rudiments of mapping. Familiar lectures are also weekly given on physical and political geography, and portions of natural history. The committee from the board of trustees in the report of one of their examinations of this department, stated that the method of teaching arithmetic, adopted by the principals, was simple and comprehensive. The pupils were taught the true principles and reason of the science, and they followed the arithmetical questions stated with perfect facility and great accuracy. Geography was taught excellently well, and the proficiency in the studies generally was creditable to the scholars and reputable to their instructers. There was a general spirit of activity and emulation, and a well balanced relation preserved between the teachers and the pupils. In the senior department we are presented with the best and happiest results of the system of mutual instruction: a system which awakens emulation, and shows the value of industry, of good order, of mild and efficient discipline, and of the great facility and attractive charm of monitorial teaching, coming from the lips of decorous and ambitious equals. The average number of scholars in this department for the last year is 148, and there are two teachers and one assistant, besides one teacher of the French and another of the Spanish language. The studies in this department are arithmetic, algebra, penmanship, linear drawing, mapping, essay writing or composition, English grammar and elocution; and in those studies all the pupils in the department partake. But there is in this department a judicious classification of the studies, so as to adapt the course of instruction to the genius of the scholars, and to their future prospects and destination. In consequence of this division in the studies, there are 30 scholars who are taught book keeping and an equal number geometry, trigonometry, mensuration and practical mathematics. There are 100 who are taught geography, 30 who are taught Greek, 70 who are taught Latin, 80 who are taught French, 20 who are taught Spanish, and 40 are instructed in landscape drawing. Weekly lectures are given on natural philosophy, chemistry, mineralogy, and other portions of natural history, and the lectures are accompanied with experiments by means of a good apparatus. The reports from this department by committees of the board of trustees, who have frequently examined it, have been highly encouraging, and very honourable to the character of the institution. The specimens of penmanship, book keeping, arithmetic and drawing have been neat and accurate. The scholars have been examined in the learned languages, and passages were promiscuously selected from Homer, Xenophon, the Greek Testament, Livy, Cæsar, Virgil, and Cicero's Orations; and the proficiency of the students was very gratifying. The large class which read and translate French, showed that they had been well taught, and possessed a familiarity with the phrases and peculiar idioms of the language. It further appeared that the classes in geometry, algebra and arithmetic understood the rules and possessed great readiness in applying them; and the more advanced algebraists in particular showed an accuracy and quickness which would do honour to any seminary. Questions are dictated to the scholars, who write them simultaneously on slates, and almost simultaneously give prompt and accurate answers. A select class appeared to possess a solid and correct acquaintance with the general principles of natural philosophy and chemistry; and the interest which the scholars generally took in their studies, and their proficiency in all the branches of education taught in this department, equally surprised and delighted those who attended the examinations. The plan of rewards in the High School by premiums and of punishment by penalties, has been found to be efficacious, but higher tokens of approbation have been deemed desirable, and an improved mode of distributing tickets of merit has been recommended, calculated to increase their value, and gratify the expectations of the parties concerned. And upon this general view of the studies and conduct of nearly 600 young pupils in the male branch of the High School, who can doubt of its immense public importance, or avoid feeling a deep interest in its welfare? It is upon the encouragement and countenance to be given to such institutions, that the future prosperity, freedom, virtue, and happiness of our country very essentially depend. The elements of knowledge designed to teach young minds their rights and their highest interests, and to fit them to take an intelligent and discreet share, in the complicated concerns and grave duties of social life, are first taught and radically imbibed in this and other kindred schools. We surely do not appeal in vain to the good sense and patriotism of the proprietors |