The Parents' Review

Q. "Ah! Pericles, those that have need of a lamp, take care to supply it with oil." Who said this? Tell the story. Book studied, Plutarch's Lives: Pericles.

D. (aged 11 1/2), answer dictated:—

"Anaragoras, the philosopher, said these words to Pericles.

"Pericles was the ruler of Athens, and Anaragoras had taught him when a boy. Being ruler of Athens, he led a very busy life, attending to the affairs of state, and so was not able to give much time to his household affairs. Once a year he collected his money and could only manage his income by giving out an allowance to each member of his family and household every day: this was done by Evangelus, his steward. Anaragoras thought this a very wrong way of arranging matters, and said that Pericles paid too much heed to bodily affairs, because he thought you ought to mind only about philosophy and spiritual doings and not about the affairs of the world. To give an example to Pericles he gave up all his household and tried to live entirely on philosophy. But he soon found his mistake when he found himself starving and penniless, with no house. So he covered his head up and prepared to die. Pericles, hearing of this, went immediately to his rescue and begged him to live; not because he thought death a misfortune, but that he said, 'What shall I do without your help in the affairs of state?' And then Anaragorus uttered the words which are above, meaning, of course (though putting it in a clever way), that Pericles was to keep him. On the other hand he might have meant that he had been mistaken in his philosophy."

Q. Tell the history of "F.D." on a penny. Book studied, Arnold-Forster's History of England.

C. (aged 10), answer written by child:—

"The letters 'F.D.' stand for the Latin words, Fidei Defensor, meaning 'The Defender of the Faith.' Henry VIII had a little while ago written a book on the Pope (who was Clement VII) saying that the Pope was the true head of the Church, and everyone ought to obey him. The Pope was so pleased that he made Henry Fidei Defensor. It must be remembered that the king had married his brother Arthur's* widow, a Spanish princess, namely Catherine of Aragon (sic), and as they had no son, Henry wished to divorce her, but the Pope would not allow him to, as he had given Henry special leaf (sic) to marry her. At this Henry was furious, and began to think about the Pope's words, 'Defender of the Faith.' He would not act as he thought till someone suggested it. Soon two men, called Cromwell and Crammer, came forward, telling the king to take the Pope's words not as he meant them, but as they really were, but as they stood. The king was delighted, and made Crammer a bishop and Cromwell his wisest counselor.* In 1534 Parliament* was called upon to declare Henry head of the church. All said he was, except two men, Sir Thomas More and Fisher, bishop of Rochester; these would not agree, and were executed in 1535. If we look on a penny we see the letters of 'F.D.,' which shows from the reign of Henry VIII till now the Pope has not been allowed to interfere with England. In order to spite the Pope, Henry allowed the Lutherans and learned men to come into England."

Q. What did you see in the Seagull sailing up the Firth of Forth? (Book studied, London Geographical Reader, Book II)

G. (aged 9), answer dictated:—

"In sailing up the Forth we first of all see Leith which is the seaport town of Edinburgh. Then we come to Edinburgh. The old and new Edinburghs are built on opposite hills, the valley in between is laid out in lovely gardens. One thing very odd about Edinburgh is that the streets look as if they are built one on top of the other. At one end of the town there is a castle which looks like the rocks and mountains it is built on, one can hardly distinguish it. At the other end of the town there is Holyrood where the ancient kings used to live. We do not see many merchantmen because there are no good harbours, there are a good many fishing smacks and pleasure boats. As we go along we see women with big baskets with a strap across their foreheads and they are calling out 'caller herrings.' "

Q. "And Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Of whom was this said? Tell a story of Jonathan's love.

E. (aged 9), answer dictated:—

"This was said of David. Saul's anger was kindled against David; and Jonathan and David were talking together, and Jonathan had been telling David that he would do anything for him, and David said, 'To-morrow is the feast of a new moon, and Saul will expect me to sit with him at table; therefore say, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, his city, where there is a sacrifice of his family." If Saul is angry, then I shall know that he would kill me, but if he is not angry, it will be all right.' Jonathan said, 'So shall it be, but it will not be safe for anybody to know anything about it; come into the field and I will tell you what to do. Thou shalt remain hidden by the stone, and I will bring a lad and my arrows and bow, and I will shoot an arrow beyond thee, if I say "go fetch it," then thou shalt know that thou must flee from Saul.' David's seat was empty at the feast that night, but Saul said nothing. But the next day his seat was empty, and when Saul asked why, Jonathan told him what David had asked him to say. And Saul's anger was kindled, so much so that Jonathan feasted not that day, for he was grieved; and next morning he went out with his bow and arrows, and the lad, and shot an arrow as if at a mark. Then Jonathan said to the lad, 'Run, is not the arrow beyond thee? haste.' Then Jonathan gave his artillery unto the lad and sent him back to the city; and David came out of his hiding-place, and they made a covenant together, for Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then David had to flee to Naioth in Ramah, and Jonathan went back to the city."

Q. What do you know of Richelieu? (Book studied, Mrs. Creighton's First History of France.)

E. (aged 10), answer partly written, partly dictated:—

"Cardinal Richeleu (sic) was brought to the French Court by the Queen mother, who thought he would do as she wished, but she was mistaken, for he no sooner was there than he turned against her, for Louse (sic) took him into his favour and made him Prime Minister after he had been there a few weeks. Richeleu (sic), was a devoted Catholic, and was determined to put down the Hugenots (sic), or Protestants as we call them, so he laid siege to La Rochelle, the chief town of the Hugenots (sic), who applied to the English for help. Charles sent a fleet to La Rochelle under pretence of helping the Hugenots** (sic), but Admiral Pennington, who was in the command of the ships, received orders when half way down the channel to take in French soldiers and sailors at Calais and to go to the French side. When Admiral Pennington ordered the ships to take in the soldiers, his men mutinied and he had to go back. Richelieu had thrown up earthworks across the harbour so that it was impossible to get in. Now Rochelle held out bravely, but at last it had to surrender, and out of 40,000, 140 crawled out, too weak to bury the dead in the streets. La Rochelle was razed to the ground, and never recovered its prosperity. One by one the Huguenot towns surrendered, and thus the Huguenots were destroyed. When Richelieu was made Prime Minister the nobles did not like him because they thought he had too much power, and now when Louis was ill, the Queen mother came to him, and in a stormy passion of tears begged Louis to send away his ungrateful servant. Louis promised he would do so, and Richelieu's fall seemed certain. Now all the nobles crowded to the Queen mother to pay their respects to her, as they thought she would now be the most important person in the government. But one noble, who was wiser than the rest, went to Richelieu and begged to plead his cause before the king. The king promised he would keep him if he would serve him as he had done before. The Queen mother was foiled, and returned to Brussels, where she died."

** After this the answer was dictated.

Q. What towns, rivers and castles would you see in travelling about Warwickshire? (Book studied, Geographical Reader, Book III)

B. (aged 9 1/2), answer dictated:—

"Warwick, Kenilworth, Coventry, Stratford, Leamington and Birmingham are all towns which you would see if you travelled through Warwick.

"The Avon stretches from north to south of Warwickshire. It has its tributary, the Leam, upon which Leamington is situated.

"There is the castle of Warwick and Coventry and Kenilworth.

"Warwick is the capital of the country. It has a famous castle, whose high and lofty towers stand up on the bank of the river Avon.

"Coventry is a very old town. It also has a beautiful castle, where the fair Lady Godiva and her father used to live, about whom I suppose you have read.

"Stratford is called 'The Swan on the Avon,' because that is where Shakespeare, the great poet, was born and died, and this is a little piece of poetry about him:—

'Where his first infant lays sweet Shakespeare sung,
Where the last accents faltered on his tongue.'

"The river Avon takes its rise in the vale of Evesham, then winds through pleasant fields and meadows, till it comes to the south of Warwickshire, and then it becomes broad and stately and flows on up to Coventry, where the Leam branches off from it (!), and then it becomes narrower and narrower until it gets out of Warwickshire and stops altogether at Naveby."

Q. How many kinds of bees are there in a hive? What work does each do? Tell how they build the comb. (Book studied, Fairyland of Science)

F. (aged 10), answer dictated:—

"Three kinds. The drones, or males, the workers, or females, and the queen bee. The drone is fat, the queen is long and thin, the workers are small and slim. The queen bee lays the eggs, the worker bee brings the honey in and makes the cell, and the drones wait to be fed. On a summer's day you see something hanging on a tree like a plum pudding, this is a swarm of bees. You will soon see someone come up with a hive, turn it upside down, shake the bough gently, and they will fall in. They will put some clean calico quickly over the bottom of the hive and turn it with wax, then they hang on to the roof, clinging on to one another by their legs. Then one comes away and scrapes some wax from under its body, and bites it in its mouth until it is pulled out like ribbon, this she plasters on the roof of the hive, then she flies out to get honey, and comes home to digest it, hanging from the roof, and in 24 hours this digested honey turns to wax, then she goes through the same process again. Next, the nursing bees come and poke their heads into this wax, bite the wax away (20 bees do this before one hole is ready to make a cell). Other bees are working on the other side at the same time. Each cell is made six-sided, so as to take up the least wax and smallest space. When the cells are made the bees come in with honey in their honey-bag or first stomach; they can easily pass the honey back through their mouths into the cells. It takes many bees to fill one cell, so they are hard at work."

Composition on "The Opening of Parliament."

G. (aged 9), written by child:—

"The opening of Parliament by King Edward VII and Queen Alexander (sic) was rather grand. First, they drove to the Houses of Parliament in a grand state carriage which had been used by George III, and then when they got there they had to robe in a certain room in great big robes, all edged with ermine fur and with huge trains. Queen Alexandra had an evening dress on, and King Edward a very nice kingly sort of suit (which was nearly covered up by his robes), and then they walked along to the real Houses of Parliament where the members really sit. Then the king made a speech to open Parliment (sic), and other people made speeches too, and everything was done with grandeur and stateliness such as would befit a king. May Parliament long be his! "

In Class III the range of age is from twelve to fifteen. The subjects are: Bible Lessons; Recitations (Poetry and Bible passages); English Grammar, French, German and Latin, Italian (optional); English, French and Greek History; Singing (French, English and German songs); Writing, Drill, Dictation, Drawing in Brush and Charcoal; Geography, Natural History, Botany, Physiology; Arithmetic, Inductive Geometry; Reading. About thirty-five books are used. Time, 3 1/2 hours a day; half-an-hour as before for drill and games. There is no preparation or home work in any of the classes (bookwork or writing, that is to say).* You will notice that the papers are still written con amore, and show full knowledge and intelligent grasp of the several subjects. Notice, too, that though there are errors in many of the papers, they are not often the mistakes of ignorance or stupidity, nor are they often those of a person who never has understood what he is writing about. "Composition" is not taught as a subject; well-taught children compose as well-bred children behave—by the light of nature; it is probable that few considerable writers have been taught the art of "composition." All the pupils of the Parents' Review School do not take all the subjects set in the programmes of the several classes. Sometimes parents have the mistaken notion that the greater the number of subjects, the heavier the work; the contrary is the case unless the hours of study are increased. Sometimes, outside lessons in languages, music, etc., interfere; sometimes health will not allow of more than an hour or two of work in the day. The children in the practising school do all the work set, and their work compares satisfactorily with that of the rest, though the classes have the disadvantage of a change of teachers every week.† Children in Class III write the whole of their examination work.

* The sort of diagrams with which some of the subjects are illustrated may be seen at the Office, 28, Victoria Street.

† Some years ago all the children in the Practising School were drawn from what may be called the elementary school class. They did all the work in the programme of Classes Ia and Ib, II and III quite as well as it is done by children of another class, and developed many intelligent interests: shewing themselves at the same time industrious and handy at home.

Q. Describe the founding of the Kingdom. What are the laws of the Kingdom?

A. (aged 13):—

"Christ came to found His kingdom. He preached the laws to His people. He taught them to pray for it: 'Thy kingdom come.' And He told His chosen few to 'go and preach the Gospel of the kingdom.' He founded His kingdom in their hearts, and He reigned there. He will still found His kingdom in our hearts. He will come and reign as King. The kingdom was first founded by the sea of Galilee. 'Follow me,' said our Lord to Andrew, and from that moment the kingdom was founded in Andrew's heart. Then there were Peter, James, John, Phillip, Nathaniel (sic), and the kingdom grew. From that moment Christ never stopped His work for the kingdom—preaching and teaching, healing and comforting, proclaiming the laws of the kingdom. 'Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.' 'One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.' 'Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, the same shall be called the least in the kingdom.' No commandment was to pass from the law, but there was a new commandment, a new law, and that was 'love.' 'Love your enemies.' The Pharisees could not understand it. 'Love your friends and hate your enemies' was their law. But Jesus said, 'Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you.' 'Give, hoping for nothing in return'; and, 'whosoever shall smite thee on one cheek turn to him the other also.' Christ's law is the love which 'suffereth long and is kind . . . seeketh not her own . . . never faileth . . . hopeth all things, endureth all things'; and 'now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is—love.'"

Q. Explain "English Funds, Consols 2 3/4 per cents 113," and give an account of the South Sea Bubble. (Book studied, Arnold-Forster's History of England.)

B. (aged 14 1/2):—

"This means that when the South Sea Company first appeared, the government gave them £113 on condition that the company should give 2 3/4 per cent., which means £2 15th on every £100 lent, for a certain number of years. In the reign of George I, the money matters of the country were in a very bad state. The government was very much in debt, especially to those people who had purchased annuities, and had a right to receive a certain sum of money from the government every year as long as they lived. Sir Robert Walpole, who was then Prime Minister, was most anxious to pay off part of this debt. He heard of a company which had just been started, called the South Sea Company, whose object was to trade in the south seas. This was what Walpole wished for. He suggested to them that they should pay off the debt due to the people who had bought annuities, and in return the government would give them some priveleges (sic) and charts which would be useful to them. This the company agreed to do, but instead of paying the people in money, they gave them what were called 'shares' in the South Sea Company. These shares were supposed to be very valuable, and it was thought that the South Sea Company was really prosperous, and that those who had shares in it would have most enormous profit in the end. Thousands of people came to buy shares, and some of them were so anxious to get them that they spent enormous sums of money on these worthless pieces* of paper. All was well for a time, but at last the people began to wish for their money instead of the shares, and claimed it loudly from the company. It was then that the bubble burst. It was discovered that the company was quite unable to pay what was due, and that all this time they had been deluding the nation by promises and giving them shares, and that they had never been the rich and prosperous company they made themselves out to be. Naturally, the most dreadful distress prevailed everywhere, and many were absolutely ruined, so that the government had to help those who were most distressed. At this point Sir Robert Walpole came to the rescue. He made the Bank of England pay some of the debts, and behaved with such cleverness that he saved the country almost from ruin."

Q. What do you know of the States General? (Book studied, Mrs. Creighton's First History of France.)

C. (aged 12):—

"The States General met in May, 1789. The people had long wanted reforms, and been talking about them, and now on the 5th of May, 1789, the States General met again for the first time since 1614. If the nobles sat in one house and the people in another as was the custom, they could never get the changes made. So the people with their leader, the Marquis of Mirabeau, declared that they would not leave the tennis court on which they were standing till it was agreed that they could sit together with the nobles. When Louis XVI came down in state, and told them they were to sit apart, they said they would not leave their place except at the bayonets (sic) point. When he heard this he said, 'Very well, leave them alone.' So they sat together."

Q. Show fully how Aristides acquired the title of "The Just." Why was it a strange title for a man in those days? (Book studied, Plutarch's Lives: Aristides).

D. (aged 13 1/4):—

"Aristides acquired the title of 'The Just' by his justice, and because he never did anything unjust in order to become rich or powerful. While many of the judges and chief men in Athens took bribes, he alone always refused to do so, and he also never spent the public money on himself. When, after having defeated the Persians at Plateae,* the Greek States decided to have a standing army, it was Aristides who was sent round to settle how much each town should contribute. And he did this so fairly and well that all the Greek States blessed and praised his arrangement. It is said that Aristides could not only resiste (sic) the unjust claims of those whom he loved, but also those of his enemies.* Once when he was judging a quarrel between two men, one of them remarked that the other had often injured Aristides, 'Tell me not that,' was the reply of Aristides, 'but what he has done to thee, for it is thy cause I am judging, not my own.' Another time when he had gone to law himself, and when, after having heard what he had to say, his judges were going to pass sentence* on his adversary* without having heard him, Aristides rose and entreated his judges to hear what his enemy could say in his own defence. In all that he did Aristides was inflexibly just, and many stories were told of his justice. Though he loved his country well, he would never do anything wrong to gain for Athens some advantage, and in all he did, his one aim was justice, and his only ambition to be called 'The Just.' He was so just and good that he was called the 'most just man of Greece.' In the times in which Aristides lived, men used to care more to be called great, rich, or powerful, than just. Themistocles, the great rival of Aristides, used to do all he could to become the first man in Athens, and rich as well as powerful. He did not hesitate to take bribes, and all he did for the Athenians was done with a view to making himself the head of the people, and the first man in the state. He used often to do unjust as well as cruel things in order to get his own ends. It was the same with most other men who lived at this time, they prefered (sic) being rich, powerful, or great, to being distinguished by the title of 'The Just.' "

Q. Describe a journey in Northern Italy. (Book studied, Geographical Reader, Book IV.)

E. (aged 12):—

"I am about to go for a tour round the northern part of Italy, and after I have taken a train to Savoy, which is about the south-east of France, I enter into Italy by the Cenis pass, which is very lofty—about 7000 feet above sea level.

"On arriving in Italy, I come into the province of Piedmont, which has three mountain torrents* or streams running through it. These streams join at Turin, the capital of Piedmont, and form the Po river, which flows out on the east coast of France into the Gulf of Venice. On the banks of the three mountain streams are some Protestants but the name of Waldenses,* who say they are followers of the disciples*: but if you ask any outsider, they will say, 'O the Waldenses are followers of a good man by the name of Waldo, who fled out of France in the 12th century.'

"We will now go and see Turin, and the first thing we say is, 'What a clean town'; and so it certainly is, for it is quite the cleanest town in Italy, as the people have only to turn on the fountain taps to clean their paved streets. And after we have looked at Alessandria, where Napoleon gained his great victory, we leave Piedmont and follow up the river Po, until we come to its next tributary, the river Ticino, which runs up north into the Lake Maggiore, which is five to six miles wide and about sixty miles in length. This lake has four islands, which are named after Count Barromeo, and so called the Borromean Islands, which are cultivated like gardens, with terrases (sic) for resting places.

"Now let us go to Milan, which is so well known by its beautiful cathedral of white and black marble, which have (sic) no less than 4000 sculptures of white marble, with pillars of Egyptian granite. Milan is famous for silks and lace to provide for the numerous palaces.

"We will now go back to the next lake, Lake Como, which is surrounded by mountains, and supposed to be the most beautiful of all lakes. At the south it goes out in a fork, and between the fork is a beautiful piece of land called Bellagia (sic).

"The next lake we come to is the Garda, the largest of all the lakes, and then we go on to the smallest of lakes called Lugano. "We now have visited all the lakes, take a look at Lodi, the famous cheese market in Italy; after which we visit Verona, where Pliny the naturalist was born, also Paul Veronese. Shakespeare lays the scene of his play 'Romeo and Juliet,' in Verona. The short time we have we spend at Venice, the queen of the Italian citys (sic), with its wonderful canals and the marvellous cathedral of S. Mark's, also the dark, gloomy palace of the Doge."

Q. How are the following seeds dispersed:—birch, pine, dandelion, balsam, broom? Give diagrams. (Book studied, Mrs. Brightwen's Glimpses into Plant Life.)

F. (aged 13):—

"The seeds of the Birch are very small, with two wings, one on each side, so that in a high wind numbers of them are blown on to high places, such as crevises (sic) on the face of a rock, or crevises (sic) on a church tower, or the tower of an old ruin. They are so light that they are carried a long way.

"The seeds of the Pine are very small, and the veins in the seed are wriggly, so that the seed is curly, which makes it whirl rapidly in the air, and the whirling motion carries it along a little way before it rests on the ground. It has two small wings.

"The seeds of the Dandilion (sic) are large, with a kind of silky parashute (sic) attached, so that when they fall off they do not fall to the ground, but are carried a little way because the wind catches the under part of the parashute (sic). The seed has a little hook at the top of it which prevents it from being pulled out of the ground by the parashute (sic) after it is once in.

"The Balsam seed case splits when the seeds are ripe and sends them flying in all directions, so they are far enough dispersed, and need no wings or parachutes (sic) to help them.

"The Broom seed case is a carpel, more like that of the sweet pea. When the seeds are ripe the two sides of the carpel split open and curl up like springs and send the seeds flying out, so they are dispersed without needing wings or parachutes."

Q. Describe the tissue of a potato and of a piece of rhubarb. (Book studied, Oliver's Elementary Botany.)

H. (aged 13):—

"The tissue of rhubarb is very fibrous indeed. In fact it is almost entirely made up of vessels. These are cells which have become tubes by the dividing cell-wall being absorbed. These vessels are very beautiful when seen under a microscope, for their walls are all thickened in some way, in order to make them strong enough to bear the weight of the leaf. Some are thickened by a spiral cord, which goes round and round the wall, of the vessel. In some vessels this is quite rightly twisted round the wall, that is to say, the rings do not come far apart: in others it is quite loose and far apart. Another kind of thickening is by rings which just go round the tube and are not joined to each other. Other vessels, again, have little knots in them like what there are in birch bark.

"The potato tissue is mainly made up of starch, as it is one of the plant's storehouses, and starch is one of the plant's principal foods."

Q. Give a diagram of the eye and explain how we see everything. (Book studied, Dr. Schofield's Physiology for Schools.)

G. (aged 13):—

"The eye can be likened to a camera, and the brain to the man behind the camera. The image enters at the hole, passes through the lens, is redetected on the plate, but the camera does not see, it is the man behind the camera who sees. In the same way, the image passes in at the pupil and through the lens, both sides of which are curved, and can be tightened or slackened according to the distance of the image. Then the image passes along the nerve of sight to the two bulbs in the brain which see. If you hold a rounded glass between a sheet of paper and the image at the right distance (for the glass cannot tighten or slacken like our lens), you will see the image reflected upside-down on the paper. This is the way the lens acts. There is a small yellow spot a little below the middle of the back of the eye; here the sight is more acute, and so, though we can see lots of things at one time we can only look at one thing at a time. There is a blind spot where the nerve enters the eye (which shows that the nerve of sight itself is blind), so that some part of every image is lost, like a black dot punched in it. But we are so used to it that we cannot see it."

Q. Describe your favourite scene of Waverley.

I. (aged 12 1/2):—

"A Highland Stag Hunt.-The Highland cheifs (sic) were in various postures: some reclining lazily on their plaids, others stalking up and down conversing with one another, and a few were already seated in position for the sport. MacIvor was talking with another cheif (sic) as to what the sport would be; but as they talked in Gaelic,* Edward had no part in the conversation, but sat looking at the scene before him. They were seated on a low hill at the head of a broad valley which narrowed into a small opening or cleft in the hills at the extreme end. It was hemmed in on all sides by hills of various heights. It was through this opening that the beaters were able to drive the deer. Already Waverly (sic) could hear the distant shouts of the men calling to each other coming nearer and nearer. Soon he could distinguish the antlers of the deer moving towards the opening like a forest of trees stiped (sic) of their leaves. The sportsmen prepared themselves to give them a warm reception, and all were ready as the deer entered the valley.

"They looked very ferocious* as they advanced towards where Edward and the cheifs (sic) were standing, and seemed as if they were determined to fight: the roes and weaker ones in the centre, and the bulls standing as if on defence. As soon as they came within range, some of the cheifs (sic) fired, and two or three deer came down. Waverly (sic) also had the good fortune (and also the skill) to bring down a couple and gain the aplause (sic) of the other sportsmen. But the herd was now charging furiously up the valley towards them. The order was given to lie down, as it was immpossible (sic) to stem the coming wave of deer; but as it was given in Gaelic,* it conveyed no meaning to Edward's mind, and he remained standing.

"The heard (sic) was now not fifty yards from him, and in another minute he would have been trampled to death; but MacIvor, at his own risk, jumped up and literaly (sic) dragged him to the ground just as the deer reached them. Edward had a sensation as if he was out in a severe hailstorm, but this did not last long.

"When they had passed, and Edward attempted to rise, he found that besides a number of bruises he had also severely* sprained his ancle (sic), and was unable to walk, or even stand. A shelter was soon made for him out of a plaid, in which he was laid; and then MacIvor called the Highland doctor, or herbalist, to attend him. The doctor approached Edward with every sign of humiliation, but before attending to his ancle (sic), he insisted upon walking slowly round him several times, in the direction in which the sun goes, muttering at the same time a spell over him as he went, and though Waverly (sic) was in great pain he had to submit to this foolery. Waverly (sic) saw to his great astonishment that MacIvor believed, or seemed to believe, in the old man's cantations (sic). At last, when he had finished his spells, which he seemed to think more necessary* than the dressing, he drew from his pocket a little packet of herbs, some of which he applied to the sprained ancle (sic), and after it had been bound up, Edward felt much relieved. He rewarded the doctor with some money, the value of which seemed to exceed* his wildest imaginations, for he heaped so many blessings upon the head of Waverly (sic), that MacIvor said, 'A hundred thousand curses on you,' whereupon he stopped."

Girls are usually in Class IV for two or three years, from fourteen or fifteen to seventeen, after which they are ready to specialise. The programme for Class IV is especially interesting; it adds geology and astronomy to the elementary science already studied, more advanced Algebra to the Mathematics; sets of history of modern Europe instead of French history. The literature, to illustrate the history, includes the reading of a good many books, and the German and French books are set also (when possible) to illustrate the history. All the books (about forty) are of a different calibre from those used in the lower classes; they are books for intelligent students.

I think you will observe that due growth has taken place in the minds of the girls, both as regards judgment and power of appreciation.

Q. For what purpose were priests instituted? (Book studied, Dr. Abbot's Bible Lessons.)

A. (aged 15 1/2):—

"The system of the Jewish priesthood was almost entirely symbolical. God ordained it, we believe, to lead the primitive mind of his chosen people onwards and upwards, to the true belief and earthly comprehension of that great Sacrifice, by the grace of which we are all now honoured to become 'kings and priests unto God.' In the earliest times of the patriarchs, there was in every holy and honourable Jewish family some voluntary priest, to offer up the burnt offerings and yearly sacrifices. We have an example of this in Job the patriarch, who, we read, ministered to his family in the capacity of priest of their offerings. In the wilderness, however, God commanded through Moses the foundation of a separate and holy priesthood, to minister in His tabernacle and offer his appointed sacrifices. The tribe of Levi, and the family of Aaron, were set apart for this purpose, and in the building of the tabernacle and the annointing (sic) of Aaron and his four sons, the cornerstone was laid to that great building which became a fit dwelling for the presence of God and the heart of Israel, until Christ came to change and lighten the world; and the symbol and the shadow became the truth."

Q. "His power was to assert itself in deeds, not words." Write a short sketch of the character of Cromwell, discussing the above statement. (Book studied, Green's Shorter History of the English People.)

B. (aged 15):—

"Cromwell was no orator. It has been said that if all his speeches were taken and made into a book, it would seem simply a pack of nonsense. In Parliament though, the earnestness with which he spoke attracted attention. His deeds proved his innate power, which could not express itself in words. He may be called the inarticulate man. In his mind, everything was clear, and his various actions proved his purposes and determinations, but in speaking, he simply brought out a hurried volume of words, in the mazes of which one entirely lost the point meant to be implied. Cromwell also was more of an administrator than a statesman, unspeculative and conservative. He was subject to fits of hypocondria, which naturally had some effect on his character. He considered himself a servant of God and acted accordingly. Undoubtedly he was under the conviction that he was carrying out the Lord's will in all he did. He was not in calm moods a bloody man, but when his anger was kindled he would spare no one. At times he would be filled with remorse for the part he had taken in the martyrdom of the king; then, again, he would say it was the just punishment of heaven on Charles. In giving orders his words were curt and to the point, but in making speeches he adopted the phraseology of the Bible, which added to their ambiguity. One would think he was ambitious, for at one time he asked Whitelock, 'What if a man should take upon himself to be king?' evidently having in view the regal power; and yet, according to his own assertion he would rather have returned to his occupation as a farmer, than have undertaken the government of Britain. But in this, as in other acts, he recognised the call of God (as he thought) and obeyed it."

Q. What do you know of The Girondins? (Book studied, Lord's Modern Europe.)

C. (aged 17):—

"The Girondins were perhaps the most tolerant and reasonable of the revolutionary parties. They were a body of men who found the government of France under the king more than they could stand, and who were the first to welcome any changes, but were shocked and horrified* at the dreadful riots and massacres which followed the fall of the throne. Such a party, representing justice and reform could not be popular with the more violent Jacobins and such like clubs. The day came when these latter were in power and all the Girondins were thrown into prison.

"They were all taken from prison before the Court of Justice for trial and placed before the judge, where they sat quite silently; they were one by one condemned to execution, receiving* the sentence of death with perfect calmness. Only their leader was seen to fall down; one of his companions leant over him and said: 'What, are you afraid?' 'Non,' was the answer, 'Je mours'—he had stabbed himself with his dagger..

"As the Girondins marched back to their cells, condemned to die the next morning, they all sang the 'Marscillaise,' as they had arranged, to tell their fellow-prisoners what the sentence had been. When they reached their prison a splendid supper was placed for them, and they all sat down with great cheerfulness to eat it, none of them showing the least signs of breaking down. Towards morning priests were sent to them, and very early in the day they all marched to the foot of the guillotine, singing as they went. They kept on singing a solemn chant when the executions commenced, which became fainter and fainter as one by one they were beheaded, until all were gone."

Q. What effect have mountain ranges and plains on the countries in which they are situated? Give examples. (Book studied, Geikie's Physical Geography.)

D. (aged 16):—

"The distribution of mountains and plains in a country does not only greatly effect (sic) the climate and rainfall of a country, but also the length and importance of its rivers. In North America the Rocky Mountains form an axis right down the whole continent in a line from north to south, and the Andes form an even greater line in South America, stretching from north to south parallel to the west coast for a length of 9,000 miles, and forming the axis of the continent. In North America the climate west and east of the Rocky Mountains is very different, while those heights also form the watershed of the country, all the large rivers that rise in them being compelled to flow east. In South America also all the large rivers flow to the east. In nearly every continent there is a watershed or axis of the same sort, formed not necessarily of the highest but of the most continuous range of mountains. This axis is very seldom situated at all near the middle of the continent, far more often it is very much to one side. It does not always form one continuous chain, or run from north to south as in North and South America; in Europe, for example, the axis runs from east to west, and is formed of four ranges—the Causassus (sic), the Carpatians (sic), the Alps, and Pyrannes (sic). Europe is thus cut into two very unequal parts, the larger half being the great plain north of the axis, where the great rivers are situated. This axis makes the countries to the south of it warmer than they would otherwise have been. In Asia the axis of the country also runs in a north-easterly to a south-westerly direction, the great chain extending for a length of 12,000 miles; the great rivers of Asia therefore flow to the north of the mountains where they can have a longer course than to the south."

Q. Distinguish between arrogant and presumptuous, interference and interposition, genuine and authentic, hate and detest, loathe and abhor, education and instruction, apprehend and comprehend, using each word in a sentence. (Book studied, Trench's Study of Words.)

E. (aged 15):—

"A man who is 'arrogant' is a man who has right to what he wants, but who is harsh and exacting in taking it. A 'presumptuous' man is a man who expects more than is due, and takes it. 'Judge Jefferies was an arrogant old man.' 'Charles II was a presumptuous king, he thought he could have absolute power.'

" 'Interference' is not minding our own business, and meddling with other people's when we are not wanted. 'Interposition' is more the 'doing good by interfering,'* as protecting a little boy from a bully. 'But for the interference of James all would have gone well.' 'Thanks to the interposition of Mary a quarrel was averted.'

" 'Genuine' means real, true, what it seems to be, as—'a real genuine ruby.' 'Authentic,' in speaking of a book, means really written by the author to which it is ascribed. 'Dickens' Oliver Twist is certainly authentic.'

"You would 'hate' a man who killed your father. 'Charles II hated Cromwell.' You would 'detest' a man who had not done you any personal injury, but who (sic) you knew to be a murderer and a hypocrite. 'Yeo detested the Spaniards.'

"You would 'loathe' a poisonous snake or a hypocrite. 'David Copperfield loathed Uriah Heep.' You would 'abhor' a man inferior to you in intellect or principles, as a great king would 'abhor' a cringing coward, leave him behind, go on without him, refuse to listen to him. 'Napoleon abhorred the traitor.'

" 'Education' is the lessons you receive as a matter of course, as French, writing, grammar. 'Instruction' is this, but more also, it includes moral teaching, the teaching of honesty, and the teaching of gentleness. 'Henry had a good education.' 'No well-instructed Briton is a coward.' " 'Apprehend' is to see, or hear, and notice. 'Comprehend'* is to understand, without seeing or hearing perhaps. 'Phillip apprehended that danger was near, but he did not comprehend it.' "

Q. Tell shortly Carlyle's estimate of Burns, showing what he did for Scotland and what was the cause of his personal failure in life? (Book studied, Carlyle's Essay on Burns.)

F. (aged 17):—

"Carlyle looked upon Burns as one of the nicest of men and greatest of poets; rather a weak man, perhaps, but covering all his faults with his genius and kindness of heart, clever and persevering, and basely neglected and shunned by his contemporaries. It is quite extraordinary to read the world-famous poems of this poet, and to remember that he was a ploughman, and surrounded only by the most uneducated peasants and fellow-labourers; though, of course, the life of a ploughman in the hills of Scotland is far more likely to encourage poetry and reflection than the life of many a London dentist or hair-dresser far higher in rank; but it is easy to believe, in fact, that Burns would have found inspirations for his genius in a flat sandy waste or a grocer's shop, and, as Carlyle says, a man or woman is not a genius unless they are extraordinary, not really inspired if such a person could have been imagined before. Robert Burns has provided Scotland, for centuries at least, with plenty of national poetry, his poems are such as can be enjoyed, like flowers and trees and all things really beautiful, by old and young, stupid and clever, fishermen and prime-ministers—surely that is a work of which any man would be proud!

"Barns (sic) chief fault, if fault it can be called, and the cause of his failure in life, seems to have been a sort of bitterness against people more fortunate than himself, without the art of hiding it. This, real or affected, seems very common in poets, and such an inspired man, a man with a mind greater than kings, must have felt very deeply, almost without knowing it, the 'unrefinedness' of the people he loved best, and his own distance from the admirers who clustered round him later in life.

"All his life, it seems, he was in a place by himself, now spending his time with his own family, acting a part all day, trying to make his relations feel him an equal, pretending to take a great interest in what he did not care for—the pigs and cows and porridge, seeing his own dearest friends looking at him with awe, and feeling him something above them, thinking of his 'great' friends, and feeling embarrassed when he came and more at ease without his presence.

"Now, on the other hand, associating with people high in rank and education, enjoying their friendship and their praise, but feeling, be they ever so kind and familiar, that he was not their equal by birth, and that they could not treat him quite as such, however hard they might try, turning familiarity in his mind into slights, and kindness into descension. This to a proud man must have been misery, and Burns must have been very lonely in a crowd of companions, thronged with admirers, but without a friend. "Nobody understood Burns, he shared his opinions with no one he knew. When, at the beginning of the French Revolution, he expressed his delight and approval, the people who admired him were shocked, refused to speak to him, regarded him either as mad or terribly wicked. His poems were not admired as much as they deserved to be, he had hardly any money, was never likely to get on in the world, was shunned and disgraced, and began, as a last resource*, to drink to much. Ill health was one of his misfortunes, and this intemperance killed him.

"Thus died, at the age of thirty seven, poor, friendless, despised, the man who has given pleasure to thousands, and an undying collection of poems and songs to his country."

Q. Give some account, as far as you can in the style of Carlyle, of the Procession of May 4th. (Book studied, Carlyle's French Revolution.)

G. (aged 14 1/2):—

"See the doors of Notre Dame open wide, the Procession issuing forth, a sea of human faces that are to reform France. First come the nobles in their gayly (sic) tinted robes, next the clergy, and then the commons, the Tier Etats in their slouched hats, firm and resolute, and lastly the king and the ceuil-de-boeuf, these are greeted by a tremendous storm of vivats, Vive le roi! Vive le nation! Let us suppose we can take up some coigne of vantage form which we can watch this procession, but with eyes different from other eyes, namely, with prophetic eyes. See a man coming, striding at the head of the Tiers Etats, tall and with thick lips and black hair, one Mirabeau, whose father and brother walk among the nobles. Close beside walks Doctor Guillotin,* learned Doctor Guillotin*, who said, "My friends (mes amis), I have a machine that will whisk off your heads in a second, and cause you no pain," now doomed for two years to see and hear nothing but guillotin, and for more than two centuries after yonder a desolate ghost on this of the Styx. Mark, too, a small mean man, a sea-green man, with sea-green eyes, Robespierre by name, a small underhand secretary walking beside one Dantun (sic), tall and massive, cruelty and vengeance on their faces. We may not linger longer, but one other we must note, one tall and active with a cunning air, namely, Camille Désmonellins (sic), one day to rise to fame and the next to be forgotten.

"Many more walk in that procession one day to become famous, Bailli, future president of a New Republick (sic), and Marat, with Broglie the War-God, and others.

"The Tiers Etats with Mayor Bailli march to the rooms where they are to sit, but the doors are shut, there is a sound of hammering within. "Mayor Bailli knocks, and wants to know why they are shut out? It is the king's orders. He wants his papers; he may come in and get them; and with this they must be content.

"They swarm to Versailles, the king steps out on the balconny (sic) and speaks. He says the room is being prepared for his own august presence; a platform is being erected; he says he is sorry to inconvience (sic) them, but he is afraid they must wait; and with the[m] he retires. Meanwhile patriotism consults as to what had best be done. Shall they meet on the palace steps? or even in the streets? At length they adjourn to the tennis court, and there Patriotism swears one by one to be faithful to the New National Assembly, as they now name themselves. This is known as the Oath of the Tennis Court."

The reader has seen a fragment of the work of each of some thirty or so pupils educated upon Books. It is not necessary to-day to speak of their education by Things; perhaps that is even more thorough and systematic. This, which has been read, is strictly average work in two senses. The subjects of which nothing has been said are quite as well, or as ill, done as those from which answers have been taken; and that these are not picked pupils you will judge by the fact that nearly all the papers are from a store left behind by parents.

I do not know if you consider that I have proved my point, that is, that "studies," schoolroom studies, are "for delight, for ornament, for ability." One could bring many proofs, but perhaps that which is not self-evident cannot be proved. Should you consider that these children prove their right of entry to several fields of knowledge; that they show a distinct appetite for such knowledge; that thought and power of mind develop upon the books we read, as they do not and cannot upon the lectures we hear, (because loyalty, sympathy, good nature, and what not, induce a slavish adherence to the very words of the speaker); should you, indeed, be convinced of the truth of these positions, I think you will see that, not an educational reform here and there, but an educational revolution is before us to which every one of us is bound to put his hand.

I know there are lions in the way: the dead hand rules, perhaps must rule, in our great Foundations. Scholarship, again, is more than a distinction; it makes for gentleness, tolerance, a wide and modest outlook upon life; but perhaps in the future, scholarship will be aimed at for the few, and only a rudimentary knowledge of the classics for the general. Meanwhile, our plea is, and we have justified it by experiment, that many doors shall be opened to boys and girls until they are at least fourteen, and always the doors of good houses; that they shall be introduced to no subject whatever through compendiums, abstracts, or selections; that they shall know what history is, what literature is, what science is, what life is, from the living books of those who know. We know it can be done because we have done it and are doing it.

If conviction has indeed reached us, the Magna Carta of children's intellectual liberty is before us. The need is immediate, the means are evident. This, at least, I think we ought to claim, that, up to the age of fourteen, all boys and girls shall be educated on some such curricula, with some such habit of Books, as we have been considering.

N.B.—In order to induce the heads of schools (private schools, preparatory schools, girls' schools, and lower schools,) to consider seriously whether it is not possible to introduce such a method of Education by Books, let me put forward a few considerations:—

1. The cost of the books for the eight years—from six to fourteen—does not average more than £1 a year (perhaps one-fourth of that sum for elementary schools).

2. Two-and-a-half, for Class I to three-and-half hours a day for Class III is ample time for this Book education.

3. Much writing is unnecessary, because the pupils have the matter in their books and know where to find it.

4. Classes are able to occupy themselves in study with pleasure and profit.

5. Teachers are relieved of the exhausting drudgery of many corrections.

6. The pupils have the afternoons for handicrafts, nature-work, walks, games, etc.

7. The evenings are free, whether at school or at home, for reading aloud, choral singing, hobbies, etc.

8. The pupils get many intelligent interests, beget hobbies, and have leisure for them.

9. There is no distressing cramming for the examination at the end of each term. The pupils know their work, and find it easy to answer questions set to find out what they know, rather than what they do not know.

10. Children of any age, however taught hitherto, take up this sort of work with avidity.

11. Boys and girls taught in this way take up ordinary school work, preparation for examination, etc., with intelligence, zeal and success.

The eight years' work—from six to fourteen—which I suggest, should and does result in the power of the pupils:—

     1. To grasp the sense of passage of some length at a single reading.

     2. To spell and express themselves in writing with ease and fair correctness.

     3. To give an orderly and detailed account of any subject they have studied.

     4. To describe in writing what they have seen, or heard from the newspapers.

     5. * They should have a familiar acquaintance with the common objects of the country, with the power to reproduce some of these in brushwork.

     6. Should have skill in various handicrafts.

     7. * In arithmetic, a knowledge of vulgar and decimal fractions, proportion, practice, etc.

     8. * Of elementary algebra and geometry.

     9. * Of elementary Latin grammar, and, say, the first two books of Caesar, and some Virgil.

     10. * They should have some power of understanding spoken French; should be able to speak a little; be able to read a fairly easy French book.

     11. * In German, much the same as in French, but less progress.

     12. * In Italian, pronunciation and the power to read a little.

     13. In History they will have gone through a rather detailed study of English, French and classical History (Plutarch).

     14. In Geography they will have studied in detail the map of the world, and have been at one time able to fill in landscape, industries, etc., from their studies of each division of the map.

     15. They will have learned the elements of physical geography, botany, human physiology, and natural history, and will have read interesting books on some of these subjects.

     16. * They should have sufficient knowledge of English Grammar.

     17. They should have a considerable knowledge of Scripture history and the Bible text.

     18. They should have learned a good deal of Scripture and of poetry, and should have read some literature.

     19. * They should have learned Tonic sol-fa and a number of English, French and German songs.

     20. They should have learned Swedish drill and various calisthenic exercises.

* The writers have been in two minds about the spelling of words marked (*).

Proofread by Leslie Noelani Laurio, September 2008