ader will excuse.

ARTICLE V.

APPLICATION OF SOME PARTICULAR RULES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CLASSES.

ERE is nothing mentioned in this work, but is commonly practised in the classes, exceptvo articles, the one relating to the study of the h tongue, and the other to history, upon which d wish that more time and care were spent than al. Under the study of history I comprehend aphy, chronology, fable and antiquities. There en occasion to speak of them in the classes, but are not usually taught there in a constant and ar manner, by principles and method.

ese studies are allowed to be an important part education of youth, and to be either absolutely sary to them, or at least extremely useful. But estioned, whether they can enter into the scheme classes, where the whole time seems taken up the multiplicity of the other matters taught in and certainly the case is not without difficulty, h I do not think it absolutely impracticable. st, as to the French tongue, half an hour twice ice a week spent upon this study might suffice, se continued through the whole course of all the s. Till such time as a book is drawn up for the the boys, containing the most necessary rules of mar, and the principal observations of M. de elas, F. Bouhours, &c. upon the French tongue, asters may content themselves with explaining r other of thein to their scholars by word of

T

mouth, and making the application of them to s beautiful passage in a French book. Fifteen or tw rules and observations would suffice for one year.

History might be distributed in the following n ner. That of the Old and New Testament shoul for the three lowest classes, the sixth, fifth, and fou fable and antiquities for the third; the Greek his for the second; the Roman, down to the emper for rhetoric; and lastly, the history of the empe for philosophy.

I do not mean, that all these portions of his should be explained to the boys in their class, for would take up too much time, and be absolutely possible; but I would have a certain task given t to be read by themselves in private every day, w they should be obliged to give an account of time to time in their class. To this end it woul requisite to have books drawn up expressly for use of boys.

We have two excellent ones for sacred histor wit, the historical catechism of Mons. l'Abbé Fle which may serve in the sixth; and the abridg of the Old Testament, lately printed for John Des which the Journals of Paris and Trevoux have much recommended, may serve for the fifth fourth. The first is a short abridgment, mad pressly for children, and adapted to the meanes pacity; the other is much larger, and include most beautiful and remarkable parts of the Old tament, either in point of facts, sentiments, or ma

I hope we shall soon have a small treatise upo fabulous history, proper to be put into the hands boys. In the mean time they may make use of of Galtrucius or F. Jouvenci. I have already tioned a small abridgment of the Roman antiq printed in 1706, which may serve till a lar composed.

What we most want are histories of the Greek Romans, expressly written for the use of youth have engaged to write the former, and shall dilig

en

of the Roman history translated from the English turence Echard, which is a very good one, and nough. The history of the revolutions of the in republic, by M. l'Abbé de Vertot, and that triumvirate, may suffice to give the boys a just of the latter times of the republic.

vould be a very useful work, and, in my opinion, easy one, to abridge what M. de Tillemont has s upon the history of the Roman emperors. We this history illustrious examples of the greatest es, and perfect models in the art of government. eading of this work would suit mighty well with udents in philosophy, and equally prepare them e study of theology and of the law. By this s the boys would have a tolerable knowledge of nt history, and be much better qualified to enfterwards upon the study of the modern. on the bare exposition which I have made, every will doubtless agree, that it were to be wished a plan could be executed; as it is evident, that oys instructed in this manner would carry away college abundance of useful and agreeable know-, which might be of great service to them all the of their lives. Let us examine therefore whether plan is practicable or no. Now, in the manner pose it, it is in my opinion very easily reduced to ice. For I require only of the professors to set scholars every day a certain task, and appoint a certain number of pages to read in the books story, which I suppose they have in their hands, to make them give an account from time to time, at they read, which may amount to about half our every day. I know well that several of thein

selves in it, and to employ all the means which ndustry of an able and diligent master will not O suggest to him.

ronology is naturally joined to history, and nois more easy, or takes up less time than to give oys a general idea of it, sufficient to let them very nearly at what time the events passed which read of, and that is all that can be expected from . We must likewise never fail to make them acted in some measure with the author explained em, the principal circumstances of his life, and me when he lived. One day as I was explaining assage where Quintilian mentions the Greek hisns, a young man asked me, why he made no inenof Plutarch. He had read several of his lives, ad not been taught at what time, and under emperors he lived.

to geography, it may be taught the boys without
g up much time or trouble. The plainest and
st way of fixing it in the memory, and at the same
historical events, is whenever a city, river, or
is mentioned in anauthor, to be exact in point-
em out upon a map. By following a general
gh all his expeditions, such as an Hannibal, a
o, a Pompey, a Cæsar, or an Alexander, the boys
have occasion to pass over all the memorable
s of the world, and by that means imprint for
n their mind, the series of facts and situation of:
. When they are a little accustomed to this me-
it will be very easy to teach them the degrees of
ude and latitude, and the whole doctrine of the
e. Thus it may be very proper, in order to teach
modern geography, to engage them sometimes
ne to read certain pages of the gazzete, and.

oblige

OF THE DUTIES OF THE REGENTS.

ge them to trace out upon the map the different
ces mentioned in it. All this is but a kind of di-
sion, and yet will teach them geography in a more
ng manner, than all the regular lessons that are
en them in form.

What I am here saying supposes, that the children
e maps in their chambers, and indeed they should
er be without them; and I question whether it
ld not be profitable to have them likewise in every
S. It would be sufficient to have a large map of
world, with maps of the Roman empire, Greece
Asia Minor, and some few others of the like sort.
= expence would not be very great, and might fall
n the scholars, as these maps must be renewed
time to time. I know that this custom has been
in practice in some colleges with success.
Per-
s also one might add to them two tables of chro-
gy, one of which should come down to the birth
Christ, and the other to our own times.

proposing these different studies, I do not mean the Latin or Greek tongues should either of them eglected. We may easily, if I am not mistaken, ncile them together. What should principally ail in the classes, is the business of explication; that Greek author especially I would never have omitbut that half an hour should be spent upon it y day. This is a small matter, and yet when that is regularly employed, it goes a great way by the of the year. The repetition of lessons requires east time, as it is the least serviceable to the scho- ́ a quarter of an hour in my opinion is enough for specially in such classes as are not very numerous, the rather as it returns twice a-day; and on Saays, when the lessons of the whole week are reed, a longer time is spent upon it.

he care of a master, who is concerned for the welof his scholars, and wisely frugal of time, will inhim to manage every moment with so much nomy, that he will find enough for all the studies

ve mentioned

433