by one in twenty, all of whom could reply in a moment to 'What meanest thou by this word sacrament.' "-Educational Magazine, vol. i. pp. 161, 162.

The great cause of this melancholy evil is considered by this writer to be, the allowing the learning of words by rote to take precedence of understanding the meaning. The common practice is to set a portion to be committed to memory, and to trust to chance for the meaning. The stress of praise or blame is laid upon the correct or incorrect rehearsal of the words of the mere words-of words as words :

"1. The words are everything with the child. His sole aim is to be able to 'say' his lesson. His only care is, by repeating the words over and over again, to commit them to memory: he thinks his work all done when this is done. He looks upon anything beyond as a sort of work of supererogation; he has had quite enough of it without being (as he would perhaps say to a school-fellow) bothered' afterwards with, or about the explanation.

"2. Again, there is often no opportunity for the explanation afterwards; the time allowed for the lesson is taken up with hearing it said; some idle or unlucky urchins having to try it over and over again. Even when there is a desire on the part of the teacher to explain the meaning, or to inquire into the pupil's understanding of the lesson, it is thus put off from day to day, until the arrears are too great to be overtaken, and there is no chance but starting afresh.

"3. A third evil is, that learning the words first by rote is a positive hindrance in the way of acquiring the meaning afterwards. The freshness is gone which would awaken an interest in the mind. ... The child has neither the will nor the power to acquire the meaning. He has been too long used to the words as abstracted from all ideas; or, in some instances, associated with wrong ones. He fancies he knows all about it, because he can say the whole by rote. If asked the meaning, the chance is that he answers in the words that come next. What is an inheritor?' 6 He bawls out, The kingdom of heaven.' What are the pomps and vanity of this wicked world?' He is only too ready with an answer,-All the sinful lusts of the flesh.' "—Educational Magazine, vol. i. p. 163.

The writer then proceeds to enumerate some of the advantages that would result from reversing the usual order, and so allowing instruction as to the meaning to have precedence of committing words to memory.

"1. There will be a gradual development of the child's mind, as well as a mere exercise of the memory. When, therefore, I lay so much stress upon the meaning being first understood, as far as a child is capable of understanding spiritual things, I set very little value upon merely telling a child the meaning, still less upon setting him to learn an explanation by rote. It is not explanation, indeed, that is so much wanted, as development : and this is best done by oral instruction, in which each question arises out of the preceding answer.

"2. When the pupil has got firm hold of the ideas as attached to certain words, the words will at any time recall the ideas to his mind; and so the mere exercise of committing the lesson to memory will be of great service. For each time he repeats the sentence over, the mind will be occupied more or less with the meaning; and consequently, by the same process, the ideas as well as the words are fixed in the mind. In this way we are cultivating and improving not merely a mechanical, but an intelligent memory. The

pupil will be led to meditate upon the truths contained in the form of sound words which he has learnt, and to correct his own crude notions by an authorised standard: and in this there is a moral, as well as a mental advantage.

....

"3. It is easy to see, that the children must be more interested in what is intellectual, than in what is merely mechanical. By the previous questions and answers their attention is engaged; they like to be allowed to answer in their own words, which they cannot do without attaching ideas to them: the instruction hangs better together, each question being started by the answer before. The correcting of the pupil's answer by the teacher, tends to precision of thought. The pupils are always pleased to have their minds exercised, as well as their bodies; they are glad to learn whenever they really do learn, that is, when they acquire new ideas. . . . . There are few things that lighten up their little faces more than oral instruction, when it is so managed as to carry them along with it. I would have said, when it is made level to their capacities, had I not feared being misunderstood to be advocating a sort of religion made easy; which is far from my thoughts. Let this instruction, as far as an explanation is attempted, be not so much brought down to their level, as held just within their reach; it will do them good, as well as interest them more, to have to stretch for it.

"4. It follows now, as a matter of course, that in the long run more will be learnt, and by heart too. All writers upon the philosophy of the mind tell us, that what is interesting and pleasing makes thereby a deeper and more lasting impression upon the memory.

By the time the children comprehend the meaning of the lesson, they will be able to repeat a good part of it; and in learning the whole, word for word, the ideas previously acquired will help to suggest the words, and the meaning will tie the whole together...

"5. The great advantage of all would be the moral effect we might hope (with God's blessing) to see produced upon the heart and character. Let it be thoroughly understood, that the meaning is the grand point, that the meaning of the lesson is the lesson; that the words (most useful and indeed essential) are only so for the idea's sake, and we may hope for an improvement in heart, as well as in head."-Educational Magazine, vol. i. pp. 166-168.

Such being the principle upon which we are to proceed in giving religious instruction, and such the resulting advantages, the question arises, How are we to reduce these principles to practice, so as to obtain (under God's blessing) these important results? The answer furnished to this question by the writer of this "Address," is full and practical:

"The end in view, we must ever remember, is not merely to cultivate a single faculty, be it memory or any other; but to improve the whole mind and character of the future man; to train him up in the principles and practices of true Christianity, according to the Holy Catholic Church. This, as far as instruction is concerned, will be best secured by grounding him well in the authorised formularies of the Church, more especially in the Catechism.

"A.-Let the work be begun with oral instruction, the question being varied as much as possible, to make sure of the child's comprehending it; and the questions being afterwards varied again, to make sure of his understanding the subject. Let him be catechised thus:

"1. As to the meaning of the words. Here let every possible use be made of analysis and etymology.

"2. As to the meaning of the sentences, or the words in their connexion.

The child would learn English grammatically, if he did not learn English grammar. There is no reason, however, why he should not learn both.

upon

"3. As to the subject as a whole, so far as a child can be expected to comprehend it. Doubtless there is much that he must as yet take trust; indeed, it is in strict analogy both with Scripture and the course and constitution of nature, that such should be the case. But that is widely different from learning words by rote. A boy of eleven or twelve, or at all events of thirteen or fourteen years of age, can take in, without difficulty, a Collect or a prayer as a whole, or even the Catechism as an enlargement of the baptismal vow, in connexion with baptismal privileges.*

"B. When this has been done thoroughly by question and answer; by varied illustration; by direct and continual application to the child's own state and prospects; by private conversation, as opportunity may arise; in other words, by oral instruction in every way;-then, but not till then, let the substance of the instruction, in a concise form, be committed to memory, . . . verbatim et literatim, with a religious strictness; let it be frequently rehearsed; and let great attention be paid to the elocution of the rehearsal for good reading or good elocution is, after all, the best test of perfect intelligence."-Educational Magazine, vol. i. pp. 169, 170.

There are two points in the religious education of the young, which ought ever to be most carefully attended to. The first is, to give to all our religious teaching a direct personal application to the child himself.

"The great aim of secular instruction in schools is, to develop the understanding; religious and spiritual instruction at the same time solemnizes the mind, and improves the character.... The whole is addressed at once to the child: not that he may merely exercise his understanding or memory upon it, but that he may live upon it. The question is not, Ought baptized persons to keep their baptismal vows?' but it is, 'Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe, and to do as they (thy godfathers and godmothers) have promised for thee?' The Church does not (as we sometimes hear the Catechism marred and spoiled) bid the child say' the Lord's prayer; but, having led him to understand and realize the baptismal vow at length, then addresses him pointedly thus:- My good child, know this, that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the commandments of God, and to serve Him, without His special grace; which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear, therefore, if thou canst say the Lord's Prayer.' It is this direct and continual application to the child's own privileges, and duties, and wants, that distinguishes spiritual from secular instruction. They are both exercise for the understanding; but the former is also food for the soul. Not words only, but light; and yet not light only, but, in and above all, life that every truth we teach may become a principle of life to the soul."-Educational Magazine, vol. i. p. 171.

The second point to be attended to in the religious education of

"When any portion of the Creed is our theme, we always talk over the different incidents to which it relates; sometimes we take up one part, sometimes another; and I open the Bible and read some passages illustrating the subject. But though I branch out in this way, and elicit questions and observations from my hearers, I try not to wander too far, nor to introduce too great a variety of subjects; we perhaps talk over only one point in the portion of the Catechism selected for the morning; but then, before we conclude, we repeat, reverently and discreetly, the whole passage; thus replacing, in its frame-work, the part we have been endeavouring to render interesting and intelligible.”—Mrs. Tuckfield.

the young, with regard to reading or committing to memory, on the part of the child, or questioning or otherwise instructing, on the part of the teacher, is to teach religion in the spirit of religion; that is, with reverence, and in faith.

"Is it necessary that anything should be said as to the tone and spirit in which the instruction should be carried on? And yet this is the most important point of all. With all my horror of merely word-mongery, or rote-work, much rather would I have my boy taught the Catechism by rote, in a grave serious way, (the voice and look of the instructor teaching him, that, though as yet he is to understand nothing-little or nothing-of the instruction, yet it is something concerning a mysterious soul within him, and a mysterious God above him;) much rather would I have even this, than the most intellectual instruction about spiritual things, if it were nothing but intellectual; if the lesson, though the very words of Scripture, were merely etymologized, and parsed and analyzed in an off-hand and perhaps flippant way. Give me sooner for my child, the day by day impression from the voice and countenance of the holy, though (as some might say) unintellectual teacher by rote, who looks to nothing but that the Catechism be 'said' with due gravity."-Educational Magazine, vol. i. p. 172.

The "Account of a School at Failand Lodge," in East Somerset, which was established about 1840, for the children of the yeomanry, contains some useful observations on the education of the middle classes generally. Whilst the poor have been receiving in our village schools, not such an education as a poor and uneducated class might desire for themselves, but such as the most educated classes in the country desire to give them; the middle classes,—those classes upon whom the stability of the throne and the union of Church and State more than ever depend,-have had to seek for their education in private commercial schools: schools conducted, for the most part, by persons whose object is simply to gain a livelihood. Such persons have no deep sense of official responsibility, no fixed principles with reference to education. They vary as the parents vary. Instead of telling the uneducated parent what and how his child ought to be taught, they allow the uneducated parent to direct them what and how to teach their single aim being to please all parties, in order that they may obtain as many pupils as they can.

Under these circumstances one of the best courses to be pursued by churchmen in this matter appears to be, to establish Diocesan Schools for the middle classes, avowedly upon the principles of the Church of England; where the children of yeomen and tradesmen may receive a thoroughly English education. The subject is far too extensive for us to enter upon it in an article like the present; the object of which is, not to discuss the great educational questions, nor even to express, in any very direct way, our own opinions respecting them; but simply to furnish our readers with the flos et medulla, so to speak, of some recent publications relating to school-education and school matters generally. The following passages contain some valuable hints as to the principles by which those who propose to establish or to direct Diocesan Schools ought to be governed.

"The boys at Failand Lodge are not encouraged to ape the manners and tone of conversation of those far above them in rank and society; they are not taught to feel ashamed of their parents and their homes; but every opportunity is taken to make the child of the English yeoman feel that he only becomes contemptible when he pretends to be something which he is not. Every effort is made, in the school-room, and in the play-ground, to [form a manly English spirit; respectful towards those in superior stations, without servility; kind and considerate towards those in inferior stations, without familiarity. The boys are not taught to fancy, that they can know as much as those who are able to spend double or treble the number of years on their education which they can; and great care is taken to inculcate humility in judgment, and deference to the opinion of those who have better means for forming an accurate decision on any point, than they have.

"It is not so much in the superior information which a boy may acquire there, that I consider Failand Lodge School far superior to the majority of our commercial schools; other schools may cram the children's minds with as large a mass of facts; other schools may produce as good walking dictionaries;-but I am not acquainted with any school for the yeomanry, where the mind is so educated.

"The education of the mind is as totally distinct from the giving information, as the general strengthening of the arm of the swordsman differs from teaching him some particular sabre-cut or fencing-thrust. The shorter are a boy's school-days, the more important is it that the master should make the principal object the education of the boy's mind, the strengthening of all his faculties, and teaching him how to control and use them. To attempt to explain to a child the meaning of all he learns, and to make all study mere pleasure, is a very great mistake; the observation is as old as Aristotle, that we must learn the ori before we can learn the diori. One of the chief uses of study is to teach restraint, the giving up of present for the sake of future pleasure, and the improvement of the faculties of memory, attention, &c. The child who has had all study made a play, will be little suited for the severer employments of his future life. . . . The child who has been taught application and self-denial, whose powers of memory and thought, of abstraction and generalization, have been cultivated and improved, will be thereby fitted for every situation into which he may be thrown, and will be at all times able to acquire any fresh information which he may need."-Educational Magazine, vol. i. p. 218.

We are glad to find this writer insisting upon the value of mathematical instruction in middle schools.

"It is frequently asked by the parents of the children at Failand Lodge, and by many of the higher classes who should know better,-What can be the use of Euclid and Algebra and such things, to a child who is hereafter to be an English farmer? Can Euclid or Algebra be of any benefit to him in his fields or at the market? Will they make him know better how his land should be cropped, his meadows drained, or his fences made? I answer, I decidedly think they will. I am not so foolish as to expect, that the little elementary knowledge of mathematics which a boy can obtain at Failand Lodge, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, will ever, in the majority of instances, enable him to make any improvements in the instruments of agriculture, or in the construction of his barns and buildings; but I am confident that his mind being, by these studies, enlarged, strengthened, and taught the habits of abstraction, comparison, and correct reasoning, will be able to apply itself more usefully and effectually to any subject whatever." -Educational Magazine, vol. i. p. 219.

In order to secure these results, considerable attention must be