Lastly, physical training and exercises, but rather as an occasional relief and cheering variety than an exertion that will cause fatigue or angry rivalship, are recommended.

The great means by which the mental, moral, and physical powers are to be improved, is by exercise; this has been well set forth in a modern work on education, with an extract from which, and an earnest prayer for the Divine blessing on your labours, I shall close these remarks:-"The law of exercise is of universal application. It is a fundamental law of nature, that all the capacities of man are enlarged and strengthened by being used. From the energies of a muscle up to the highest faculty, intellectual or moral, repeated exercise of the function increases its intensity. Inseparable from the very idea of exercising the faculties, and of course from the practice of that exercise, is the requisition of exercising each faculty upon the objects which nature points out as related to it. Muscular strength is to be gained by familiarising the muscles with the resistance of external forces, and by the habit of conquering mechanical difficulties, varied to exercise all the muscles, which amount to several hundreds in the human frame. The senses are improved by long and particular training, applying each to its object-sight, by habitual looking at distant or minute objects; hearing by accurate practice in the perception of sounds; taste, in the discriminating use of the palate. In the same manner, the observing faculties are rendered acute, and diversified by the constant practice of observation of details in existing objects, their qualities, and of passing events. The same law extends to the moral world. For the exercise of justice, the child must be made aware of his own and his neighbour's rights, and be habituated practically to respect them in all contingencies. For the exercise of benevolence, the habit of repressing the selfish feelings, and of actually doing good, kind, compassionate, and generous things, not by fits, but as a steady unvarying principle of action, will be found indispensable."

Miss Mayo has written largely and variously in behalf of establishments for the tenderest in years, her works being in high repute as practical guides. Some of them, such, for example, as her "Model Lessons for Infant School Teachers and Nursery Governesses," prepared for the institution immediately under notice, contain not merely suitable lessons for little children, but present models on which other books for a like purpose ought to be formed. We cite a specimen, the lessons ranging over a diversity of objects. On a Flint:

Where do

What is this? A flint. What is a flint? A sort of stone. you find stones? In the earth. Look at this flint, and tell me how it looks? It is black. (Teacher holds up the flint.) What do you all say to the colour of the flint? It is black. Repeat together--the flint is black. How does it look besides? It shines. All of you repeat-the flint shines. Do you think a piece of flint would make a good window? No. Why not? We could not see through it. What then can you say of the flint? We cannot see through it. All repeat-we cannot see through flint. Tell me of

some other things which you cannot see through. The walls, the slates, &c. Now pass the flint about, and feel it. What can you tell me about it? Itis' hard; it is cold. Repeat together-the flint is hard and cold. What more do you observe? It is smooth. Repeat the flint is smooth. Feel the edges? They are sharp. Repeat the edges of the flint are sharp. (Teacher strikes a piece of flint and a piece of steel together) What am I doing? Striking the flint and steel together. What do you see? Sparks of fire. What caused the fire? Striking the flint and steel together. Repeat together-flint strikes fire with steel. Have you not seen this before? Yes; when mother lights her fire in the morning. What then is one use of flint? Flints are useful to strike fire. When have you seen flints together in heaps? By the road side. What were they put there for? To mend the roads with. Why are flints useful for mending roads? Because they are very hard. Tell me the second use of flints? For mending the roads. Repeat together the two uses of flints which you have just mentioned. Flints are used to strike fire and for mending the roads. Now repeat all that has been said about flint. Flint is a stone; it comes out of the earth; it is black; we cannot see through it; when we touch it we feel that it is cold, hard, smooth, and sharp at the edges; it is used to strike fire, and for mending roads, because it is hard.

"A Selection of Hymns and Poetry, for the use of Infant Schools and Nurseries," in five parts, is a judicious work, both as regards arrangement and adaptation, the purposes of instruction and impression; the different parts being intended for different stages of childhood. "Hymns, Songs, and Marching Pieces, for Infant Schools and Families," set to music by Mr. James Pyne, is a publication of more novelty than that we have just mentioned. There is much that is cheering, as well as sweet and touching in this collection. The "Marching Pieces" gladden while they disclose valuable truths; exercise the physical organs and powers while they exalt and refine the sentiments. "Lessons on Scripture Prints," by Miss Mayo, is a work which has also novelty as well as excellence to recommend it. But this little volume, together with the "Preceptive Illustrations of the Bible," and other pictorial works published by Mr. Varty, we purpose making the subject of a separate paper. "Useful Hints to Teachers" is a title which distinctly indicates its object. The hints are manifestly of the most useful kind; and that they are practicable is not less clearly declared, seeing that they are to a great and even minute extent the results of the interesting experiment we are considering.

It would be satisfactory to ourselves could we give in a few sentences a distinct intimation of the leading features of the Institution, -of not merely what it pretends to be, but of what it is, and what it has achieved. But to be brief, let it be distinctly borne in mind that the establishment in Gray's Inn Road is not merely intended to be the most improved school yet contrived for the training and tuition of children of the tenderest years,-from the moment they can lisp

their few, simple, and pure ideas, and toddle about in anxious research for curiosity-satisfaction, as well as for the reciprocal outpourings of affection, but that it is a Model School for Infant School Teachers, where they obtain upon tempting conditions' an opportunity of practising the improved system and of receiving valuable lessons for themselves; in short, of acquiring a knowledge and courting a generous enlightened enthusiasm in the noblest walk that can open to a philanthropist, whose ministrations regard time as but the portal to an immortality of transcendent intelligence and unquenchable love.

In lack of ability and familiarity to do the subject justice, we must recur to some of the Reports of the Committee, where there is such abundant internal evidence of truthfulness, earnestness, and also of moderation, as must go a great way in furtherance of the objects of the Society. In one of these reports we are told, relative to the points contemplated in regard to teachers, as follows:

The great object in-view, it will be remembered, is to exercise the teachers' minds upon subjects that will be useful to them in their schools-to instruct them how to improve their own faculties-to raise their standard of excellence in teaching-and to excite such a desire to attain this standard, as shall induce them to carry on the work of self-improvement when they leave the institution.

The Committee deeply regret that so large a portion of their time is necessarily devoted to the acquisition of the common branches of knowledge. As their principal object is to train teachers in the best methods of imparting instruction, and conducting the general business of education, especially the moral and religious training of youth, they would feel much better satisfied could they reverse the present arrangement, and allow the teachers to occupy only eight hours and a half weekly in the acquisition of knowledge, and devote the remaining twenty-nine hours to the principles and practice of education. The evil, however, cannot be remedied, as long as the time of training is so limited, and candidates come from a class whose education is in general so exceedingly deficient.

The remaining twenty hours of the week are spent in the schools or class rooms, in acquiring skill in the art of teaching, and in the discipline of small or large numbers of children; thus carrying out the views which have been given to them in their lessons. The course of practice through which every teacher having a full training must necessarily pass, may be arranged under the following heads :

1. Probationary exercises;

2. Witnessing others give lessons;

3. Taking charge first of classes and afterwards of galleries of children; 4. Giving an opinion on, or criticising, the lessons of other teachers;

5. Giving lessons publicly;

6. Attending in the model school, under the direction of the master and mistress;

7. Having temporary charge of infant schools under inspection.

It is a great object with the Committee not only to see that difficulties in the mode of treating every subject, and in the manner of presenting it to children, are as much as possible simplified to the teachers; but also that both the course of study and practice shall begin at the simplest and most familiar points, and proceed steadily but gradually to what is more complex and abstract, and requiring more mental effort; of course, the time devoted to each of the above branches of practice varies according to the progress made by the teacher.

The fifth Report describes in part, in the passage we now transcribe, what is really done in the different branches of the Institution:

In the first preparatory school, the objects proposed are to gain order and obedience, preserving at the same time that tone of cheerful good humour fitting the joyous season of infancy; to exercise and strengthen the bodily organs, to awaken the mental perceptions on the most familiar objects, and to fix the first religious impressions. The subjects for each day's lesson have been carefully arranged, and after they have been tested by experience, will be published under the direction of the Committee.*

In the second school, the objects proposed are to exercise the conceptive as well as the perceptive faculties of the children; that is, to accustom them to re-produce and accurately express the ideas they have gained through their senses; to enlighten their consciences by bringing before them different moral qualities, to awaken a sense of their own responsibility, and to call out and exercise religious feelings, making use for this latter purpose of Scripture prints. The subjects of the lessons for this course are also arranged, and are in like manner undergoing the test of experience, with a view to publication.*

In both these schools, where the children on their admission are placed, and where the teachers first practise the art of teaching, great care has been taken to bring down the instruction to infantine capacities, and the teachers are directed to let their lessons assume as much as possible the character of familiar conversation. In order to form elementary exercises on form and colour, a box has been prepared, containing pieces of wood cut into various shapes, and also patterns of different colours; to these are added a sheet, on which are drawn all the different forms the box contains, and another sheet having on it the various colours. The manner in which these are used is, that the teacher holds up one of these sheets before the children, and pointing to a shape or colour on the sheet, a child is desired to select all the pieces of a similar shape or colour, the correctness of the selection being determined by an appeal to the whole gallery. The perceptions of the children are in this way exercised on two very obvious properties of matter, and an opportunity given of correcting their impressions. In a subsequent course, they are taught to affix the right appellation to the qualities they have discovered. This plan is philosophically correct, and its adoption has done much towards giving the teachers a clear comprehension of a fundamental principle in education, viz. :-That the child should first be exercised in forming clear

* These Lessons have now been published. See Model Lessons, Part II.

notions, and then be taught how to express them. A number of these boxes are prepared, and are sold at the Infant School depôt.

In the Model School, which forms the third step in the course, the instruction is somewhat more systematic and connected. The objects proposed, in addition to the exercising of the faculties of perception and conception, are to give the children a little simple information on subjects about which they have been previously interested, and to exercise their memories in storing up the knowledge they may gain; to make the moral instruction arise as much as possible out of the events of the day, habituating the children to try their dispositions and conduct by the standard of the Bible; to draw the religious lessons more directly from the word of God, and to form a regular course, developing in the children the power of preserving in their minds a chain of events. Much consideration has been given to the course of religious lessons, and it is hoped the publication of the skeletons of these lessons, to be filled up by the teachers themselves, will prove a valuable help in early education. In this school also an effort has been made clearly to develope the elementary ideas of geography. The children learn first to form correct notions of the information a map is intended to convey, as the position of places with respect to the cardinal points, their relative position, their distances measured by a scale, and the form of countries as marked by their boundaries. Having commenced with drawing a map of what is within their view, the idea is gradually expanded, and they learn to conceive what is beyond their actual experience. Thus, according to one of the leading ideas of Pestalozzi, "They proceed from the known to the unknown."

One great objection to gallery instruction has been, that the questions were generally answered by a few of the older or more intelligent children, while the younger remained uninterested, and acquired a habit of listlessness and inattention. To overcome this, the gallery of the Model School is divided on alternate days, when the younger class go over again the lessons of the preceding day, and the elder ones advance to a new subject. Another advantageous change has been the formation of a juvenile class. The object of this class is to enable the children to continue in the Infant School without detriment, a longer period than is usually allowed. This is important, as in many instances, particularly in the manufacturing districts, where the great majority go so early to work, other schools for their reception cannot be maintained. The children of the juvenile section become more independent of the master's instruction; they learn by heart and work out various lessons at home, and perform at school the office of monitors, teaching their younger companions what they have themselves acquired. They also practise linear drawing a branch of instruction hitherto almost entirely neglected in England, and from the general introduction of which into our poor schools the committee anticipate the happiest results.

It is obvious that improvements will be constantly suggesting themselves, were it merely to be in parallelism with the fluctuations of time, in an institution of the sort. What we now cite in regard to regulations will exhibit some of these amendments and alterations, together with sundry important provisions contemplated from the first, in the history of the "Home and Colonial Infant School Society."