card. For the purpose of teaching the older children to write the alphabet, they are supplied with slates, on which the whole alpha. bet is engraved some in capital letters, and others in text; the children then put the pencil into the engraving, and work it round into the shape of the letter, which they can scarcely avoid doing, as the pencil will keep in the engraved part. In this way they gradually learn both to form the letters correctly, and to read written characters and sentences.

The properties and numbers, and the fundamental rules of Arithmetic, are taught by various modes; particularly by an instrument which has been termed the Arithmeticon, or Transposition-frame. The following is a figure and description of the use of this instrument, taken from Mr. Wilderspin :-"The frame is sixteen inches square, and made of wood: twelve wires pass through it at equal distances; on which wires, seventy-eight moveable balls are to be placed, beginning with one on the first, two on the second, three on the third, &c. up to twelve." By this instrument may be taught "the first principles of grammar, arithmetic, and geometry. It is used as follows-Move one of

the balls to a part of the frame distinct from the rest: the children will then repeat, There it is, there it is.' Apply your finger to the ball, and set it running round: the children will immediately change from saying, 'There it is,' to There it goes, there it goes.' When they have repeated 'There it goes,' long enough to impress it on their memory, stop the ball: the children will probably say, 'Now it stops, now it stops.' When that is the

case, move another ball to it, and then explain to the children the difference between singular and plural, desiring them to call out, There they are, there they are; and when they have done that as long as may be proper, set both balls moving, and it is likely they will call out, There they go, there they go,' &c. &c. By the natural position of the balls they may be taught to begin at the first. The master, raising it at the top of the frame, says, 'What am I doing? Children answer, 'Raising the ball up with your hand.' Q.‘Which hand?' A. 'Left hand.' Then the master lets the ball drop, saying, One, one.' Raise the two balls, and propose questions of a similar tendency: then let them fall; the children will say, 'Twice one:' raise three, and let them fall as before; the children will say, 'Three times one.' Proceed to raise the balls on each remaining wire, so that they may say, as the balls are let fall, Four times one, five times one, six times one, seven times one, eight times one, nine times one, ten times one, eleven times one, twelve times one. We now proceed as follows: 1 and 2 are 3, and 3 are 6, and 4 are 10, and 5 are 15, and 6 are 21, and 7 are 28, and 8 are 36, and 9 are 45, and 10 are 55, and 11 are 66, and 12 are 78. Subtraction is taught by this instrument thus ;-Take 1 from 1, nothing remains, moving the first ball, at the same time, to the other end of the frame. Then remove one from the second wire, and say, 'Take 1 from 2;' the children will instantly perceive that only one remains: then 1 from 3, and 2 remain; 1 from 4, 3 remain; 1 from 5, 4 remain, &c. Multiplication is taught as follows:-The teacher moves the first ball, and immediately after the two balls on the second wire, placing them underneath the first, saying, at the same time, Twice one are two,' which the children will readily perceive. Next, remove the two balls on the second wire for a multiplier, and then remove two balls on the third wire, placing them exactly under the first two, which form a square, and then say, 'Twice two are four,' which every child will discern for himself, as he plainly perceives there are no more. We then move three on the third wire, and place three from the fourth wire underneath them, saying, Twice three are six.' Remove four on the fourth wire, and four on the fifth; place them as before, and say, 'Twice four are eight:"" and so on, through all the wires and balls.

The first principles of arithmetic are also taught, by means of small cubes. The children are formed into a square, in the centre of which is placed a table, on which the cubes are placed-one, two, three, or four at a time. The master puts down three, for example, and inquires of the children how many there are; when they naturally call out, "Three." He puts down two more; and

inquires as before, "How many are three and two?" they answer, "Five:" and thus goes on till he has put down to the number of fifty or sixty. In a similar manner Subtraction is illustrated, by placing, for example, 9 cubes on the table, and saying, "Take 5 from 9, how many will remain?" and, removing 5 cubes, it will be seen that 4 remain, &c. The multiplication table, the pence tables, the tables of money, time, weights, and measures, are taught by a monitor repeating certain portions of them at a time, and being immediately followed by all the children in unison. Thus, when the monitor announces, "7 times 8 are 56," or "Forty pence are three and fourpence," the children in a body repeat the same; and in a short time the whole of these tables are impressed upon their memories.

The leading facts of Sacred History are communicated by means of a series of historical pictures, and by a variety of minute descriptions and interrogatories. The more interesting facts of Natural History are exhibited by a number of large cards, on which are pasted engraved representations of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, insects, trees, flowers, and similar objects; in the explanation of which an opportunity is taken of detailing their forms, qualities, and uses, and any anecdotes that may occur respecting them. Knowledge is also communicated in relation to many common and useful subjects, by presenting before them real ob. jects, such as gold, silver, copper, brass, tinfoil; a piece of flax, thread, raw silk, twisted silk, cotton, linen, gauze, nankin, gingham, silk velvet, &c., describing the different processes connected with their manufacture, and teaching the children how to recognise and distinguish such substances. But, as I have no intention of entering into the minute details connected with infant schools, I refer those who wish a more particular account of these institutions, to Mr. Wilderspin's excellent treatise on "Infant Education, "and Mr. Stow's "Moral Training,"* and shall conclude this article by a few general remarks on the advantages which would result from the universal establishment of such seminaries.

1. The establishment of infant schools in every region of the globe would increase, to an indefinite degree, the mass of useful information among mankind. Three or four years of the most 'mportant period of human life have hitherto been suffered to pass away without any material intellectual improvement. The young, indeed, during this period, acquired various fragments of useful knowledge, in spite of our remissness and inattention; for the

* "Moral Training, Infant and Juvenile, as applicable to the condition of the Population of large Towns. By David Stow, a Director of the Model Schools, Glasgow, Second Edition, enlarged." With plates.

principle of curiosity was always alive, and could never be altogether suppressed, wherever objects appeared by which it might be roused and gratified. But we never thought of directing their senses and mental powers, regularly and systematically, to the forms, qualities, uses, and characteristic features, of surrounding objects, as if such things had been beyond the range of their comprehension; while, at the same time, we tortured their me mories with the retention of sounds and sentences with which they felt disgusted, and which they could not understand. But the experiment of infant schools has shown, (and, if we had not acted like fools in the business of education, it might long ago have been demonstrated,) that children from the age of three to six years are capable of acquiring far more of what may properly be denominated knowledge, than what had been acquired by our usual insipid modes of instruction at the age of twelve or fourteen. And, what is worthy of particular attention, this knowledge has been acquired, not only without "stripes and imprisonment," but with the highest degree of satisfaction and enjoyment on the part of the young. If the world, therefore, is ever to be thoroughly enlightened, in every thing which relates to the present happiness and the eternal interests of mankind, and if the knowledge of Jehovah is "to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas," the foundation must be laid in the universal establishment of infant schools, on the most judicious and expansive plans, in every nation under heaven.

2. It is not only the amount of knowledge actually acquired, during the period alluded to, but the intellectual habits formed during its acquisition, which render such instructions of immense importance. For want of these habits being formed in early life, the great bulk of mankind may be said to have “ eyes, but see not-ears, but hear not," and consequently "do not understand;" they know neither the proper use of their sensitive organs, nor are qualified to deduce proper conclusions from the objects to which they are occasionally directed; but pass through life without any rational application of the senses and faculties with which they are furnished. Is there one out of ten that has ascertained, from his own observations, that the starry heavens perform an apparent revolution round the earth every twenty-four hours, around a certain fixed point called the pole? Is there one out of twenty that can tell at what seasons of the year the new moon will appear at a high elevation above the horizon, and when the full moon will appear high or low? And yet these facts may be ascertained, without the least difficulty, by a simple application of the organs of vision to the respective objects, combined

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with a desire to know the results;-in the first case, the object may be determined in the course of a single day, and in the latter case, within the course of a year; and yet it is a fact, that sixty or seventy years have passed away, in the case of thousands and millions of those who are denominated rational beings, without their knowing either the one or the other. The same position might be illustrated in thousands of similar instances, where the grossest ignorance prevails in relation to multitudes of objects, which might have been prevented by a rational use of the sensitive organs with which the Creator has endowed us. Now, in infant schools, children are trained to a proper application of their sensitive powers-presented with suitable objects on which they may be exercised, and taught to deduce from them useful truths, with their practical applications. These intellectual habits being formed in early life, will naturally be brought into more vigorous and extensive exercise as they advance in years, and lay the foundation of all the treasures of knowledge they may accumulate, both in the present life and throughout the ages of eternity. Such habits being formed and continually exercised, a relish for knowledge, and activity of mind, are produced, which will facilitate all their subsequent acquisitions, and render them interesting and delightful; so that, in whatever stations in society they may afterwards be placed, they will be distinguished as men of wisdom and intelligence-provided their subsequent education be conducted on the same rational principles.

3. What is of still greater importance,-in these schools the foundations are laid of moral and religious habits. It has been the practice hitherto, in infant schools-a practice which I trust will never be abolished-that the children have their minds impressed with the idea of an Omnipresent Being, who continually supports them, and to whom they are amenable for all their actions - that their exercises are uniformly commenced with prayer, and with a hymn of praise to the Creator and Redeemer of men-that the leading facts of Revelation are detailed in the most simple and interesting manner, and its moral precepts enforced in all their associations with each other-that the principles of fraud, dishonesty, deceit, hatred and malignity, wherever they appear, are strictly checked and counteracted, and the practice of love, kindness, honesty, justice and truth, enforced and exemplified. Now, such truths inculcated, and such practices enforced and exemplified, for several years, when the mind is susceptible of every impression, and of being moulded into any habit, must be of immense importance in a moral point of view-and if such seminaries were universally established, conducted on liberal and