may also be desired to describe the rural scenery around him, and the streets, lanes, public buildings, and other remarkable objects connected with the town or village in which he resides. A stuffed bird or quadruped, an insect, a plant, flower, or any other object, inight occasionally be presented to him, with a request to describe in writing, its form, parts, proportions, and properties, as they appear to his senses after a minute inspection. The apparent motion of the sun during summer might be prescribed as an exercise of this kind, in which he might be desired to describe the direction or position of the sun at 6 and 9 o'clock in the morning, at noon, and at 3, 6, and 8 o'clock in the afternoon. A description of the different phases of the moon, and of the positions in the heavens in which she appears, immediately after sunset, when she assumes the figure of a crescent, a half-moon, a gibbous phase, and a full enlightened hemisphere-might form another exercise.* Such exercises would tend to excite a spirit of observation, and to impress the mind with various facts, which would be found of immense benefit to the pupil when he should afterwards enter on the regular study of the sciences. When such exercises are prescribed to a whole class, a day and hour may be appointed, when a few of the compositions might be read by the teacher in the presence of the class. This will give him an opportunity of offer. ing remarks on the merits of the different compositions, and of showing how the same ideas may be expressed in different language. On such occasions, orthographical and grammatical errors may be pointed out, and directions given how they may be avoided. At the same time, instructions may be given in reference to the proper use of capital letters, stops and marks, and the proper arrangement of any piece of composition into sentences and paragraphs.

The utility of such exercises will scarcely be called in question. They would habituate the young to observation and reflection— instead of looking at the objects and phenomena of nature with an unconscious gaze, they would learn to inspect them with minute

In order to understand the object of such an exercise, it may not be improper to state, that immediately after sunset, the moon, when in a crescent phase, appears near the west or south-west quarter of the heavens, in our northern latitude-when of the figure of a half-moon, she appears near ly in the south at the same hour-when of a gibbous phase, about the southeast-and when a full moon, in the east, nearly opposite to the point of sunset, and sometimes a little to the south-east or north-east, according as she is in north or south declination. These circumstances can be easily ascertained in the course of a fortnight, and it is of some importance to a young person that he be enabled to determine them from his own observa.

tions.

attention, and investigate their forms, qualities, and effects. In such observations they would feel a variety of pleasing emotions; for the acquisition of new facts and ideas, and knowledge of every description, is a source of enjoyment to every mind, whether young or old. Besides, such studies and employments would have a tendency to prevent them from engaging in frivolous pursuits and mischievous devices; and, in the future periods of their lives, they would be enabled to record and describe, with perspicuity, any remarkable occurrences or facts that may fall under their obser*vation. We have reason to believe that many interesting facts in relation to geology, mineralogy, zoology, meteorology, and other departments of natural history, have been detected by persons in the lower ranks of life, which have been lost to the scientific world, in consequence of their being beheld with an incurious eye, and from the observers having been incapable of writing an intelligent description of the objects which came under their inspection. Hence the numerous bones of fossil animals which have been mangled and destroyed, and thrown aside as rubbish, by labourers and miners, had they been preserved entire, might have thrown a new light on the extinct species of the animal kingdom, and on the former state of the world. But in the present state of society, there is not one out of a hundred capable of writing a perspicuous description of any fact, physical, political, or moral, that may fall under his observation. If, therefore, young people were early excited to habits of observation, and to record in wri ting the results of their observations, they might afterwards, in a variety of ways, be eminently useful in contributing to the advancement of science and of general knowledge.

SECTION III-Drawing.

In connection with writing, Drawing is an accomplishment in which every young person should be initiated. As writing consists in the imitation of characters and words, so drawing is the imitation or writing down of objects. Almost every child feels a desire to imitate the actions of others, and, when he has it in his power, to draw representations, however rude, of the objects around him; and in such exercises feels no small share of enjoy. ment. He may be taught to begin with geometrical figures, as lines, angles, squares, parallelograms, triangles, polygons, arches, circles, ovals, cones, pyramids, cylinders, and the like, as being the foundation of all other proportions. He may next proceed to the drawing of fruits, as apples, pears, cherries, &c. with their leaves of flowers, as roses, tulips, and daisies; of birds, beasts,

fishes, and serpents; of the human body, with its several lineaments; and of houses, spires, public buildings, and landscapes. After he has executed some of these objects from patterns set before him, he should be encouraged as soon as possible to copy from nature. For this purpose, he might be directed to begin with attempting to draw the representation of an adjacent building, of the schoolhouse, with its garden and area, of a church, a spire, a tower, or some adjacent public edifice-also the imitation of a tree, a flower, a horse, a cow, a dog, a ship, or a windmill. After drawing several landscapes from copies, he may be requested to delineate a particular landscape in the neighbourhood of the seminary; and if such an exercise were prescribed to a whole class, premiums (if such a principle be admitted) might be offered for two or three of the best finished drawings. Previous, however, to such attempts, some of the principles of perspective would require to be familiarly illustrated. The pupil might next be instructed in the delineation of maps, the drawing of architec tural plans, garden plots, and rural ornaments, machinery of different kinds, and optical, mathematical, and philosophical instruments. In the present state of society, and amidst the improvements now going on in all kinds of machinery, a particular acquaintance with this department of drawing would be found of great practical utility, and there are few mechanical exercises in which the young would take greater delight.

Drawing has hitherto been considered chiefly in the light of an ornamental study, and has been viewed as principally adapted to the amusement of ladies, and the higher ranks of society; and their attention has been chiefly directed to the copying of paintings, engravings, drawings, and fancy-pieces, which have no prototypes in nature. Hence there are comparatively few who have learned this art in the usual routine, that can accurately delineate a landscape from nature, draw an architectural plan, or give a correct representation of any instrument or piece of machinery. The art of drawing ought not to be considered as merely an elegant amusement: it is capable of being rendered of the greatest utility to science, and to those arts which minister to the comfort and rational enjoyments of human life. Were useful knowledge more generally diffused, and were the young univer sally taught to draw from nature, our views of the landscape of the world, of the facts of science, and of the operations of art, might be indefinitely enlarged. Every traveller would be enabled to take a sketch of the wonders of nature, the varieties of art, the domestic associations, and the more interesting scenery displayed in the different regions through which he passed; and

such sketches, being afterwards expanded into panoramas, or en graved for the optical machine, might extend our conceptions of the scenery of the world, and convey clear and distinct views of objects which we may never have an opportunity of visiting. Every naturalist would be qualified to delineate an exact representation of any unknown tree, flower, shrub, or uncommon animal, that might fall under his observation. Every one engaged in astronomical observation could represent to others, with accuracy, the phenomena of the solar spots, with their numberless variations the aspect of the lunar mountains, peaks, and vales, in every phase of the moon, and the changes which may occasionally be taking place-the varied appearances on the surfaces of the planets, as seen through telescopes-and the relative positions, sizes and phenomena of the stellar and planetary nebula dispersed through the distant regions of space. Every artisan and mechanic would be qualified for sketching any mechanical improvement or invention, either of his own or of others; and every labourer, for delineating whatever curious or uncommon objects he might meet with, either in his rural walks, or in his digging, mining, and agricultural operations.

But, in order to enjoy the advantages which would be derived from universal instruction in the art of drawing, every object which the young are set to copy should be one which has a real existence in nature, and which may be instrumental in conveying to their minds a new and correct idea of objects which they may not previously have seen, and thus of adding something to their stock of general knowledge; and they should be given to understand, that the object of drawing is not mere amusement, but practical utility; and consequently they should be induced to copy from nature and art as soon as they are able to handle the pencil with any degree of dexterity. It appears truly absurd and preposter. ous to set before children, as patterns of imitation, fancy pictures and imaginary landscapes which have no prototypes in the real world, when there are so many real objects and diversified landscapes around us, and when we consider that every new object which has a real existence, presented to a young mind, adds something to its stock of knowledge. Fancy pictures are of as little use in giving us correct representations of nature and art, as novels and romances are in conveying accurate information of the transactions and events recorded in history. On this ground, I would deem it inexpedient to distract the attention of the young with historical paintings or drawings, however much such pieces may be admired. In short, when we consider how much useful information as well as pleasure, may be conveyed by accurate

pictures taken directly from the scenes of nature and the operations of art, we cannot but view it as highly expedient, in attempting the general diffusion of knowledge, that every young person should be taught to delineate, on any emergency, whatever phenomena or processes of nature, or operations of art, may be thought worthy of being depicted and recorded.

SECTION IV.-Arithmetic.

Arithmetic is the science which explains the properties and relations of numbers, and the method of computing by them. A knowledge of this subject should form a part of every system of education, as its principles and rules form the groundwork of all the computations connected with commerce, geometry, mensuration, geography, astronomy, navigation, and other departments of science.

Previous to engaging in the regular study of this science, and attempting its more complex operations, the general properties of numbers should be familiarly illustrated by sensible representa tions, in a manner similar to what is generally practised in infant schools. This may be done either in private by an intelligent parent, or in a public school, as an occasional amusement for those who have not entered on the regular study of arithmetic ; which would prepare them for understanding its fundamental rules and computations. A variety of moveable objects, as peas, beans, beads, marbles, cubes, &c. may be provided, or perhaps small pieces of wood cut in the shape of cubes or parallelopipeds, as they do not roll, may be more convenient for this purpose-and a method such as the following, corresponding to the spirit and plan of Pestalozzi, may be pursued. The teacher, placing one of the cubes before the children, says, "This is one cube;" the children at the same time repeat, "This is one cube." The teacher, adding another, says, "These are two cubes," which the children likewise repeat. This process may be continued til they advance to the number ten. Then, taking all the cubes from the table, and throwing down four, the question is put, How many cubes are on the table? which the children, after having been for some time familiarized to this mode of notation, will be able to answer. In like manner, other numbers may be successively placed on the table, and similar questions put. This pro cess may be varied as follows: Placing a parallelopiped or oblong figure before the children, the teacher may say, "Once one"-placing another, at a little distance from the first, "Twice one"adding another, "Three times one;" and so on, making the chil dren repeat the numbers as the pieces are laid down. When the