desirable to make some remarks at a public meeting. Many persons are incapable of this. They feel awkward and nervous, they hesitate, repeat themselves, blunder, and at last sit down covered with confusion. This is often the case with Englishmen, speaking their own language. Natives of India giving an address in English have the disadvantage of using a foreign tongue; but, on the other hand, they have generally more self-possession than Englishmen. Some judicious training is of great benefit.

The best exercises in public speaking are discussion classes, carried on under the superintendence of the professors and headmasters of colleges and schools. Due order is preserved; errors both in language and reasoning are pointed out; students are trained to express themselves with ease and correctness.

Debating Societies, as usually conducted by students themselves, are of very doubtful benefit. Often the chief object of the speaker is to display his own ability. He comes with his speech carefully written out and committed to memory. Whether it is irrelevant or not, does not trouble him. Sometimes he adds a few impromptu remarks, which are in striking contrast with the stilted style of the rest of his address.

The Hon. J. B. Norton, a warm friend of the people of India, thus cautions some Madras students: "Of all Debating Societies, Political Debating Societies are the most objectionable for the young. There they mostly learn to express jejune notions in a vicious style." Still, if a judicious chairman can be found, societies in which young men may have some practice in speaking, are useful.

Cicero's advice to an orator is to consider well "what he has to say, in what order, and how." The first rule given by Helps is, "To arrange methodi

cally and in just sequence the order of the topics, and not to vary from that method and that sequence. Inferior speakers wander about to and fro like a dog on a journey in their speaking; and nothing is more tiresome to the hearer than this fault." Inexperienced young men may admire loud and glib speakers wanting in order; but judicious hearers form a very different opinion. All irrelevant matter should be rigidly excluded. Nor should the speaker dwell upon trifling points, even though connected with the subject. Attention should be concentrated upon the main arguments, which should be marshalled in due order. Long introductions ought to be avoided. So also should long addresses. A speaker should carefully watch when an audience appear to get tired, and leave off immediately with a good ending.

Management of the Voice.-Keep your head up. This relieves the throat and enables you to speak distinctly. Look at those you address, as this gives pointedness to your remarks, and you can judge better of the manner in which they are received. Begin in a low, distinct tone. Imagine yourself speaking to the persons in a distant part of the room, Clear articulation is of far more consequence than mere loudness. Avoid a dull, monotonous tone. Let the voice rise at times as in animated conversation; but do not scream. Enter thoroughly into your subject and express yourself accordingly. The less a speaker thinks about himself the better. It has been remarked, "All men are orators when they feel."

Graceful action sets off on address. Especial care ought to be taken to avoid any disagreeable habit in speaking.

The attention to be given to public speaking depends partly on the future employment of the student. If intended for the bar, exercise in it is of very great importance.

This branch of study ranks next in importance to language. It includes Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, &c., with their practical appli

cations.

Every person knows the value of arithmetic in ordinary business. A man who cannot calculate expeditiously and accurately, is unfit for nearly every position above that of a common labourer. An acquaintance with practical mathematics is indispensable in several employments.

But the study of mathematics has other advantages which have long been recognized. More than two thousand years ago, Plato, the famous Greek philosopher, inscribed on the entrance to his Academy, "Let no one enter here who cannot geometrize." Although a person should never in his whole life require to turn one of Euclid's problems to practical account, the study of geometry is of great value in teaching to reason soundly and in strengthening the mental powers. This is explained in the following remarks by Professor De Morgan

"It is admitted by all that a finished or even a competent reasoner is not the work of nature alone; the experience of every day makes it evident that education developes faculties which would otherwise never have manifested their existence. It is, therefore, as necessary to learn to reason before we can expect to be able to reason, as it is to learn to swim or fence, in order to attain either of those arts. Now, something must be reasoned upon, it matters not much what it is, provided that it can be reasoned upon with certainty. The properties of mind or matter, or the study of languages, mathematics, or natural history, may be chosen for this purpose. Now, of all these, it is desirable to choose the one

which admits of the reasoning being verified, that is, in which we can find out by other means, such as measurement and ocular demonstration of all sorts, whether the results are true or not. When the guiding property of the loadstone was first ascertained and it was necessary to learn how to use this new discovery, and to find out how far it might be relied on, it would have been thought advisable to make many passages between ports that were wellknown before attempting a voyage of discovery. So it is with our reasoning faculties: it is desirable that their powers should be exerted upon objects of such a nature, that we can tell by other means whether the results which we obtain are true or false, and this before it is safe to trust entirely to reason. Now the mathematics are peculiarly well adapted for this purpose, on the following grounds:

"1. Every term is distinctly explained, and has but one meaning, and it is rarely that two words are employed to mean the same thing.

2. The first principles are self-evident, and, though derived from observation, do not require more of it than has been made by children in general.

"3. The demonstration is strictly logical, taking nothing for granted except the self-evident first principles, resting nothing upon probability, and entirely independent of authority and opinion.

"4. When the conclusion is attained by reasoning, its truth or falsehood can be ascertained, in geometry by actual measurement, in algebra by common arithmetical calculation. This gives confidence, and is absolutely necessary, if, as was said before, reason is not to be the instructor, but the pupil.

5. There are no words whose meanings are so much alike that the ideas which they stand for may

be confounded. Between the meanings of terms there is no distinction, except a total distinction, and all adjectives and adverbs expressing difference of degrees are avoided. Thus it may be necessary to say A is greater than B; but it is entirely unimportant whether A is very little or very much greater than B. Any proposition which includes the foregoing assertion will prove its conclusion generally, that is, for all cases in which A is greater than B, whether the difference be great or little.

"These are the principal grounds on which, in our opinion, the utility of mathematical studies may be shewn to rest, as a discipline for the reasoning powers. But the habit of mind which the studies have a tendency to form are valuable in the highest degree. The most important of all is the power of concentrating the ideas which a successful study of them increases where it did exist, and creates where it did not. A difficult position, or a new method of passing from one proposition to another, arrests all the attention, and forces the united faculties to use their utmost exertions. The habit of mind thus formed soon extends itself to other pursuits, and is beneficially felt in all the business of life."

Without an acquaintance with mathematics, no progress can be made in the higher departments of science. Sir John Herschell says of astromony, "Admission to its sanctuary, and to the privileges aud feelings of a votary, is only to be gained by one meaus, sound and sufficient knowledge of mathematics, the great instrument of all exact inquiry, without which no man can ever make such advances in this or any of the higher departments of science as can entitle him to form an independent opinion on any subject of discussion within their range."

It is true that exclusive devotion to mathematics is apt to make a man one-sided and incapable of