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against the first culprit had to repeat to me the words which he had been using; he seemed to think his lips would be polluted by the repetition, so he wrote them upon the slate. The second accuser spelt the words very deliberately, instead of pronouncing them at full length, as is usual in other cases. have often observed boys reluctant, and afraid to make such repetitions; and am always happy to see timidity on such occasions, and the watchfulness many of the youth under my care exercise over each other for good. In establishing this institution, the influence a master has over his scholars, and the influence they have one over another, have been the objects of constant study and practice; it has most happily succeeded in proving, that a very large number of children may be superintended by one master; and that they can be self-educated by their own exertions, under his care.

The whole school is arranged in classes; a monitor is appointed to each, who is responsible for the cleanliness, order, and improvement of every boy in it. He is assisted by boys, either from his own or another class, to perform part of his duties for him, when the number is more than he is equal to manage himself.

The proportion of boys who teach, either in reading, writing, or arithmetic, is as one to ten. In so large a school there are duties to be performed, which simply relate to order, and have no connexion with learning; for these duties different monitors are appointed. The word monitor, in this institution, means, any boy that has a charge either in some department of tuition or of order, and is not simply confined to those boys who teach.-The boy who takes care that the writing books are ruled, by machines made for that purpose, is the monitor of ruling. The boy who superintends the enquiries after the absentees, is called the monitor of absentees.

The monitors who inspect the improvement of the classes in reading, writing, and arithmetic, are called inspecting monitors; and their offices are indeed essentially different from that of the teaching monitors. A boy whose business it is to give to the other monitors such books, &c. as may be wanted or appointed for the daily use of their classes, and to gather them up when done with; to see that all the boys do read, and that none leave school without reading, is called the monitor-general. Another is called the monitor of slates, because he has a general charge of all the slates in the school.

The benefits resulting from a system of education which will create motives in the minds of youth, and induce them to exert their powers, is far superior to any benefit the exertions of their master can produce to them. This will be illustrated in a striking manner, by the following curious fact.-Some years ago, a lad, when about thirteen years of age, took it into his head to write paragraphs for newspapers: he did so, but all his paragraphs were returned him unprinted. Previously to this he had attempted to write a collection of anecdotes: in this he did not persevere. He attempted to write a sermon, and left it nearly finished, and better than could be expected, considering his education and youth. His next attempt was an Answer to Paine's Rights of Man, which was followed by a new System of Physic, a Democratical Pamphlet, and A Defence of Revealed Religion. In all these attempts he wasted many quires of paper, rose in the morning early, neglected his meals, and was often wholly swallowed up in the subject with which his mind was engaged. These were his various and fluctuating pursuits. But what was the result of all these laughable attempts? He insensibly acquired the art of thinking intensely and clearly, on any subject on which his mind was engaged; and, in the

end, attained a concise, familiar style of writing, which, it is probable, he never would have acquired by any other means.

On the Arrangement of the Institution, as connected with Improvements in Education.

To promote emulation, and facilitate learning, the whole school is arranged into classes, and a monitor appointed to each class. A class consists of any number of boys whose proficiency is on a par: these may all be classed and taught together. If the class is small, one monitor may teach it; if large, it may still continue the same class, but with more or less assistant monitors, who, under the direction of the principal monitor, are to teach the subdivisions of the class. If only four or six boys should be found in a school, who are learning the same thing, as A, B, C, ab, &c. Addition, Subtraction, &c. I think it would be advantageous for them to pursue their studies after the manner of a class. If the number of boys studying the same lesson, in any school, should amount to six, their proficiency will be nearly doubled by being classed, and studying in conjunction. There are two descriptions of boys to be found in every school; those who are learning to read, and those who have learnt: to the last, reading is not a study, but a medium of religious or moral instruction. To the first, a progressive series of lessons, rising step by step, to that point, where children may begin to store their minds with knowledge for use in future life. This is the second object of instruction, and to which a series of reading lessons connected with those mechanical, or other pursuits in life, which they are likely to be engaged in, and with religious knowledge, is a valuable auxiliary.

The three succeeding Classes are Boys who may read for Instruction.

With these last three classes I use a particular series of reading, which is annexed; not as the most excellent, but the one I have been able to find, well adapted to their moral and religious improve

ment.

I now proceed to describe the method of tuition used in the first class.

Of the Method of teaching to read.

FIRST CLASS.

The first, or lowest class of scholars, are those who are yet unacquainted with their alphabet. This class may consist of ten, twenty, or a hundred; or any other number of children, who have not made so much progress as to know how to distinguish all their letters at first sight. If there are only ten or twenty of this description in the school, one boy can manage and teach them; if double the number, it will require two boys as teachers, and so in proportion for every additional twenty boys, The reader will observe, that, in this and in every other class, described in the succeeding plan and

arrangement, the monitor has but one plain, simple object to teach, though in several ways; and the scholars the same to learn. This simplicity of system defines at once the province of each monitor in tuition. The very name of each class imports as much-and this is called the first A, B, C, class. The method of teaching is as follows: a bench is placed or fixed to the ground for the boys to sit on; another, about a foot higher, is placed before them. On the desk before them is placed deal ledges, (a pantile lath, nailed down to the desk, would answer the same purpose,) thus:

The letter A, shows the entire surface of the desk, which is supported by two, three, or more legs, as usual for such desks, and according to the size. B, is a vacant space, where the boys lean their left arms, while they write or print with the right hand. The sand is placed in the space C.* The double lines represent the ledges (or pantile laths) which confine the sand in its place: sand of any kind will do, but it must be dry. The boys print in the sand, with their fingers: they all print at the command given by their monitor. A boy who knows how to print, and distinguish some of his letters, is placed by one who knows few or none,

* The space C, is painted black; the sand mostly used, is whitish: when the children trace the letters in the white sand, the black ground shows them to more advantage.