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MINUTES

/^.

OF THK

T\V1<:NTV. FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION

Ol' THE

ONTARIO TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION,

HELU IN IHIC

PUBLIC HALL OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, TORONTO,

Atigust nth, 1 2th, and ijth, i<SSj.

TORONTO:
C. BLACKETT ROBINSON, PRINTER, 5 JORDAN STREET.

1885.

OFPIOERS, 1885-1886,

SAMUEL MoALLISTER, Toronto.

Itt^coitUng Sac If tu ry ;

KOIJKIIT W. DOAN, Toronto.

f:orrtfsponiiin^' Serif tary :
D. H. HTTNTEi;. Watkuoown,

Tif;i>^iirfr:
W. .F. HKXDllY, Toronto.

POBLIC SCHOOL INSPECTORS- SECTION

Vfiairnfiti
SerrHarii

F. L. MicHKLi,, Perth.
John liRKBNKu, Sarnia.

Direotonf

A. Cam Ph.-

H. KKAZiN. Linden Valley ; \V. .Murray, Picton.

HIGH SCHOOL SECTION.

SecTftaru

D. C. McHenrv, Cobourg.
J. E. Wrtherkm,, Strathroy.

Dlrectoi'» ;

H, B. SHorroN, I5ame : A. MAC^ruKcmv, Toronto; C. Fksskndkn, Napane. ,

and (rEORGE UiOKsoN, Hamilton.

PUBLIC SCHOOL SECTION.

(Jfutinrmn
Serrftfiri/

F. C. PowELf., Kincardine.
J. A. Brown, Whitby.

Directors :

W. .J. Osborne, Rossmore ; Ja.me.s Dkaoon, Woodstock: Rouert Alex.^nukh
(rait; John Munro, Ottawa; H. L Strang, Goderieh.

LEGISL\T1VE COMMITTEE.

T;..'irvr i^^'^^m' I^'-"^^""; 1^- P- C^f^APP, Harriston: Wii.uam Mack-
intosh, Via I oc ; W1LLIA.M Oliver. Brantford ; A. Purslow, Port H<.|>e ;
L. E Kmbree Wh.tby; Robert W. Doan, Toronto; W. J. HeniV^
lonmto; and VViLi.rAM Rannie. Newmarket.

INDEX.

Officers . .

Minutes of General Association

*' •• •■ ■)

Minutes of High School Section

Minutes of Public School Section

Minutes of Inspectors' Section

Treasurer's Statement . .

The Historical Development of Education. David Allison, LL. D.

Education in Reference to Character. V^ery Rev. C. W. E. Body.

A Plea for Science in Schools. J. C. Glashan

The Study and Teaching of English. William Houston, M.A.
Permanency of the Teaching Profession. D. Fotheringham.
Reading as Part of Elocution. Thomas Swift

PAOK

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MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION

or THE

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Ontakio Teachers" Association,

Held in (he Ihtblic Hall of the Education Department, Toronto,
on the 11th, 12th and ISth days of An(/a>it, 1S8J.

Tuesday, August 11th, 1885.

The Convention met at 11.45 a.m.

In the absence of the President, Dr. J. A. McLellan, the 1st Vice-
President, Dr. Pui'slow, took the chair.

Mr. Robt. McQueen read a portion of Scripture and enj];aged in
prayer.

Moved by Mr. Jaa. Duncan, seconded by Mr. A. MacMurchy,
That as the Minutes of last Convention have been printed and dis-
tributed, they be considered as read and adopted. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. A. MacMurchy, seconded by Mr. Jas. Munro,
That the Committee on the Consolidation and Amendment of the
Constitution and By-laws be given leave to defer their Keport till a
subsequent meeting of the Convention. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. R. W. Doan, .seconded by Mr. W. J. Hendry,
That Mr. G. K. Powell be appointed Minute Secretary. — Carried.

The Treasurer, Mr. W, J. Hendry, presented bis Annual Report.

Moved by Mr. W. J. Hendry, .seconded by Mr. J. 0. Steele,
That the Report be received and referred to an Auditing Committee,
to be named by the President. — Carried.

The President then named Messrs. Jno. Munro, J. Dearness,
F. W. Merchant, Auditing Committee.

Moved by Mr. A. MacMurchy, seconded by Mr. Jno. Munro*
That the Convention meet at 2 p.m. and adjourn at 5.30 p m., meet
at 7.30 p.m. and adjourn at 10 p.m. — Carried.

The Convention then adjourned.

'^•i/.Miii^-iLtiia

JIlNUTliS.

TiJ liSDAY — Aftkhnoon Srssio.n.

The OonvtMition as.seiiil)lofl at 2.1*) p.m.

Dv. Purslow, First Vi»;e-Prt'si(lt'nt, iii the chair.

Mr. J. C. Glashati was introduord, and read a paper on "A Plea
for the Study of Science in our SchooKs."

Moved l)y Mr. D. H. Hunter, seconded by Mr. E. Anderson,
That the hearty tlianks of this A.s.sociation be herel)y tendered to
Mr. Glashdu for his ahie and intere.stinij; ])'JL\i(n:~('arried.

Mr. W. Hou.stoji wa.s then introduced, and delivered an addnss
on "The Study of KnoIi.sh."

An inter('.stii\<,' and pvolitahle diseUHsion followed, in which ^lessr.s.
I. J. Birclu.rd, F. (!. Powell, J. .Millar, J. C. Pomeroy, T. White, A.
Campbell, A. 13. Me Galium, J. W. Crowly, L. E. Embree, and H.
I. Strang took part.

"Moved by Mr. II. W. Doan, .seconded by Mr. Jno. Munro, That
further di.scussion on Mr. Houston's address bo postponed to a future
meeting. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. A. Campbell, aecondt'd by Mr. A. B. McCallum,
That a vote of thanks be tendered to Mr. Houston for his very
interesting address. — Carried.

iMr G P. Simpson then explained 'his "Tabulated Phonetic
Alpha de.signed to lessen tho dilHculties in teaching cliildren to

read 1 ,, *sh.

The Convention then adjourned.

*■
0t

Tuesday — Evening Session.

The Convention assembled at 7.50 p.n'.

Dr. Purslow, First Vice-President, in the chair.

The Minutes of the forenoon and afternoon sessions were reatl
and confirmed.

The following Report of the Executive Committee was then
presented : —

The Executive Committee beg to recommend that any educational
periodicals be granted permission to publish ail the papers read
during the meeting of the Association, provided that copies of the
same be procured from the Secretary.

Moved by Mr. R. W. Doan, seconded by Mr. A. Campbell, That
the Report of the Executive Committee be adopted. — Carried.

"A Plea

iiHicrsoii,
idend to

1 Aiossr.s.

^'lulo, A.

and H.

ro, Tliat
a future

.•Galium,
lis very

PlioiKtio
:idreti to

;re n'.ml
ixs then

cational
rs read
I of the

11, That

n addnss |

MINUTKS.

The Report of the Audit OoDMnittee was then presented : —

Toronto, August 11th, 1885.

The xVudil (Joinmittee beg leave to report that, they have exaniiucd
the Treasurer's Accounts, aud find theiu carefully and correctly kept.
The Iveport wliich he presented 'j;ives a correct statement of the
receipts and dishurseinents durini^ tin; past year, as showii liy the
vouchers examined.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

.1x0. Mux no,

F. W. MkiumiaXT,

Jxo. Dkaiixkss, )

I Auditing
(Jotuniiltpe.

Moved by Mr. Jno. Munro, seconded by Mr. A. MacMurchy,
That the Report of the Audio (Committee be received and adopted. —
— Carried.

The discussion on Mr. Houston's address was then resumed, the
following gentlemen taking part in it : ^tessrs. W. J. Osborne, J.
Stiddal)y, 8. Woods, [. J. Birchard, and W. llou.ston.

The Hon. G. W. Ross, Minister of Kduoation, having kindly
consented to occupy the time allotted to th<^ President's address,
then ex[)lained the proposed new Regulations.

Moved by Mr. J. 0. >[organ, seconded by Mr. C. A. Barnes,
That the cordial thanks of this Association be tendered to the
Honoraljle the xMinister of Education for hi.s able and lucid explana-
tions of the new Regulations. — Carried.

The Convention then adjourned.

WeDXESDAY. — AfTEPvXOOX vSession.

The Convention assembled at '1. 15 p.m.

Mr. Jno. Munro in the chair.

Rev. Dr. Nelles, President of Victoria University, read a portion
of Scripture and engaged in prayer.

Dr. Pursljw having entered took the chair.

The Minutes of the last session were read and confirmed.

Dr. Nelles, who Avas some years ago President of this Association,
then addressed the meeting fc a short time, and informed the
A.ssociation that Dr. Allison would not be able to read his paper
in the evening, owing to a sudden and severe illness. He (Dr.
Nelles) very kindly offered to take part during the evening in a
discussion on the subject of " University Federation."

MINUTES.

Movod by Mr. II. Alexander, sccorulcul by Mr. Jaw. Duncan,
That tho Soci'otary ascertain if Provost Body will read his papcsr
this evening instead of to-morrow (evening. — (Jarrlerl.

Moved by Mr. A. Barber, seconded by Mr. W. .1. Hendry, That
the Executive C!oniii)ittee be requestf^l to communicate with the
railway authorities of this Province, to secure, if possible, tickets at
reduced rutes for teachers during the holiday seasons. — Carried.

Mr. I). Fother Ingham then reac^ a paper on " Permummcy of the
Teaching Profession."

Moved by Dr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. E. Scarlett, That tlie
hearty thanks of this Association be tendered to Mr. Fotheringham for
his very carefully prepared paper. — Carried.

An animated discussion on Mr. Fotheringham's paper was partici-
pated in ))y Dr. Kelly, Messrs. B. E. Brown, J. Dearncss, J. Moran,
\V. J. Osborne, J. W. Henstridge, T. White, A. Campbell, B. W.
Hicks, T. O. Steele, W. Clarke and Dr. McDiarmid.

Mr. J. H. Smith then gave an address on "The School-room as a
preparation for the Farm and the Workshop." He was followed V)y
Mr. F. W. Merchant on the same ubiect.

An interesting discussion followed, whioh was taken part in by
Messrs. J. Millar, J. C. Pomeroy, R. Alexander, T. O. Steele, Dr.
McDiarmid, Messrs. H. Keazin, T. R. Clipsham, W. Clarke, J. H.
Smith, J. Brebner and H. I. Strang.

Moved by T. O. Steele, seconded by W. Clarke,- That the thanks
of this Association be tendered to Messrs. J. H. Smith and F. W.
Merchant for their addresses on this subject. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. S. Woods, seconded by Mr. McKee, That the
President be authorized to nanu; a Committee to wait on Dr. Allison
and ascertain if his address is in such a condition that it can be read
by some member of the Association. — Carried.

Dr. Purslow was named as Committee-man for the above-named
purpose, and Mr. J. Munro, Second Vice-President, took the chair.

The Convention adjourned.

Wednesday — Evening Session.

The Conrention assembled at 8.15 p.m.

Dr. Purslow in the chair.

The Minutes of the last session were read and confirmed.

Dr. Purslow reported that he had waited on Dr. Allison and
found that his address could not be read by any one but himself, and
that he hoped to be able to address the Association to-morrow
evening.

Rev. Dr. Nelles then introduced the .subject of " University
Federation."

ir
F

tl
w

-'^

'. the
for

MINUTKS.

Moved by Mr. J. Millar, Hecoiulod by Mr. A. li. McC'illum, That
thn thanks of this Association l)e tendered to Rev. Dr. NcUt'H for his
very admirable address. — Carried.

A nVost interesting discussion on the subject was thfm taken part
in by Messrs. .1. Millar, A. B. McUalluni, IJev. Dr. Stewart, Mr. L.
K, Einbree, llov. Dr. N«dl(!s and Rev. Mr. (lonlon.

Rev. Tlios. McKee tnoved, seconded by Mr. Dearness, That the
time for discussion of this subject be extended so as to give all that
wish to speak on this sul)j(!ct an opportunity of doing so. — Carrind.

The discussion was then carried on by Mr. S. Woods and Rev.
Dr. Nelles.

The Convention then adjourned.

Thursday — Aftkiwoon Session.

The Convention assembled at 2.15 p.m.

Mr. Jno. Munro in the chair.

The Minutes of the last session were lead and conhrmed.

The Executive Committee recommended the following gentlemen
as officers of the Association for the ensuing year : —

President, - - - Mr. S. McAllister.
Recording Secretary, • Mr. RoHHiiT W. Do.\N.
Corresponding Secretary,
Treasurer,

Mr. D. H. Hunter.
Mr. VV. J. Hendry.

Moved by Mr. F. C. Powell, seconded by Mr. W. J. Osborne,
That the recommendation of the Executive Committee be adopted. —
Carried.

Mr. Thomas Swift, of Ottawa, then read a paper on " Reading
as a part of Elocution."

Moved by Mr. T. 0. Steele, seconded by IVtr. F. C. Powell, That
the thanks of the Association be tendered to Mr. Swift for his
excellent paper. — Carried.

Dr. Allison was then introduced to the Association, and he
delivered a short address.

A few remarks were made on the subject of Mr.. Swift's paper by
Mr. W. Houston.

The following resolution of the Inspectors' Section was read by
Mr. A. Campbell : —

That this Section has reason to dcj^lore the loss during the past
year of one of its most esteemed members, the late Robert Little,
Public School Inspector for Halton. In him his fellow- workers feel
that they have lost a warm, true-hearted friend, one whose ripe

MINUTES.

exporirnce, wide attainments and sound judgment inado his counsel
always valual U'. llu^ Ik art-felt sympathies of Mr. Little's late
ooljeagucs are extended to his sorrowing widow.

Comynittf'i

1). McKlNNON,

T n M ( / . o. /. bed

J. KOP.KHTSOX MiLLKli, )

ion.

Moved by Mr. Doan, seconded hy Mr. J. R. Miller, That the
resolution of the Inspectors' Section be adopted l)y the Association,
and that a copy of it be sent to the widow of our deceased friend.
— Car rial I.

The Convention then adjourned.

Thursday — E^icxixd Sessiox.

The Convention re-a.ssembled at 8 p.m.

Mr. Jno. ^Funro in the cliair.

The IMinutes of the afternoon session were read and confirmed.

i\[r. Maci\[urcliy read the following report of the High School
Section : —

Whereas in the mysterious Providence of God it has pleased
him to remove from our midst our respected friend and colleague,
J. M. Buchan, Esq., ^[.A., late Principal of Upper Canada College,
therefore l)e it resolved by the Teachers' Association of Ontario :

That we place on record our appreciation of the many noble
([ualities of the deceased, his ardent adherence to principle, his firm
and just discharge of the many duties devolving upon him in the
various public ollices lield by hiui, and his upright conduct in all the
relations of life ; and in common with the friends of the Educational
Institutions of the country, with which he was so closely connected,
and which are now deprived of his inestimable advice and influence,
we deplore his early death in the midst of a career of usefnlness
and honor ; while to his aged father and his bereaved widow and
family we tender our sincere .sympathy in the irreparable loss
sustained by tiiom in the removal of a beloverl son, a loving husband
and a kind and affectionate father.

That a copy of this preamble and resolution be* engrossed and
signed by the Pre.sident and Secretary, and forwarded to Mr.s. Buchan,
and that the resolution and the accompanying recommendation bo
entered upon the Minutes and published in tlie various city papers.

Arciiiuald MacMurciiy,
Chaiiman Committee High School Section.

Moved by Mr. MacMurchy, seconded by Mr. J. Millar, That the
Report of the High School Section bo adopted. — Carried.

MINUTIiSi I I

ivov, Provost Body, of Trinity Caiioge, then ileliverod au addr(>ss
on "Education iii relation to Character,"

Dr. AUisou, (!hi<t' Superintendent of Education, Xova Scotia,
delivered an address on " The Historical Development of Education."

>[ove(l l)y Mr. S. Woods, seconded by Mr. 1>. Feer, Tliat the
thanks of tlie Association Ix? tendered to Rev. Provost Body ami
Dr. Allison for their very eloquent aiKlresses. — C<irri<:d.

Gloved l)y Mr. R. W. Doan, seconded by Mr. E. Scarlett, That
the tlianks of this A.saociation arj hereby tendered to th(! Minister
of Education for his kindness in allowing the Association the use of
the rooms in the J'lducation De{>artinent ; to the railway authorities
for their reducetl rates to members in attendance here ; and to tlie
reporters and pul>Iishers of the daily new> jjapers for their full and
accurate reports of the meetings. — Carried.

After th(i singing of the National Atith* m, the President declared
the Association adjourned.

Reports respecting County Associations were received during the
Sessions of the General Association from —

West Grey Repres-^nting 100 Members.

E. H. Anderson

J. E. Elliott: .

John Spenc(; . . . .Ontario

James Birch .... West Kent

.fohn Munro .... Ottawa

John C. Linklater North Huron '.

R. IT. IVrcAraster. . DuiVerin

Neil D. McKinnon W. Bruce

William Linton . . Waterloo

f S. Hastings and I
\ B(;lleville. ... I

James Duncan . . . N. Esse.x

T.O. Steele N. Simcoe

W. J. Osborne . . P. E. County

J. W, Henstridge Frontenac

S. McAllister . . . .Toronto

JaiDes McEIroy. .Carleton

Charles Ramage. .S. Grey

C. H. Fuller .. ..S. Essex

John R. Brovk^n | .^ i. r i .

r,n ii'i •, - East Lambton

1 nomas vV hite )

R. E. Brown .... Centre PTuron

Thomas McKee . .South Simcoe

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■M

MINUTES.

MINUTES OF HIGH SCHOOL SECTION.

August 11th, 1885.
The High School Section met in the Library at 11.30 a.m. Dr.
Purslow in the chair.

Present : McKSsrs. Turnbull, Me Henry, Fessenden, Embree,
Millar, Wetherell, Houston, Jamison, MacMurchy, Purslow, Spotton,
and Merchant. The following programme was arranged for the
different sessions : —

WEDNESDAY.

The Present aftd Possible Function of the High School
Section,— Mr. J. E. Wetherell.

Hish School Masters and the University Examina-
tions, — Mr. William Houston.

Report of High School Jlepresentation on the Univer-
sity Senate.

THURSDAY.

Report of Committee on High School Graduation.

The Pre.sent Position of the High Schools and Colle-
giate Institutes in the Educational System of
Ontario,^ — Mr. Wm. Oliver.

The Distribution of the $10,000 High School Grant
for Equipment, etc., — Mr. C. Fessenden.

On motion, the Section adjourned.

9-10 a.m.
10—11 a.m.
11 — 12 a.m.

9—10 a.m.
10—11 a.m.

11—12 a.m.

August 12th, 1885.
The High School Section met in the Library at 9 a.m. Dr.
l-'urslow in the chair.

Present : Messrs. Morgan, Embree, Pomeroy, MacMurchy,
Grant, Ventress, Frier, Oliver, Jamison, Weir, Birchard, Creighton,
Wright, J. W. Hunter, D. H. Hunter, Wetherell, Millar, Turnbull,
Dickson, Fessenden, McHenry, Seath, Briden, Purslow, Orr, Spotton,
Merchant, McCallum, Deft, Strang.

The Minutes of the last session were read and adopted.

Mr. Wetherell read a paper on the Present and Possible Influence
of the High School Section.

Moved by Mr. Fessenden, seconded by Mr. Turnbull, That the
Chairman be requested to name a committee to consider Mr.
Wetherell's paper. — Carried.

Committee appointed by Chairman : Messrs. Wetherell, Millar,
Dickson.

Moved by Mr. Fessenden, seconded by Mr. Pomeroy, That Mr.
Embree be permitted to introduce amotion relating to Upper Canada
College. — Carried.

)

MINUTES.

Moved by Mr. Embree, seconded by Mr. Dickson, That a com- y/
mittee, consisting of Messrs. D. H. Hunter, Fessenden and the mover,
be appointed to take into consideration the anomalous position of
Upper Canada College in our system of education, and to report at
the meeting of the Section to-morrow morning. — Carried.

Mr. Houstoia addressed the Section on High School Masters and
the University Examinations.

The High School rei)resentatives on the University Senate gav(!
a detailed account of the actions of the Senate during the year,
affecting the High Schools. A discussion followed in which Messrs.
Dickson, Embree, Fessenden, McHenry, Strang, Oliver, Houston,
Merchant, Spotton, MacMurchy took part.

On the invitation of the Chairman, jl.Ir. Wood, President of the
Ottawa Ladies' College, addressed the Section on the subject of the
new University curriculum.

Moved by Mr. Fessenden, seconded by Mr. McHenry, That the
Senate of Toronto University be urged, as soon as practicable, to
make such arrangements regarding the Local Examinations as will
enable it to to allow to candidates writing at such Examinations all
the privileges allowed to candidates writing at Toronto. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Strang, seconded by Mr. Connor, That the Section i^^
is of the opinion, 1st, that Chaucer should be removed from the First ^^\^
Year's Examination to a later' stage in the curriculum, and be
replaced by some modern author; 2nd, that English p'ose should
receive due recognition in the English course of the Univer.'^ity ; 3rd,
that the study of the earlier forms of the language should be
provided for in the later years of the curriculum. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Orr, seconded by Mr. Oliver, That, in the opinion
of this Section, equal recognition should be given in the Junior
Matriculation in the mattei- of Scholarships to Modern Languages
and to Classics, and that Ancient History and Geography should be
annexed to Classics, and Modern History and Geography to Modern
Languages. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Dickson, seconded by Mr. Spotton, That, in the
opinion of this Section, such a value should be assigned to the
department of science, in awarding the General Proficiency Scholar-
ships at Junior Matriculation, as to encourage the teaching of
.science in the High Schools. — Carried.

On motion, the Section adjourned.

August 13th, 1885.

The High School Section met in the Library at 9 a.m. Dr.
Purslow in the chair.

Minutes of last session were read and adopted.

Moved by Mr. Merchant, seconded by Mr. Turnbull, That this
Section call the attention of the University Senate to the objection-

mmmm0m^

MINUTES.

ahle cliaracter of the honor paper in P2nglish and the pass papei in
History and Geography at Junior Matriculation. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Millar, seconded by Mr. Orr, That tlie University
Senate be requ(\sted to allow all candidates at Junior Matriculation
to take more than one sub-department of Natural Science, and that
the course in Botany be more accurately defined. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. McBride, seconded by Mr. McCallum, Tiiat the
Section appoint a committee to wait upon the Hon. the Minister of
Education, and explain to him the objectionable nature of some of
the Second and Tliird Class papers set at the recent Departmental
Examinations. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. McBride, seconded by Mr. McCallum, That
Messrs. Strang, Dickson, tht* mover and seconder, be the committee.
— Carried.

The committee on High School Graduation presented the follow-
ing report : —

Tiie committee appointed by the High School Section in August,
1884, to bring in a scheme for High School Graduation, in accordance
with the general resolution then passed by this Section in favour of
such a provision being made, beg leave to report as follows : —

I. That the committee met on the 4th April last, and after care-
fully examining a draft of scheme submitted for our consideration by
the Hon. the Minister of Education, decided to recommend its
adoption with a few amendments as to certain subjects in several
courses.

II. Your committee tind that, suV)sequent1y to their meeting, the
Minister has recast the scheme for Hiiih School Graduation in bar-
mony with the new course of study proposed for High Schools and
Collegiate Institutes, embodying at the same time the minor changes
we suggested regarding subjects.

III. As thus simplified, the scheme may bo outlined as follows : —

(a) Any pupil who passes the Departmental or the University
Examination in any of the courses prescribed for Form II., III., or
IV., in a High School or Collegiate Institute, shall be entitled to a
Graduation Diploma signed by the Minister of Education and the
Head Master of the High School at which such course was completed.

(b) The courses above referred to are as now arranged :

1. Course of Form II., H.S., being that of Junior Matricu-
lation at the University of Toronto. (Pass.)

'1. Course of Form III., H.S., being that of Junior Matricu-
ition with Honors.

3. Course of Form IV., H.S., being that of Senior Matricu-

lation.

4. A Commercial Course, being that required of candidates
, for Second Class Certificates.

MINUTES.

(c) Those four courses, covering the ordinary work of the lligli
Schools, provide for four distinct forms of Graduation Diploma, viz. :
1, Commercial Course; 2, Junior Matriculation (Pass); 3, Junior
Matriculation with Honors ; 4, Senior jNIatricuhition ; tiie highest
of these also reaching the upper limit of the High School course.

(d) In addition to passing the prescribed examination, each
candidate shall submit to the Education Department through the
Head ISIaster the following documents: 1, a certilicate of having
attend(;d at least one year; 2, a corbttijate of ch iracter.

(e) Commencement exercises should be held inoic;h High S^hiol
or Collegiate Institute at a suitable time during th j autuinu term of
each year, at which the Graduation Diploniis m ly b > pressnteJ to
the successful candidates.

The committee believe that Ijy this simple scheme all th'^ more
serious objections urged last year an; removed. It will ba observed
that no separate examination is required, no extra work is imposed,
nor is the ordinary course of our tea;hin2f interfered with in anv
manner.

The scheme, we think, possesses all the advantag 's of the more
elaborate one at first proposed, without any of its incumbrances.

We therefore recommend its adoption by our Section ; and, since;
its acceptance by individuil schools is entirely optional, we trust
that members of the Section will use their influence to make High
School Graduation generally acceptable throughout the country.

D. C. McHenry, Chairman of Committee.

A clause was added by the Section to the effect that the Gradua-
tion Diploma proposed by the Department should be one that, by its
neat and attractive appearance, would render it acc^ntable to gradu-
ates, and .suitable for presentation at a public meeting.

Moved by Mr. McHenry, seconded by Mr. Millar, that the report
as now amended be adopted. — Carried.

Mr. Oliver read a paper on the present position of High Schools
and Collegiate Institutes in the educational system of Ontario.

The Hon. the Minister of Education addressed the Section on the
Proposed Regulitions for the Distribution of the High School Grant.
A discussion followed in which Messrs. Oliver, Millar, Ferier, Turn-
bull, Fessenden and Strang took part.

Moved by Mr. Connor, seconded by Mr. Strang, That a hearty
vote of thanks be presented to the Hon. the Minister of Education
for his kindness in addressing this Section, and still more for his
consideration in inviting the teachers of the Province to make sug-
gestions touching the proposed regulations. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. MacMurchy, seconded by Mr. Turnbull, That the
thanks of this Section be tendered to Messrs. Wetherell and Oliver
for their able papers. — Carried.

MIKL'TRS,

|.^^ !

On motion the Section adjourned to meet in the Library at
1.30 p.m.

August 13th, 1885.

The Section met in the Library at 1.30 p.m. Mr, MacMurchy
in the chair.

The Minutes of the previouK sfjs.sion were read und adopted.

The following Officers were elected for the ensuing year : —

Chairman,
Secretary. -
Directors,

Legislative ( 'oinmittee

Mr. D. C. McHenry.
Mk. J. E. Wet MRU ELL.
Me.s.srs. Spotton, MacMurchy,

Fe.ssenden and Dicksox.
Me.sshs. Oliver, Puhslow and

Embree.

Moved by Mr. Connor, seconded by Mr. Millar, That a committee,
consisting of Messrs. Millar, Embree and the mover, be appointed to
take steps towards assimilating the entrance examinutions tor students
in Medicine, Civil Engineering, Denti.stry and Pharmacy, and report
their action to this Section next year. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Connor, seconded by Mr. Millar, That this
meeting, when it adjourns, nhall .stand adjourned until 4 o'clock,
when the new Regulations in regard to High Schools shall be con-
sidered. — Carried.

The committee appoint<.'d to take into consideration the status of
Upper Canada College and its relation to the Provincial system of
Education submitted the following report, in the form of a memorial,
to be presented to the Minihter of Education : —

The High School Section of the Ontario Teachers' Association
would respectfully submit to the Hon. the Minister of Education
that although at one time Upper Canada College was a nece.snary
adjunct of the Provincial University, it is no longer in the interests
of secondary education that a school of this character should be
maintained from Provincial funds. In support of their contention
they submit —

L That the records of the matriculation examination at the;
Toronto and other Universities of Ontario clearly prove that the
work of preparing candidat'is for this examination is quite as well
done at the County and City High Schools as at Upper Canada
College.

2. That in the training of Public School teachers the High
Schools do an important work in which Upper Canada College has
no part.

3. That the Education Department has found it necessary to
select Training Institutes from the High Schools which depend
largely on local support.

.MiNnTp:s.

I i

They submit further that the fuuls that have been diverted to
the support of Upper Canada College are urgently needed for the
purposes of higher education.

It is therefore the opinion of this Section that, in the general
interests of education i;i the Province, Upper Canada College should
hv closed, and its revi uues appropriated for other purposes.

A discussion followed in which most of the members took part.

Moved by Mr. Embree, seconded by Mr. Fessenden, That the
report of the committee on Upper Canada College be adopted.

Moved in amendment V>y Mr. Connor, seconded by Mr. McCallum,
that the report be considered at the next meeting of the Association.
-Original motion carried.

The report of the committee on Mr. Wetherell's paper was wad
and considered seriatim. The following clau.ses were adopted : —

1 . That the Executive Committee of the High School .Section V)e
requested (1) to draw up a Constitution, By-laws and Rules of
Order for the Section, and to report at our next annual meeting ;
(2) to send at a suitable time to all High School teachers a circular
pointing out the special objects of the annual meeting, and urging
the attendance of the masters ; (3) to refer the question of a change
of time of the annual meeting to the general Executive.

Moved by Mr. Embree, seconded by Mr. Hunter, that the High
School Section of the Executive Committee be recommended to make
such changes in the constitution and duties of the Legislative Com-
mittee that it may take the place of an advisory committee to l)e
consulted by the Minister on all questions on which he may wish to
consult the High School masters.

On motion the Section adjourned.

The Section met again at 4.30 p.m.

The Hon. the Minister of Education read to the Section the pro-
posed programme of studies for High Schools. A short discussion
followed.

A committee, consisting of Messrs. MacMurchy, Fessenden and
Dickson, was appointed to devise and present to the Section a scheme
for the organization of a College of Preceptors for Ontario.

(Jn motion the Section adjourned.

High

MINUTES.

MINUTES OF public; SCHOOL SECTION

August Uth, 1885.
The tir.Ht meeting of the Public School Section of the Provincial
Teachers' Association was held in the Public Hall, Education Depart-
ment, beginning at 11.30 a.m.

The Section was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. John
Munro, of Ottawa.

Mr. James Duncan, of Windsor, was appointed Secretary until
the arrival of Mr. F. C. Powell.

About fifty teachers were present.

The Minutes, as printed, were considered read and adopted.

Moved by Mr. H. Alexander, and seconded by Mr. W. J. Osborne,
Thai the Public School Section discuss the new Regulations when-
ever the business of the Section will permit. — '^arried.

On the suggestion of Mr. A. Barber it was decided that Mr. E.
Alexander should lead in the discussion.

On motion of Mr. R. W. Doan, seconded by Mr. T. Wiiite, the
Secretary w.is requested to procure a sufficient number of copies of
the New Regulations for the use of the Section.

The Section adjourned to meet at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

Second Day.

August 12th, 1885.

The Section met in the Education Hall, at 9.15 a.m.

About eighty teachers were in attendance.

Mr. John Munro occupied the chair.

The business was opened by Mr. George Lindsay reading Scrip-
ture and engaging in prayer.

The Minntes of the last meeting were read and continued.

The Secretary read a communication from Mr. C. W. Chadwick
explaining the cause of his absence and inability to take up the sub-
ject assigned to him on the programme.

Moved by Mr. R. W. Doan, and seconded by Mr. S. McAllister,
That the explanation of Mr. C. W. Chadwick be accepted as satis-
factory, and that we regret very much the cause of his absence. —
Carried.

After a short discussion respecting the order of subjects on the
programme, Mr. John Munro called Mr. S. McAllister to the chair,
and gave his paper on the High School Entrance Examination which
he closed by moving, seconded by i^lr. T. White, That in the opinion
of the Public School Section the High School Entrance Examination
should come after the Fifth Class, instead of after the Fourth Class
as at present, and that said examination should be held only once a year.

MINUTES.

A discusKion followed and was fui^aycd in l>v Messrs. W. (.'assidy,
W. Clark, F. (J. Powell, T. O. Steele, A. IJarber, T. White, and D.
II. Lent.

Mr. Jno. K. Brown moved, in aniendtuont to Mr. Munro's nisolu-
lution, seconded by Mr. James Duncan, That the Hi^h School
Entrance E.xaniination be placed at the end of the Fourth Class,
and that the examination be hold only once a year. — Carried.

The discussion was resumed by INIessrs. W. T. Osborne, J. Hud
daby, It. Ahixander, R. W. Doan and R. CoattNS.

Mr. E. K. Anderson moved, in anwmdmijnt to Mr. Brown's
amendment, seconded by W. J. O.sborne, That in the opinion of the
Public School Section, the High School Entranc(! Examination sliould
remain as already placed, at the end of the Fourth ('lass, and that
there should be two examinations in each year as at present.

The discussion was again resumed V)y Mi;ssr.s. R. McQueen, James
Deacon, Sinclair, S. McAllister, R. Willis, G. A. Birch, G.-K. Powell
and W. Linton.

The second amendment was put and declared losf, and the first
amendment carried.

Moved by Mr. R. Alexander, seconded by Mr. W. J. Osborne, That
Messrs. A. Barber, W. J. Osborne, S. McAllister and T. White be a
committee to embody in a resolution the opinion of the Public
School Section on the retention of the Fifth Class in the Public
Schools. — Carried.

The Section then adjourned to meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Third Day.

AiHiUST Lrlth, 1885.

Pursuant to adjournment the Public School Section met in the
Education Hall at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Mr. John Munro, of Ottawa, occupied the chair, and called upon
Mr. R. McQueen to open the business by reading Scripture and
engaging in prayer.

The Minutes of the session on Wednesday were read and
confirmed.

Moved by Mr. F. C. Powell, seconded by Mr. James Duncan»
That, in the opinion of the Public School Section, the questions set
in History for the late High School Entrance examination weie
too abstract and comprehensive to be properly understood and intelli
gently answered by boys and girls under fifteen years of age ; and that
the attention of the Minister of Education be respectfully called to
this fact. — Carried.

MINUTK8.

The Committee on the retention of the P^ifth Class in our Public
Schools submitted the following report : —

That while wo approve* of making the Public School course of
studies tit into that pursued in our High Schools, w(* think that to
have the Public School course end with the Fourth (jiass, or to enforce
any regulations tending to discouragt* the retention of the Fifth
Class in our Public Schools, would lie disastrous to the interests of
Public School education.

The report was adopted on motion of Mr. A. Barl)er, seconded by
Mr. T. White.

Mr. S. :McAllist(;r moved, siscomlcd by Mr. W. J. Hendry, That
the resolution respecting High School Entrance History, and the
report of the Committee on the retention of the Fifth Class in our
Public Schools, be laid before the Minister of Education. — Carried.

In order to give time for the full and careful discussion of the
" Proposed Ptcgulations of the Eehicntion Department," Mr. H. W.
Doan moved, seconded by Mr. W. Linton, That the subject "Eti-
quette in Schools" be postponed until next year. — Carried.

For the same reason, Mr. J. S. Deacon, moved, seconded by Mr-
S. McAllister, That Mr. Deacon's paper on " Principals and Assis-
tants" be laid over until next year. — Carried.

The election of Officers was then proceeded with, and resulted as
follows : —

Chairman — F. C. Powkll, Kincardine.

Secretary — J. A. Brown, W^hitby.

Directors — W. J. Osborne, Rossmore ; Jas. Deacon, Woodstock ;
Robert Alexander, Gait; John Munro, Ottawa; H. I. Strang,
Goderich.

Legislative Committee — Messrs. R. W. Doan and W. J. Hendry,
Toronto ; and W. Rannie, Newmarket.

The first four Directors named above were elected Ijy ballot, there
being but one ballot cast, and the four candidates having the greatest
number of votes being declared elected.

Mr. Strang, of Goderich, was elected by acclamation.

The Section, in Committee of the Whole, discussed the proposed
Regulations, and resolved to recommend the following changes : —

1st. That a Regulation should be introduced requiring that the
space allotted to play-grounds in cities, towns and villages bear a
certain proportion to the size of the School.

2nd. That every stairway in a school-house shall be at least .six
feet wide, and have no curvature — a square landing to make a turn
not to be considered a curvature.

3rd. That the Regulation in reference to "area to pupil" be so
amended as to read " at least twenty square feet on the floor."

i
i

MINUTES.

4th. That Hogulation No. 7 hn altered to nuul as follows : "The
seats should \h^ so arraii<,'ed that the pupils may sit t'aciui,' the teacher,
and liave the light comiiii,' iii on their left and rear, and thcty should
not seat more than two pupils."

5th. That in Regulation No. 14 the words "half-a-dozen"' be
struck out.

6th. That a set of drawing models be added to the School appa-
ratus.

7th. That Regulation No. 22 should end : "and a suitable supply
of proper drinking vessels should be furnished by the Trustee Board."
The Section adjourned to meet in the Art Room at 3.30 p.m.

Pursuant to adjournment, the Section met at the time and place
mentioned above.

Mr. S. McAllister occupied the chair.

The discussion of the proposed Regulations was resumed, and the
following changes recommended :—

8th. That in First Class programme under Writing, " or paper "
be added.

9th, That the Arithmetic for Third Class should be Greatest Com-
mon Measure, Least Common Multiple, Reduction, Compound Rules,
Vulgar Fractions and Mental Arithmetic,

10th. That the Arithmetic for th(! l^urth Class be V^ulgar Frac-
tions continued, Decimal Fractions, Elementary Percentage, [nterest
and Mental Arithmetic,

11th. That in Fourth Class Grammar the word "easy" be sub-
stituted for the word "simple," in " simple sentences."'

12th. That the History for Fourth Class be the leading features
of Canadian History and one period of English History, to bo changed
from time to time.

l.'kh. That in Fourth Class Geography "principal railways" be
substituted for "railway systems."

14th. That after paragraph 4, Duties of Pupils, the following be
inserted: "and then only with the consent of the T(!acher."

15th. That graduates, in order to qualify as Public School Inspec-
tors, shall have not less than live years' experience in teaching, three
of which shall have been obtained in a Public School.

16th. That presiding Examiners at Departmental Examinations
and members of County Boards of Examiners, other than Inspectors,
should be selected from Teachers actively engaged in the profession.

The Chairman named Messrs. S. McAllister and W. J. Hendry
as a committee to lay the proposed changes before the Minister of
Education.

The Section adjourned at 6.15 p.m.

F, C„ Powell, ISecretary. John Munro, Chairman,

MINUTKH.

MINUTES OF Tllli: INSrEUTOHS' SECT [ON.

The rnspoctors' Scotioii met on Tucsduy, 1 1th AujL:;uHt, I88r), ut
11.4') a.m. Mr. A. ('iiiiiplxill, of Iviiicardino, in the chair.

After orf:;anization tho (Jhainnaii appointed a coniniittee, of
M(!H.sr.-i. Dearne.s.H, Tillcy and the Chairman, to j)rocuro copioH of tlio
proposed llcgulations for di.scussion in th(^ Section, in accordance
witli the wi.sh of the Miiiisti'r of Education.

Th(* Section then adjourned lo me(;t on Wednesday, at \) a.m.

Wednesday, August 12th, 1885.

Pur.su'iixt to adjournment tlie Section met in the Art Kooni of
Education Department at 9 a.m.

On motion of Mr. liarnes, seconded by Mr. Clapp, the Minutes
of preceding year w(>re duly adopted.

A circular was read respecting the regulations upon Indian
SchooKs and Mr. Barnes \va.s appointed to take charge of the matter
and report accordingly.

Mr. Campbell then introduced his subject, "The School Pro-
gramme," after which the proposed K<'gulaiions were considered.

Moved by Mr. Mackintosh, seconded by Dr. McDiarmid, That
supplementary reading be recommended for u.se in all classes. —
Carried.

Moved by Mr. Clapp, .seconded by l\[r. Johnston, and resolved,
That writing on paper be added to progran)me for First Cla.ss
work.

Moved by Mr. Tilley, seconded by Mr. Barnes, and resolved,
That easy Vulgar Fractions be added to Arithmetic (Third Class).

It was recommended that Book-keeping by Single Entry form a
subject of study in all Schools and that tho title " Writing" on the
margin be changed to " Writing and Book-keeping."

Moved, seconded, and resolved. That the (Geography for Third
Class be " Definitions, Map of the World, Nortli and South America,
Dominion generally and Ontario minutely," and that for Fourth
Class the following be added to projjosed standard, '* Dominion,
British Isles and United States to be thoroughly taught."

Moved by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Morgan, That the Tonic
Sol-B'a System, possessing as it does advantages as to ease of acquisi-
tion and simplicity, be recommended for use at the option of the
Teacher. — Carried.

MINUTKS.

•2:\

Movrd hy I^r, Mcl^iiiriiiid, seconded l>y Mr. Scarlett, and resolved,
That ('/(insi/ii'(i.U(>)i. of' H'ardu nud. Coryrrfion of Comoioti. fijrrors ^e
added to Tliird Clnss (iramuiar.

By motion duly made, Mr. Smitli, of Wentwortli, then introduoed
thoHiiUjoct of I'own.ship In.stitutes and the manner in which lie had
condnctt'd them.

Tho Chairman then appointed Me.ssrH. McL('an, Mr'Kinnon and
Miller a committee to prepare an ohituary notice on tin; death of the
lato Mr. Little, Inspector of Tuhlic Schools, ('ounty of lEalton.

MovckI l)y Mr. DeariKsss, seconded hy Mr. Till(;y, and resolved,
That tho Minister la; re(juested to chan<:>e the Keijulation respecting
School accommodation to read that " whore tho School population
exceeds one hundred, or the average attendance e.Kceeds forty, there
shall be two rooms."

Moved hy Mr. Morgan, seconded l)y Mi-. Tilley, and resolved,
That the Hon. the Minister of l']ducation he reijucssted to prepare
a circular to County Councils res[)ecting reasonable travelling
expenses.

The meeting thtjn adjourned to meet on Thursday, at 9 a.m.

• Thursday, August l;Uh, 1885.

Pursuant to adjournment the meeting opened at 9 a.m. Mr.
Campbell in the chair.

The Minutes of last meeting were read and approved.

Moved by Mr. Dearness, seconded by Mr. iMiller, and resolved.
That, in the opinion of this Section, at least (hrtie of the Jive years
required for an Inspector's Certificate under (6) should be in Public
School work while holding a Provincial certitieato of qualitication.

Moved by Mr. Dearness, seconded by Mr. Morgan, That it is
inexpedient to aboli.sh the Departmental Examination for Fiist Class
Non-professional Examinations as the (jualiticatioii for Cnspectors'
Certiticates. — Canned.

Moved by Mr. McKinnon, seconded by Mr. Brebner, That the
first clause of Clause 2 (page 14, Regulations) ))e amended to read
" To spend on an average one half-day in the visitation of each
School." — CarTied.

Moved by Mr. McKinnon, seconded V)y Mr. Barnes, and resolved,
That a committee, consisting of Messr.s. Morgan, Brebner and Dearne.ss,
be appointed to prepare an improved form for Inspectors' Reports to
Trustees at the close of each visit, and to submit the same to the
Minister of Education for his consideration ; also to bring in a report
respecting this matter to the meeting of Public School Inspectors at

next session.

MINUTKS.

Moved by Mr. Dearness, seconded by Mr, Ballard, That the
words " not longer than " be inserted after (2) in Clause 14, page 16.
— Carried.

The following were elected Officers for 1885-G ; —

Chairman F. L. Michell Perth.

Secretary John Brehner Sarnia.

A. Camphell Kincardine.

J. C. Morgan Barrie.

Directors -, W. H. Ballard Hamilton.

H. Reazin Lindsay.

\ W, Murray Picton.

I John Dearness London.

Legislative Committee D. P. Claim* Harriston.

( Wm. Mackintosh Madoc.

Moved by Mr. Dearness, seconded by Mr. McKinnon,and resolved,
That this Section considers a minimum of 350 cubic feet of air capa-
city per pupil be made obligatory in all schools erected after 1885.

Mr. Dearness then presented the Report of the Committee ap"
pointed last year to consider " School Architecture."

On motion of Mr. Miller, seconded by Mr. Ballard, the Report
was received and adopted, and a vote of thanks passed to the com-
mittee for the trouble they had taken in the matter.

The Section then proceeded to consider "Entrance Examination
Regulations."

Moved by Mr. Mackintosh, seconded by Mr. Dearness, That Book-
keeping by single entry should foim one of the subjects of Examina-
tion for Entrance to High Schools. — Carried.

Moved by Mr. Miller, seconded by Mr. Brebner, That in the
opinion of this Section a County Board of Examiners, composed of
the Public School Inspectors and Head masters of High Schools,
should read the answers of candidates for admission, and that the
subjects should be so divided that all the answer papers in any sub-
ject may be valued by the same examiner. — Carried.

Mr. McKinnon then submitted the Obituary Report on the
death of the late Inspector Little, which was received.

The meeting then adjourned.

F. L. Michell,

Secretary.

?€

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Cc3

PAPERS READ BEFORE

The Ontario Teachers' Association.

1885.

iJi

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION.

DAVID ALLISON, LL.D.,

Superinfciidciit of Education for the Province of Nova Scotia.

It is scarcely i;ecessary to remind such a body as the Ontario
Teachers' Association that it is not my purpose to enter upon an
exhaustive, closely reasoned discussion of the subject which has been
announced. The discursive observations I have to otFer proceed from
convictions that the importance of tlie inductive study of education
has not been duly estimated even by many of those who are labouring
for the elevation of educational ideals and the improvement of educa-
tional methods ; and that, by simply commending it to their atten-
tion, I may render a service to the younger members of your learned
association.

No feature of the intellectual activity which marks our age is
more obvious than the disposition to trace historical growths from
their " primordial germs" to their latest and corapletest develop-
ments. No variety of social, political or ecclesiastical institution ;
no law, custom, language or creed, escapes this careful, micrcscopic
process of investigation. Darwin, in the " Development of Species,"
and Newman, in the " Development of Dogma," alike impressively
testify to the prevailing tendency of modern thought. It is altogether
vain to deride this tendency as a mere idle curio.sity, always unpro-
fitable, often irreverent. Undoubtedly, a rash and restless spirit of
inquiry has sometimes yielded to a temptation to transgress the legiti-
mate boundaries of human knowledge ; but, on the whole, we find
the impulse to historical research springing from worthy motives and
permanently enriching mankind by its results. Even inquiries which,
through misdirection or otherwise, have failed of their main object
not unfrequently issue in incidental good of equal or greater value.

In everything the present bears some relation to the past, and
the more important any given thing may be, the greater need that
we should know just what that relation is. To some extent the

THK HISTOUIOAL DKVKLOPMKNT or KDUCATION.

'>7

history of education is involved in the history of literature, in the
history of science, in the history of civilization itself ; for in a broad
sense each ago in its literary character, in its scientitic spirit, in its
gtneral culture, is just what the methods of education in \ogue have

I made it. Yet we are to remenilier that education h;is a history of

its own ; that it is something distinct from lit( rature and scie.ice and
civilization; that it is at once an historical entity pnd a science
whose principles can he learned only hy careful research and induc-
tif'U, while their application to the complex social and industrial con-
ditions of nicdern life involves many difficult and as yet unsettled
problems. What worthier task, therefore, can we propose to our-
selves than that of tracing its development from the rude embryonic
studies of primitive times down to tlie highly organized systems and
artistic methods which have Ix en elaborated during the course of
centuries?

That word of caution, which is always necessary when a matter
of historical inquiry is proposed, is neces.sary here. Indeed 'from its
relation to ndigious controversies and political strifes, education is
one of those subjects which men are peculiarly apt to look at throu«i;h
distorting media. It can therefore claim with the strongest logical
emphasis that we shall study its history with that calm dispassion.-tte
loillingness to abide l>y resuHs, which is the only true spirit of .scien-
tific investigation. We must learn that the sole legitimate aim of
historical inquiry is a true knowledge of the real past : that he does
not deserve to be called a student of history whose aim is less com-
prehensive and complete than this. To attempt to elucidate con-
temporary educational problems by researches conducted on the
principle of seeing nothing that makes against our preconceived
notions and magnifying everything that seems to sustain them, is to
do violence to the hrst principles of the historical method. It is to
degrade our inquisitive faculty from one of its noblest and most
fruitful u.ses, and make it the instrument of a blind, .selfish and dis-
honourable partisanship. To study education inductively with profit,
we must have the temper of the ideal geologist, who raises his hammer
to strike without knowing wlu'ther the descending blow will contirm
his antecedent theory or shiver it to atoms, and without carhiy, his
sole anxiety being to learn concerning the matter in hand " the truth,
the whole tiuth, and nothing but the truth. ' But a mere ascertain-
ment of objective fact bv no means exhausts the dutv of a student of
the history of .such a subject as education. bracts require hitf.rpretfr-
tion. Their true signilicance is learned only by the evolution of the
motive-forces which have produced them. Events must be placed in
such a relation to each other as the laws of historical perspective
require. In regard to education, as in regard to everything that hfis
taken shape under the free play of human motive and volition, we
must struggle against and overcome the conviction (almost invincible
though it be) that that which long has been is that which ouglit to
be now. We must not in the servile spirit of mere imitators .search
simply for models to be copied. The instruction we seek from the

nmrnmammmmm^

THE HKSTOHICAL DEVELOl'MKNT OF EDUCATION.

past must be such as its history affords when read, studied and
valued with both intelligence and honesty.

Pursued in such spirit as T have thus briefly indicated, the study
of educational development must be ireric in its effects. We shall
learn to reverence the genius of true scholarship, wherever and by
whomsoever displayed. We shall learn that the precious fruits of
knowledge grow on many trees with roots in many soils. We shall
learn that illustrious educators are confined to no particular school
or system, and that no limitations can prevent a genuine teacher from
kindling in the bosom of his pupils a sincere and ardent love of the
truth. Above all, we shall learn to distinguish between the transient
and the permanent in the elements and instruments of education. A
recognition of the analogy between the intellectual and the spiritual
development of our race will recall the language of a sacred writer :
" Now this word .... signifieth the removing of things that are
shaken as of things that are made, that the things lohich cannot he-
shaken inay remain."

But I must dismiss the general question thus opened up as includ-
ing too much for satisfactory treatment in such a paper as this. Let
me simply raise a few inquiries as to the light shed by the history of
education on some of the debatable questions of our own day.

1. What subjects shall be (aught in our schools and colleges / This
is a question of the utmost importance, yet it receives a perplexing
variety of answers, a variety corresponding to the different theories
that are held in respect to the true end of education. One school —
ably represented by the learned essayist (Very Rev. Provost Body)
who has preceded me — seeks an answer to the question asked by an
analytic enquiry into the effects of education upon character. With
another school, the primacy of studies is determined by the funda-
mental conception of education as an agency for sharpening faculty
and developing mental power in a general sort of way, for producing
that nameless grace, that undefinable charm of scholarship, which for
want of a better term men have to call " culture." Those who hold
this to be the highest and best type of learning place their chief
reliance for its production ^ n those studies which, from resting on
human speech, opinion and history as their basis, are known as " the
Humanities." The upholders of this theory of education refer us to
illustrious lines of statesmen and jurists, of poets and philosopher.s,
as at once its product nnd its vindication. But what can be more
emphatic than the repudiation of this whole theory, and all that it
involves, by many modern educationists'? These tell us that the true
aim of education is to fit our youth directly for the practical respon-
sibilities and duties of citizenship and life, and that this aim should
give direction to the studies of both school and university. They
represent the world we live in as quite as well worth studying as the
buried nations and extinct civilizations of the past, while they reject,
as founded on a monstrous misconception, the usage which limits the
name of scholar to the man who has spent his lifetime in the analysis
of words and the generalization of abstractions. This view of educa-

mmm

TlIK HISTORIOAL DEVKf.OPMKXT OP KDUCATION.

lied and

;he study
We shall
r and by

fruits of
^Ve shall
ir school
!her from
fe of the
transient
ation. A

spiritual
1 writer :

that are
annot he.

is includ-
lis. Let
li story of

es/ This
jrplexing
theories
school —
)st Body)
3d by an
'. With
le funda-
g faculty
roducing
vhich for
who hold
leir chief
psting on

I as " the
fer us to
Dsophers,

be more

II that it
the true

1 respon-
ai should
i^. They
ng as the
ly reject,
imits the
analysis
of educa-

tion is supported by Dr. Arnold's well-known sentiment, that " in
whatever it is our duty to act, these matters also it is our duty to
study," a sentiment which, after all, is but the echo of the voice of the
ancient sage: " Teach your son while a l)oy what he will have to prac-
tise when a man." Thes(> advocates of a practical cultus also are not
afraid to appeal to fact in support of their contention, claiming that
so large a percentage of the representatives of so-called "culture "
fails to be of any recognizal)l(i service to the world, as to excite a sus-
picion that the humanistic studies get a good deal of unde8er\('d credit
through the fallacy known in logic as xon causa fro caum. Nor
should we fail to note that scicMitilic and kindred studies are no longer
pressed on the severely practical ground of their utility ; it is con-
tended that they have proved themselves admiral>l(^ m(;ans of mental
discipline, developing powers of intellect and habits of thought but
partially reached by the researches of philology, the deductions of
mathematics, or the speculations of philosophy.

This is by no means a vivid and realistic picture of the educa-
tional strife that is now in progress. Much heat has been imported
into the dispute. The l)attle of opinion is a fierce one, while, to use
a popular phrase, it is waged "all along the line." Then we must
remember that within the generic controversy there are many minor
contentions exciting almost equal interest. A large section of the
friends of polite studies have abandoned, in whole or part, their reli-
ance on the ancient classics, and prefer to look for literary inspira-
tion to our mother-tongue and the noble literature which it
enshrines. Then, too, in the wrangling of theorists, science is pitted
against science, while some extremists even urge that sciences itself is
vain unless we teach also the practical arts which are based upon it.
Now if we ask what help to a satii^factory settlement of the questions
in dispute can a study of the history of education atibrd, we must
candidly reply that directly, and in regard to matters of detail, it can
afford but little. The amount of truth contained in each of the con-
flicting representations to which I have alluded — for that each
contains a certain measure of truth is beyond all question — is a
matter depending more on absolute mental laws and relations than on
what men have thought and done about studies in the past.

Still the law of the development of education, intelligently appre-
hended, teaches an important lesson which we should be slow to
forget. The great educational problem of our day may be fairly
stated in general terms to refer to the relative position to be assigned
to the new studies and the ohl. The voice of history may be silent as
to the comparative value of the.se studies ; but it loudly proclaims the
principle that no study can depend on mere prescription for a per-
manent place among the educational agencies of mankind. Each age
is called on to perform its own tasks, for which it must seek out its
own methods, so often as traditional ones prove ineffective or inap-
propriate. This law can be traced in education as clearly as in every
other sphere of thought and effort. We of course recognize that
principle of inertia which in mental movements always keeps effects

TlIK lllSToiiK Al. liK'. KLOf'MKNT OK KDl'CATION.

from immediately following thffir causes ; liut, making due aliowaiic(^
for its operation, we find that the studies of any particular (spoch are
irresistibly determined by the existing conditions of social, industrial
and intellectual life.

One glance at the history of education is enough to dispel the
illusion — which, however, is a very widsspread one — that from the
eailiest ages men have jogged aloii^ in one unvarying routine of
studies. On the contrary, in the conflict ])etween the old and the
new to which I have alluded, '-history rep(!ats itself." The history
of education is the history of revolutions. If we view time as made
up, not of minute fragments, Ijut of reasonably extended periods, we
see that there has always ^>een an " o/(/ education" and a"ne?('
educati.-in." The advocates of the latter no doubt often display
'unnecessary aggressiveness in pushing themselves forward as the
representatives of new conditions and ifleas, while the friends of the
former in defending their liereditary preserves, are often tempted to
make themselves the champions of the prescriptive, the traditional,
and the stereotypt.'d.

All the essential conditions of the great educational revolution
which is going on before our own eyes were anticipated in (xreece
more than two thousand year?< ago. The history of the remavkable
movement to which I refer is embalmed in the page of comedy ; )mt
it is none the less true and trustworthy on that account. A new era
had dawned on Athens. The advance of civilization had developed
new intellectual conditions. Mathematical and philosophical studi(>s
were knocking at the door of the schools, and threatening the old-
fashioned instruction, which in the eyes of all intelligent men l)ad
become a palpable anachronism. With the conservative instincts
of a poet, Aristophanes, a writer of the keenest wit and of almost
unrivalled lyric genius, undertook to champion the cause of the tradi
tional culture. The new studies were spoiling the manners and
corrupting the morals of the youth. As compared with the olden
times, boys dolTed their caps less reverentially, girls courtesied less
modestly, while both alike were V>eing unfitted to continue the honest
toil of their i)arents. These incoming studies were the invention of
pestilent busybodies and crackbrained innovators; Athens had become
great and glorious without them, and did not need them then ; the
true policy was to abide by the old time-tested, time-honoured staml-
ards, shunning the work of iconoclasts and impostors, and particularly
avoiding the danger of over-educating the children of carpenters and
cobblers. Were Aristophanes living and writing now, we should not
pronounce him a very original thinker. He would assuredly be
charged with plagiarizing from Richard Grant White, and might not
unfairly be 8U8|)ected of stealing an idea now and then from a certain
school of Canadian writers on the subject of popular education. But
of what avail was even the genius of a great poet when enlisted in
behalf of a lost cause ? Kidicule, however polished, and lyric fervour,
however lofty, could not keep l>ack the tides of a mighty intellectual
revolution. The new studies might ha travestied ; they could not be
repelled.

m^mm

THK HISTORIC.M. OKVELOl'MUNT OF KDUCATION.

iliowauc(;
ipoch are
ndustrial

lispel the
from ili(.'
outint! of
[ and the
e history

as made
riods, wo

a ' ' 7i,ei(r
\ display
d as tho
ds of the
nipted to
iditional,

jvolutiou
II Greece
inavlcHbhi
3dy j hut

new era
eveloped
il studies

the old-
men liad
instincts
f almost
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len ; the
id stand-
ticularly
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light not
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disted in

fervour,
-ellectual
Id not be

Jn fact it may bo said that all history is a protest against the
folly of assuming linalities in the instruments of education. Who,
rluring the course of long centuries, would iiave been wild enough to
even hint that Aristotle would ever lose his imperial sway over the
human intellect and over the whole length and breadth of human
h-arniiig? And yet today it would be just as possible to do any
other impossible thing as to restore to his famous categories and
syllogisms the supremacy they so long maintaincMl in the schools of
Europe. This I say while yielding to none in profound reverence for
" the strongest man of the ancients," and in true and loving regard
for the " doctors angelic, doctors seraphic, doctors invincible, and
doctors irrefriigaV>le," who b.ung with rapture on his minutest word,
and gathered around the central points of his philosophy the N'ast
and curious treasures of the scholastic literature. Let us remember,
too, that Aristotle neither owed his pre-eminence originally to
accident, nor retained it by the mere force of prescription. Undoubt-
edly towards the end of his career in the schools men continued to
itdh«;re to him when it would have been the part of wisdom to let him
iio : wlien the fall of Constantinople and the dispersion of her scholars,
the Crusades and the contact of European mind with Oriental learning,
the dawn of the inductive philosophy and the l)irtl] of the experi-
mental sciences had placed something better within their reach. But
during the greater part of his long reign he sat on his throne by right.
When we abuse the scholars of Western. Europe for deferring to his
authority we most 'unreasonably abuse them, for they ))uilt their
system on the best basis of knowledge within their reach. But when it
became no longer true that Aristotle " treated every subject coming
within the range of ancient thought better than any one else,'" the
foundations of the great master's kingdom were shaken, and in its
ultimate overthrow we have a most impressive proof of the power-
lessness of mere prescriptive authority to resist the pressure of new
conditions of intellectual activity.

Let us glance for a moment at the history of Greek as a subject
of instruction in the schools. Who in the glorious noon of the
Kenais.sance could have dreamed that the day would come when a
renowned writer on education would refer to the quantity of the
penultimate syllable of Iphigenia as a trivial matter, when a famous
graduate of Oxford would affirm the study of Greek to be defensible
only on the theory that studies are valuable in proportion to their
uselessness, or when an American scholar with an historical name
would boldly pronounce that study to be "a college fetich'"! For
my own part, 1 cherish t!ie hope that the language of Demosthenes
and Piato will for many generations yet vindicate for itself a place in
the recognized circle of useful studies ; but we must frankly adfiiit
that we are not living in thr days of the Renaissance, and that to
modern collegians Greek cannot be exactly what it was to the youth
who sat at the feet of Erasmus. But its history as a study strikingly
illustrates the principle which I am seeking to unfold. Whatever
shall be the time or the manner of its "going out," its '• coming in "

TlIK HISTORICAL DKVKLOI'MKNT OP EDUOATION.

was the moans of one of the most marvellous of all intellectual revo-
lutions. Those who speak of Latin and Grenk as the studies over
which men dozed and dreamed during " the Dark Ages " display
strange ignorance of the plainest historical fact. Greek is a modern
rather than an ancient study. It forced its way into the European
universities, in some cases after centuries of obstinate resistance
from the entrenched culture, and candourcompels the acknowledgment
that its final triumph was due to practical and utilitarian reasons,
rather than such as iin; now urged in favour of its retention in our
.school and college programmes. These last are based on the excellent
mental drill involved in the mastery of its highly philosophical
syntax, on its adaptation to philological research, on the power of its
literary treasures to stimulate the imagination and cultivate the
taste. But such w(^re not the considerations which gained for it its
original admission to the seats of learning in Europe. Greek was the
practical study of tho.se time.s. It commended itself on positively
utilitarian grounds. It revealed knowledge which could not be
obtained from the in)perfectly Latinized Aristotle. It furnished the
key to all that was best and wisest in human thought, not excepting
even the words of Him *' who spake as never man spake," thus
inducing men to study it just as English scholars .study German now,
not so much for the sake of the language as for the sake of the treasures
it unlocks. My purpo.se does not retjuire any attempt at forecasting the
future of this noble language in our schools. The determining princi-
ple is a plain one, and that prniciple is not prescription, but utility.
Greek came in as a supplanter, because it was a i>etter instrument than
the studies it displaced, and it will go out, supplanted in turn, when-
ever it shall cease to answer some one of the really important ends of
education better than anything else. We cannot be depended on
for any length of time to lumber up our courses of study with mere
fossils and mummies, or to use a poor piece of machinery when a
good one is within our reach. In a recent paper, the foremost Greek
scholar of America, Professor Goodwin, of Harvard, after referring
to the accredited place of Greek in university courses, observes :
" But neither this nor any other study can occupy this responsible
position except at the price of eternal vigilance. It must be wide-
awake, too, to see that its methods are not antiquated. . . . The
foundations which it lays must be solid and lasting, or something
better will take its place." These sagacious observations both state
and illustrate the principle I have been trying to unfold.

Other illustrations of changes in educational subjects and methods
consequent on changes in society and advances in civilization suggest
themselves beyond my power to use them. When Aquaviva, in
education the great organizing genius of the Jesuit Order, was
planning the policy which ultimately brought the schools of Europe
under his sway, he was wise enough to see that he was living in a
new age, and that the Trivium and Quadrivium of the mediaeval
schools had outlived their usefulness. His ratio atque institutio
studiorum was the product of a profound appreciation of the tendency

princi-

TIIE IIISTOUKJAL DliVKLOI'MKNT OF EDUCATION.

of events aiul the practical demands of the age, and perhaps did as
much as religious zeal in extending the inlluenceof the famous Order.
It would make this part of my paper disproportionately long were
[ to refer, as 1 properly might do, to the recognition reluctantly
accorded in modern times to .Science and iier multiform applications,
fir.st, in the universities, and tlien in respect to more elenuintary
principles, in the institutions for .s(!condary and primary education.
Suffice it to say regarding the general subject, that I l)y no means
wish to convey the meaning that historical ref(;rences will enable us
to infallibly decide the claims of rival studies or rival groups of
studies. By such references, however, we learn to rebuke the dog-
matism which condemns a study simply because it was not to the
front a century ago, or applauds another which once has answered
conditions that have passed away never to return. They teach us
that in the studies of the .school, as in other things,

Our little syrttems have their day,
They have their clay, and ceaae to be,

while, in view of the almost alarming multiplication of new sciences
and arts based upon them, we increasingly appreciate the knowledge
of such a principle, that we may be saved from utter bewilderment
and despair. Life is too short to enable us to learn all that our fore-
fathers learned, and that vaster knowledge of which they knew
nothing in addition. If we are sometimes led to fear that the old
idea of culture in the abstract, of mental discipline and development,
pure and simple, is in danger of becoming extinct, we must encourago
ourselves with the conviction that studies which enrich and adorn
life will also train and develop mind.

2. A closely connected inquiry and one in reference to which it
would be profitable, if time permitted, to elicit the true teaching of
history is : IIow shall the various branches be taught i how, in respect
both of the ends aimed at, and the methods adapted to those ends 1
Though this is in fact a more important question than that which
has thus far occupied us, its consideration here must be confined
within narrower limits. It is impossible to compress into the few
pages at my disposal the substance of the rapidly extending literature
of educational science. At most, I could only hope to touch on a
few leading phenomena and principles, and that in a cursory and
superficial manner. The subjects taught in our schools are not only
various, but to a large extent they stand related to different faculties,
thus in the very nature of things rendering it impossible to discuss,
under present limitations, either the underlying laws or practical
methods of successful teaching with any breadth or fulness of treat-
ment. We are professing, however, to view the subject in the light of
historical inquiry. Well, so far as much of the past is concerned,
the value of the results of such inquiry is of a purely negative
character. We learn the importance of truly philosophical theories
and methods of education by observing what has taken place where
3

TIIK HISTORICAL DEVKLOl'MKNT OF EDUCATION.

thoy have been absent, just as we loarn tlie value of scientitiu systems
of Hgricuiture by noticing; the sterility and desolation to which
empirical farmiiii,' always leads. It oujL,dit, however, to be a cause of
real jj;ratilication that through the slow, and often almost untraceable
evolution of the a<^('K, we liavtt reached in these last days at least
an approximation to a definitely formulated Science of Edl'CATION.
It must be admitted that of the educating races of the world our
own has had pi'rhaps the least to do with aiding this development,
and is by no means among the foremost in recognizing its importance
now. Many highly educatc^l Englishmen, and some liigldy educated
Canadians too, I fear, an; prepared to smile incredulously when told
tliat psychological research has brought to light a science of whose laws
all rational mc^thods of instruction are simply the practical applica-
tions. But it is obvious that unless the human mind is utterly without
law in respect to the operation of its faculties, such a science must
exist pofeiifiaUi/, and we have reason to l)e grateful for tlie degree of
fulness and precision with which its principles have been actually
flerelopid.

A recent writer expresses the opinion that, " in spite of the great
advances which hav«! been made of late years, the scieiice of edu-
cation is still far in advance of the art ] school-masters still teaching
sulijects which have been universally condemned by educational
authorities for the last two hundred years, and the education of
every public school being a farrago of rules, principles and customs
belonging to every age of teaching,"* To this we may say that it is
a great thing to have the science, even if the art yet lags so far
behind. Something like this might, with some truth, be said of the
relation of every art to its kindred science. But if this be specially
true in respect of the science and art of education, the reasons are
not far to seek. Education is young ; the sciences with which the
comparison is concerned are old. The correct application of their
principles has been carefully studied out by long processes of induc-
tion including centuries in their sweep. Law, medicine and theology
have thus been patiently investigated amid the inspirations and
opportunities of famous universities. It may indeed be said that
some of the particular problems connected with education excited
attention even in the earliest times. So they did. The acute and
perspicacious intellect of that great speculative thinker, Plato,
anticipated some of the positive conclusions of modern educational
science. Aristotle and Quinctilian grasped and enunciated valuable
principles worthy of being incorporated in "the body of sound
doctrine." But these early attempts at systematizing the principles
of education were lo.st sight of during that long period of dense
obscuration, when men with difficulty retained in their vision even
the rudimentary shapes of learning. With reviving culture naturally
the first question was, " What shall we study 1, " not " How shall we
study ] " But in time the inductive spirit generated by Bacon did

Ency. Brit., article on Education.

imm

'lUI'; IIISTOIUCAI- I)K\ Kf.Ol'MKNT OF KDl'CATION.

its work. PatitMit niiiuls traced out tho idea of ('(lucatioii us some-
thing having a dtjliiiablo scicatiHc basis— something itnineiisurahly
transccniding routine varied only by eiiipirlc;d gropings in the dark.
Unfortunately this new tlieory reeeivetl but seant countenance at
the great seats of learning. Tho universities liad lost the fresh

ness

)f the 1{

or tne itenaissance impulse, and too generally liad given themselves
up to the spirit of ease. Individual names of great eniiufnice con-
secrated the nvAv science ; but the tiisk of evolving its principhis and
nu'thods fell chi(!fly to the lot of a few lonely investigators, working
apart and often rc^peating each other's discoveries, without, in many
caso.s, proper opportunities for broad reliable inductions, and thus led
to propound as educational axioms absuril paradoxes, which fuller
observation would have reduced to tije limits and proportions of
reason.

Admitting tho thousand imperfections that still attach to the
methods of our schoolrooms, who can over-estimate the importanc*!
of this grand dev(>lopment i Who tloes not see that it is to the
recognition of education as a science, with practical methods corre-
sponding to its theoretical, principles, that we owe all that is most
hopeful in our presi^nt condition and outlook, our pr(jf»!ssionally
trained teachers, our kindergartens, our object lessons, our teaching
of grammar by practice, and of science by observation and experi-
ment, not to omit the aspirations which are cherished for some
really eHective mode of intermingling in our schools the literary and
industrial features of education t It is easy, and right too, to njgret
that all teaching is not natural, sympathetic, eillcaoious ; that so
niuch of it is mechanical, traditional, haphazard, a case of the "blind
leading the blind." But a broad view inspires hopefulnes.s. P'alse
and unnatural methods are at least beginning to die out. and even
the fact that tlioy are rooted and grounded in tlu; tenacious soil of
human inertia cannot secure their permanent vitality.

3. The last topic to which I propose to refer is the Relation of
Education to the State. Dealing with this subject in its historical
aspects, I am not called on to discuss the abstract principle of the
obligation of a state to provide for the education of its youth — its
future citizens. Whatever differences of opinion exist among those
who recognize the general A'alidity of that obligation as to the pre-
cise theoretical grounds on wliich it rests, and whatever diversities of
practice may prevail as to the mode and limits that govern the appli-
cation of the principle, this much at least is clear that the civilized
nations of modern times agree to treat education as a national neces-
sity. Some state systems of education are more elastic, more tolerant
of agencies outside of state control, than others ; but the universal law
of nations recognizes the instruction of youth as a matter within the
scope of public authority, and as thus prescribing specific duties to
the national understanding and conscience. Legislation ordains
systematic provision for organizing and operating the forces of
education, establishes regulative principles for their direction, and,
in many cases, enforces by positive statute the use of the oppor-

Tllli IIiaTOUICAL DKVELOl'MKNT OK KDUCATION.

tunitlos thus providod. My purpoao bciii;^ historical ratlior than
controversial, [ content my.self with two brief ohservatioiiH. The
assailants of tin* theory of a state control of e lucatiou lind them-
selves confronted l>y the almost insuperable dilUculty of layit»^ down
lines and principles of attack which do not virtually involve the
annihilation of the (dementary ideas of national existence and
autljority. To this may b(^ added a simph* statement of the fact
that the forces wliich have operated in sonu^ countrii^s ai\d in certain
Htates of society to retard tin* full dev.dopment of that theory are mani-
festly ^[rowing weaker and weaker. The ol*vious march of events is
toward the complete nationalization of (>ducation.

But how does this (question stand related to history '< We are
without oppor*^.unity for thorouojhly studying in their organic char-
acter the eaacational instrumentalities of the ancient nations. The
schools of Greece and Home, if not strictly ntatp. schools, were cer-
tainly secular in the sense of providing a course of training for the
general duties of citizenship, without reference to special culture for
any ecclesiastical function. And being of this character, instruments
designed to furnish training necessary foj* all, we naturally find no
historical grounds for supposing that, in the earliest centuries of
Christendom, advantage was not taken of their facilities by Christiana
as well as others. The steps by which education came in after times
chiefly within the control of a particular class, the clergy, I need not
trace minutely. The tremendous cataclysm which swept away the
Roman Empire swept with it all vestiges of an organized system of
public instruction. The cause of learning had been lost but for the
fidelity to its interests of those who ministered at the altar. It is
not enough to say that in thovSe ages of upheaval and dis.solution, the
Church was the agency best adapted to foster intellectual training.
As respects many centuries, a comparative mode of speech is out of
the question. There was no other agency. But for the efforts of
pious churchmen society would have been absolutely overwhelmed
by the deluge of barbarism. Undoubtedly their primary impulse to
educational work was a moral and religious one. Conditioned to a
narrow field of effort, shut up to do only a part of that which was
desirable, it was natural and right that they should lay the chief
emphasis on what was of the high* st import. But it would be to
defame the Church of those troub'ous times to say that she had
not a distinct conception of the value of education in itself and for its
own sake. You search her annals in vain for any trace of sympathy
with the notion which magazine writers of our own day have under-
taken to sustain, that the spread of popular education tends to the
increase of crime. She looked upon intellectual as the natural ally
of moral culture ; and this viev/ determined her policy in dealing
with the barbarous peoples for whose salvation she laboured. Her
watchwords did not anticipate the modern maxim, " If you educate
a man's intellect only, you but make him the greater scoundrel," a
maxim capable of a true sense indeed; but too often quoted, I fear,
in support of the God-dishonouring falsehood that the pursuit of

THE IIIHTUKK.AL DEVKLOl'M KNT OF KUUCATIUN.

cr than
8. T\w
i\ thein-
\^ down
:)lvp the
ICO and
the fact
certain
r(i niani-
) vents is

Wo are
lie char-
18. The
/^oro cor-
; for the
Iture for
rumentH
■ find no
urieH of
liristianH
ter times
need not
iway the
ystem of
t for the
r. It is
tion, the
training,
ia out of
efforts of
whelmed
1 pulse to
ined to a
hich was
he chief
Id be to
she had
nd for its
ynipathy
/e under-
la to the
ural ally
dealing
d. Her
educate
ndrel," a
d, I fear,
•ursuit of

HO-callcd Hcculur kuowjcdj^M! has .i ;y«r.sfi tendency towards moral th-pra-
vation. liut enoMiiOus conclusions must not he tlmwn from the
admitted nilationsot' the Church of tlu' iMitldlc Ages to education. The
efforts to wliich I have nferrnl did not proceed on the .score of a
theoretical repudiation of the right of the state to interest itscOf in the
Hann; subject. The (Jhurch simply rccognizijd the duty that devolved
on herself, 'ind, with exceedingly limited agencies at command,
discharged that duty in such a manner as to evoke the adu)iration
and th(! gratitude of succfcding ages, l^ut when at tinu's the idea
of nationality came forth into special promine-nce, and great ruU-rs
like Alfred and Charlemagnt; had help to offer, she freely yielded to
the representatives of the state the right to direct the currents
of national education. There are far better liislorical grounds for
regarding our noble Saxon King as the inventor of " compulsory-
education " than as the originatoiof "trial by jury "or founder of
the University of Oxford. As for Charl(!niagn(!, tlu; great organizing
genius of the c«!ntral medijeval period, wliile many of his plans
perished with himself, the schools which In; founded survived the
wreck of liis injperial policy and became permanently incorporated in
the general structure of European society.

Much the same lesson is taught by the histories of the universi-
ties of Europe, those famous institutions who.se degrees,. " the stamp
and seal of profound erudition," were once in as high esteem as a
patent of nobility, or even as " the Golden Rose " itself. In their
earliest manifestations, as is well known, they were not the product of
religious inipuLses or ecclesiastical decrees at all. They owed their
origin to clearly traceable historical causes, events which filled Europe
with a new race of scholars, and brought those scholars together at
various points for the purjwses of mutual aid, comfort, and protec-
tion. And when at a later period the universities received the
patronage and came, to a greater or less extent, under the control of
the Church, there was a collateral development of a relation to the
state in which each institution was planted. In process of time the
universities, as a rule, became distinctive national institutions ;
without them the national life and activity were felt to be unorgan-
ized and incomplete. Speaking generally, the national iio/.e or
characteristic is retained by the univ(n-sities of Europe until this
day. They are part of the organized life of the nation, and while
accumulating and distributing the priceless treasures of learning,
they play an important part in devi-loping the impulses of patriotism.

We thus see that in the Old World the developujent of the
doctrine of state interference in primary education was subsequent
to a long settled practice of founding and liberally endowing institu-
tions providing special culture for the few. On this continent the
manner and order of evolution have, to a certain extent, been
different. Here, alongside of a practically unanimous recognition of
the right pf the state to direct elementary education, there has grown
up a theory that beyond that sphere national interposition is uncalled-

THK IlISTOKICAL nKVRLOPMP:\T OF KDITATIOX.

for and improper. Conspicuous cases may ho ouotcd to show that
this theory is not universally held either in the United States or
Canada ; but that it has been d(!terminative of the educational policy
of lari^'c sections of the people there can ho no douht. Is it a sounil
one I Mature retlectiort has convinced me that it is not. This is
assuredly a case of *' al/ or nofhinj." The regulative rii^ht which is
theon'tically admitted in respect to the (education of citildri'n cannot
he denietl in resp(>ct to the education of i/'>U)i(/ mm and tn,ii)if)i.
Frame any tlufory you like to justify state interuosition and control
in education at all, and it will logically include the whole reach and
scope of education, or it will he found wanting as a theory altogether.
Even assuming tliat as one who would

A hair divide
Betwixt tile nor' iiiid uor'-west sitle,

we had found the theoretical limit of national right and responsibility,
who can undertali<' to draw the line practically with any assurance
of accuracy i Who, amid tht^ changing conditions of industrial and
social life, can venture authoritatively to say to the state, " Thus far
shalt thou come, hut no farther"? The fact that many of the high
schools of to-day an> better equipped and manned than many univer-
sities were fortv years ago would suggest the inference that the line
between what the state may rightfully do and not do in the matter
of education shifts with the progress of civilization I

So much on tln^ score of theory. Those who object to my con-
clusions can point to justly ilistinguished seats of learning such as
McGill, or Queen's, or Victoria, built up by the purely voluntary
efforts of private individuals or religious denominations. But it is
quite possil)le that some or even all of tliose institutions owed their
origin to tin; failure of the state to discharge its obligations in respect
to higher education. If so, the fact simply increases the claim of
such universities and tlieir founders on our admiration and regard.
But I am prepared to contend for the general principle that it is
undesirable to cut university education adrift from the corporate
national life altogether ; that by doing so we needlessly sacrifice
ehMuents of power which every true patriot should take into account.
While admitting the impossibility of sketciiing a typical university
that would suit all lands alike, and that the conditions of eajh
country must largely determine tiie moulds in whicij its institutions
should be cast, I venture to think that the neighbouring republic
suffers greatly from the "free and easy" voluntaryism that charac-
terizes its university system. An American college president, Dr.
Barnard, of Columbia, after referring to the rigid control exercised l)y
the governments of Europe over the ei-ection of universities, states
the results as follow : " The sources of honour are so few, their
characters are so high, they embody a learning so profound, their
teachers are in general so celebrated and of so universally recognized
authority, and, finally, all the tests to which they subject as-
pirants are so rigorous, that a certificate of proficiency received

low that
>tates or
ill policy
a sound
This is
which is
a cannot

I ooutfol
■acli and
iogetiior.

isibilitv,
ssuranco
trial and
Thus far
th«; high
V univer-
; the line
le matter

my con-
; such as
oluntary
But it is
vcd their
ri respect
claim of
I regard,
that it is
orporate
sacrifice
account,
niversity
of eajh
titutions
republic
t charac-
ent, Dr.
rcised l>y
>s, states
w, their
id, their
cognized
•ject as-
received

TIIK HISTORICAL DKVELOl'M KNT OF KDL'CATION*.

:?9

from them has a meaning that all thr world can understand."
He then adds: "All these advantages we have thrown away.
We have not only multiplied almost ind"tinitely these fountains of
honour, hut we have taken no care tliat, in their composition, tbt>y
shall either represent learniiiij or command reverence. A village
parson, a village doctor, and a village lawyer, supported l)y a banker,
a shop-keeper or two, a manufacturer, and perhaps a gtuitleman
farmer, constitute very commonly thetril)anal who are to disptMise the
precious distinctions wlvich tlte conservative wisdom of other times
entrusted only to the lionourcnl !>ands of those whom universal con-
sent pronounced to be the wisest and tht> bi^st." Th(> remedy he
suggests for what he calls " this miseral)le business " is an invocation
of the authority of tlie state. In a })ortion of the press of my own
Province^ which as you may know has live degrt-e-conferring institu-
tions or universities, we nve sometimes assured that the policy of
dotting the country over with small coll(»ges has worktul well in th(>
LFnited States. Dr. Barnard does not seem to think so. A nu^re
statement of facts almost forces on us the beliet that it must too
often be accompanied by a lowering — an unspeakable lowering — of
the true ideal of universitv education. Then^ are, if I recollect aright,
thirtji-tiv<^ (Commissioner I'^aton's Kepoi-t gives the exact number)
chartered, degree-conferring colleges or universities in the State of
Ohio. Now there is not a member of your association who could not
name off-hand tiie universities of the United Kingdom ; scarcely one,
I think, wiio «ould not unprompted give the names of the chief
universities of tiie German Kmpire. Ohio is separated from Ontario
only by the narrow waters of Lake Erie, yet I pledge my word that
there is not a member of your body who has ever heard of thiir of
her three dozen universities !

And if now, with considerable venturesomeness for an outsider, I
allude to your own magniticent Province, it is not because I suppose
that any stich state of things as that which \ have Just described
exists here. I know well that it iloes not. The institutions which
exist side by side witii your noble Provincial University have an
honourable record of self-sacriticing and successful endeavour, and
the rigour with which they have maintained true university standards
has long attracted my notice and my admiration. 1 venture to refer
to Ontario because, more favoured than most, she seems possessed of
conditions for realizing what perhaps after all is the ideal type of the
university, that whicli joins to national authority, prestige and
power, the free play of individual philanthropy and denominational
zeal.

Logical order ami completeness would recjuire me to return from
.he digression into which 1 have wandered, and trace out somewhat
minutely the law which has fans far guided the development of
])opular education. But I must forbear, luiving, 1 fear, already tres-
passed beyond the l)Ounds of r(Mson on your patience. Let it be
enough to congratulate ourselves, that though there may still be in
connection with this great question some unsettled problems of no

"HiwwyiW" •

EDUCATION IN REFERENCE TO CHARACTER.

inconsiderable magnitude, history has vindicated the substantial
soundness of the principles which guide our labours. No pessimistic
apprehensions, no a priori ])rognostics of failure, can gainsay the
great fact and lesson of human progress. The goal towards which all
civilized nations are rapidly moving is the conception of organized
public education, not as an economic arrangement for lessening
police expenses, nor as a charitable contrivance to benefit the poor,
but as a means by which free peoples, appreciating the unspeakable
blessings of knowledge, have determined and decreed to make those
blessings both permanent and universal.

-♦•♦-

EDUCATION IN KEFERENCE TO CHARACTER.

VERY REV. C. W. E. BODY.

Mr. President and Members of the Ontario Teachers' Asso-
ciation, — I must confess to some amount of hesitation in acceptiuf*
the invitation of your secretary to read a paper before this association.
Whilst profoundly grateful for the honour you have thus done me,
I felt strongly that one comparatively unacquainted with the details
of the Ontario system of education had little right 4o read a paper
before an assemblage such as this, composed of gentlemen whose
whole lives are devoted to the working out and the improvement of
that system. I was led therefore to select a subject bearing upon
education in general, viz. : its influence upon the formation of char-
acter, and I must crave your kind indulgence if, in treating of a
somewhat well-worn, yet, I venture to think, most important subject,
I, of necessity, suggest thoughts familiar to you in your own educa-
tional experience, as also for the somewhat fragmentary way in
which, from the pressure of varied engagements, I have been com-
pelled to discuss the subject.

According to one numerous and influential school, the office of
education is not so much to develop character as to procure for it in
the future an environment at least relatively favourable > that
development. It has been urged that the chief dangers to the social
ord''" arise from the hard pressure of poverty and want. By the
difiusion of knowledge, especially of a technical or scientific character,
it should be the aim of education to increase the power of the
individual, and thus to raise him above the stratum of temptation in
which the lot of poorly remunerative labour is inevitably cast. Now
whatever partial triitii there undoubtedly is in the contention, it
cannot be denied that the optimistic views founded upon it, and
largely current a generation ago, as to the solvent effect of education
upon crime, have not been confirmed by experience. Insten-d of
melting away under the gentle influence of knowledge, cri"'{; has

-M

EDUCATION IN REFERENCE TO CHARACTER.

largely increased. If we flatter ourselves that it has at least become
more refined, we are startled from time to time by the revelation of
the » grossest crime rampant amongst educated men. Fraud and
dishonesty threaten to invade with overwhelming force every class
and every occupation ; and there seems to me no small peril that in
disgust at the utter failure of unreasonable expectations education
may, in the not distant future, be unduly discredited for an issue
which might from the first have been clearly foreseen.

The primal fallacy underlying this whole position is the assump-
tion that any condition of life is comparatively free from temptation ;
so that by increasing the power of an individual we enable him to
rise to any great extent above its influence. On the contrary, the truth
seems to be that with the increased power which education brings, as
well as with that which multiplied invention, rapid communication
and locomotion has supplied, temptations dangerous to society have
become far more intense as the chances of success as well as the
prizes to be obtained have been proportionately greater. To quote a
recent writer in the Century^ " The greater temptations of the
present day demand greater conscientiousness to resist them, and
this greater conscientiousness is not always forthcoming."

Experience is every day demonstrating with increasing force
that if Education has no other ameliorating influences at her command
than the mere negative one of improved material surroundings, then
the outlook for society is undoubtedly dark and the results of the
teacher's work hopelessly unsatisfying. It is the deep conviction of
the present writer that only by recognizing and fostering the direct
influence of education upon character can an adequate remedy be
found — whilst from this influence rightly exercised the best results
may under the Divine blessing be expected. The subject is at least
a practical one, and it may be tht't the present time is not unsuitable
for its discussion. A moment's reflection seems sufficient to prove
that the direct influence of school life upon after character must be
unquestionably great. Whether we consider the receptive nature of
*"Ai" young life, or the fact that school forms a boy's first introduction
t • ^ iiftt wider social life which lies outside the family circle, and that
tl'-n/ore at school the foundation of those social virtues which
ri p;'. iufce the intercourse of man with man will be laid, or necessarily
the -Vtds of the opposite vices will be sown ; if we consider further
that school introduces a boy into the conscious work of life, and that
the spirit with which he addresses himself to his school work will, in
the majority of cases, stick to him through life, and though little
stress be laid upon the direct bearing of mental conceptions and bia
upon the moral and spiritual character, it is clear that as he passes
through the microcosm of school life, the boy becomes for the
most part the father of the man.

Regarding education then, not as the Tuere mechanical receiving
ot knowledge with a view to increasing individual power for the
purpose of acquiring wealth, but rather as the living development
and training of the manifold faculties and powers which each man

EDUCATION IN RKFEKENOK TO CHAHACTER.

possesses latent within him, the studies which an^ most fruitful for
this purpose are undoubtedly those which are directed towards the
past, such as literary, historical, classical studies and the like, rather
than those directed immediately to the needs of the present, such as
technical, professional, and to a lart^e extent also, soientitic studies,
although in this last case such studies as actually bring the pupil
face to face with Nature, and not with mere dogmatic statements
about her laws and methods, may exercise a deep and lasting intluence
upon character. This distinction has been ably drawn in a paper
read before the present meeting of the association, so that it is
altogether unnecessary for me to further develop it. A single
practical suggestion only I throw out in illustration, viz., with regard
to the strengthening of the powers of observation, and therefore of
the capacity for the enjoyment of Nature, and of revereni fellowship
with her, which can ))e effected outside the walls of the school. A
botanical excursion, or vivid explanation of the way in which
geologically the various features of some landscape actually in sight
have been formed, . .v/ open up in the mind new interests and ideas
to be gladly followei after life. This method of teaching by

occasional excursions ; -rongly recommended by Milton in iiis
" Tractate on Education, and practised to a considerable extent in
Germany. The successful introduction of Arbour Day, through the
wise foresight of the Minister of Education, proves the possibility of
such occasional lessons in Nature. To return, however ; without
underrating for one moment the practical importance of modern
languages, it is undoubtedly to the thought and history of the ancient
world that we must turn for educational influences of the highest
kind. Acquaintance with French and German literature can no
more equal in educational value living contact with the thoughts and
motives of the ancient world than a tour in our own fair Province
can supply the advantages of extended travel. I trust that I shall
not be misunderstood as detracting from the great practical utility
and therefore importance of the modern languages. It is unnecessary
at the present day to plead for what is universally accepted. I speak
only of their value for purposes of education in the strict sense of
the term. It is, of course, a truism to assert that our modern
thought and existing society have been profoundly influenced in
every part by the three great streams of culture we inherit from the
Greek, the Roman and the Jew. To gain, however, any real insight
into the nature of this influence — to see how the self-culture and
analysis of the Greek, the consecration to law and the orderly
discharge of the duties of citizenship which forms the distinguishing
characteristic of Rome, the revelation of man's capacity for fellow-
ship with God, and for co-operating with Him in the building-up on
earth of a divine kingdom, which is the special dignity of the Jew,
formed three indispensable factors in the necessary education of the
race in its duties to self, to society and to God ; further, to gain
even a faint glimpse of the way in which the mingled waters of
these three streams flow on together in the Christian culture of

RDUCATIOX IN RKFEIUJNOE TO CHARACTER.

itful for
irds the
, rather

such as
stu(li(^s,
le pupil
temonts
iilluence
a paper
lat it is
L single
1 regard
•efore of
llowahip
ool. A
L which
in sight
id ideas
ihing by
. in his
ctent in
>ugh the
bility of
without

modern
! ancient

highest

can no
^hts and
'rovince

I shall
utility
ecessary

I speak
sense of
modern

ced in
rom the
insight
lire and
orderly
[uishing
fellow-
g-up on
le Jew,

II of the
to gain
atcrs of
ture of

to-day, because they have been united and harmonized in the person
!ind influence of the perfect Man, is to gain an insight into the
Divine plan on which the education of the race has actually been
based, the (Mlucational value of which can hardly be over-estimatt^d.

I would not be supposed for one moment to undervalue the im-
portance of the advance which has been made by the great improve-
ment made of recent years in the various departments of professional
and technical training. In this way lias been rolled back a reproach
often too justly levelled against our edticational systems, tliat they
failed to qualify tlieir students for the actual occupations in which
they were to engage. To tit men to discharge in the best and most
efficient mcnner the various duties which devolve upon them is a side
of education the neglect of which brings swift retribution with it. So
far from minimizing, 1 would strongly advocate the increast^ of these
practical subjects of training ; such subjects as book-keeping, hygiene,
and the elements of sanitary science, the practical application of chem-
istry, and, for girls, domestic (K^onomy in its various departments,
appear to be eminently deserving of more systematic treatment than
they have yet received. I simply claim that such subjects do not exert
the same influence upon character as is done by classical, historical and
Scriptural studies, whose foundations li(! deep down in the past
devttlopment of the race ; and that the development of character is a
part of education of vital importance to the well-Vjeing of society.
The true strength of a state undoubtedly lies in the character of its
citizens ; or, to quote the Century once more : " The prime cause of
commercial dishonesty and political corruption is a false ideal of life ;
an ideal that puts the material interests of man above the spiritual,
and makes riches the supreme effort of human endeavour, and the
only efficient remedy is the establishment of a higher and niore
spiritual ideal.' Such an ideal it is the function of education in its
widest and most comprehensive sense to give, and I trust that the
several types of education may be so harmoniously blended in our
Ontario system that no great element may be lacking, and that we
may lead the van of progress towards this great and all-important end.

The treatment of my subject would hardly be complete without
a few thoughts, however fragmentary, upon the direct bearing upon
character for good or evil of the actual methods of imparting knowl-
edge. The qualities which it is specially given to school life to
develop are, 1 suppose, courtesy, fidelity and thoroughness in work,
truthfulness and integrity, together with reverence for all that is
really deserving of its bestowal. The grand old adage, maxima pueris
debetiir reverentia, which even the most degraded of men in some
sort recognize, recalls the fact that the personal character of the
teacher or teachers will largely reproduce itself in such matters
amongst the pupils. A thoroughly enthusiastic teacher, who is scrupu-
lously conscientious about his own preparation, will become a very
fountain of energy to dissipate that mental apathy of which boy-
nature is often painfully conscious, and against which it often
struggles manfully to but little purpose. Youth responds eagerly to

EDUCVriON IN REFERENCE TO CHARACTER.

enthusiasm, and tho fact is worth remembering. It is impossible to
exaggerate the importance of the >>earing upon character of thorough-
ness and freshness in methods of t<'aching, together with every pre-
caution for absolute integrity and impartiality in all .aatters affecting
examinations, etc. Even trifling carelessness in such matters is
like the opening of a sluice-gate, aiid sets free a torrent which it may
be next to impossiVjle to stem. For example, the boy who crams
up by rote the translation of a Oreek or Latin author, and succeeds
in imposing upon an examiner thereby, has received a lesson in
dishonesty which it will be well for society and himself if he does
not afterwards turn to further account.

One element for which sufficient allowance is perhaps not always
made in regard to its tendency to foster carelessness in work is the
necessary ignorance of scholars either as to the nature or the
importance of the subjects which they are required to study. A
short explanation with reference to these points before beginning a
new subject, especially if it be well illustrated with a few striking
examples, may do much gcod ; e.g., if in beginning a classical author
a few extracts in some good translation illustrating the most impor-
tant features in the book wfre read to the class their interest would
be aroused and quickened. And again, in beginning Euclid, instead
of allowing a child to flounder hoyjeie.ssly by himself amidst the maze
of definitions, postulates and axioms, or to sink amid the difficulties
of the pons asinorum, the attention of the class was called to 'he
great practical utility of being able to construct accurately certain
figures, e.g., by the aid of a pair of compasses to trace out on a board
an equilateral triangle, etc., and the scholars are encouraged to
attempt in vai-ious ways to solve a problem apparently so easy, an
insight into the marvels of Plane Geometry will be gained, which
will go far to surmount later perplexities. It is, perhaps, hardly too
much to say that children should never lie sent to the dry pages of a
book to make out for themselves some new object of study — the
living voice of the teacher with a bright, cheery method of explana-
tion being an aid to which children are really entitled in meeting new
and unknown difficulties. Hunting out together in class the
number of aorists, perfects, imperfects, etc., in a given passage
is often a pleasant relaxation from the actual head-work of memor-
izing or repetition.

Irreverence or flippancy in all its forms should be strictly dis-
couraged, as the uniform index of a shallow mind, and the cloak of
ignorance vaunting itself beneath a fancied and fictitious superiority.
The law holds good in every department of knowledge that great
thinkers receive back the instinctive reverence of childhood, only
deepened and intensified by the manifold experience of varied knowl-
edge. Thus we are led into the development of that reverence for
purity, for holiness, for God. which is the crown and stay of human
character. After the brilliant and exhaustive way in which the
subject was treated from the presidential chair of this association by
Mr. Archibald MacMurchy some two years ago, and the emphatic

ill

EDUCATION IN IIEPERENCR TO CIIARACTEK.

the

d, only
knowl-
nce for
human
ch the
tion by
nphatic

action taken by the association thereon, in advocating the efficient
use of the Bible in sclioois, as wcill as that of sniaUer associations of
teachers in various parts of the Province, it will be quite unnecessary
for nie to dwell upon the supreme importance of Bible study as the best
of all studies to promote the formation of a devout and noljle character.
My own views on this matter have been repeatedly (expressed, and
are well known both to the p\iblic and the educational authorities,
I am sure that the vast, the overwhelming, majority of the pt^ople of
the Province were profoundly grateful for the unmistakable testimony
at that time given by this great association, that the h(!art of tiie
Teachers' Association of Ontario beats sound upon this great question,
and that you thoroughly endorsed the dictum then laid down, 1 think
by your president, that a man who could not or would not teach the
Bible was not fit to teach children at all.

It may be better for me, instead of speaking further upon a
suVjject upon which most happily no division of opinion in this body
exists, to offer a few re-marks in reference to the volume of Biblical
selections lately issued by the Minister of Education, Apart from
the great advance made by the recognition of the Holy Scriptures as
an integral and necessary part of our educational system, much oi
the educational value of the book appears to me to lie in its character
as a volume of Biblical selections. We are thus forced to recofjnize
the composite character of that Librai'y of Revelation, including a
literature extending over thousands of years, and the historical
character of which it seems to me so important to teach. By means
of this selection our scholars can hardly fail to recognize the gradual
development of the Kingdom of God from the call of Abraham, as it
came siiccessively in contact with the varied civilizations of Egypt,
of Phoenicia, of Assyria, of Babylon, and of Persia ; how by the
continuous demonstration of the inability of the chosen people to
realize their destiny by themselves the way was being gradually
prepared for the coming of the C^hrist, whilst the hopes and fears
and the devotional aspiration of each successive crisis are enshrined
in the literature of the period, of whicii the most striking passages
have been selected. Thus the student is led up to behold the Person
and to study the teaching of our Lord in all their magic sublimity
and tenderness, yet so accurately fulfilling the hopes of the genera-
tions of the past, and regenerating the future by the foundation of
the Christian Church rising majestically under the work and teaching
of apostolic builders. It certainly seems to me that as our youth has
thus unfolded before it in ea ;h generation the grand central panorama
of all history, it will be best qualified to profit by its searching
analysis of human character, so pure and honest, yet withal per-
meated with the quickening breath of a higher and nobler life, or to
receive its more distinctly dogmatic and spiritual teachings. Such
teachings must, undoubtedly, in the present circumstances of the
country, be left to the authorized spiritual guides of the various
religious bodies, provision for which is so carefully made in the new
regulations. One suggestion I would venture to make : it would be

A I'LEA FOIl SCIKNCK IN SCHOOLS.

a great convenience to clergy who have several schools in their
parishes if provision w(!re made by authority that the same readings
should be used at lIk; same time in all the schools.

I see nothing whuUiver in the way of the use of a small hand-
book to the *' (Selections," to be used either by the teacher alone or to
be placed in the hands of the children, giving such supplementary
information with regard to the several selections as may be necessary
for the complete understanding of their meaning and setting from
an historical point of view. Nor do I believe that if such a book
■were edited in the same spirit as the volumes of the "Cambridge
Bible for Schools " series, that any difficulty would be raised to its
adoption. Of one thing I feel certain, that it only needs the subject
to be thoroughly understood and placed fairly before them, and that
then the Christian people of this Province will not long brook any
obstacle which really stands in the way of the imparting throughout
our educational system of a wise and liberal but at the same time
Christian education ; and that they are thoroughly in earnest in
demanding that the education given to their children shall not
merely tit them for the duties of this life, but shall also, as far as
education can do so, mould their character for God, for righteousness,
and for truth.

A PLEA FOR SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS.

.J. C. GLASHAN, OTTAWA.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, — Three hundred years
ago this v(;ry month there was sorrow in the family of Vincenzo Galilei
of Florence, — Galileo, the eldest son, had returned from the Univer-
sity of Pisa without having taken his degree. For four years the
family had submitted to many privations in order that out of a
scanty income enough might be spared to support Galileo while he
studied medicine ; but a time had at length come when no more
could be done for the student and he must either leave the University
or obtain the Grand Duke's nomination to one of the forty free
scholarships which had been founded for poor students. The father
had petitioned the Grand Duke to grant his son one of these founda-
tions and had been refused. Wherefore 1 The father, although
poor, was a Florentine nobleman, and the son, who had been born in
Pisa, had, although but twenty-one years of age, already won for
himself a name as the possessor of brilliant and varied talents.
These very talents were the cau.se of the refusal. At this tiuie the
study of natural science meant the study of the writings of the
ancient philosophy, and chiefly of Aristotle. The state of affairs
may best be described in Galileo's own words : " People .
think that philosophy is a kind of book like the yEneid or the

A PLKA FOR SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS.

OdyHsey, and that the trutli i.s to be sought, not in the universe, not
in nature, but (I uh(j their own words) bi/ comparlny texts.'' If there
arose any queHtioii respecting natural plienonu'na, it was settled bv
an appeal to Aristotle, und if any fact eontnidictory of received
opinions obtruded its(;lf, it was (hutinlished by a />nori reasoning
even as, after the discovery of Jupiter's satellites, " the first philoso-
pher of the faculty of Pisa," again to quote (Jalileo, "tried, now
with logical arguments, now with magical adjurations, to tear down
and argue the n(!W planets out of heaven." What, tlien, was tlic
horror of these professors at the unluiard of audacity of a youu"
student who, refusing unconditional surrender of his intellect and
unquestioning acceptance of the dicta of the great master, Aristotle,
proposed that men should search out the truth for themselves 1
What was their indignation, rising later to uncontrollable wrath,
when tliis " wrangler " demanded that in (juestions concerning the
facts of Nature, Nature's self should be questioned 1 And to dalileo
the first warning of their wrath was this refusal to grant Iiim the
boon of free instruction.

But the mighty work for which Galileo's genius had been
bestowed on him was not thus to be stopped. Even as Luther,
nearly sixty years before, had appealed from Pope and Cardinals to
God's Word, so Galileo appealed from Aristotle and the professors to
God's works, and as the result of the first appeal has been an ever-
increasing toleration of freedom of thought in religious matters and
a strengthening of the feeling of individual responsibility with a
corresponding growth of Christian charity, the only true all-brother-
love, so the result of the second appeal has been a steady increase
of liberty of opinion and action under the general restriction of not
injuring others and an enormous advance in the niaterial prosperitv
and, as a consequence, in the civilization and morality of a largo part
of mankind. By sustaining Galileo's appeal, man has created science
and science has created the arts and manufactures that have changed
the whole face of the earth and the conditions of existimce. Science
has increased almost beyond estimate the power of production and
by ever more and more throwing on machinery the heavier and
more exhausting kinds of toil, it has lessened the severity of manual
labour and made the mechanic's life easier to him and has left him
more leisure and energy for self-culture. Steam and electricity are
doing much to stamp out and obliterate old sectional and national
prejudices by almost annihilating time and space, thus enabling popu-
lations to circulate freely and bringing men and nations closer
together. By making emigration to the farthest lands a matter of a
few weeks at most, by affording a ready means of rapid and certain
intercourse between the most distant countries, by rendering easy
the interchange of products between remotest regions, these daughters
of sciei>ce are rapidly peopling and civilizing the waste and barba-
rous places of the earth. They enable men to carry their knowledge
and their skill to the market where it is most in demand, they save
the life or soothe the suffering of the invalid by bearing him swiftly

:Wif. if'^i'^

A I'LliA FOR aCIKNOK IN SCHOOLS.

from under rigorous skies, and thoy aro making thousands happier
and better by putting it in their power to see more of the grandeur
and the lovelin(?ss of earth.

But why speak of wliat science is doing for mankind in general,
or for the vague and indefinite "other people"'} Look around you
and consider what science has done and is doing for each and all of
us individually. Can any of you realize what your coiulition would
have been had the state of affairs of three hundred years ago con-
tinued to the pre.sent time I Can you estimate the advance that has
been made materially, mentally and morally since the time when the
young Galileo had no other means of testing the isochronism of the
vibration of Maestro Possenti's lump than by counting the beats of
his pulse, since the time when the answer could be given in an
English borough ; " Sir, according to the custom of this town, a man
is of age when he knows how to reckon up to twelve pence, and he
shall answer in a writ of right when he is of that age " ; since the
time when the Italians could burn Giordano Bruno, the Swiss could
burn Servetus, and the English, to go a little further back, could
burn Joan of Arc, and no man protest or even shudder at the horror 1

Now, if the study of science has done so much, if science is the
foundation of all natural progress in industry, in arts, in almost
everything, if a nation's welfare and advancement depends upon its
science, does it not behoove us to ask ourselves what we, as teachers,
are doing to fostei a love of science and to further its study ? To
judge by our work, to judge by our programmes of instruction, the
schoolroom might be said to be almost the only place into which
science, true science, has not yet entered. Still, as in the days
of Galileo, 'n the school-room, in che very place where the love of
natural science should be stron^^est, is its influence least felt, and
among teachers are to be found far too few of its cultivators. But
here let me be clearly understood. I do not mean that in our
schools, no instruction is given in the facts of science. Many of our
reading-lessons and most of our lessons on geography are not/iing
else but descriptions of nature and of natural phenomena and gen
eralizations and reasonings based on these ; but the study of these
lessons is not science-teaching, and I wonder how it would even now
fare in many a ca.se with a pupil who should, like Galileo, appeal
from the text-book to Nature. By the proper teaching of science, 1
mean not merely instruction in the facts and principles of science
and in the laws which govern natural phenomena, but also and
chiefly discipline in the methods of science. Mere head-knowiedge
will do a man very little good ; it is the habit of mind, the training
in method, that determines the character of the man. The facts and
principles of science ought never to be presented to the young
student in mere dogmatic fashion as acquired results. It is e.ssential
for his true progress that he shall feel the reality of the facts and
generalizations he is dealing with ; that he shall comprehend the
mode in which these facts have been observed and disentangled and
in which the principles derived therefrom have been arrived at, the

A PLKA KOI! SCIKNCE IN KCMOOLS.

happier
;randeur

general,
unci you
d all of
n would
ago con-
that has
vhen the
11 of the
Vjeats of
m in an
n, a man
, and he
iince the
iss could
ck, could
3 horror 1
ce is the
n almost
upon its
teachers,
idy] To
:;tion, the
ito which
the days
B love of
felt, and
prs. But
in our
ny of our
notning
and gen
of these
ven now
appeal
;cience, I
science
also and
nowiedge
training
facts and
le young
essential
'acts and
hend the
jrled and
ed at, the

mode of reduning unorganized collections of ol).s(!rvatioiis to a sys-
tematic arriingiiiiirut and presentation of them in a logical system
exhibiting the mutual relations of the pi)enomena ; that he shall be
practised until thorouyhly trained in all flic processes of observing
;ind thinking which are einploycnl in the stuily of natural st^ience, and
that above all he shall b(; systematically exercised in methods of
induciion.

•' But," it may be answered, " Nature does all this without our aid.
The very growth of th ■ faculties of a child depends on exercise on
the phenomena of natun;. As soon as the child begins to see it is
an observer, and as soon as it begins to move it is an experimenter^
and the range of its experiments is continually extending as the
child grows and its mind develops. Each moment adds new experi-
ences, new perceptions, and enlarges its knowledge of the world
around it. Nature does this for all ; but the work of the teacher is
to supply what Nature do(^s not and cannot give — that communion
with the master-minds of (mr race which is to be got only by reading,
only by tlie study of books." 1 freely acknowled're the importance
of this study. I hold most strongly that the pursuit of science should
never be divorced from literary culture and that the crowning
examples of sci(Mititic methods of study must be sought for in the
writings of a Faraday, a Young and a Nmvton ; but I deny that
Nature does enough for the cultivation of the ot)serving powers ; or^
unaided, teaches us how to arrive at the truth respecting herself. In
our journey through life, thousands of objects impress themselves on
our outward s(!nses that are never really obs'^rved by us. Nav,
they may actually in some degree reach the inner sense, yet from
ignorance, fi-om candessness, or from want of skill, we may nc\'er
perceive these things as they really are or as they would b;^ seen by
one whosf! observing powers had be-'ii duly cultivated. And if a habit
of observation be not inborn and active in us, will the discipline of
literary culture engender it, will dogmatic teaching (juicken ii into
life? No, rather will they fosti-r in us a tendency lo substitute
reasoning for experiment in th<' study of nature, to reason from
postidates based on ill-observed facts, to generalize from altog-'ther
insuthcient data. This h.abit of mind was the very stumbling-block
in the wav of the ancient Greeks, this was the creit obstacle to their
progress in scieii(;e. On ev(M'y page which preserves the teachings
of their philosophers we lind physical phenomena tak(>ii as st .rting-
poinvs or used as illustrations of profound metaphysical doccnnes ;
but a single misinterpretation of fact made a foiuidatioii for deduc-
tion, a simple sophistry applied to an observation often led to results
which appear to us in the light of modern science most absurd, most
mon.strous ; but which, because no one thought of submitting these
results of reasoning to the test of experiment, were then accepted
unhesitatingly and, as time passed on, were held more and more
firmly, until at length it required the genius of a (Jalileo to suspect
that error lurked in them. And how much of error li(!s in all un-
trained observation has been well demonstrated by the experiments

A PLEA KOK SCIENCK IN SfllOOLS,

of Dr. I'^niilo Vun<,', who fouiul that, in more than ninety percent, of
the persons he experimented on, tixpeotatioix of any pro{)OHe<l sense-
iniprcH.sion led to l>elief in its pen.'eption ; and it is specially note-
worthy that the suhjects of his experiments whom lie found to ho
accurate ol)server.s were, without exception, men trained in experi-
mental science.

But even if facts are ohserv(>d correctly little profj^ress will V)e
made if tlie min<l rests tliere. We nnist ohserve the |)henomena
under varied (;ircunislances in order to be al)le to discover their rela-
tive importance and the laws of that relation. The plienomenon
which most forcibly strikes the notice of tlie untrained oljserver may
not he tliat which is of chief importance — which the experienced
student of science would at once reiioynize as fundamental ; and the
ability to discriminate with accuracy and rapidity between the> essen-
tial and the accidental is to be jt,'ained only by .systematic and properly
directed training. The scientitic text-book is good in its place, but
that place is at tirst oidy a secondary one. It is true that every
science tends by a seemingly universal law to become more and more
abstract, and in proportion as it becomes exact to become mathemat-
ical ; but it is just as tru«i that all the natural sciences began by
observation or experiment, and whatever they may now have developed
into, it is necessary in teaching them to go l)ack to their beginnings,
and to find a sure foundation for abstract notions in experience and
observation. Empedocles was right when he declared that

Wisdom incre.aaes to men according ♦■,0 what they experience ;

and, again, was he right in a certain sen.se, though not in the sense
in which he meant it, when he said :

Surely by eartli we perceive earth, and man kn<.wetli water by water ;

By air sees air the divine, by fire sees fire the destructive ;

Yea, love comprehends love, and 'tis througli strife dismal we know .strife.

If the object of education is to help people to help themselves —
to teach them how to learn — then we must not merely supply our
pupils with th(! materials for thought, but we must show them how
to collect these materials for themselves, how best to use the.se mate-
rials when collected, and how to penetrate from outward phenomena
to the underlying universal laws. Let us do this — let us base our
teaching on a groundwork of real knowledge, and the after progress
of our pupils will rise upon a sure and stable foundation. Then will
science be accorded its rightful place, and scientitic discoveries,
fraught as they are with innumerable benefits to all God's creatures
will raise higher and higher the .scale of civilization, and will hasten
the coming of that golden age which poets dream of as !n the dim
far-distant past, but which assuredly lies in the certain future.

I believe the day is fast approaching when every teacher will
recognize the need of a real and living knowledge of the world in
which we live, and the laws of it by whicli we live, and will feel that
to impart such a knowledge to his pupils is a sacred duty he owes to

A I'MU FOR SCIEVCR IN SCHOOLS.

f)!

a tlie sense

himself, to thoin, mid to (liid. To ( lod : for is it not a duty to lliui who
has phvct'd us on this Ix'iuitifui earth, and h is f,'iv()n us powers to see,
to understand and to <'HJoy that lurtli, is i not a iluty of reverence
to use those powers to leuni uri^dit th»* lessons I [e has put liefore us?
But in all this scientiti-,- training of the inttdleut is there no place
for the culture of the fe(;linjr.s and the imagination, is there no room
for morality and religion, methinks f liear some one ask. Theni is
room in abundance ; tin're is ample scope f(jr all these. ScitMuie is
l)Ut a true and full knowledg.! of nature ; and nature is all-emliracing.
We count a man truly educated in proportion to the dignity of his
thoughts, tint loftiness of his priuciples, the noI)ieness of his actions ;
and to cultivate such diguity, loftiness and noljility there are no other
means (Mpial to a study of natuns ; for it is no petty, (iuil)l)ling
knowhulge that science offers us. To the student of rcceptivH and
imaginative mind [ would say : (lo, learn of Dame Nature, and she
will show you things mons wonderful than the wildest fancies ever
dreamed, nobler than the loftiest thoughts (ner sung by poet of [[ella.s.

" To tli<! Holiil ^'niiitnl
Of Nature trusts the mind wlucli Iciilil^ f(ir ayn.''

To the student of morals I would say :

" One impulse from a veriuil wood
May teach yoti more of man,
Of moral evil ami of ^<oo(l,
Than all the na^'os oan. "

Too often the eye of the moralist can see but evil, Ijut mi.sery
and pain. To him all is vanity, there is nought but a terrible struggle
for existence. Not so,

" For pleasure is spread thrnu.!,'h the earth
In stray gifts, to he cliximeil l>y whoever shall find.
Thus a rich lovint,'-kindness, redundantly kind,
Moves all nature to j;ladiiess ami mirth ;

The showers of the spring'

House the birds and they sin^,' ;
If the wind do liut stir for his proper delight,
Each leaf, that and this, his neighbour will kiss.
Each wave, one and t'other, s|)eeds after his brother,
They are happy for that is their right."

It has well been said by a great master ; " The habit of seeing,
the habit of knowing what we see, the habit of discerning ditie."-
ences and likenesses, the habit of classifying accordingly, the habi'i
of searching for hypotheses which .shall connect and explain those
classified facts, the habit of verifying the.se hypotheses by apply-
ing them to fresh facts, the habit of throwing them away bravely
if they wil'i not tit, the habit of general patience, diligence,
accuracy, reverence for facts for their own sake, and love of truth
for its own sake ; in one word, th(! habit of reverent and implicit
obedience to the laws of nature, whatever they may be — these are
not merely intellectual but also moral habits, which will stand men
in practical good stead in every affair of life, and in everj- question,

A ,VLEA FOR SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS.

fm.

even the most awful, which may come before us as rational and
social beings."

To him who seeks to purify and ennoble his religious thoughts
and feelings, 1 would say: Turn to nature and lenrr something of the
true majesty, miglit and glory of Him who reveals Himself in His
universe, as well in its minuteness as in its unthinkable vastness.

To all men Nature freely gives the invitation she gave to Agassiz,

when,

" ' Come wander with irie,' she said,
' Intel regions yet nntrod,
And read what is tstill unread
In the manuscripts of God.'

"And he wandered away and away
AVith Nature, the dear old nurse,
Who sauf,' to him, ui^dit and day,
The rhymes of the universe.

"And V henever the way seemed long,
Or his heart bej^'an to fail,
She would sin.t,' a more wonderful song
Or tell a more marvellous tale."

And truly wonderful are some of those tales. When you look
u}) at the stars to-night, bethink yourselves what and where they are.
The liglit which is just arriving fiom them, how long ago did it
have them and what does it now tell 1 This great earth, so solid
beneath our feet, .'ieems to us vast indeed, and a heart-throb lasts
not a long time, yet light travels so fast that it could six times
girdle this mighty orb while your h.( art beats but once. The sun,
apparently so bnmll, is in truth so large, thai were our earth stopped
in its annual course and hurled against it, the blow would caus(? not
much more disturbance on the farther side than an earthquake in
Japan would cause here. ]Iow far away must that sun be, yet it
takes light but little more than eight minutes to traverse that
tremendous distance. AVhat must be the speed of light ! It can
travel farther in one minute than the ball as it rushes from th(^
cannon's moutl) could go in a year and a-lialf. Yet it takes light
three vears and a-lialf to come from the nearest of those stars, while
there are others you cpu see whose light, arriving only now, left them
more than a thousand years ago. But stianyer than all this are tlie tales
light tells. You know tliat the teh^phone will convey to you not merely
the words but also tlie tones of a speaker's voic^. So, light, though
only a rush of waves each so short that a thousand of the longest of
them, one after another, would not measuro the thickness of a single
s'leet of the paper T hold in my hand — that light reveals to us what
the stars are made of and what state they are in. It tells us that
the stars we see with tlie naked eye, and a thousand times as many
that the telescope discovers to us, all belong to one system in which
our sun is a small star, and that there arf» other systems as far
removi'd from each other as systems as the stars are from each other
nn stars. Some of these systems, when, perhaps ten thousand years
ago, the light which is only now arriving with its story left them,

A PLKA FOR 8CIEXCK IN SCHOOLS.

were mere whirling rings of gas, others wen* eomh'nsod hke our own
system into separn.ve suns, each sl'.rouded like our own sun in heavy
clouds of metallic vapours, and still other systems had sunk to slow-
swinging clusters of fast cooling solid stars.

But the story of light ends not here. Within our own syst' ^ it
tells of at least one cold, dark, de^al world, the companion *. ' Jie
star Algol, and it has told us of star j that have hurst forth in terrible
conflagration such that were the like to happen to our ow . sui , this
solid earth would almost in the twinkling of an eye retui.i to the
vapour from which it cauit.

Light tells us also of strange worlds wht.'re ther*^ are two suns,
one blood-red, the other deepest emerald. Strange, indeed, must be
the changes beheld by the dwftller on a planet of such a system as it
swings slowly to and fro, his world now glowing a tiery red, anon all
pale green, and then flaming yellow under the scorching glare of
two suns.

But not of the stars alone; are Nature's marvellous stories. She
will tell of wonderful things on the earth, of the whirling dance of
atoms in every leaping flame, of the clash of the grappling molecules
as they build and unbuild in secret the forms of all visible things,
of the fairy chains that are woven by the power that seul|)tures
crystals, of the marvels of the magnet that man has taught to speak,
of the stroke of the hurtling thu:idei')t)lt, of the crash of the down-
rushing avalanche, of the awful flres of the; volcano, of the; mighty
throes of the earthquake.

She will tell how the solid rocks unfold the tale of ancient life
and ho\' that same life under diflerent forms still throl)s and pulses
everywh( re from the eternal snows on the highest mountain peaks
and in the wastes of farthest Grreenland, from the boiling springs of
New Zealand and the alkaline lakes of La Plata to the deepest
depths of ocean where dwell amid darkm^ss and (>ternal silence those
strange tish who never rise within a mile of the surface and to
whom daylight means death.

She will tell how every stagnant pool and every slimy puddle is
peopled by countless myriads of living creatures to whom a water-
drop is a vast donunion and a day a life-long age.

She will tell how, at the bottom of the ocean, unmoved by the
tiercest blasts of the tempest, unswayed by the rush of the mightiest
tidal-wave, lies the oozy mother of all living th. igs, slow pulsing to
and fro with earth's precession, each mighty (,hrob lasting twenty-
H\7 thousand years 1

THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF ENGLISH.

WILLIAM HOUSTON, M.A.

As my remarks will be addressed to those who are actually
engaged in the work of teaching, they will have refert.ice to the
pedagogical treatment of English in schools rather than to the study
of the subject as a means of self-culture. I warn you at the outset
that I make no pretence to the discovery of some new method. All I am
to say has been often and better said by others ; but we are none the
worse for the reiteration of wholesome truths, and with respect to
English in schools there is a growing desire for improvement to which
I may be able in some slight degree to contribute. What experience J
have had in recent years as a student of English, and as member
of a body which to some extent prescribes the manner of dealing
with it in schools as well as colleges, convinces me that a thorough
re-examination of the old methods is urgently required. For their
defects the teachers are not so much to be blamed. They have to
teach with departmental and academical examinations in view, and
the character of the teaching must depend very largely on the nature of
the examinations. That the latter have not been always, or even
generally, of the right kind I am pi'e^jared to show by an analysis of
the questions ordinarily set, including many of those set by myself
when it was my duty some years ago to pet os a university examiner.
But there is no need that I should dwell upon this point, for the
prevailing dissatisfaction amongst the teachers and the nature of the
complaints they urge .show clearly enough that they have to some
extent outgrown the system under which they are forced to work.
This dissatisfaction I regard as one of the most hopeful signs of the
times, provided onl\' chat it is rightly interpreted by the various
learned bodies which hiive the power, and cannot evade the responsi-
bility, of directing teachers in their work.

With so much ground to go over in a short time I cannot hope to
mak'' my remarks appear otherwi.se than desultory; but you will tind
a cuiiuecting thread in the statement that in our schools, colleges,
and universities we have been too lotixj and loo viuch engaged in teach
ing about English instead of teaching English. What 1 have to say
will be made up very largely of illustrations of this truth, if it be a
truth ; and, however diaconn<!cted with each other my remarks may
seem to be, I hope they will all be found connectea with and illustra-
tive of this somewhat audacious proposition. Instead of teaching tlie
art of English composition by judiciously guided practice, we have
been conipelling pupils and students to commit to memory rhetorical
rules and principles. Instead of teaching th(> nature and laws of
language by an intelligent examination uf language itself, we havt
been compelling pupils and students to learn by rote the conception^
and formulas, often purely arbitrary, of the grammarians. Instead
of wisely guiding them in the task of making themselves acquainted

AiHiaiiMiiaMi

THE STUDY AN'D TEACHING OF EXGLISIl.

JSH.

are actually
;rcace to the
I to the study
at the outset
hod. Alllam
B are none the
ith respect to
raent to which
t experience 1
id as Tnember
ner of dealing
lat a thorough
ed. For their

They have to
s in view, and
,n the nature of
Iways, or even
J an analysis of
i set by myself
rsity examiner.
s point, for the
.e nature of the

have to some
forced to work,
ful signs of the
by the various
.de the responsi-

cannot hope to
)ut you will tind
schools, colleges,
n(/aged in teach-
at 1 have to say
truth, if it be a
ny remarks may
vfthand illustra-

1 of teaching the
inictice, we have

cmory rhetorical
lire and laws of

e itself, we have
tlie conceptions
larians. Instead
selves acquainted

with masterpieces of literature, we hav-> })een making them learn
what other people, called thn critics, hav(3 thought about the pre-
scribed authors and texts. And, instead of requiring them to devote
their time and labour to tin,' prescribed t(!xts tliHinscilves, we have
been compelling them to waiulur away into all sorts of sid(! reading.
Every stray allusion on which, as on a peg, a question to divert the
student's attention from the main purpose of literary study might be
hung, has been carefully utilized for the purpose, until at last the
great object for which literature should be studied seems to have
been almost entirely lost sight of. The result is a " plentiful lack'"
at once of correct practice in writing and speaking the English
language, of knowledge of its history and growth, and of capacity to
appreciate the higher productions of our great literary artists.

It is not necessary that I should dwell at any length on the
importance of English as a subj 'ct of study. Without going into the
vexed question, whether literature or science is most worthy of atten-
tion in an educational curriculum, I may safely take the ground that
no man whose mother-tongue is English can be called well-educated
if he is not a good English scholar, however high his scientific attain-
ments may be. Foreign languag(^s, living and dead, afford an excel-
hmt means of training the intellect, cultivating the taste, improving
the judgment, and enlarging the mental horizon of the student ; but
no one of them is in any of these respects so valuable or important
as our own mother-tongu*;, partly because it is our mother-tongue, but
partly also because of its intrinsic excelUmce and the intrinsic excel-
hmce of the nol)le literature of which it is the vehicle. There are
no dramas in any languag-^ equal to those of Shakespeare, no epic
equal to that of Milton, no elegies, odes, or sonnets to surpass those
of Milton, Gray, Shelh^y, Tennyson, or Wordsworth ; no lyrics either
moi'o perfect in form or more expressiv< f appropriate feeling than
those of a score of our great song-writ- ''roiu Shak' speare to the
present day ; while our English prose is ine-nuparably and admittedly
sup(;rior to that of any other language, ancient or modern. On the
importance of Englisli allow me to cite the opinion of Dr. E'iot.
President of Harvard Colhi^'e, and then pass on to other aspe«;ts of the
subject. In his widl-known address, delivered at Johns H'jpkiiiF
University nearly two years ago, he said :

It cannot l)e (l(nil)te(l U>at Kiit,'lish literature is beyond all comiMiison the
amplest, most various, nml \\w<t spl.Mi.ii.l litenitiire which the world has overseen,
an.l it is enoiish to sav of tin- Kiipj:lisli hiii,:,'ua;re that it is the liiiijiia.fe of that lit.-ri-
tiire. Greek literafcuit' compares witli iMii^disli literature as Homer compares w ;ib
Hliakesi)eare, that is, as infautiie with adult civili/.ati(«n. It may furth r ' -aid
of the Kurdish lai^'ua^'e that it is the native toni,'ue of nations which pre-

eminent in the world liy force of character, enterprise, and wealth, and whiise
political and social in.stitiitions luive a hi^'her moral interest and greater promise
than any which mankind has hitherto invented.

For the f)urposes of this address I wish to be understood as
including under the vague term, " English," the following :-- -

1. Facility in the right use of the language, in every-day life no
less than on special occasions, in speech no less than in writing.

.t*^;'TfRf!|ffi„,,.*«

96 THE STUDY AND TKA(niIN(3 OF ENGLISH.

Any so-called English education must bo a comparativo failure ^which
does not secure this, even it' the student is able to parse words
correctly accordincf to tiie usual school fovniula, and spell them cor-
rectly accortling to the complicateil and arbitrary rules imposed on
us by the printers and lexicographers.

2. The capacity to appreciate literature, rather than an acquaint-
ance, however varied, with literary works, including under the term
" literature," masterpieces of prose as well of verse, and presupposing
some knowledge of English prosody. This T take; to be (Jarlyle's
meaning whiMi he alFirtns that the chief use of a university training
is to teach a man " to read."

3. A knowledge of the formal sciences of grammar, logic and
rhetoric, which an; closely related to each other, having for their
subject-matter the laws of thought and of its expression by means of
language.

4. A knowlrdge of English philology, including the origin, history,
and relaiionship not mcrijiy of individual words, but of the language
as a whole.

I have purposely stated these various aspects of "English" in
what I consider the true order of their importance. That is, I attach
more importance to facility in the right use of English as a means of
expressing our own thoughts than I do to the capacity to understand
and appreciate what other people have either said or written. I
attach more importance to either of the.se than [ do to ascertaining
the laws according to which we either think or give utterance to our
thoughts. And, lastly, T attach more importance to a knowledge of
the laws which govern us in our etlbrts to embody our thoughts in
words than I do to a knowledge of the sources from which we have
obtained the words themselves, and of the changes of form which
they have in the course of ages undergone. My object in the rest
of this address will be to criticise the prevalent methods of dealing
with "English " in these four aspects in schools and colleges, and to
point out very briefly some of the ways in which they may be
improved.

I. — FACILITY l.V THK RIGHT U8K Ol- THK LANGUAGE.

I need scarcely say that this is a very rar(> accomplishment, that
correct speaking is still less common than correct writing, and that
the number of inexcusable blundf^rs perpetrated by even good writers
is astounding. A few years ago I happened to take Froude's " iSketch
of Julius Caesar," then recently published, as a companion on a trip.
Reading it s-omewhat leisurely 1 began to notice occasional flaws in
the structure of the .sentences, and especially the frequent misplace-
ment of the word " only." As I went on I perceived that the incorrect
use of "only" was a habit so constant as to amount to a mannerism,
and a somewhat critical examination convinced nui that in a majority
of the cases in which the " only " can be misplai > d without a positiv o

THE STUDY AND TEACH [N'Q OP KXGLISH.

and conscious oflbrt on his pari Mr. Froudo puts it where it shoukl not
be. This is not his only dffoct, for lie occasionally falls into a "t<quint-
ing" construction, and very often into an inelegant and unsyniinetrical
collocation of the parts of a sentence. And yet'Mr. Froude is l.y unani-
mous consent, and rightly, in my opinion, iiccorded a liigh position
amongst our great prose writers. Not to speak of Carlyle, wlioso
bizarre constructions are unquestionably more or le.ss of an atfecta-
tion, onecan find frequent instances of slipshod English in the prose
writings of such eminent masters as Mattluiw Arnold, Lluskin and
the two Newmans. Tiiey are surprisingly scarce in the (ssays and
even the speechcis of Mr. (iladstone. They are scarcer stilTin the
writings of Macaulay ; and, so far as I havi; been able to ascertain,
there is no English writer so free at onco from errors in tht; use of
words and defects in the arrangement of the parts of sentences as
Mr. Goldwin Smith. \ have the more pleasure in paying him this
tribute, because from a great many of the opinions couched in his
marvellously beautiful diction I tind myself constrained emphatically
to di.ssent.

To misuse of words and wrong constructions in speech, ar; distin-
guished from writing, we must add mispronunciations of all degrees
of inexcusableness. Their prevalence is largely owing to the al)surd
craze for uniform spelling, which has caused ability to spell well
according to an arbitrary and highly anomalous and ditH :ult system
to be generally accepted as the tinal criterion of a man's educational
attaitmienta. In my opinion correct pronunciation and distinct
enunciation are far more important than spelling, and if a tithe of
the time now expended on the latter were devoted to them the results
would be most beneficial. Glaring mispronunciations in a speech
otherwise unoV)jectionable in form grate most unpleasantly on the
educated ear, and yet they are extremely common, as are also such
vulgar errors as the use of " lay " for " lie," " set " for " sit," " raise '
for "rise," and even "went" for "gone."' Surely a system which
has utterly failed to banish such solecisms from the speech of
educated men must be held chargeable with a lamentable want of
etHciency.

One way of improving the English of your pupils is to set them
a good example. We learn speech, as we learn most other things,
by imitation. If the teacher has any mannerisms the pupils who
remain long with him are sure to be infected by them. This truth
was impressed on me very strongly many years ago when I was my.self
a teacher. I had several pupils from one family with a decidedly
Scottisii surname, and yet they spoke English with a strong York-
shire pronunciation. I was at a loss for an explanation of this
peculiarity, more especially as I found that the father of the family
had a pronunciation as Scottish as his name, un,il I heard the mother
speak. She was a Yorkshire woman, and as rnildren in their earlier
years keep the mother's company more than the father's, her example
had the more powerful influence on their pronnnciation. There is noth-
ing mysterious in this ; but the lesson for the teacher is obvious. The

■'^:^»s

THE STUDY AND TEArHIVO OF KSOLISH.

pupils at a certain ago an; much in his company. They hear him
doing a great deal of talking. They naturally look to him as a
model. What he says must he corn;ctly said, and without an effort
they adapt themselves to his manner of speech. Many teachers
are unfortunately somewhat slovenly alike in their pronunciation
and in the structure of tlieir sentences. Those who wish to make
their pupils expert in the use of FInglish must themselves be as
nearly as possible perfect, and perfection must be a matter of habit,
not of effort.

Another way of improving English in a .school is to note carefully
the prevailing local mannerisms and occasionally comment on them
in teaching the subj(!ct. The pointing out of errors should be made
as much as possible tlie work of the pupils themselves, and the num-
ber dealt with at any on*; time should he small. [ have noticed that
each locality is apt to liave its own set of provincialisms in the pro-
nunciation as well as the syntactical use of words. The objectionable
mannerisms of the pupils will, as a rule, reflect the prevailing usage
in the houies and th(; social circles of the locality. There is little
hope of inducing the older people to alter greatly their mode of
speech, but the pupils .should l>e taught to notice and avoid first the
more glaring solecisms, and ultimately all positive errors and even
mere defects. Nor can there be any doubt that if these were all
banished from the school room and play-ground their hold on the
present generation of elders would be sensibly weakened. It is
impossible that the six thousand educated men and woman of your
great fraternity should make a persistent effort to improve their
own English and that of thf-ir pupils without exerting a beneficial
and very perce[)tibl(; influence on the English of the people of the
Province generally.

Akin to the method of procedure just recommended is the selec-
tion of imperfectly written sentences for discussion in class. I have
given above some illustrations from Froude of commonly recurring
errors. When you choose sentences for this purpose, confine your
criticism at first, and in the lowf;r classes entirely, to those containing
defects of somewhat obvious types. Vou will find Hodgson's "Errors
in the use of Words " a uiost useful guide in your criticism ; but if
you observe closely you will not need to take your examples from
him. Better, far, take theui from your school readers, where they
are not scarce, or from your local newspapers, where they are sure to
be a plentiful as well as a perennial crop. It is sometimes urged as
an objection to this practice that the pupils are as likely to be injured
by bad examples as they ai-e to be Vienefited by criticism and correc-
tion. I do not attach much imf>ortance to this objection. I have to
this day a vivid recollection of the light thrown, just twenty years
ago, on a point of construction by an incidental remark made in my
hearing by the fir.st Principal of the Toronto Normal School. The
defect he pointed out was a comparatively slight one — nothing more
than the want of symmetry in a sentence ; but it had the effect of
turning my attention to other unsymmetrical arrangements that are

THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF ENGLISH.

too provalont, of putting me on my guard against all such defects,
and of enabling me to show others how to avoid thorn. I can in this
matter speak from experience, for, though 1 have not for many years
been a teacher of English in schools, writing English compositions,
and correcting the written compositions of others, was for a dozen
years my employmtrnt for hours every day. And, if I may he allowed
a practical suggestion based on experience, you will find that it is
V)etter to get your pupils to make their own corrections in the light
of your criticisms than to make them yourselves in their exercises.
Head over the compositions without marking them in any way. Col-
lect from them, not all the errors, but a number of the most obvious
ones. Take these up one by one and discuss theii in the class.
Finally, ask the pupils, not to correct the defects in UiJir es.says, but
to re-write the latter, and on a comparison of the new with the old
reit«;rate your criticisms and note the progress made. The ordinary
metliod of correcting conipositions is drudgery for the teacher, and is
of little benefit to the pupils. The true method is to make use of
their errors, alike in writing and in speech, as starting-points of
criticism, and as a means of incidentally and effectively expounding
rhetorical laws in their application.

This brings me to the subject of composition itself, probably the
most important in the whole school programme, for I hold strongly
to the view that the capacity to write good English prose is at once
the highest accomplishment of sound scholarship, and the most indis-
putable evidence of the possession of true culture. And the accomp-
lishment is as rare as it is high, partly because it is rated too low by
public opinion, partly because the methods of j)ractice that have been
followed in the past are not the best methods. The plan too generally
adopted is to tell the pupil in school what to do and then set him at
doing it, to give him the rule and ask him to apply it. The same
course is [)ursued in college, where a treatise on rhetoric is placed in
thf; student's hand and he is expected to master the theory for pur-
poses of examination, while the practice is all but ignored. Need I
point out the utter absurdity of such a method 1 Nature revolts at
it, and puni.shes us by dooming us to general failure. In composi-
tion the practice is almost everything, the theory of very little
account. I had the pleasure of conversing soH'.a weeks ago with Dr.
Brown, the accomplished teacher of English in Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity, about his methods with students, and on my asking him liow
composition should be taught his reply was in substance : " Give the
student a subject to write on, make sure that Ik; knows something
about it. ask him to set down on paper what he knows, and then
point out to him errors of construction and faults of diction. He
may know theoretically the contents of the best treatises on rhetoric
and not write English prose any the better for the knowledge."

Making allowance for differences of age and mental power, this is
the true method for school pupils as well as for university students.
Moreover, it is Nature's method. We learn to do by doing The
only way to learn to play on a musical instrument is to play on it.

Mt«i

MMI

THE 8TUDY AND TEACHING OP ENGLISH.

Wo do not tell a child how to walk, and then set him on his fret
and require him to act on our instructionH ; we set him on his feet
first, and then content ourselves with wisely guidinfj; him. In teach-
ing a l)oy to .swim we put him in the water, oidy taking care that ho
does not'drown. We do not first tell him how to keep hims(!lf afloat,
how to move his limb.s, how to propel him.self in any given direction ;
he will learn all that hy practice under judicious guidance. .So he
will learn to write prose hy writing it, and there is no other way in
which he can learn how to do it. Give him a subject about which
you are sure lie knows something, and lot him go ahead. Bear in
mind that it is not your privilege to guide his first steps in the art of
composition, fie has been practising that art ev( r since he learned
to speak, putting his thoughts into words and his words hito
sentences. All you can do is to take him, with his bad habits and
exuberant growth, teach him by example and guidance to avoid
what is in bad taste, and get him to see for himself that there are
more effective ways than those he has been accustomed to of clothing
his thoughts in spoken or written language. Do not let him suppose
that this is some new line of work — for it is not, — and he will bo all
the better for the feeling that he is simply learning to do better what
he did badly before, (let him to believe also^ if you can, that his
improvement is the result of his own efforts. In other words, do
not correct his mistakes for him and hand him back his exercise.
Without humiliating him before the class, which you must do if you
treat the blunders as his, have the latter discussed as impersonal,
and let each meoiber of the class make his own application in the
re- writing of his composition. And, let me repeat, do not refine too
much in your criticisms, corrections, or suggestions. Rather take the
risk of letting your pupils acquire bad habits of a venial kind than
of making them the helpless victims of an overload of unassimilated
erudition. As they grow older and become more expert, take up
with them more recondite defects, confining yourself chiefly, if not
entirely, to those which occur in the compositions of tho pupils them-
selves, or which they are in the habit of hearing or reading.

Many teachers prescribe as an exercise in composition a prose
paraphrase of a piece of poetry. After careful thought I feel con-
strained to condemn the practice as comparatively useless for
purposes of composition, while it is positively oV)jectionable on other
grounds. Only good poetry will stand paraphrasing at all, and I
can hardly conceive of a pupil failing to be so disgusted with his own
paraphrase that the poetry will for a long time, if not for ever, have
lost its charm for him. To produce this state of mind is to do him
incalculable mischief, for the most important element which distin-
guishes poetry from prose is its beauty, and this utterly vanishes in
the paraphrase even when it is made by the most skilful hand. In
short, the practice is at once V)arbarous and useless, and I earnestly
hope it will be allowed to fall into disuse. This, I need hardly say,
depends on the examiners. If they persist in asking for paraphrases,
teachers must persist in requiring their pupils to make them; and, as

J- fli«<^'"4W'f;|^^'

"?^^K''*^^^^^^8^^&'"

TFIK STUDY AND TEAOIIINO OF ENGLISH.

the teacher does not know which passaj^o is to be used &n a test, \ut
must r('(pire the pupil to distort and make hiilt'ous the whoh; of the
prescribed text.
account

(JrayL _..,_ „ ..„„^,

description of the village pastor and the village schoohnaster ! Take
such stanzas as these : —

t r('(pire the pupil to distort and make hiileous the wholt; of the
cribc'd text. Just imagine a proHc; paraphrase of Scott's spirited
unt of th(! combat Ijetwecn KitzjiiUK^s and Roderick Dhu, of
f'n exquisite musings in his " Klegy," of (Goldsmith's inimitable

The boast of horaMry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er K'lvo,

Await alike the inevitable liour —
The paths of ^lory lead but to the Krave.

Can storied urn, or animated Itust,

Back to its mansion call the fleetinf? breath ?

Can honoiu'a voice provoke the nileiit ilust,
Or flattery Hooth the dull, cold ear of death ?

Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathouied caves of ocean bear :

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Some villaye Hampden, that, with dauntless breast,
The little tyrant of his fields withstood ;

Some mute inglorimis Milton here may rest,
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.

Far from the madiling crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sol)er wishes never learned to stray ;

Along the cool .se(]iiesti'red va!e of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Or such passages as these : —

At church, with meek and unaffected grace.
His looks adorni'd the venerable jilace ;
Truth from his li[is prevailed with double sway.
And fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.

To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given,
But all his serious tliougbts had rest iu heaven.
As some tall clitf that lifts its awful form.
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,
Tho' round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.

Or these stanzas from the High School work of this year : —

Day after day, day after day.
We stuck, noi' breath nor motion ;
As idle as a i)aintrd ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere.
And all the boards did shrink,
Water, water, everywhere
Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot ; () Christ !
That this should ever be !
And slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

MHHM

mmm

THE 8TUDV AND TBACHINU OF EN(iLI8II.

If any of you cau attempt to paraplirast; vorsc lik(! this without
a sens(> of .shame and (lisi,'ii.st at your own work, y(tu an; tit ohjects
of compassion, and your production will he a proof that '* a thin;; of
beauty,'" in spite of Keats' famous dictum, is not necessarily " a

joy forever."

I need liardiy say, in concluding this part of my subject, that
from the very outset the process of taking apart should accompany
that of putting together. In ()th(>r words, thc^ analysis of sentences
and of continued discourse should l)e part of the pupil's work ecpialiy
with the practice of composition. But do not let tlie analysis be
too elal)orate. Let it be logical and rhetorical rather tlian gram-
matical, and do not strain after minute; .syntactical parsing. The
object of all analysis should be to enable the pupil to thoroughly
comprehend the meaning of the passages under dissection. To mako
hiui practise it for the sole object of becoming expert at it is to
elevate tlie means into an end. It would be ijuite as .sensiltle for a
blacksmith, who has plenty of legitimate work at his anvil, to
swing his sledge-hammt^r V)y the hour for the purpose of exercising
his mu.scles. 'The exci^ssively minute parsing so commonly jjracti.sed
in schools, mainly because it is so persistcnxtly used as a test at
examinations, is of little value at any stage of the student's course ;
in the Public School it is a waste of time and in oth(;r ways posi-
tively mischievous. It creates in the pupil's mind the feeling that
every word is capable of being par.sed if he only knew how to parse
it, and 1 have fretpiently seen teachers in a states of despair simply
because some inquisitive boy had asked the parsing of a word that
could not be parsed according to any rule given by any grammarian.
The writers of grammars, like the compilers of lexicons, have much
to answer for.

II. — THE CAPACITY TO APPKECIATK LITERATURE.

Not all that is written is worthy of the name of literature. It
is hard to say detinitely, and impossible to say briefly, either what
literature is, or what it is not. I shall, therefore, refrain from
detinition and description, and content myself with the statement
that, as a piece of literature is a real work of art, it is necessary to
its appreciation that one should not merely comprehend its meaning,
but enter into its spirit, and enjoy its bosauty. The study of literature
is calculated to give pleasure as well as proHt, to entertain no less
than to improve the earnest and intelligent student. This is true of
pro.se as well as of poetry, though the former is generally less capable?
of pleasing by its outward form. There is a real and perceptilih;
difference between the two kinds of composition, a something which
in the last analysis is apt to escape him who attempts to precisely
define it, but the presence of which is felt by all. I shall, however,
for the present confine my remarks to poetical litesrature, not so much
because prose is less worthy of attention, as because prose works are
now prescribed in the High School course for rhetorical use, and it is

THE STUDY AND TKACHINO OF EN(if,I.SM.

impoHHihlo for a pupil to Imvo used them intt'llii^cntly for rhetorical
purposes without liaviiii;, at least iiioideiitally, learnetl to appreciato
them from a literary and artistie point of view.

The study of literature, like the practice of eomposition, is l)(>gun
at a v(;ry early a<;e — geiu'rally lou^,' Itefore tlu^ child enters a scliool
at all. The infantile^ mind is charmed with the heauty of poetry that
is suited to its compniliension, and the infantile ear pleased with the
indetinal)le melody of rhythmical cadence. There are ft-w children
who hav(^ not, Ix-fore leaving thr nursery, committed to memory
simple rhynies, wej)t with emotion at the recital of sonwi pathetic
story in verse, or laui,died in childish ylee over some humorous inci-
dent done up in the same attract! vi- t;arl>. The teacher of literature
finds that he has beeix anticipated Uy the mother, liy the nursery
maid, hy the Sunday school infant-class teacher, l)y tlu^ kiriderijaertner.
What is learned in those early days is marvellously persistent, and
keeps possession of tin; memory long after the pieces learned in later
years have vanislie(| from its lahlets. The lesson for the teacher is
obvious. The study of lit«iratur(! in the pupil's earlier stages should
consist very largely in memorizing selected poems, including not
merely or chiefly those found in the reading hooks, hut others of e(|ual
or greater merit found in al)undance elsewhere. The teacher who is
instrumental in rtoring a pupil's meniory with beautiful thoughts
embodied in beautiful language has conferred upon him an untold
benefit, and stands an excellent chance of being remembered with
feelings of gratitude long after the teacher who aimed only at
systematic intellectual and moral training has been forgotten. Nor
is such a result either unn itural or unjust. Nature has implanted
in the child's mind a love of wliat is beautiful, and the teacher who
cannot gratify and educate the young pupil's icsthetic faculty by
teaching him to appreciate the l>eautiful in literature has mistaken
his calling.

1 do not believe that it is possible for any one at any stage of
development to explain fully why he is atfected by poetry which pleases
him. Even Wordsworth, deeply as he penetrated into this great
mystery, confesses himself at fault here. Poetry in order to stir
deeply the feelings of the reader must have stirred deeply the
feelings of the writer, and if he who saw, as few have seen,

The lij,'l>t that nevor war*, on sea or land,

could not fully comprehend the sight, it is vain for those to whom he has
afforded a glimpse of it to hope to do so. Nevertheless, even at an
early age it is possible to get the pupil to understand some of the
qualities of poetry which make it a source of plea.sure — such as
rhythmical structure, melodious rhymes, figurative language, intensity
of feeling, graphic de.scription, wit, humour, pathos. This must,
however, be done incidentaily, and only after the pupil has been
allowed an opportunity of familiarizing him.self with the beauties
which you want him to see. I cannot think of any more profitless
task than that of going over a literaiy composition and pointing out

f)4

TIIK STUDY AND TEACITlNtJ OF RNULIHII.

to unapprftiutiv(i lia*.(«n«'rn wlmt tlicv ou^'ht to fidniiro. Tho t»!achftr
who foUowH this method i.s not a |t('(|jifjn;,'iu' hut a jx'dant.

Ko ordinary roadiii{» h-sson, wliich adiiiitH of inoidtMital tn-atinoiit
as a picco of literature, whoidd he hft uiuitil'/.ed ; hut 1 must hero
express my regnt that so much time is still devoted in the Puhiic
Schools to the study of literature in scraps and shreds. For entrance
to the lliijh Schools the Enf^liisli literature is taken from the Fourth
Header, and is made; up of pieces nuiiiy of which are mere excerpts from
larj?er works. To this there are several ohjections, not the least of
whicli is that, th(^ field of selection heiuij; limited, teachers and pupils
are compelled to travel year after year round tlie same narrow
enclosure', while the wlioh? vast expanse of English literature lies
invitingly outside. To add to the ohjectionableness of the system,
the examiners soon exhaust the liht of fair ([uestions that can \)0 asked,
and they must then <nther repeat tliem, which promotes "cramming"
for th(! examinations, or ask (jue.stions on what is unimportant and
out of tiie way, which causes side reading to he substituted for the
stuily of the texts. Moreover, it is impossible under this system to
do for the pupil what is more important than making him acquainted
with a variety of difterent styles, or (!ven creating in him a desire to
read for himself tlu^ works from which the extracts havt? been taken
— to furnisli him with a method which will be useful to him in his
own reading in after-life. This can be done only by reading whole
works instead of excerpts, The .scrap-book reader is constructed on
an utterly false assumption — that a piece of a li'erary work is a fair
specimen of tin; whole. It is no more n^asonable to assume this than
it is to as.su me that a brick or a stone is a fair specimen of a beautiful
building. If a piece of literature has been constructed on some artistic
principU? — and it is unwoi-thy of the name of littn-ature otherwise —
then it ouglit to be studied as a whole, just as a beautiful edifice, or
a statue, or a painting should be viewed as a wliole. Sir Walte'r
Scott intend"d that the reader of " Tlie Lady of the Lake " should
never suspect James Fitzjames to b(! Scotland's King until he comes
to tlie announcement of the; fact. It is ndated tiiat, wliih; the poem
was in process of production, he read over parts of it to an old servant
in order to ascertain whether lie had constructed the plot and narrated
the incidents with suthcient ingenuity to eiTect his purpose. At one
point the old n)an exclaimed: "Ah! that's tlu; King," and Scott
saw the necessity of recasting the poem so as to make it more eflfective
for the artistic purpose he had in view. But, though the fact that
Fitzjames is the King is admirably concealed, I have met with only
one reader of the poem who enjoyed the exquisite pleasure of perusing
it without having the knowledge of Fitzjam(!s' real character in his
mind. Ever since I met him I have envied him his good fortune,
and anathematized the man who cut o«t the combat, put it into the
scrap-book reader where I first saw it, and canifully explained in a
note who the persons were and whence the piect; was taken.

1 admit the necessity, for the purpose of teaching children to
recognize word forms, of a graded series of readers up to the end of

TIIK 8Ti;i)Y AM) TKACIIINO OF KN'fJLISH.

r,r)

tho Second, or perhaps the Third Book, hut after this the Heh'otion of
readinij mutter for school use shouUl he inii(h' on a difFerent tlieory.
Any child who has mastered an ordimiry Third Header is (juite ahlo
to recogni/e almost every word in lionj^fi-llow's " Kvan;,'<'liiic," or
Scott'8 " Lady of the Lake," or Wordswortli's, or Cowper's, or Tenny-
sou'h, or Mrs. Hrowninn's, or Mrs. Ilemans' minor poems. Some of
these of cours(! occur in lAmrth lieiuhrs ; and so far then; is no
ohjeotion to them except on tiie jj;round of wearisome and unnecessary
r«!petition, wliich, however, 0M;,'ht to t .• fatal. Tlu! cheap and Iteauti-
fully-printed texts now isstied from the En<,dish and American press
are a proof that in the matter of economy the system I advo(;ate would
hav«( a th'oi(h'tl advantaf,'(; over the scrap I 'ach'r system ; for I l»elieve
the pupil's year is devoted chielly to the Itj.ssons selected for lli;,'h
School entrance, while he has to purchase a costly volume in order to
get them. Tlu! whole of a collection of prose and poetry suital^le for
til*' Entrance Examination nn'^ht he puhlished at ten cents a copy —
cue lifth of tho price of a Fourth Header — provided tin? annotations
are left out, and a wise teacher will in his own interest keep these
avay from his class as much as possiltle. lie should never allow any
outsider to come Ixstween him and his pupils in this tht; most (h'li<,'htful
of all school work. 1 admit that in this matter I am somewhat ahead
of pablic, not to speak of otKcial, opinion ; but if I am one of the
" remnant " now I shall he' one of the " majority" before very lon<;

You, as teachers, are all interested in securing this great but easily
effected change. The High School mastiTS will henceforth hav<i the
privilege of reading new literature, prose and vers»i, with their pupils
each year. Why should you be del>arred from iti Company your
popl ion and condition at the end of ten years' treadmill work on
your present course of scrap-book reading with what your position
and condition would be at the end of ten years' study of texts
changed every year. The one course of work will leave you practi-
cally where you are in the matter of culture ; the other would carry
you far on the road to a general knowledge of English literature,
and, what is of unspeakably greater importance, give you facility in
"reading," using the term "reading" in Uarlyle's large sense of it.
You are often advised, by well-meaning persons who have never
taught, to devote your spare time to reading English literature. I
know from experience what it is to feel, after the day's work in
school and out of school is done, so utterly fatigued in body and
mind as to have little taste for reading even the most attractive
literature. But make such reading a part of the regular school
course and you at once lighten the teacln^'s toil and compel hiiu to
acquire a measure of literary culture while he is trying to impart it
to others. The scrap-book Fourth Reader must go, and it should
stand not on the order of its going, but go at once. Tho new Fourth
Reader should never have been compiled.

With a view to making an illustrative application, however
imperfect, of the principles I have been laying down, allow me to
describe briefly the manner in which a piece of literature should be
5

• f-.;i-j3t<e.aail > ii'l '" " ■«> »,

THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF ENGLISH.

dealt with, say for the Entrance Examination. For this purpose I
select Longfellow's " Evangeline," whieh is well adapted to the
capacity of Fourth Class pupil.s. The various steps in its treat-
ment may be thus described : —

1. The poem should be read through by the pupils without any
explanations Vty th(^ teacher, except in answer to recjuests for infor-
mation. Jt should be read aloud and in full, as continuously, and
with as much attention to elocution as time and circumstances will
permit, in order that it may be vicved as a whole, and the reading
should be done over and over again, until the pupils have had a fair
chance to gain a clear idea of the plan of the work, to form some
theory as to the object of the author, to di.scern its beauties, and to
notice its more interesting passages.

2. After this opportunity has been given r*"?m, it should be read
again for the purpose of enal)ling the teacher to a.scertain by judicious
questioning whether the pupils fully understand the text, including
references to names, plac< s and events with re.spect to which the
poem is not self-explanatory, care being taken not to convert it into
a mere occasion for a lesson in history, or geography, or antiquities.
The same reailing will serve for such elucidation as may be neces-
sary — the less the better, as a rule — of peculiar constructions, of
instances of poetical license, and of philological points, care again
being taken to do only so much of this side work as may be necessary
to make the meaning of th»! text perfectly clear.

3. Jt is now tiuH^ to ascertain what theory the pupils hav'e formed
as to the auth„. 's aim in writing the poem, and to correct erroneous
views on this point ; as, for instance, that it was designed to condemn
the expatriation of the Acadians. In the light of this general view
some passages will hav<> accjuired a new beauty ixv.d force, and an
ertbrt may be made to a.scertain what parts of tlu* poem have produced
the deepest impressions, and why ; also to lead them to notice otaer
passages which they may have overlookeil. 'I'Ik^ same readiiig may
bt! utilized for the purpose of calling attention t(> other beauties of
form — cadence, rhyme, adaptation of sound to sense, allitera^.ion,
figures of spe((ch, — cai'e being taken to iiitlict on the pi.pils as little
as possible in the way of dcu'inition, mid in the case of rhetorical
figures to confine the attention to those that are most obvious and
most frecjuent.

4. Comparison may now be made of "Evangeline" with Park-
man's narrative in his recently nublisiied work on " Montcalm and
Wolfe." The pupils may in this way be taugtit to distinguish between
poetical truth and historical truth. They can learn to understand
that the English Uo-.ernment may ha.\^ been justified in sending the
Acadians frjni their hemes, and that at th(; same time this very justi-
fiable measure may have been productive of great and undeserved
injury to innocent individuals in a spot far away from the settle
menl • tliat were constantly haras.sed by the Indians at the instiga-
tion of the Fr«'nch

TUK STUDY AND TEACHING OP ENGLISH.

67^

irpose I
to the
s treat-
out any
)r infor-
sly, and
ices will
reading
id a fair
m some
, and to

be read
udicious
nclnding
hich the
"t it into
tiquities.
)e neces-
tions, of
,re again
\ecessary

formed
erroneous

condtimn
al view
and an

produced

ice ot'iier
ig may

auties of
tra'iion,
an little
ictorical

lous and

Lh Park
aim and

»etwecn
JerHtand
ding the
•ry justi
deserved

» settle!

instiga-

5. Even with Fourth Class pupils it may be a profitable exercise
in prosody to compare " Evangeline" in point of form with some of
Longfellow's other poems — witli " Miles 8tandish," which resembles
it in its hexameter structure ; with " Hiawatha," which rescnnbles it
in the absence of rhymes, but the verse of which is trochaic and octo-
syllabic ; and with some of the best of his minor poems, which may
witl) pleasure and profit be committed to memory.

6. Lastly, some attention, but not too minutely, may now be given
to Longfellow's personal history, to his peculiar preparation for his
work, to the general features of his poems, and to his position
amongst the poets of his own generation in America and England,
the utmost care being again taken to keep all this subordinate to the
main object of studying litei-ature — that is, the thorough appreciation
of the text itself.

One poet dealt with each year in some such way as 1 have
described, and one prose work utilized with similar cure, as a basis
of exercises in composition, would furnish the teacher with a much-
ncJided means of self-culture, and the pupil with a method of reading
literature such as he can never acquire by the most extended study
of detached excerpts.

III.-GRAMMAU, LOCilC AND KIIETOIUC.

These sciences collectively have for their subject-matter the
formal laws of thought and of the expression of thought by means of
language. They are, of course, separaltlc from each other in treat-
ment ; but it is convenient for my {)urpose to group them, sincfr
i^'rammar has to deal mon^ or less with the laws of thought, and it
V oil Id be better if the grammarians would revert to them more
fretjuently than they do, and attach less importance to what may be
called historical accidents. In other words, if grammatical analysis
were made more logical than it usually is, there would be less reason
to complain of its prevalent use. Take, for instance, the .sentence,
"The cat jumped from under the table." It is impossible to parse
the word " from " according to the usual definition of a preposition,
except by treating " under-tlu^tablc " as a noun of place, which-
logically it is. Why should any more minute analysis be required,
when it is not merely a waste oi time and ell'ort, hut tends to hinder
the pupil from getting what you most want him to get in this
direction, a clear view of t) .; nature and functions of words] Home-
times apparent or real incoi.sistencies are explicable by a knowledge
of word history, as, for instanci', in tht^se uses of " worth " : —

Woe w' .rth the ohase ! Woe worth the day !

The horse was worth two liundred dollars.

Or in these uses of *' wont," both of which are justified by usage, and

therefore correct : —

Some of our English poets have been wout t / make their homes in Italy.

Can this \w he wlio wont to stray
A pilgrim on the world's highway ?

;-*^

F-4-4 .»*«» tiLMitvxesr.''XrKA

THE STUDY AND TEACIIINO OF ENGLISH.

What I wish to insist on c;hi«;tly with respect to formal grammar,
howovei-, is that it should not bn taken up systematically at an early
stage of the pupil's progress — not until he luih left the Fourth Class
either to enter the Fifth or to pass into the Higii School. Even in
these T see little use for it, as it is properly rather a university than
a school subject. Do not suppose that this is e(iuivalent to saying
you should not teach grammar. That you cannot avoid doing from
the moment the pupil comes within the sound of your voice and tho
circle of your influence, for grammar is not merely " the science of
language," but the " art of speaking and writing it correctly." The
most effective method of teaching grammar to children is to teach it
practically and incidentally ; and I believe this to Vje the best way of
teaching it even to university students. 1 attach little importance
to a knowledgf^ of books like Earle's " Philology." If a man wants to
know Englisli grammar liistoricallyhe sliould make himself acquainted
with the literature produced in the various stages and dialects of the
language. It will do him little good to memorize what others have
written about changes in the forms of words and inflections. By
following the methods I have described above in training his pupils
in the correct use of the language, and in capacity to appreciate
literature, th«^ teacher will have made tiuun, by tiie time they reach
the High School entrance period, excellent practical grammarians,
and this is of more importance than to have them able to analyze
and parse difficult expressions. I could parse at twelve years of age,
and correctly according to th(^ rules of the grammarians, expressions
which today I would not tliink of trying to parse at all, simply
because 1 regard them as anomalous. Are they, therefore, illegiti-
mate ■? Not at all, if they are justified by usage. What you should
do about such expressions is to see that your pi'pils learn to use
them as educated nien and women do, and, if the examiners will
only permit you, to tell the V)oys and girls, frankly, that you do not
always feel competent to explain what is arbitiary, that language is
conventional and capricious, and that the great (jnd of words is to be
used and not to be parsed. I am fully persuaded that by making
grammar in this way more practical, keeping the word " grammar '
itself out of sight, and leaving the formal sciei.- ^e of language to l)e
taken up at a much later stage, we would be aUlc to show better
results.

IV. — PHILOLOGY.

Much the same line of remark applies to philology, including
under this term the history and derivation of words. In school n
great deal of time is often wasted by asking the jiupil to commit ld
memory long lists of roots, prefixes, and affixes, and to practise what
is called " word-building." This is a very unpractical and, therefoie,
indefensible way of teaching philology. The history and derivation
of words should be dealt with in the lower classes only in so far as
they can be made useful in getting at th( ir true meaning, and thus
aiding in a more thorough comprehension of literary texts. There

THE STUDY A\0 TEACUINQ OF ENGLISH.

should be no leftrnin<i; of lists of roots, and the first introduction of
the pupil to philolouy should he thron^di the ni'^diuin of analysis, not
of synthesis — word-resolution, not word-buildin;,'. Philology so
treated can be made incidentally tlu; means of allordinj,' an excellent
training in generalization or induction. Let the teaclier take a
number of commonly recurring words, in which the root is constant
and the prelix variable — as, for example, precede, recede, secede,
proceed, intercede — and show how the force of the root part of the
word is constant whih; that of the prefix varies. Let him next take
a number of common words in which the prefix is constant and the
root variabhi — as, for instance, intercede, interfere, intervene, inter-
change, intermix — and show how the force of the prel^ix remains
constant wliile that of the stem varies. By pursuing this method
lie will soon train his pupils to l)ecouie intelligent observt'rs of verbal
plienomena, to di.scover for themselves a numl^er of philological laws,
and — what is of more importance — to reason carefully and correctly
on the inductive method. At th(> end of any given time th(^>- may
know by heart fewer root-words and appendages ; but they will have
a more intelligent knowledge of philology and be posses.sed of a
method which is the instrument, the organon, of all progress in the
so-called inductive .science.s. Do not think that I disparage the
science of philology by asking to have it dealt with in this way. It
happens that it is oiu^ of the subjects of which I am exceptionally
fond, and I would not think of depriving your pupils of the pleasure
to be derived from such a widening of their horizon as only philology
can give. There is no reason why th(>y should not gradually and
profitably be made ac<pjainted with the fact that each individual
word has its history; that some of our words have Ix^en taken by
great masters of literature for their own use from other languages ;
that in this way the original stock of English words has l»e(in greatly
and advantageously increased ; that these English words have them-
selve.s greatly changed in both their original and inflectional forms ;
that Milton's and Shakespean^'s English, and even that of our com-
mon Bible, difl'ers greaUy in outward appearand^ from their texts as
V e now invariably see them printed ; that siill older texts diller still
more, so tliat we get back at last to a time when English must be
learn(Hl anew like a foreign language ; that this old English came
originally to Kngland from WesttM'u Europe ; that it was l)rought
over in many dill'erent forms called dialects, which still exist, chiefly
as local patois, bi^' mi some cases also as the vehicle of dialectal
literature ; that English is clo.sely related in descent and form to
several European languages, such as the l^utch, the (Jerman, the
Scandinavian ; that the members of this great Teutonic family are
more distantly related to another lMiro{)ean group, which includes
the French, the Spanish, the Italian and the Portuguese; that these
Romance langtniges, formed l>y the decay of the Latin, the Latin
itself, the (Jreek and the Sanskrit of India, form with the Teutonic
languages a still larger group known as I ndo European or Fndo-
(Jermanic; and that all these are comprised under the common name

HMiiUNMMM^^

>;t.';in ■zki.-j^v-ti-^ai^

PERMANENCY OF THK TEAOIIING PUOFKSSION.

Aryan, to distinsiiish tluin from another large group called Semitic,
wliich in( ludrs the Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic, and from a third
group described as Monosyllabic, of which Cbinese is the most familiar
<'xaniple. The process by whidi all these relationships have been
determined is strictly analogous to the process by which the past
liistory of tlie earth's crust has been reconstructed by the geologists,
and it constitutes one of the most perfect specimens of inductive
reasoning afi'oided liy the whole circle of tlie sciences. By treating
philology in school as strictly subordinate and subservient to the
obtaining of a clearer comprehension of the meaning of words, and
by training the pupil gradually and incidentally to look upon appar-
ently isolated and capricious etymological facts as parts of one great
system of development, controlled by laws as uniform in their opera-
tion as those which govern the formation of the stratified rocks and
the order of succession of animal life on the earth's surface, you will
make the subject attractive instead of repulsive ; and it will remain
with him, whether his knowledge of it be much or little, a matter of
deep scientific interest through life, just as literature properly treated
will remain a perennial source of lesthetic and intellectual enjoyment.

PERMANENCY OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

D. FOTllERINGIIAM.

The subject of this paper is more important than attractive. Its
right treatment demands more time and space — not to say ability
— than at my disposal. I shall hope, however, to enlist your
sympathy and develop profitable discussion.

Where thoroughly qualified persons are employed continuously
in any calling, the results should be more satisfactory to themselves
and to their employers. (.)n all hands it is adnutted that better
work and better returns are secured when skilled workmen perform
the same duties in the same office year after year. Change of otlice
or ofiicer of necessity implies iuitiatioii into the peculiarities and
specialties of the new office or officer, with corresponding loss of
time, efficiency and progress. Change, of necessity, implies a pei-iod
of disquietude and friction, of anxiety, if not mortification, to
employer and employed ; and these disadrantag(!s are intensified as
the nature of the work involves more of the intellectual and moral,
and less of the merely mechanical.

It is not risking much to affirm that in no occupation are the
evil effects of change more likely to be serious than in teaching. The
tiiaterial with which the teacher has to deal is the most precious and

PERMANKNCY OP TUB TFIACHINO IMIOFKSSION.

enduring oi which the earth has knowledge, and its essential nature
is 80 delicate and full of far-rcachitig possihilitics that to transfer its
management from hand to hand, year i)y year, in its plastic condition,
makes it certain that great loss must follow. A plant cannot thus
he transfernnl from soil to soil and climate to climate without a
serious dwarfing of its powers. Neither can the young mind, learu-
ing to observe, reason, act, to know and love truth and beauty and
power, after the training and individuality of one teacher, in the
atmosphere and soil of which he is the sun, be transferred to the
hands of another without serious loss.

Even in a pecuniary aspect, fnM^uent change involves no small
loss. Under tavourab'e circumstances, the; new teacher cannot read-
just the mental and administrative machinery of a school and have
the whole moving on harmoniously from th(^ point his pred"cessor
left it at, in less than two months— -not always so soon. It may Ije
allowed that, in ordinary circumstances, three months are nearly lost
to a school. When the change is a bail one, which too often is the
case, a year and more with all its outlay, is lost.

It is frequently atlinned and univt-rsally believed that, in Ontario,
much is lost through lacic of permanency in the profession to which
we belong. To reach, as i.^ai'ly as may be, the actual state of the
case, I have grouped statistics bearing on this point as I could gather
them from othcial returns. These cover thirteen years, begiimijig
with 1871 and ending with 1881), the last that has been fully
reported. If all the generalizations reached are not ab.solutely
correct, they are at least approximately so.

In 1871, 5,036 teachers were employed in Ontario, and '2,^2'^Q
certificates (including three hundred and ninety interim) were Issued
by the Education Department and County Boards. That is, forty two
new teachers for each hundred employed were licensetl in lH71. lu
1872, 2,560 (including five hundred and seventy-eight interim) certifi-
cates were granted. That was at th(^ rate of forty-six to the hundred.
In 1877, 2,269 (including four hundred and sixty-four interim) certi-
ficates were sent out, making thirty five new to each Imndred. Fn
1881, if I have been able to get the correct figures, only twenty to
the hundred were granted. In 188.'^, thirty four to the one hundred
were given. During the thirteen years, the Department and the
County Hoards had issued two hundred and sixty First Class, ;},i)8r)
Second (Mass, 16,r)7U Third Class, and 7,2r)6 Interim or other certifi-
cates — 28,071 in all. To maintain an average stall of 6. 257 teachers
in active service for thirteen years, 28,000 certificates were issue(l, or
an average of 2,15!). Putting this in other words, the new i.ssues,
one year with another, were thirty-four per cent, of those in actual use.

This would not necessarily show that thirty-four per ce!\t. of the
teachers were raw recruits, 'i'he average issue of Class I, was twenty,
of (Jlass [I., three huntlred and six; of Class III., 1,274; and of
Interim and other Special Certiticat(\s, five hundreil and fifty-eight.
Now, all Class I. and 1 1, teachers must hav(' had employment before
securing tlieir certificates, while some "Thirds" were given a second

s-aa-iWffiHsmft'--

PERMANENCY OF TUE TEACHING PROFESSION.

time, on due examination ; and a considf^rable number of *' Specials "
wer<! no doubt " ExtciisionK " of " Tliin's."

We may tliereforc rejjanl all I. and If. Class as renewals ; that
is an aveia^^e of three hundred and twenty-six. To this add an
equal number of renewals of " Thirds, " and, .say, one-half of the
" Specials," and we shall have a total of about nine liundred and
thirty certificates issued yearly to pfrsons who had had more or less
exp<^rience. !)( ductiiif]^ th<'.s<j from the average issue we have still
left about twenty new and inexp<;rienced teachers every year in one
hundred — one out of livf. At this rate the profession is entirely
changed in five years ; and i arn fiatisfied that this is within the mark.

A large proportion of Third Class teachers do not remain in the
profession till their cfitificat^'S expire; and the expiration of "Exten-
sions ■' and " Specials" not infrequently means the expiration of the
holder's term of service.

The medical profession is largely replenished if not overstocked
from ours.

Not a few in law and divinity get their first start in pocket, if
not in ambition, in the teacher's calling, while a sprinkling of our
legislators and other public men owe their knowledge of men and
things to the impetus given them in their school-teaching days.

And the discovery in the public school of the gift to teach has no
doubt led a large number of those now in high schools to devote
them.selves to th(; more remunerative and more permanent work of
their advanced calling.

Thus, natuially, creditably, in this young country, our profe.ssion
has given of its best talent to ail the professions. No wonder
that it changes so much. V<-t it holds its own even though
changed in persoiiitcl once in five years. More : we stand to-day
in advance of our profession of twenty, ten, five, years ago. In
literary attainment, in professional training and public opinion,
the teacher of to day is in advance of himself yesterday ; and
while, hitherto, we have suffered heavily from lack of perma-
nency in the profession we find, in this vantage ground, as well as
in the rapid increa.se of S<?cond Cla.s8 teachers in the service, a sure
promise of better things still in the futurf;.

[Note. — In 1871, .017 Second Cla.ss teachers were employed. In
1883, 2,167, or four to one, were in active service.]

Some of the causes of the lack of permanency in the profession
have been hinted at. f shall seek to place them more in detail.

Insufiicient reniuneration is undoubtedly a leading cause. Persons
wishing to become teachers must spend from two to three years in
non-professional and professional preparation, at a time when it
would be possible for them to earn a fair livelihood in other pursuits.
After all this time and considerable outlay of money they seldom
secure $3 as a salary at first. If successful, tlusy may hope to get
$400 by the time their "Third" expires. Then comes another
cour.se for a " Second," after which they may look forward to the
munificent sum of $450 or so, though the highest average reached in

PERMANENCY OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

countipH for main teachers is less than $400, and for female teachers,
less than S-'aO.

With equal literary and professional training in other callings,
teachers would, undoubtedly, have far superior, prospects hoth as to
permanency and pay ; while with an additional expenditure, not
greater than that of the past, they often find (nnployment in one of the
learned professions where the prizes offered are hoth more numerous
and more inviting. It is no matter of surprise, therefore, to find
many of our clever and ambitious teachers making ours a stepping-
stone to some other life-work.

Lack of fixity of tenure, if constant change of sphere may be
so named, is another important factor in driving teachers out of the
profession. Like travellers in a de.sert, tliey do little else than pitch
tent and next remove it. One year here, another there, they begin
to fear the mark of Cain is on them, and look around for a local
habitation and a name — some abiding home and steady occupation.
Akin to this comes :

The lack of professional recognition, which no doul)t has discour-
aged most of worthy teachers, A higher or holier calling than
the teacher's can scarcely be found, and yet he has been and is
slighted and slurred as if entitled to nothing but his bread and butter
and not always to that. Undoubtedly, there are exceptions, and the
profession is claiming and receiving more of its legitimate place
through its own higher merit, and also through a more rational
attitude on the part of the public. But stinted appreciation, or the
vary opposite, has had decided influence among the factors that make
the profession so changeable.

Lack of adaptability in teachers has also had its influence
in producing change, and that oftener than we are prepared to admit.
Not a few have cho.sen the life of a teacher who have had neither
natural nor acquired fitness for the successful discharcje of its intri-
cat(; and unending dutie.s. When one enters the profession to have
an easy life, never greater mistake was made. When one ent(>rs it
without intuitive insight into or love of childhood, a greater mistake
was never made. When one enters it who does not daily feel need
of fresh inspiration and new resources, no greater mistake could be
made. Yet these mistak«'S occur and recur with painful frequency ;
and every faithful inspector has had the painful duty of advising one
and another to seek a different calling.

Defective} administration of the school law has had much to do
with change in our profession. This is often defectivi;, feeble, fickle.
School boards are unnecessarily nunjerous and mutable ; often unedu-
cated, sometnnes biassed by local prejudices and jealousies ; do not
always recognize the efficient ; often appreciates the cheap an<l super-
ficial, and often neglect the simple (;s.sentials of effici<Micy in a school.
With the official rope in the hands of such an administration, not
much wonder that high-minded teachers leave the profession.

Parental shortcoming has to do with the change of which T
speak. How few parents recognize in a teacher their substitute,

tmm

I'KHMANENCY OF THE TEACHING PKOFESSION.

associate and fqual 1 How few of them inculcate and require
uncjueHtionini,' oltcdiencc to their autliority delegated to him ! flow
few reco«;nize practically their obli;,'atiou to forward study at home
as much as tlw teach«*r's at school i How many of them allow the
children to decide the social and professional stand in.c; of the teacher,
and treat him as tiieir children indicate without hearing " the otlier
Hide " J How many of them taki; a practical and daily interest in
scliool work and life so as to hecome co workers with the teacher/

1 must trenpass further to speak a little of the results of lack of
permanency. There is j^'reat loss every way. First and foremost,
the lo.ss to the child is simply incalculahle. As matters now stand,
the majority of teachers hav(? not acquired a full measure of skill and
tact and patience and un.Sfsltish devotion to their children which can
only be iioLten in th(j school of experience. Nor can we expect
much improveineni hen; till the profession becomes reasonal)ly perma-
nent. To many children, this means disaster : indelicate, sometimes
rouj,di, handlin<<, and change in manipulation, sometimes ignorant,
unappreciative, hardening, coarsening, distorting change in manipula-
tion. It caniiot be otherwise while into so many schools every year
introduces many youths of little knowledge of child-nature and no
experience in its control or development.

To tin? teacher, it means a dwarting of and)ition, a scattering of
resources, a straining of local and social attachments, disappoint-
ment of hopes, a wt-akening of powers, a lessening of opportunities,
a circum.scribing of usefulness. Not even an angel could do as gooil
work with this sword of s(!paration suspended <^ternally over his
head, llow can a teacher in these circumstances secure the highest
results of a wise, logical and thorough course of education in a few
months / How can h(! secure the best results of sympathy, co-opera-
tion and love— the cumulative power of moral and intellectual forces
— in the time a teacher now holds his school .' And so, hampered
and discouraged, the n)ost conscientious and earnest may l)e excused
for leaving an occupation which keeps them, as it were, beating the air.

To boards of trustees, this lack of permanency largely means
outlay without return, a school in name, not in reality. To the
enlightened and lil)eral it brings disappointment and discouragement,
so that when their term expires their services are withdrawn or
reluctantly renewed.

To parents, it means half educated sons and daughters, with half
cultivated tastes, poor literary habits, and a love of transitory and
un.satisfying gratification ; while the pure and lofty enjoyments
of a cultivated soul are unknown and unappreciated. Nothing
occurs oftener than to hear a father say ; " My boys were just at the
age when a year or two with a good teacher would have secured the
education they need, but we had an unfortunate change of teachers
and their chance was lost ; I cannot spare them now."

To the country, this changing means a lower average of intelli-
gence, enterprise and power in private and public life. Nothing
can advance so surely or so rapidly, for her citizens have left their

I'EUMANKNCY OK TlIK ti:a(;hin(; pkofk.ssion.

talents buried in the earth. Her lej^islators liavo ^Mven to lier
untutored sons to control the (lestinie.s of the luiid liy saying : " Vou
shall employ to day and dismiss to-njorrow as you like those who aro
set to unseal the springs of intellectual and moral life ; those who,
more than any other, could develop in the citizen the principles of
true patriotism, ambition, couraije, self-sa(;ritice and love."

r can only speak hrieHy of the remedies for the lack of perma-
nency in the profession. These must couk; chielly from two sources,
the profession itself and enlightene.l and practical lei^'isbition.

The more we truly and fully appreciate the di^'nity and responsi-
bility of our calling,', the more we unch'r.stand the imporuince of our
rare opportunities, the iii«,'lier will we rise al>ov(f petty ends and ways,
the nearer will -ye (ret to the ideal of a »^'\tclier of the youu^'. Day
by day will we tol! to acMjuin^ worthiness for our work and its
reward, the love and admiration of our pupils and their p:irents,
because we are their best IxMiefactors. Wluin these come perman-
ency will soon follow.

Salaries should be larij;ely incrt;ased ; but how this can be done is
a problem that few are al)le to slIvc. TliaL salaries are improving
is evident, the cause bein^^ found clu»'lly in the l)etter appreciation of
trained and experienced teachers. Even boards of trustees learn liy
their experiences that trainini; and exoeritiuce are worth more than
inexperience and clieapness. With thi.: view befon^ us, it would
seem that the remedy of low salary is at least partly in the hands of
the profession itself. Let teachers never rest satisfied till they are
near the head of the profession in legal (lualilication and al.so in
practical etticiency. If teacliers remained for lif(! in this calling, no
doubt greater etHciency would be reach<'d, and fewer inexperienced
could enter to work for. less, as they are nially entitled to less. 80
that in reality permanency in the work and more remuneration
would become mutually helpful. Loyalty to tin; profession should
lead all who enter it to observe the golden rule towards each other.
I hope it never occurs in a section or county represented here, but
it has been charged that teachers sometimes so far forget their self-
respect, and the reputation of the profession, as to underbid their
rivals for a school. It thus happens that lack of self-respect and
lack of professional honour have come in along unfortunately with a
proportion of drones to keep down the reputation and pay of th(^
profession. These evils let us trust, as many f»!el sure, are lessening
and will soon disappear. Mc^antime let us not claim that legal
assistance is all we need to raist; our pay till we have exhausted our
resourceM in ridding the pi'oftvssion of those who have hitherto only
lessened its efficiency, its reputation and its remuneration, aiid till
we bring the highest attainabl<» (lualitications to our work.

On the other hand we hav(i the right to expect that those who
hold the power to legislate anrl administer will look above and beyond
conflicting interests of the present to the unchanging principles that
underlie the full development of .social, intellectual and moral forces ;
that they make ample and far seeing provision for the education of

.J^j^^^tSilMiiS^

iiiiiiia

KKA(HX(i AS PART OF KLOCL'TlON.

the younir, inoludin:^ t,h(> unliiimint'llcd aii<l unintcrruptod diHchargf
(it flic tfiiclM'r's (lulit s.

ItsliouM l»p within tho spln'ie of It-jifislntioii to iiiako adt'Cjuate
and attainable provision for a teacher's resitlence in every well-to-do
section. No one thini,' woidd help the cause of permanency more.
I/ow to provide this cannot l»e here discussed ; l)ut till this is done
there cannot he true permanency. And why should the teaching
profession alone he ,'xpected to live without homes, and on incomes
so small and precarious that teachers cannot in reason be expected
to provide homes for themselves / Why cannot som<! provision be
made in law l»y whi<h a fair proportion of puliiic grants shall go to
the sections that provide resi<lences for their teachers, and to the
teacher who holds a life ( .'rtilicate and resides in tliat residence from
year to year I 'Ihus, lilnrality on the part of trustees and higher
([ualification and perumnency on the part of the teacher would be
directly rewarded.

Provision should be tnaile that will .secure prompt and ample
supply of appliances, botli as to accommodation and apparatus for the
etlicient discharge of the teacher's duties. Many a teacher is worried
and discouraged, sometimes to the extent of changing schools,
V)ecause he cannot get needed supplies.

Provision should also be made for a teacher's assistance and .self-
improvement during his months and year f labour. Why should
not every board of trustees be recjuired to lurnish a library contain
ing a few of the best authors on professional work, some of the most
useful books of reference, and at least one educational periodical ?
While such provision may be classed among the less important
means of securing permanency, it and others liave their place and
should not be overlooked.

1 crave your indulgence for the imperfect way in which I have
presented this important subject; but the time and ability at my
dispo.sal have been my limitations, and I trust the hints given may
lead to practical results.

READING AS PART UF ?:T.OCUTION.

THOMAS SWIFT.

" Some people," said a late inspector of high schools, " accuse me of
being mad on the sul»ject of mathematics ; in the interest of our
schools I wish some one would go mad on the subject of readia<T."
Although 1 have no intention or desire to carry out Dr. McLellan's
wish in this matter, yet these words art significant enough, coming
from one whose occupation Jtf!brded him ample room for judging.
And my (>xperience as a teacher in the public and high schools, a.s
well as in county and provincial model schools, has forced me to the

URADINU AS I'ART OK ELOOUTION.

IJHcharge

adt-quate
v«ll to-do
icy moro.
iH is done

teaching?
1 incomes

«'xp«oted
vision be
all go to
ul to the
^nce from
id higher
would be

nd ample
us for tlu'
is worried
^ schools,

» and self-
hy should
y contain-
f the most
If riodical 1
important
place and

ich I have
ity at my
given may

ccuse me of
est of our
reading."
M.C Lilian's
gh, coming
)r judging,
schools, as
n\e to the

conclusion that the abovt? (juoted words w«ire not uncalled for. It is,
however, true that of late more attention has been paid to this very
important subject, though much yet remains to be done.

It is a remarkabh' fact that this sulti<'ct, the lirst to Ix- taken up
in our public schools and prosecuted day after day for a numl)t*r of
years, is the one in which our pupils are, as a rule, the h'ast proHcieut.
In all other subjects they ari! able to reach a liigh degree of profi-
ciency ; in reading they do not seem to be abU- to rise above a
standard which can only Ix; considered mediocre. 'I'licre must be a
reason for this condition of things, and though I shall not take upon
myself to say vhat actually is the cause, I will umhirtakc to hazard
an opinion. It is this. The fault lies, for the most part, not with
the pupils but with the teachers. 1 say for the most part, for cer
tain dirticulties present tlKMn.selves which even tlu! best teacher will
tind hard to surmount. The.se are due to home iutluences. Iliading
is an art, and as an art has to be ac(juired by diligent study aiul
practice, antl the ac(|uirement of this art is not gainiid in a ilay or in
a short course of spasmodic and desult»)ry training, as experience too
truly shows. In the public schools it has not met with that atten
tion and systematic .^reatment whicli its importance dtMuands, whilst
in the high schools and collegiate instit\ites until the last two or three
years it was almost entirely neglected or ignored, for what were
deemed, though erroneously, more important sultjects. ( 'onsecjuently,
candidates for teachers' certificates came, and still come, to the county
model schools and the normal schools with little or no ac(|uirement of
this art beyond fair intelligence and fluency which they have obtained
they scarcely know how, through the labour of years. At these insti-
tutions thevare wwt with a variety of work and study deemed neces-
sary for their equipment as teachers, and rightly too, and the con.se-
(juence is that under even the; most skilful teachers of reading, the time
and attention that can be devoted to this pursuit is all too little. And
thus lightly equipped in this respect they an; drafted oil" into our
schools to become in their turn the teachers ami trainers of the rising
generation. Again 1 shall not take upon myself to say how this
condition of things can be improved, but [ may take tin; liberty to
otfer a suggestion. First, th(!n, niore stress mig!it bo laiil on the
subject at the various teachers' examinations, and a higher standard
exacted. It should no longer be looked upon, or at all events pas.sed
over, as of little moment.

Secondly, a more extended cour.s(i '.n this branch at the normal
schools.

Thirdly, a special recognition by the Education Department of
excellence in this art, or if not in this art alone, in a certain group of
subjects of which it is one. Then? are certain aciiuirements which are
looked upon rather as accomplishmtints than as essentials of a public
school teacher. Such are music, drawing and pennmnship, and I may
put in this class also the art of reading in that degree of perfection
in which a teacher should possess it.

KKAIUNC. AS I'AIIT OF KLOrUTION.

The coiiKidrration of tlu' iiu'thrlH «'inplov<'(l in trachinjj; ItcfriniuTH
(loos not fall within thf piovineo of this papfr. It will not he out of
my way, however, to lall your attj-ntion to the fact that the reading
reform now in pro<;r(SH has l)e<,'un at tlu; ri^'ht point, nanjely, at tho
heginnin;,'. In the normal and model hcIioo'h no Huhjeet, I Ixdieve,
receives more can- and attention than the method of teaching tho
first leading le.ssouH. TIuh is us it slioidd be, and the work done —
and done in sui-h a tliorougldy souiul and ellifieiit manner -in the
lower classes, will advance most materially I lie higluT grade of read-
ing wliich should he taught in the advanced classc^H of the public
Hchools as well as in all the de|>artmentH of the high schools and col-
legiate institutes.

I now come to the consideration of the standard in leading which
we should aim at in our teaching.

If reading is to be worthy of the name it must involve the prin-
ciples of elocution, but to what extent I shall leav<? to your own
judgment. 1 shall m<'rely lay my views on this (juestion before you,
not indeed in the expectation of their b(>ing accepted by you, because
they may be wrong, but simply liecau.se they seem to me to be right.

In a few words, the reading which we should aim at should have
three (jiialities : —

It should be i)ifrfli(/cn(.
It should l)e intelliyihle.
It should be f.x/)reasive.

And the asiiount of elocution whii-h should be introduced into our
teaching should be sulHoicnt tt> luring al»out reading possessing these
three <|iialitie«.

The question hen; naturally presents it.self, what system of elocu-
tion suitable to our classes shall we adopt? There are .syst«Mns and
systems. Most systems consist of a bundle of rules, so coniplex in
character and so terrifying in number, that even the anxious, enthu-
siastic student feels inclined to close the book with a bang, and give
the mutter up in sheer despair. Such systcm.s, it seems to me, can-
not l)e too strongly condemned. We do not sp<'ak liy rule, why
should we read by rule 1 Why, the very rules tln'^mselves are
obtainfid from natural sourc(\s and common usage. And if we have
natuH! and u.sage to draw upon, why perplex and distract the mind
by rules (

Let us for a moment examine the information a pupil occasionally
receives by learning a rule.

ILLU8TKATI0N.

Rule I. — *' Questions end with the rising inflection " :

Was John fhere i

What time is it ( What time is it ?

Was John there ?

KUADIX; AH I'AKT OF KLOCIJTION. 79

Rul(^ 11.— " N«<«ativ»' HonUMicj's hav<' a rininy iiill.i'tion in th«'
part (li'iiifd " :

It is not my fduH.
It JH not niji f'linll.
It is not my fault.

IiiHliort, th(!n, however vuluiiWU' hucIi HyHt»'ins may Ix- in tli(M'y«H
of the anthors of thnin, they can Im* of l)ut little aHsiHtunoe to tho
coMiinon teacher, who has not time, even it" he had tlie patience, to
reduce these unruly rules to order. .Moreover, it is plain that a
system of this kind is liaMe t(^ heeome, in tlic hands of an unskilful
ti'ucher, highly injurious to the advancement of his class.

liut why should we go to the troul)lH of carrying; water to our
pupils, when they can just as easily drink at th*; spring; its«>lf \ Why
give them dry rules when tliey can more easilv have recourse to
nature and custom, from whieh these rules themselves imvo heon
ol)tained ]

Wiiatehiy, in a chapter on elocution, says v(»ry pertin«Mitly :
*'Suppos(* it could Ix' compl(!tely indicatcMl to tin; eye in what tone
eairh word and .sentence should i)e pronounced, according to x\\i\
several occasions, the h^arner miglit ask : [iut inhi/ should this tone
suit the awful, tliis the pathetic, this the narrative style I Why is
this mode of delivery iidopted for a command, this for an exhortation,
this for a supplication \ (^tc. 'I'he only answer that could lie given
is, that these tones, (Mnpha.ses, etc., ar ; apart of the language ; that
nature, or custom, which is a second nature, suggests spontaneously
these ditrerent modes of giving expression to the ditfei-ent thoughts,
feelings and designs which are present to tin; mind of any on<^ who,
without study, is spi-aking in earnest his own sentiments. Then, if
this he the case, why not l«;ave nature to do her own work '( Impress
hut the n\ind fully with tin; sentiments, etc., to l»(t uttered, withdraw
the attention from the sound and tix it on tin- .sense, and nature or
h:il)it will spontaneously suggest the proper delivery."

Here, then, 1 will give th*' basis of the; system of elocution which
appears to me th(; hest, the most ellVctive and th»' easiest, hecause
the simplest, that can be (Mnploved by scliool-teachers.

"First, lead the pupil to get at the sense of the passage ; th(m
lead him to tind the proper and natural way of expressing the
thoughts and sentiments whii'h he has almost ma<le his own, couched
as tliey may be in the words of anotluT."

I come next to the consideration of the three (jualities of good
reading, and of the means of producing che.se (pialities. And here I
may state that I have not written an es.say on each point (wiiich
could very well be done), and shall trust the minds of my hearers to
supply a great deal which might be said, but said, perhaps, unneces-
sarily. Thus 1 shall not enter upon a lengthy discjuisition on what
intcdiijient readinjr is, but shall advance at once to the consideration
of the means of bringing it about.

I have, howevcir, one remark to make on the nature of intelligent
reading which at first seems paradoxical. Intelligent n^ading is not

ItKADINd AS I'AUT OF KI.OCUTION.

necessarily true readinj,', as fn. as the real sense of a piece is
eoneerned. The niuler, to read iiitt'llii,'eiitly, nuist not lujijessarily
understand the pieee he is readiriy, but he must at least seem to his
hearers to unth-rstand it. To illustrate this stateiuent, plact! in the
handsof two most aecoinplislied readers Othello's famous vindication of
his conduct liet'ore the senators, and it is not at all likely that certain
passa"es of th«' speech will leave the same impression on the nunda
of the hearers when n iidtitHl hy each reader. This, of course, results
from th(^ mental atutud*; assumed by each reader towards these pas-
sa"es ; yet the Ij-mrers, in each case, nay be ('(jually impressed with
tin- truth as repr. scntcd. Hence the utdity of the teacher listening,
with his own book clo.scd, to a pupil reudin;;. We. is often thus ena-
bled to juilge Itetter of the (h'gree of niteliigence with which that

pupil reads.

Now it cannot b.' ih'tiied tliat lu^ only who properly understands a
i;aasa<Te can properly interpret its sense to others by readinj,'. Hut
it does not follow that a pupil whi) has mastered the sense will also
be aide to convi'V tluit sense to utiiers. This would assnnu? that
readiii" is very »'asily taught, wKIlst experienci! informs us that th(}
rev<'rse is the case. When a -hild even of t> mh-r years makes
known his wants, he lias ids attention riveted on th(! matter, not
on the form ; \n^ thinks o)i\y oi ids wi'.nts, not of the words or the
mode of uttering them. TijOfeO tilings arrj of htvcnat^ry ifiportance,
and lie leave.<? them lo disji'ny theim-v-lveH • at <l yet with what per-
fect intelligence the words fad froMi {'is lips; nay, witi' wiuit perf(!ct
expression are they delivered ! Thitf, tlu u, ib Aic natural process.
With reading it is entirely difierent. IJe is apt to think first of that
which meets Ins ey<% the (;hanict«'rs and tliO words, %ni\ of the way in
which tliey ai-e to i)(^ spokeij ; and, until In^ has witfjdrawn his atten-
tion from these and (.Mitred it on iUa sensi^ truly inteliigi>?jt nviding is
imnossible. From tiiis we are led to infer that the pupil, before
att'Uipting to read, should be ai)l<^ to pronounce ('vtry word easily
and at siglit, and should have a full knowledgt^ of their meaning in
tl.e context. Then he must be trained to n-ad with his thoughts
and att(!!ition fixed on the sense to the neglect of words, intiectioiuj,
empiiasis, etc. Many little ways of securing this result will doubt-
less present themselves to your minds after a little reflection. I
have bandy time to makt; even a suggestion.

ILLU.STllATiONS.

I. Wrong inllection — *' ISIother, may 1 go on the hill with my
handsh igli 1 "

II. Wrong emphasis — "Oh, luothf^r ! )ni/ map was the nicest
of all."

The teacluir, by pndiminary (|uestioiiing on the substance of the
lesson, can do a great deal towards directing the attention of the class
to the sense as weLI as to the spirit of the piece.

HKAUINC AS I'ART 01' I'.lJ )('! TloN.

u'ce 13
sHtirily
to liis
in the
ition of
ctTtrtin
I iniiuls
results
'se pas-
d with
teniu!^,
us ina-
i;h tliat

lt.i.ll<ls u

,'. IJut
/ill aUo
lie that
hat tlui
I makes
ter, not
I or the
ortanee,
liiit per-
: perft^cii
process,
t of that
> way in
is atten-

adinj; is
htifore

(1 easily
lining in
Lhoughth
llectioniJ,

I (loul)t-

liion. I

Ivith my
\v nicest

pc of the
the class

I shall pass on now to the second (luaiity of <j;ood reading, namely,
intpJliyilnlity.

It is almost unnecessary for me to point out tliat. intelligent
reading is not necessarily intelli;;il)l«« reading. Intelligible leading
assumes a knowledg*' of the sense and also tlu^ powor of the readfu- to
stamp tlu^ impressions which the passage has madi* upon himself on
the minds of his liearers. Lack of intejligiliilit y results fi-oiii various
causes: indi.stinct enunciation, wrong pronunciation, force or ipiality
of voi<!e. 1 shall not dwell at length on these imperfections,
seeing tliat they are generally recognized when met with, and mea-
sures tak»'n to H'ctify tlitMii. Indistinct, enuiuiation generally ;iri.s(\s
cither from lack of power to articulate, or from sheer car<'lessne.ss
and lazines-s. In tlu» former case, the organs and muscles used in
speech should be strengthenctl hy suitahle exercises.

It is, thiTcfore, useful for the teaeluM- to know the position of the
tongue, etc., in cascfs of dillicult arti< "lation, so as to l>e altle to
direct the pupil. I have found, however, that where there is actu-
ally no physical impediment, imitation is most etlective, the teacher
iirticulating, tiie pupil imitating. Therc^ i.s a common tendency to
pass over prepositions of one syllal)le and unai-cented syllables in long
words. Pupils should be tr.ught to give due promiiK^nce to these.
It is good practice, therefore, fretpiently to drill individually and
siiiiiiltan<!ously on words and groups ,of words eontaining d'Oieult
articulations, at tirst slowly, stn^igly and distinctly, with some
exaggeration, increasing to the reipiisite speed.

n.LrSTKATION-S.

I. Such individual irregulariti(>s are generally irnMuediable.

II. lie acted ci, vtrary t(t the peremptory instructions given.

III. It is a truly rural spit.

Anotli(^r error of freijuent occuiTenc(^ in this respect is the run-
ning of one word into another: example" wood ami gro^•e '' enun-
ciated " wooden grove.'

1 shall pass over the subject of pronunciation with this remark,
that t<mcher8 shouhl strive to mak(^ themselves good inoth'ls, and drill
well and persistently on dillicelt words with special at't'ntion of
accented syllables.

On expression, the third ([uality of good reading, a long and pro-
titablf! essay might be written. l>ut, to keep this paper within due
limits and not to wearj' you, I shall endeavour to be brief.

Heading may be both intelligent and intelligible without being
e.vpr<'.ssive ; wherea.s, expressiv*^ r(>ading must lia\(' these two (juali-
ties, "and something more ' ; and to me it seems that this "some-
thing more," whicli w<' call expression, is especially wanting in our
schools. It is wanting, 1 su{>pose, beeause it is thought ditlicult of
attainment and ditlicult to t(>ach. N(>vertheless, it should be the
crowning eilbrt of the teacher to perfect and polish his work. Intel-
ligence and intelligil)ility are more easily and naturally actiuired than

*<»

i;KAT>IN(i AS I'AIIT OF K»,()( I TION.

fxproasivonoss. It is in cxprcssivo nadiiii,' that we iiitrodurc :irt.
"What ihcii may cxpn^s.-ivc nailing' licT' say y..u. " Keadiiig,"
says C'urric, "is oxpressivr when i\w tones of th(i voicr an- so
adapted to the sense as to briiiy it out with a stronj,' etrcct." It lays
Vx'fon- the audience not merely tlie thought )»ut also the emotion of
the thought.

ILUJSTIiATIONS.

I. \\v\u\ Otliello's speech intelliifntly and intellijrilily.

II, Read Othello's speech with expression as it niiLjht ])e tau<jfht
in tlie sciiool-room.

I know not wliether my next statement he true or false. I sli.ill
leave it open to discussion, as I hold my.self open to conviction ; i)iit,
from my own impressions, I am led to l)elie\e that, in our schools,
" taste " in general is not cultivated as il should he — taste in lani(uui,'e,
m literature, in ai-t, in feeliiif;, in th(uit,dit, in manner, in the l»etuiti
ful. J am iK»t a diseiple of Oscar Wilde, nor do I think that all
heauty is centred in a sunflower, much less tiiat true ;esthetieisrn is a
bundle of airectations. I'.ul I do thiidi that ''fasfr'' shouhl lieenlLi
vated more extensively than it is in the sehool-room. "Taste," says
a .standard educational aufliorily, "is that, faculty l>y which we
appri'ciate what is licuiliful in naluie and in art." And althoui^di
tliis d(!tinilion does not ijuite correspond to my idea of what taste
really is — for it .seems to me to he rather the product of the cuUi\a
tion of several faculties than a faculty itself ii will answer my
purpose h<'r(>.

The same authority ,i,'f)es on to say : — "The \<>\i' of (he heautiful
is part of human nature, and one of the e\ id<nces of its di^^nity. It
should therefore Ik- edicated for its own sake, as elevatini; that
nature and increasiiiii its means of happim ss. . . Where

th' re exists a love of the Iteanliful, it.s inllucncf may euhily lie
reflected on [)ersonal circumstances and habits. ( 'Incrfulne.ss, lidi
ness, cleanliness and order are immeiliately associated with the culti
vation oi taste. iM>r it is natural that we slwuild strive to imitatt! in
our c)wn arrangements the (pialities we adnure in what we see
around us."

Of the iiilluences at 'lie teacher's conjtnand for oultivatintr and
refinim; the taste, " next in power to his icferences in conversation
and oral descriptions, sliould Im- reckoned the inlluence that nniv lie
exerted by the pupil's cading-hooks, " if the hooks ai'e worthy of tln'
naine. jiut the same authority slates again that, " whilst readini;
hooks properly construct<d will retinc the taste of the pupil who
reads solely that he may apprch' iid their c<^>ntents, they will still
n>ore reline the taste df him who i.s taught to read with iliosi
qualities of elocution which constitute exjtn usive reading." I claim,
then, for t'Xpressixc reading a foremost, place a,s an inlluence fni
retining and cultivating the taste. I claim also that, as an etlucativ
force, expri'ssive reading ranks very high--so high that a man of

HKADINd AS TAUT OF KI.OfTTroM.

8:i

frodiiff iirt.
" lU'adiiig,"
o'u:r ar«' so
t." It lays
miotiou of

faste, hearing a roadcr rciidjT in an intnlligont hut inexpressive in;in-

mra passage whicli dinnaiuls great expression, is remindtid of VVords-
it.V. .i„ • i.; e u .i..._ ij.ii .

worth's description of poor P(itor Bell

t, })(' i aught

dse. 1 shall

iit ion ; l>ut,

our schools,

in languag*',

n the liiauti-

hiiik that all

(licticisni is a

loulil lie culLi

• Taste," says

Ity whirh we

^ud althouiiii

of what lastf

f th(! cuU.i\a-

l answer niv

liic heautiful
ilignity. It
\ating that
Wliere

av easily '"'
•fulness, lidi

•ith the oulti
to imitate in

what wo see

iltivating and
conversation
tliat nnvy I"'
worthy of the
hilst reading
iht pupil vvlio
[Ikv will still
i<l with iIk'*-'
i,.r '■ I chiui,
mtlnence f"i
s an educati\'
hat a man ol

A piiiiirDsc hy the river's brim
A yt'llnw ;)riiur'i.se was to him,
And it was imtliiiiL,' iiinn'.

With that higher and more perfect understanding of Lh(^ piece
whidi is so (elevating and so (piickening lie seems to lia\e no concern,
i say seems, for it may he that to himsfdf the passage lias many
lieauties and sentiments which he is not capahh; of interpreting
to his hearers, heeause he has not heen educated and traitnd in this
higher branch of the art of reading.

But is express! v(^ reading so dilliciilt of attainment, after all ' I
iiiaintain not, if t\w study is pursued on rational principles. Chil-
dren tliemsehes are eloi-utioinsts !)0!ii. A.iiihl, at a very early age,
can AJieedle ami coax, can .storm ami exhihit anger. lie s(!ems to
have th«! voice under perfect control, v.vvn when tlje feelings and
incipient passions are not so. lie is an a<lept in the use of mth-c-
iions, emphases, Ujues, pitcli, modulation and all tlie (dements of
elocution whose names he has n(!ver heard.

Now all these elenu'iils of expressive reading are there at the
teacher's hands, lixed by nature and custom, and he }iji.s only to u.se
and cultivate them. They are tjiere ; l>nt how to get at tliem !
Hoys ami girls, ami even men and women, are ni some respects like
sensiti\(' plants, fnil Itreatiie on them and they elose up. Altliougli
we do often .see people of their own accoril make fools of them.seive.s,
ro use a lomninn expression, yet it se«;ms toleraldy certain that there
is in human nature a strong dislike to appear ridiculous. Now there
i.s no study that reipiirt's a i^nMiter forgetfulnos of .self than rxpri ss-
ivc nading. .And when tlie teacher has suc<'eed( d in hreaking down
this liarriei' of self ami ri'Sfi-\t' which stands between him ami his
pupils, he liiiH accomplished a great deal, and .satisfactory results of
his teaching will speedil , appear. To do tiiis, gnat ta* t and skill in
■on<lucting the reading lessons are recjuired on tin j^rt (jf the
Leuciier.

K.xpre.ssion entirely depends upon the cultiviition <4 three things,
the voice, tlie ear and ta-ste, the lirst two of which can most readily
he cultivat«'(l in youth, taste svhieh supposes a (fairly) ripened jndg-
luent only in a limit* d though an e.Ktensiw ilegree. Voice cultun;
is a subject in itself on which excellent work.-i of referenci; may l>e
tahily obtained by those desiring to be niformed. fn Kngland, of
lute years, a good deal of care and labour has bc^en de\oted to this
[iiirsuit ; l)Ut it is in the I'nited States liiat it recr>ives tlie attention
which it deserves. jlefore undertaking to practise on tkf- voice*' of
others, the teacher should himself have some sound ki'wjv/led^e on
tlie sultject of voice culture, as a wrong course may do mvre harm
ilian {^ood, Htill, there are many exerci.ses which every Ujacher could

UEADIN(! AS I'ART OK ELOCUTlO>f.

safely employ, well adapted to stri!n<;thon the voice, and to increase
its tlexibility and purity — such as simple exercises on i)itch, tone,
inflection, force and stress, which may l)e used also to vary the mon-
otony of the ordinary reading lesson, and to impart additional interest
to the teaching of reading.

Now, it is n ally l«y imitation that a child learns to speak, and
imitation is an all-important factor in the process of learning to read
with expression. Hence the necessity of cultivating the ear and of
training it to detect the diti'erenco of tones, stress, etc. Now, the ear
is cultivated by the excTcises used for the culture of the voice ; and
thus, with voice and ear trained, a student's possibilities of acquiring
expressiveness are greatly increased. With the power of imitating
comes the necessity for good models, and these .'t is the duty of the
teacher to furnish. Teachers of reading, therefore, should them-
selves bo able to read with expre.ssion. The fact that reading, and
e.specially this higher class of n^ading, is an art, and must be taught
as an art, should never be lost sight of by the teacher. In the teach-
ing of an art, as a means of accjuiring, practice ranka first. The
power to do is best streiigthcnied and increased by practice. It
is not sufiicient to instruct by word of mouth, not sulKcient to
supply a good model. No ! the hardest though most prod table part
of the lesson remains yet to be taught, namely, the doing of the work
by the pupils themselves. It is on this that the teacher must
lavishly spend his t^nergy, his tact, his skill, his patience, and by dint
of examples, by instruction, by illustration, by repetition, by di-ill,
oy imbuing the minds of his pupils vvith tlui spirit of the i)as8age,
lead them into rendering it, not merely with intelligence, but with all
that expression of voice, tone, etc., which imparts a natural music to
the words, and forms a most pleasing accompaninn>nt to the sense.

Finally, due attention must be paid to the cultivation of taste in
the delivery. The sense, the thoughts and feelings of the writer
should be closely analyzed with a view to interpr(!ting them truly to
tin; minds :)f others. The moving power of the human voice over
the human heart is marvellous. A cry, a sob, a groan, an exclama-
tion of horror or delight, .\'l mere etlbrts of the voice, are more pow-
erful than words ; and why I Because they are the natural expres-
sion oi the deepest fe(;lings. Here, then, is the key to good taste in
reading. The voict;, the tones, the stress, the inflections, the time
and pauses should be natural. Nature should be followed as closely
as possible. In connection with this i may remark that readers are
almost as liable to err by over-stepping the l)Ounds of nature as by
not rising to the natuial. Hence, not unfrequently, arises a false
taste, an exaggerated, would-be impressive style of reading, which is
commonly called afl'ected. This is always otfensive, and when it
inopportunely and unnaturally assumes the grandiose, it is called
bombastic, and becomes positively ludicrous.

Shakespear(>, the grand exponent of humanity in all its phases of
weakness and of strength, that sublime teacher of language and

RRAPINO AS PAKT OP ELOOUTIOV.

elo(iuence, who has done more to advance good reading and (^locution
than any other writer of ancient or modfirn times, lias, in llaialel's
famous advice to the players, indicated liie qualities of tustt; in
deliv(!ry, in terms beside wliich mine would but b(;tray their own
insufficiency.

He says to the players : *' Speak the speech, I pr.iy you, as I
pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue," etc., etc.

Kr)TTCA.TT()^r no( )!<:«.

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