rangement quite in harmony with God's general dealings with man. For whatever differences and distinctions we short-sighted mortals may fancy to exist, we are well assured that He regards the whole human race but as one family, and has constituted every man, in a certain sense, his brother's keeper.

SECTION III.

GENERAL RULES OF TEACHING.

Having premised what we judge to be the more important of the ascertained laws, according to which the development of the human powers takes place, we might now proceed to consider what are the best means to be employed for the education of the separate powers or faculties-assuming in our inquiry the most generally received classification of such powers. We deem it, however, more useful for our present purpose to pursue a different course.

Deduced from, and based upon, the preceding laws of development are the

GENERAL RULES OF TEACHING.

These rules may be considered,

I

II.

With respect to

III.

IV.

the nature of the scholar.

the subject-matter of the instruction.
the pupil's condition in life, &c.
the teacher.

We need scarcely say that this division is quite ar bitrary, and is adopted merely as a matter of convenience.

In treating of the rules of teaching, that they may be the more easily remembered, we shall endeavour to sum each of them up in a short sentence, and shall add to such sentences or rules so much explanation and illustration as may seem requisite to make it apparent what we understand under them.

CHAP. I.

RULES OF TEACHING WITH RESPECT TO THE SCHOLAR.

I. Teach in conformity with Nature.

We have already observed that on account of the occult nature of the human mind, it is not possible to lay down for its culture rules of a character absolutely certain, and universally applicable. The present rule is therefore vague, and, in practice, can afford us comparatively little direct assistance. It is, however, clearly deducible from the preceding laws, and forms a sure basis on which to build the general rules of teaching.

The science of Medicine and that of Education are similar in this, in that the subject-matter of boththe powers upon which they operate—are of an occult character. To both the Physician and the Educator, therefore, observation and experience are of the greatest importance. It were much to be wished that the latter were as vigilant in noticing, and serupulously exact in recording the peculiarities of mind, temper, and temperament that he encounters in his practice, as the former is in tabulating the varying indications and symptoms of bodily disease. The Physician well knows that he cannot cure the sick by a treatment opposed to nature, but that, on the contrary, whatever good he may be able to effect, must be by co-operating with nature. In like manner, so

duty of the Teacher to guide it by co-operating with it. We speak not now of the moral nature of man. We may here also observe, once for all, that throughout the present work we employ the word nature as an abbreviation for the expression capacities, tendencies, powers, or impulses, implanted by God in his creatures. In every case the ultimate analysis shows clearly that "it is the Lord that reigns" throughout the entire universe.

With this explanation we may observe that the laws of nature are absolutely immutable. Man, therefore, in his contests against nature ever appears puny and insignificant.

It is only by condescending to learn from, and cooperate with nature, that he becomes truly great. It is by following this course that the mechanical arts themselves have been able to accomplish such splendid and astonishing results. In short, then, nature is power, and all education that is anything else than a perfecting of nature, in accordance with nature's laws, is faulty.

This power may be misunderstood or may be contended against, and by such conflicting treatment, whether resulting from ignorance, caprice, or narrowmindedness, the education of individuals, of families, of schools, and even communities, may be marred by those placed over them; but, thanks to the God of nature, the ultimate melioration and advancement of humanity cannot be thus frustrated. For with every human being born into the world, those powers, which in a previous generation may have been enslaved and prostrated, rise, Phoenix-like, from their ashes, and assert anew their rights and privileges. And in every such contest, we may rest assured that nature will ulti

mately come off more than conqueror. Let then every educator follow her indications so far as they can be clearly ascertained.

2. Adapt your instruction to the pupil's stage of development.

The pupil's powers become developed consecutively, and it is upon this fact that the present rule is based. We may, perhaps, fix upon at least four such stages of development. (A) That in which the senses predominate-up till about 7 or 8. (B) That in which the memory takes the lead from about 8 to 11. (c) That in which the understanding becomes conspicuous-from about 11 to 13 or 14. (D) The last and highest stage of development in which reason subjects to her laws all the other powers-from 13 or 14 onwards.

In nature we are aware there are no such lines of demarcation separating one stage of the child's mental progress from another, and the whole is much modified by circumstances. From the first moment of the child's life, too, it of course possesses all the faculties here ascribed to it at different periods. They usually, however, become conspicuous, and, as it were, acquire the ascendency in the order, and about the times of life that we have mentioned.

With respect to physical Education we may observe, that during the whole of his juvenile years, the youth shows a desire to indulge in activity of body. Even while a child he loves to play freely, and without constraint; and when become a youth, if left to himself, he selects such games and sports as require considerable bodily exertion.