discharge their important duties. By cold indifference, on the one hand, they may, to a certain degree, damp the ardour even of the most zealous teacher. By officious interference, on the other, they may paralyse his best exertions. If, for example, they give themselves no farther trouble about their seminary, than visiting it perhaps once ayear on a public day, may not the indolent teacher become remiss, even the zealous wax cold? If they prescribe and obstinately adhere to a system of education or discipline, which, however beautiful it may appear to them in theory, is by him found practically inefficient,-what avail his best exertions? If they anxiously discourage all attempts on his part at improvement, upon no better ground, than that he cannot point his finger to the chapter and verse, where it is "so nominated" in the code of Lancaster or Bell, or some other equally orthodox authority, to which his superiors have thought proper most religiously to attach their faith, he must patiently submit to the mortification of seeing his seminary far outstript by those of others, perhaps much his inferiors, who are either left uncontrolled, or are at least placed under more judicious control. Or if, on the other hand, " carried about with every wind" of opinion, they readily admit, for the purpose of experiment, every crude suggestion, which may be made, either by any of their own number, or by others alike inexperienced in teaching; or recklessly adopt any particular part of a system, which as a whole has proved successful elsewhere, without viewing it in all its bearings, as con

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nected either with other arrangements, or with the peculiar circumstances of the institution,—what is naturally to be expected from such a mode of management? What, but inconstancy and perpetual vacillation, each upstart fancy of to-day expelling that of yesterday, and destined in its turn either to give place to that of to-morrow, or to be blended with it in an incongruous manner, resembling`a species of the most ill-assorted, ill-compacted, mosaic ?

There are few errors, against which Directors should be more on their guard, than that of fettering their teacher with too many and minute regulations. Having taken due pains to place a proper person in a situation so important and responsible, and traced out to him, if necessary, the outlines of the system, which they wish him to adopt, they should leave to himself to fill up the rest. Nor is it in their collective capacity only, that they should carefully abstain from all unnecessary interference. Little do themselves often know the chilling influence of a single heedless expression, by which they "just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike." The like caution is to a certain degree necessary in the conduct of principals, rectors, and other superiors towards their inferior teachers. But, perhaps, most of all is it essential in the conduct of parents, subscribers, &c. both towards the teachers, and towards those to whom has been confided the management of such institutions. In joint stock companies, indeed, for the purpose of education, as well as for every other purpose, no one can call in question the

right of the stockholders to investigate the mode, in which their concerns have been managed, and even formally to remonstrate with the directors on the subject of their administration. But this is a right, which should be most sparingly exercised, and only on pressing occasions. An indiscriminate exercise of it could not fail to be deeply injurious to the institution, and would tend to discountenance, among the proprietors themselves, all such interference, even on occasions when it is most strongly called for, and for which it should exclusively be reserved.

To the manner, in which the Directors of the Edinburgh Sessional School have discharged their duties, that institution has been deeply indebted, for its success and its reputation. At its first establishment, they naturally put it upon that system of mutual instruction, which then happened to be best known and understood in this part of the country; but, at the same time, prudently stripping it of much which appeared most objectionable in its details. This original arrangement, however, they did not, like too many others, regard as a law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not ;" nor did they resolve to shut their eyes either to any defects, which should display themselves in their own system, or to any superior advantages, which they might discover in others. They, accordingly, with eagerness embraced the earliest opportunity of rendering themselves thoroughly acquainted with the various systems of monitorial education, as respectively exhibited in their best models. The result of the investigation, joined to the experience, which

they had themselves acquired, induced them to abandon many of their first arrangements, and to introduce others in their room. They, at the same time, gave their teacher an opportunity of seeing the manner, in which those general principles, that now met with their approbation, had elsewhere been reduced into detail. But here happily they wisely stopt. They did not, by any unnecessary regulations, withhold from him ample scope for the exercise of his own discretion and experience, or impede the progress of farther improvement. They did not pertinaciously insist, that the method of instruction pursued in any other school should be rigidly adhered to in their own; nor did they, from blind reverence for any great name, or overweening attachment to their own preconceived opinions, view with jealous eye any deviation from a prescribed routine. On the contrary, they gave facility to every promising improvement proposed by the master, without any bigotted regard to the quarter, from which his suggestion might have been derived; they readily sanctioned, and even of themselves proposed, a change of books for this purpose; and in every respect anticipated the fondest wishes of those, who undertook to carry the improvements into effect. The consequence has been, that their seminary has attained a degree of success, which, though it does by no means justify the extravagant encomìums that have been bestowed upon it, undoubtedly never could have been attained, under a system of management less judicious, less liberal, and enlightened.

CHAP. VI.

DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MASTER.

Simplex in docendo; patiens laboris.-QUINTILIAN.

If it be true, as we have already stated, that, under a bad system of education, the exertions of the best teacher may be rendered comparatively of little avail, it is at least equally true on the other hand, that, on the qualifications of the teacher, the success or failure of the best system will entirely depend. He must be the very life and soul of the system. If he be indolent, his monitors and pupils will be alike inactive; if he be enthusiastic, they, to a certain degree, will participate in his energy. Nothing can be a greater mistake, than to suppose, that, under the monitorial system, the master may, for a single moment, be idle without injury to the school. If, during school hours, he be not incessantly, actively employed, his school must suffer in proportion, be the qualifications or learning of his monitors what they may. He ought seldom or