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Land of Knowledge-" the Nation of Gentlemen❞—a very large number of the pupils admitted into these schools -could not read! To correct this evil, it was resolved that a new school should be annexed to the parochial institutions-that five scholars should be admitted into it from each session gratis-and that ten more should have a preferable right of admission, on payment of the school-fee, which was fixed at 6d. a-month. The Daily School was opened in Leith Wynd, under the name of THE EDINBURGH SESSIONAL SCHOOL.

This school was modelled on the system of Lancaster, though in many things it wisely deviated from it, and so it continued for two years or more, during all of which time, much labor and pains were bestowed upon it-and successfully bestowed-by the amiable and able secretary, Dr. Brunton.

In April, 1815, that gentleman reported to the Directors, that a narrow inspection of the Central School, London, had convinced him that many parts of the system of Dr. Bell might be introduced with great advantage into the school in Leith Wynd. He, and Dr. Andrew Thompson, who, on all occasions, has given the Institution his warmest support, and judiciously, strenuously, and successfully exerted himself, with all his great abilities, in the cause of Education all over Scotland, were requested to consult with Dr. Bell, who gave them many highly useful suggestions, afterwards carried into execution by the Secretary and Dr. Thompson, both of whom, in order to assist the teacher in accomplishing that object, gave for some time their daily attendance in the school-room. In 1818 some farther improvements were made in consequence of an institution of a Madras School at St. Andrews.

In the course of the winter of 181920, Mr. Wood, during the discharge of some duties of charity-became acquainted with this school, while under the very able management of Mr. Bathgate, now one of the burgh teachers in Peebles.

"While we were thus employed, very serious doubts used frequently to come across our mind, whether we were doing all the good, which others were perhaps too easily inclined to imagine. The children were taught, indeed, to read, but the doubt was, whether they had been made such masters of their own language, as in future life to give them any pleasure in reading, or to enable them to derive much profit from it. They had learned their catechism, but were they much wiser with regard to the truths which it contained? The Bible was read, as a task, but was it not also, like a task, forgotten? The more we inquired into the actual condition of the lower orders, the more we were convinced, that reading, together with spelling out the meaning of what they read, was too formidable an attempt to be frequently resorted to by them; and that even of those who did read, few had recourse to the books calculated to give them the most useful instruction, because they were unable to understand their language; while most resorted to works of a lighter and unfortunately of a less unexceptionable kind, which they found it not so difficult to comprehend. This evil called loudly for a remedy, which the meagre explanations, introduced along with the other practices of the Madras system, (however useful to a certain limited extent,) did not supply. We therefore felt an extremely strong anxiety to give the school more of an intellectual tone, not only in order to enable the pupils better to understand what they read there, but also to give them a taste for profitable reading, and make them understand whatever they should afterwards have occasion to read. pear to us to be without difficulty, nor were we unconscious of the presumptuous nature of any such attempt upon our part. Still, however, if we left it untried, the opportunity which we now possessed, of doing something, however little, in this way, might be entirely lost. Were we to content ourselves with proposing the scheme

The task did not ap

to others, it might, and in all probability would, be treated as visionary. We, therefore, resolved silently to do our best. And so silently indeed, and with so little stir did the thing proceed, that neither the Directors, nor even the masters, knew what was going on, till they heard the children of the highest class, to whom we first confined our attempt, answering questions of an unusual nature. In the commencement of the attempt, we received even far stronger proofs, than we had at all previously anticipated, of its extreme necessity. We found, that we had by no means formed an adequate conception of the gross misapprehensions into which even the ablest of our children fall, regarding the meaning of what they read. We saw of course still more strongly the necessity of perseverance; and, in -order the better to accomplish our object, we, with the cordial approbation of the Directors, compiled a new school-book, better adapted to our purpose, than the highest one at that time in use. As soon as it was sufficiently proved, that the plan was both practicable and beneficial, a series of

works was prepared for the same purpose, and with the like approbation. The result is well known to all who are acquainted with the school. We shall only now remark, that those who imagine, that it was from the first anticipated by us in its full extent, pay a compliment to our discernment, to which we feel that we have no just claim. A far more moderate degree of success was all we then ventured to expect, and an insurance to that extent would have amply satisfied us.

"Along with the improvements in the reading department, we were at the utmost pains also to give additional life to that of arithmetic. Perhaps we should rather say, that our labors in the latter department took the precedency, for it was in this that there originally appeared to us most necessity for some additional incentive, and it was through this medium that energy was first infused into the pupils, which afterwards pervaded every department. Soon afterwards, also, grammar and geography were introduced, in a manner that will hereafter be explained."

(To be continued.)

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gentleman who leaned over her chair means, is incalculable. It happens

at supper, the color of his hair, the form of his moustache, how his cravat was tied, the exact measure of his waist, the words he addressed to the duchess, her reply, and a thousand anecdotes suited to fashionable gossip. The fête was most brilliant. The walls of the palace were decorated with the richest tapestry, and the corridors lined with orange trees laden with their fruit, ever-greens, roses, and even lilies, in blossom; so that January and May were united. L'homme le plus aimable was his Majesty Charles X.; he, however, only remained until half-past eleven. French ladies pretend that no one is si charmant, si galant; for that he always forgets the king, and only remembers the courtier, when he is in society. A supper of eighteen hundred covers was served at one, and lasted until five o'clock in the morning. The entertainment, I understand, cost eighty thousand francs. The duchess sent ten thousand francs to the poor on the following day.

There are at present few decided mendicants to be seen in the streets of Paris; distress, nevertheless, is greater than ever, but it reigns amidst the better classes, who "to beg are ashamed." The number of soi-disant gentlemen who are out of employment, and who can only live by ways and

also that men well-dressed often stop the passer-by to ask assistance. Now it is the fashion to write and speak of the misery of humanity; yet, I believe few, if any, care to be of service to others, though all wish to get credit for benevolence-there is no poet or prose writer of the age who does not pretend to sympathy: but one would wish to see actions instead of words, as proofs of the sincerity of the speaker.

Last night an officer of the Guards was given a cold bath by some robbers, who had previously taken his watch from him; fortunately, the part of the Seine into which they threw him was close to hot baths, and he was in consequence saved.

A restaurateur has offered to feed five hundred people for two sous a-head, by means of the vapor arising from his stews, soups, and pasties: he pretends that he can by this means live eight days without eating; and that such unsubstantial diet may equally support the poorer classes.

The theatres are tolerably well attended; few, however, go for the performances, but rather as a rendezvous to see and be seen; and, to kill time, I hear that private theatricals are to be established, that tickets are to be paid for, and the money collected to be applied to charitable purposes !

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THE COLOSSEUM.

ON Wednesday, January 14th, that extraordinary and magnificent building, the Colosseum, was opened to the public. To the painful circumstances which induced its enterprising projector to take this sudden, and indeed somewhat premature, step, we will no further advert, than by expressing our earnest hope, or rather our conviction, that those circumstances will not be permitted to prevent, or even to delay, the completion of an undertaking which it must have required a most powerful imagination to conceive, and rare talents and ingenuity, as well as irrepressible energy and indefatigable perseverance, to bring into its present advanced state. It would be disgraceful to a country like England, should any difficulty be found in procuring the few thousands of pounds which may be necessary for the purpose.

It happens very fortunately that the part of Mr. Hornor's plan which is beyond all doubt the most valuable and important, is the part in which the greatest progress has been made. We allude to the panoramic view of London. Tasteful as all the accessories will, we are persuaded, be, and manifold and curious as are the resources and expedients by which their great and beautiful variety will be ultimately accomplished, we cannot but consider them to be as subordinate, when put in competition with this, the principal object, as the attendants of a court are to the monarch whom they serve, or the satellites of Jupiter to the orb round which they are revolving. To the panorama, therefore, our attention shall in the present instance be chiefly devoted.

In the first place, it is by far the largest picture that ever was painted. The diameter of the circle of canvass is a hundred and thirty-four feet, and it is sixty feet from the floor to the springing of the dome-making about twenty-four thousand square feet at

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the bottom there are nearly four thousand more square feet of canvass, curving inwards; and at the top there are fifteen thousand square feet of plaster, on which the sky is represented-forming, in all, a painted superficies of above forty thousand square feet! Great, however, as is the size of this leviathan of art, its size is its least recommendation. The effect which it produces upon the spectator, when, after he has ascended the first flight of the spiral staircase which is constructed in the middle of the building, and entered the principal gallery,

it bursts upon his astonished eye, it is impossible adequately to describe. His first impression is that it is nature —that it is the stupendous scene itself-at which he is looking; and some moments of recollection and reflection are necessary to convince him that he is only "mocked with art." In one respect, the imitation actually transcends the reality. Even on the finest day, there is almost always some portion of the immense horizon that ought to be visible from the top of St. Paul's-an horizon of above a hundred and twenty miles in circumference-obscured by mist. Now, in the picture, although there is quite enough of atmosphere and of vapor, not anything is permitted to be entirely hidden by them; and it would be necessary to make a number of visits to the top of St. Paul's to obtain as clear and complete a notion of the surrounding objects and country, as that which is here to be acquired at once. There is scarcely a field, or a tree, or a hovel, from which St. Paul's can be seen, which is not introduced; and not merely introduced, but introduced with a scrupulous attention to accuracy; and yet, so admirably has the general effect been consulted, that these minute features, instead of injuring, appear to be essentially beneficial to it.

Amidst so much excellence it is

difficult to make any selection; or we should say that one of the passages of this great work with which we were most fascinated was the view of the majestic Thames, winding its graceful course through the various bridges by which it is spanned, from Putney to London. It is impossible to conceive anything more beautiful than that portion of the river, and of the adjacent buildings, including Lambeth Palace, Westminster Abbey and Hall, the Adelphi, Somerset House, the Temple, &c., which extends from Vauxhall to a little below Blackfriars. Sunny gleams and reflections on the water, painted with great care and happiness, constitute this the principal focus of the light of the picture.

England's mighty heart," with its numerous veins and arteries-her vast and magnificent metropolis, with all its venerable churches, noble palaces, ancient halls, public hospitals, spacious squares, populous streets, splendid theatres, extensive docks, commodious markets, pleasant parks, and flowery gardens, occupies the lower portion of the canvass, and may be examined for hour after hour, and day after day, with a delight and wonder perpetually increasing. For our own parts, we have dwelt upon it until we forgot that what we were gazing at was only "a plane, variously colored;" and ardently longed to have our old and sagacious friend Asmodeus at our elbow, that we might know a little of what was going on under some of the countless roofs which were spread out beneath us. What an inexhaustible subject of contemplation! Dull, indeed, must be that imagination which it would not excite.

The nearer buildings are remarkably fine. Of these the new PostOffice is one of the principal; and is a most elaborate and masterly representation of that beautiful edifice. And this leads us to express our admiration of the knowledge and skill with which, on a concave surface, the various lines intended to represent straight forms, have been drawn, so as completely to fulfil the desired pur

5 ATHENEUM, VOL. 2, 3d series.

pose. To do this, it is evident that the simple processes of the scenepainter or the architectural draftsman would be quite inadequate. The closest objects are the lofty campanile towers of St. Paul's. On the canvass they are actually forty feet high ; and they are painted with a force, and a truth, and an attention to details, which render them perfectly deceptive. All that surprises us while we are looking at them is, that so long a time elapses without the sonorous striking of the great clock.

We must not omit to mention the sky. Without being monotonous, the gradations in it are managed with so much art and delicacy, that they do not force themselves upon the eye, or attract it injuriously from the grand scene below. A friend of ours, who accompanied us in our visit to the Colosseum, exclaimed, after we had quitted the building, "God bless me ! I forgot to look at the sky." It was the greatest compliment which he could pay the painter. It proved that, like a skilful back-ground to a portrait, the sky did its duty, without becoming obtrusive.

More than half the picture is completed; the remainder is so considerably advanced, that all the difficulties are surmounted; and a few weeks of vigorous application would suffice to finish the whole.

We must now say a few words with respect to the manner in which, and the individuals by whom, this great work, as far as it has hitherto gone, has been accomplished. To Mr. Hornor belongs exclusively the honor of the original conception. The singular ability and fearlessness which he manifested in making his drawings from his little fragile hut, raised upon slight and tottering poles above the elevation of the cross of St. Paul's; his determined perseverance, his "hair-breadth 'scapes," and the ultimate completion of his task, are fresh in the recollection of almost every one. Having rendered these drawings as correct as repeated efforts and the best instruments could render them,

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