ficient time is allowed for each individual of the class to find the answer; and then one is called upon; the question is passed through the class, whether the answer be given right or not; and all, whose solutions are right, go above those whose are wrong. After all the questions in a section have been understood and solved, each boy is called upon to state the general method of their solution, or the rule for working them. This rule, thus made by the boys, not given them, when corrected as to phraseology by the teacher, is written in a manuscript book, and committed to memory. The same system of advancing from particular examples to the general rule, is observed in teaching Lacroix's Arithmetic and Euler's Algebra; synthesis being considered preferable to analysis in these studies. The class, with their slates, come to the recitation forms; a question is proposed, which each is required to solve; others, more and more difficult of solution, depending on the same principles, are announced; each boy on finding his answer passes his slate to the one above him; and thus no one can correct his solution on the authority of a better scholar. All whose sums are right take precedence of the others. After the solution of numerous questions proposed in as many different forms as possible, they are furnished with the rule, and required to commit it to memory. The blackboard is also used, to show the method of arranging their work, with the greatest economy of space and labor. In geometry the diagrams of Euclid are taken off, first on paper, with figures instead of letters, that nothing may be committed to memory without being understood. When they have been demonstrated from the paper, they are afterwards drawn by the pupil on the blackboard, with figures; when the proposition is demonstrated without a book, or any aid to the memory whatever. Worcester's Geography is the text-book in that branch; and here constant and particular use is made of the maps. The boys are required to find upon it the rise and course of every river, the situation of each town, etc., in their lesson; and beside getting the text of the book, to answer any question which may arise upon the map of the country they are studying. Beside the books already mentioned, use is made of the following, viz., Neilson's Greek exercises for writing Greek, Shrevelius' Greek Lexicon, Hedericus, Scapula, Morell's Thesarus, Walker's Classical Key, Lempriere's Classical Dictionary, Adam's Roman Antiquities, Entick's and Ainsworth's Latin Dictionary, &c. Declamation. On Saturdays the whole school comes together in the hall for declamation. The four upper classes speak in turn, a class on each Saturday. The youngest class attends this exercise, but does not take part in it. After a boy has spoken, and the presiding instructor has made such observations as he sees fit, any individual of the class that is speaking has a right to correct any errors in pronunciation, or any violation of the text, that may not have been pointed out; and if none of the class does this before another boy is called out, it may be done by any boy in the school. This leads to much attention to the subject of pronunciation; and great acuteness is often discovered by very young boys. This is the only day in the week in which all the instructors and scholars unite in any religious or literary exercise. On these occasions, boys are promoted from a lower to a higher division, or a higher class, who have distinguished themselves, by maintaining their place for a given time at the head of the division in which they recite. In this way a scholar sometimes gains one or two years in the five of the regular course. Cards of distinction, to such as deserve them, are also given out once a month, in presence of the whole school. NOTE. EXTRACTS from the "Report of the Committee on the Latin School (N. B. SHURTLEFF, Chairman,) to the School Committee, Sept. 1861. The usual annual and quarterly examinations have been made by the Committee, all the pupils in the various rooms having been inspected, both in reference to their general proficiency, and also in regard to their relative condition in comparison with former years. The several rooms have been frequently visited, and there has been a general attendance of the Committee on the usual days of exhibition and on the public Saturdays. Thus advantages have been had which have enabled the Committee to witness the thorough working of the school, to judge of the progress of the pupils, and to gain a perfect knowledge of the instructors as to their efficiency in discipline and in imparting instruction in the different departments in which they are required to teach. The visits and examinations have been of a highly satisfactory character, and have shown that the school retains the high position for which it has been so long distinguished, not only for instruction in the Greek and Latin languages, but also in the more elementary branches of a good English education. The extraordinary recitations of exhibition days, and the declamation and original debates of the pupils on the public Saturdays, have been as remarkable during the past year as heretofore, and have been listened to by large audiences. The principal part of the visitation of the school in July was devoted to the graduating class, for the purpose of deciding who should have the Franklin medals; six of which were adjudged to individuals who had received the highest number of marks for the year, and whose examination had also been the most satisfactory. The appearance of the whole class was in a high degree satisfactory to the Committee, and reflected much credit upon the students, and upon the excellent master under whose charge they had been during the year. The usual number of the class entered college, having completed the course of instruction at the school. Fourteen entered Harvard College, having passed an examination which showed that they were among the best fitted of those who were presented; one entered Amherst College, one Dartmouth College, one Monmouth College, and one Tufts College. Thus eighteen young gentlemen were prepared during the year to take honorable positions in college, thereby carrying out the cherished wishes of the friends of the school and the general object of its establishment upon its present basis; for, although many young men join the lower classes of the school to obtain an education preparatory to entering upon a business life, they, in most cases, leave the institution before reaching the highest class. The following table will exhibit interesting statistics relating to the young gentlemen educated at the school during the last ten years, for entering college: By an examination of the preceding table, and by a few simple calculations, the following particulars, being annual averages of the last ten years, are deduced, viz.: Annual average number of those entering college,... 16.8 Annual average number of these who were received from the public schools,.. 7.7 Annual average number of the same who were received from other schools,.. 9.1 14.4 Annual average number who entered Harvard College, 2.4 ... 17.3 It will, therefore, be seen that during the last ten years, one hundred and sixty. eight boys have been fitted for college at the Latin School,-seventy-seven who entered the school from the public schools, and ninety-one from private schools. Of these, one hundred and forty-four entered Harvard College, and twenty-four went to other colleges. In this connection it may be well to look back a few years, and see what the school has heretofore done toward producing collegeeducated men. In the year 1814, the school took a fresh start, recovering from the effects of the war then just terminated, and was restored to its proper standing under the excellent administration of our late distinguished citizen, Benjamin A. Gould, Esq. Mr. Gould was followed, in succession, by the eminent scholars, Frederic P. Leverett, Esq., Charles K. Dillaway, Esq., and Epes S. Dixwell, Esq., and these, by the present learned head of the school, Francis Gardner, Esq. The whole number of young men prepared for college by each of the above-named gentlemen, together with the years of service of each master to the school, and his average annual contribution to the colleges, can be seen at a glance in the following table: Do not these figures show how eminently useful the Latin school has been in its highest vocation-the production of classical scholars? During the last forty-six years nearly six hundred young men have received their first instructions in classical learning within the walls of this school, and with such thoroughness that they have been admitted to honorable standing in the several universities and colleges of New England; and, undoubtedly, many more who have not proceeded immediately from the school to college have been indebted to the school for a large part of their preparation for college. Many of these young men are numbered among the first scholars of the country; and, indeed, we have the highest authority for stating that the Boston Latin School has a most important influence in sustaining the high standard of excellence demanded by most of the colleges in New England in the examination of applicants for entrance, arising chiefly from the eminent standing of the Latin-school boys after their joining classes at college. No school, we believe, is more thorough in imparting elementary knowledge of Latin and Greek to its pupils than is ours, an advantage which its scholars always prize and acknowledge. II. MASTERSHIP OF FRANCIS GARDNER. 1852-1862. FRANCIS GARDNER entered on the Mastership of the Latin School in 1852, having fitted for Harvard College under the instruction of Master Benjamin A. Gould, and been employed as an assistant in the same school under Masters C. K. Dillaway, and E. S. Dixwell. Under no former Master has the number of pupils been so large, the course of instruction more thorough, and the annual contribution to the colleges so high. The following account of the school has been drawn up by Mr. Gardner at our request:— "As the Latin School is maintained to prepare young men for a collegiate career, its course of studies is in a great measure prescribed by the colleges, and it simply remains for the government of the school to accomplish the desired object, with the greatest benefit to the pupil. In the following sketch we propose to give some account of the existing regulations of the school and the reasons for their adoption. I. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION, ETC. Every pupil must have reached the age of ten years, and pass a satisfactory examination in reading, spelling, writing, and in the elements of arithmetic, geography, and grammar. Inasmuch as from the very nature of the subject, the memory is a very important agent in the acquisition of grammar-the pupil being ignorant of the whole nomenclature-it has seemed best to employ those years, when the verbal memory is strongest, in the acquisition of this indispensable knowledge. Therefore, for nearly the whole of the last fifty years, the age for admission to this school has been fixed at nine or at ten years. II. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION. The studies of the school are divided into two departments, the Classic, including Latin, Greek, Mythology, Ancient Geography and History; and the Modern, including Mathematics, French, Modern Geography, History, English Grammar, Compositions, Written Translations, Reading, and Spelling. Immediately upon entering the school, the pupil has assigned him a lesson in Latin Grammar, for one of his two lessons for each day, the other being in the Modern Department. As it is assumed that his knowledge is very limited, he is called upon to commit to memory a very short lesson, great care being taken that he shall understand, not only the general meaning of each sentence, but the particular signification of each word. When he has committed this portion to memory, test questions of all kinds are put, in order to ascertain if he understands fully what he can repeat. The reason why the words of the book are required are twofold, because they express the ideas to be conveyed better than the pupil can give them in his own language, and because it is the shortest and easiest way of acquiring the desired knowledge; the test questioning making it impossible for the learner to acquire mere words without ideas. When the class has advanced as far as Syntax, they then begin to translate and parse, quoting from their grammars all that is applicable to the word under consideration. The rules of Syntax are learned as fast as they occur. The test questioning is kept up during the whole course, so that upon every "advance lesson" the pupil is responsible for all that he has previously learned upon the subject, whether grammar, mathematics, or geography. III. DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHERS AND SUBJECTS. At the beginning of each year a class is assigned to a teacher who is to have its entire management, in both departments, for the whole year. This arrangement is found to produce better results than when frequent changes are made, or when the pupils pursue different studies with different instructors. There is no fixed programme for the recitations, and the hours for them, experience having taught that what may be an excellent plan for one class would be a most injudicious one for another. The teacher is constantly employed in hearing recitations, and the only rule imposed on him is, that each class shall recite twice a-day, and shall receive its due share of his time and attention. If, in his judgment, one of the lessons of the day demands more of his time than the other, he gives it. v. STUDY OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS. To the youngest classes an out of school lesson is assigned daily, intended to occupy the pupils one hour; to the highest classes a two hours' lesson is assigned. The great advantage of this is that the teacher thereby can profitably employ all his time in drilling his classes. Were they to study only in school, he frequently would be obliged to wait for them to prepare a lesson, whereas now each of the three classes has a lesson in readiness to recite, upon entering school. Six years is the time allotted to those who enter the school at ten years of age. Very many however enter at a later period, and finish their course in two, three or four years. But experience has incontestably proved that it is impossible for a boy who begins the study of Latin at fifteen years of age, to make so good a scholar, at the time of entering college, as he would have been had he begun his Latin at ten, no matter how thorough his education may have been between ten and fifteen. VII. CLOSING EXAMINATION. The only closing examination is that made by the sub-committee of the school, in order to assign the Franklin Medals, and here the committee are required "to inspect the school records," to ascertain the standing of the candidates, as indicated by them. It is at the various colleges that the scholars undergo their examinations. If they fail there, any diploma or certificate of scholarship, which they might have received, would be but a mockery. VIII. DISCIPLINE. "As is the master, so is the school." Each teacher is held responsible not only for the order, but for the proficiency of his classes. There can be no order, no proficiency unless the teacher is really the master; unless the pupils are under his control. They perhaps may not know the fact, but unless it exists, there can be no satisfactory progress. The gentler the means by which this control is secured, the better for both teacher and pupil. He is the best teacher who produces the best results with the least application of force. But force of |