57. The following valuable remarks on the training of monitors have been communicated to me by Mr. Crossley, the able superintendent of the Central School, whose long experience and distinguished success as a monitorial teacher, entitle him to be heard with deference by those who are but just beginning the same course.

"A master's first thoughts, on taking charge of a school, should be directed to the formation of a band of monitors. For this purpose, after selecting as nearly as he can, boys possessing suitable qualities, he will arrange his lessons according to the number of his drafts, which will of course depend on the number of his pupils. Having thus determined on the number of his drafts, and on the lessons to be studied at each draft, he will appoint a boy to the several stations to act as a monitor. The boy thus appointed, is supposed to be able to spell and to read the lessons, but possessing no knowledge of the business beyond these two qualifications; he is then first to be taught the meaning of each word, and to be exercised in giving illustrations of its varied application both from Scripture, general history, science, and from subjects within the range of the pupils' observation. In some cases the prefixes, postfixes, and roots of the words are important. He must then be exercised in the art of questioning, so as to be able to communicate his information by interrogation, and by that alone, and to keep up without any auxiliary stimulant the eager attention of his pupil. He must further be taught to vary his questions on the same word, so that repetition may not tire; and he must be

excited, and the monotony of instruction be somewhat broken up. In large schools simultaneous instruction could only be given with advantage in divisions.

instructed how to discover the proper instant to change from simultaneous repetition to individual examination, from brief description to rapid questioning, from the lively statement of facts, to the calm and impressive deduction of instructive lessons.

"In giving definitions, the simplest mode of expression must be carefully sought; which will, of course, generally be in Saxon phraseology. These definitions must be learned by the newly-appointed monitors at the rate of about a dozen or twenty a-day. The master must set apart a portion of each day, either from 12 to 1, (which usually is best,) or from 6 to 7 in the evening, to hear each individual repeat these meanings. In the first instance, it may be necessary to give up both these portions of time to the work. To accomplish his purpose, he must form his newly-selected monitors into a draft; each, in turn, must then question on his own particular words, as he would do in the draft for which he is training. After the definition has been given, the questioner for the time being, must call for an instance of the application of the word, or an illustration containing some additional information more or less remotely connected with it. Here the master's reading, experience, and judgment will find full scope; for when the boys fail, he should be ready to supply the desirable lesson, the parallel passage, the fact, or the opinion. In this way the monitor's mind is stored with numerous pertinent illustrations: he is exercised in applying them naturally and in familiar language; and instead of communicating in a formal manner and set style, he learns so to vary his observations as to avoid sameness. His mind thus disciplined will ever furnish him with new examples in his daily course of teaching. This plan must be followed daily till the whole of the lessons of each draft have been the subject of inquiry; nor must this practice be discontinued, until monitors can be chosen from among the boys who have themselves been taught by those who have thus been trained.

"I must, however, here enter a protest against the master's supposing that all is done when his monitors are trained; and, further, against his even imagining that they ever will be thoroughly trained by this or by any other method, except he can and does set them the example, both in the manner and in the spirit of teaching. He must, from the commencement, be daily seen teaching in the drafts, infusing into his monitors a spirit little short of enthusiasm, and showing himself a model both of what he wishes them to be and to do."

All this, it is evident, implies much labour and selfdenial on the part of the master; it was not, therefore, without reason, that, in a former letter, I adopted Fellenberg's language, and claimed for this office, "a vigilance that never sleeps, a perseverance that never tires."

58. But severer trials than any that have yet been mentioned, must occasionally be endured by the conscientious teacher of a monitorial school,-I mean those which are connected with the punishment, and, if necessary, the dismissal of his monitors. I have already referred to the opportunity which extended responsibility affords, for the manifestation of evil as well as of good principles, and I have ranked this means of discovering character among the advantages of the monitorial system. It is obvious, however, that it can only be so, in proportion as delinquency thus manifested, is followed by appropriate punishment. Monitors, by their office, are exposed to certain temptations from which others are exempt. Bribes of various kinds, in spite of every regulation to the contrary, will from

time to time be offered and accepted; partiality will then be shown to one, and tyranny be exercised over another; falsehood will probably follow; and evils of the most tremendous character may, in this way, be fostered and indulged. It must be so while human nature continues as it is. But are we then to cast aside monitors altogether? By no means. It is better to know betimes that these dispositions exist, that we may apply remedies before it is too late. The great point is, to secure an early discovery of unfaithfulness, and this is not so difficult A monitor's power is,

as some are apt to imagine. after all, very limited; it is not like fagging, a secret and uncontrolled force, wielded by the stronger over the weaker; it is power delegated by the master, exercised only under his eye, and subjected to his superintendence; and moreover, held very frequently by the younger and the weaker, since neither physical strength nor mere intellectual vigour qualify for its reception. Originally trifling in amount, it is continually checked by perfect freedom of appeal to the teacher, who, it must be remembered, is all the while present in the room, and engaged chiefly in observing the conduct of these very agents. The consequence is, as experience has abundantly shown, bribery cannot long be concealed, falsehood is almost certain of immediate discovery, and the most petty acts of tyranny are reported almost as soon as committed. Still "offences will come," sometimes of the serious character to which I have already referred,

and sometimes of a lighter description, such as ebullitions of temper, violence of language, disobedience to orders, neglect of duty, want of interest in the work, or the yielding of that which is merely "eye service." Now, in such cases, especially those of the first-mentioned class, a teacher has no choice. Cost him what it may, he must dismiss the offender from his office. It may be the first transgression,the delinquent may be the most intelligent and useful of monitors, he may be the very one on whom he has bestowed the greatest amount of labour, and therefore probably the boy he has loved best,-I repeat it, cost what it will, he must cease to employ the unfaithful monitor, or his moral influence is fatally undermined. Any punishment he may inflict on such a boy, will, from the circumstances of the case, be done with so much unfeigned sorrow, that there is the greatest reason to hope the offender will be more benefited by the deprivation than he could be by any other process. Lay it down, therefore, as an invariable rule, never to pass by the offences of a monitor; in no other way can you secure among them that habit of circumspection, and that high moral character, which are so essential to their usefulness.

59. I need scarcely add more. This brief letter is not intended to occupy the place of any existing manual for the regulation of monitorial schools, otherwise much would have to be added on other subjects, besides the selection and training of mo