three figures, viz. units, hundreds, and thoufands; and by ending every period with its characteristic, and every half period by pronouncing the word thousands, any number, however long, is read off-hand, and at once; for the periods follow in a regular and consecutive series, which is readily learnt, and goes on progreffively to an indefinite length. Teach the scholar to read any number compofed of three, or lefs digits, as 8 and 70 and 78,300 and 308 and 370 and 378. An example muft fuffice

3,33.

3,333; 333,333; 333,333; 333,333; 333,333; 333,333 is read 3 thousand, 333 quintillions; 333 thous., 333 quartillions; 333 thous., 333 trillions; 333 thous., 333 billions; 333 thous., 333 millions; 333 thous., 333.

Note down seventy feptillions, eighty thoufand quadrillions, five hundred billions, and four thousand and ten.

70; 000,000; 000,000; 080,000; 000,000;

0,500; 000,000; 004,010.

The mafter, whom I have only puzzled by thefe brief and general notices, I refer to the

G

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writers on arithmetic for that explanation, which it is not my province to detail, because this practice is not peculiar to the Madras System ; and I have to apologize not fo much for having despatched this digreffion in a few words, as for having at all introduced it, which I was led to do by the resemblance that the syllabic reading of the Madras School feems to me to bear to this method of reading numbers, and on account of the illuftration, which I have before derived from this fource.

In proceeding to the four cardinal rules of arithmetic, which indeed conftitute the whole, let the fame principle be ftill purfued. Let the elementary parts be perfectly learnt in claffes by fhort, eafy, and frequent leffons, repeated as often as neceffary. Particularly before you begin to add, fubtract, multiply, or divide, let every member of the clafs be able to fay the addition, fubtraction, multiplication, and division ́ tables refpectively, in any and every way with-out the fmalleft hefitation or mistake. mine thus, 9+6 and 6+9=15.15-6=9 and 15-9=6,8× 12 or 12×8=96.96÷12 8 and 968-12.-In this fpecimen will be seen, by those who are adepts in arithmetic, the construction of the addition table, which

Exa

is also a fubtraction table, and is of the famé form with the well-known multiplication table, which is alfo a divifion table.-These thoroughly and perfectly learnt, every operation is comparatively facile and easy.

It cannot but be noticed how little has been faid of writing and arithmetic, and how few alterations and amendments are therein propofed; the reason is, that from the nature of these operations less remained to be done, and what did remain has in a great degree been anticipated in the various inftructions which go before. before. When the learner writes in his own copy book, and works his own fum, and fets it down, these operations stand, as it were, in the place of the Madras overfeers and reports: a body and fhape are given to his diligence and progress, `of which you can at any time take the dimenfions, and measure its length and breadth, without daily, weekly, and monthly registers. But in fpelling and reading the fcholar's progress is not fo well defined. The ground gone over furnishes no criterion of his attainments and advancements-no visible image remains of his daily diligence and progrefs. His letters are not always perfectly learnt when he is

reading his Bible. No fuch traces of his footsteps are left behind him, either of his good or bad fuccefs, as are to be feen in his copy and ciphering books, or as in the registers and folemn examination of the Madras School, by which his daily progrefs in reading and fpelling is as readily diftinguished, as in writing and ciphering. And as no little book ist quitted till he is perfectly mafter of it, his attainment is at once ascertained by the rank `he holds in the school, and the book he has in his hands. Befides the mode of the teachers inftructing by claffes, detailed above, applies to teaching to write in fand and on flate, learning tables in arithmetic, and adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, &c. and need not here be repeated and detailed anew. The fame obfervation applies to the instruction in

CHAPTER VIII.

Morality and Religion.

It is almost unneceffary to repeat, that all the facilities of the fyftem apply alike to the first principles of moral and religious Instruction, as to the rudiments of reading and fpelling,

'writing, and arithmetic. As the alphabet is taught letter by letter, &c. and the addition and multiplication tables are learnt column by column, then two at a leffon, &c. fo the fame divifion of labour, and fhort and frequent ftages, and perfect knowledge of every leffon, are observed in this most important branch of inftruction, to which what goes before should be chiefly fubfervient. This divifion of labour, or fhort and frequent ftages, however common in well-regulated schools, I inculcate fo often, because it is much neglected in the great run of inferior schools: and it is the hinge on which many questions, put to me on this fubject, have turned. The teachers, by instructing the fcholars in the Catechism, and other religious exercises, leave only to the master or fuperintendant the easy charge of folemn examination, and of explaining to the teachers what they are to explain to the rest of the fchool. For this purpose the Church Catechifm, broken into short queftions, and Mrs. Trimmer's Teachers' Affiftant, and Scripture Catechism are admirably adapted. Of the first, by reason of its small fize and price, one may be put into the hands of every child of the others, one will fuffice