affairs of the institution, in conformity with the terms of the bequest. These five directors receive no salary; they appoint an inspector, who receives 1700 florins (£178 10s.) annually, besides an apartment, free of expense: there is likewise a director for the collections, who has a salary of 1000 florins (£105). The pieces of sculpture, paintings, drawings, and sketches, amount to about 10,000; the engravings to about 30,000; and books relating to the fine arts, from 2000 to 3000 volumes. The annual expenses of the establishment amount to 35,000 florins* (£3675), a part of which is applied to the support of the academy connected with this institution. About 15,000 florins (£1575) are annually appropriated to the augmentation of the collections, of which 2000 (£210) are expended on books. The public have free admission to the collections of sculpture and paintings, four times a week, for two hours each time; to the library once a week for two hours.

The Senkenberg museum is so called because it was founded by Johann Christian Von Senkenberg, a physician, in 1769. It contains a museum of natural history for zoology, mineralogy, and botany; a botanical garden and green-house, and an anatomical school. The whole is now under the management of the active members of the Senkenberg Society for natural history, first instituted in 1817. The members are divided into active and honorary; all pay alike eleven florins per annum for the support of the establishment. The number of contributing members amounts to about 300. To the sum raised by them the High Senate adds out of the public treasury 1500 florins, making a total of 4800 florins. Extensive buildings were erected in 1819 and 1828, for containing the scientific collections which are now large and very valuable. The means for raising these buildings were obtained by general contributions from the wealthy inhabitants of the town. The museums are open to the public on two fixed days of the week; the teachers and scholars of the public schools and the members of the society have access to them at all times there is an extensive library attached to this establishment.

The Stadt-Bibliothek,' the public library at Frankfort, contains 50,000 volumes and 500 manuscripts. It is open to the public four days in the week, twice for two hours and twice for one hour; every burgher is entitled to receive books upon giving a receipt for them; strangers can only receive books

*The convention florin is equal to 2s. 14d. sterling. We have assumed this value, believing it to be correct.

through the recommendation of burghers, and upon depositing a sum of money. All persons, whether native or foreigners, are at liberty to read and study at the library, but not to take the books home. The government of the library is in three members of the Senate, and is intrusted to the care of two librarians, one of whom receives a salary of 600, and the other of 400 florins. About 2565 florins are annually expended in books and binding; the whole expenses amount to 4350 florins per annum. The necessary supply of fuel is furnished gratis from the forests belonging to the town. The expenses are paid out of the public treasury, with the exception of 350 florins, being interest arising from various legacies left to the establishment.

SAXONY.

There is no national museum in Saxony, but the following collections have been made at Dresden :

1. Picture gallery:-one director and two inspectors; their joint salaries amount to 1200 dollars (£180).

2. Gallery of antiques :-one director, salary 300 dollars (£45).

3. Collection of medals:-one director, salary 300 dollars (£45).

4. Cabinet of natural history:-two inspectors, joint salaries 1300 dollars (£195).

5. Collection of physical and mathematical instruments :two inspectors, joint salaries 1000 dollars (£150).

6. Historical museum :-one inspector, salary 400 dollars (£60).

7. Collection of copies of antiques in plaster of Paris:one inspector, salary 300 dollars (£45).

8. Collection of engravings:-one inspector, salary 500 dollars (£75).

The sum of 3000 dollars (£450) is allowed annually by the state for the support of the above collections, which are open to the public twice a week, and may be seen on other days by parties of six persons, each individual paying ls.

The public library at Dresden contains 300,000 volumes, 2700 manuscripts, and 150,000 pamphlets. The library, together with the above collections, are the entailed property (Fidei Commissa) of the crown of Saxony, and can neither be sold nor removed out of the country. They are all under the control of the Minister of the Interior. The library is managed by one librarian, receiving 1000 dollars per annum (£150); one sub-librarian, salary 600 dollars (£90); and two secretaries, whose joint salaries are 700 dollars (£105). The sum

of 2500 dollars (£375) is allowed annually for buying books. The expenses of the establishment are defrayed by the state.

The library at Leipzig, principally intended for the use of the University, contains 110,000 volumes and 2000 manuscripts; it is under the control of the Minister of Worship, and under the management of a librarian at a salary of 600 dollars (£90). The library at Dresden, as well as this at Leipzig, are open to the public every day.

SWITZERLAND.

There is a small museum of natural history at Bern belonging to the town: it is placed under the direction and inspection of a committee, consisting of a president and four members, who give their services gratis. Free admission is granted to the public in summer thrice, and in winter twice a week; it is also open at any other time, at the discretion of the servants in waiting. The annual expenses are about 1500 Swiss francs (£90), of which 400 (£24) is expended in wages for servants. The public town-library of Bern contains about 35,000 printed volumes and about 1050 manuscripts. It is under the direction of a commission of six members (including the head librarian) and a president. The general annual expenses are

1. From the municipality

2. Subscription of the Cantonal government,

on account of the University

3. Capital and rent of houses
4. Money taken from visiters

S. f. 4600

Every inhabitant of the city, whether citizen or not, can buy the right of making use of the library for 10 Swiss francs (about 12s. 2d.), without any further yearly payment. Ecclesiastics pay only 6 francs.

Accounts of the literary institutions of France, Prussia, &c. have not yet been laid before Parliament.

EDUCATION.

EDUCATION may be defined, as that series of means by which the human understanding is improved, and the dispositions of the heart are formed and called forth, between infancy and the time when we consider ourselves qualified to take an active part in life. The common acceptation of the term education, however, has various meanings: with the wealthy classes it is understood, that those only are educated who have studied Greek and Latin, and have some acquaintance with the French and Italian languages, &c. The merchant and tradesman look for education in penmanship, and a thorough knowledge of the ordinary rules of calculation.

Since the establishment of our national schools, the poorer classes have been led to suppose that all education is comprised in the qualifications of reading and writing; but those who have led them into this delusion must be more commended for their zeal and good intentions than for their judgment.

The end of education we must suppose to be what the word literally implies to draw out; that is, to draw out the qualities and powers of the mind; and it cannot but be deemed of the highest importance to ascertain what system of training children is best calculated for the attainment of the highest state of perfection of which our nature may be capable.

Among many of the ancient nations, the education of youth was made an important part of the state polity. The Persians, the Cretans, and the Lacedæmonians, and no doubt others also, subjected all their children to a regular discipline which was in harmony with the kind of social life into which the children were destined to enter at the age of manhood. The Persians did not teach literary accomplishments, but justice, temperance, and modesty; and to shoot with the bow, and to throw the javelin. The moral virtues and the bodily exercises were what the Persians laboured to teach their children; those who may wish to understand their system will do well to read the first part of Xenophon's Cyropædia*. Modesty, docility, and self-control, are certainly admirable qualities in youth, the drawing out and cherishing of which ought to form, from childhood to manhood, a principal object in the education of a community. Locke says, the objects of education are: first, to preserve and strengthen the bodily constitution; secondly, to inform the understanding with useful knowledge, and to cherish good dispositions in the heart.'

To whatever class we turn in England, we rarely observe *Whether Xenophon's view of Persian education is an historical truth, or merely his own theory of education, does not affect the value of his remarks..

that these considerations are treated as important questions, in the ordinary plans of education.

The acquirements that are unattainable without the expenditure of much time and money, are those generally selected by the upper classes to establish an exclusiveness in society. In this country all classes below the highest are striving to elevate themselves into the class above them; and one of the modes of effecting this, is to adopt a kind of education like that adopted by the upper classes. This education mainly consists of Greek and Latin, often badly taught, instead of those branches of moral and physical science which would have a more practical bearing on life, would elevate the character, and might be attained at one-half the expense of a so-called classical education. It is painfully distressing to one who has opportunities of mixing in tradesmen's society in this metropolis, to hear parents boasting of their sons' progress in Greek and Latin; how much time they have devoted to these studies, and what a sum of money has been paid for their tuition.

If we consider the immense waste of mental labour, which is in a measure public property, there can be no real philanthropist who will not use his best efforts to counteract such fallacious notions and to discourage such a pernicious practice, on the part of parents, as paying large sums of money to have their sons' best energies and most valuable days consumed in learning to construe a little Latin, and to master the inflections of a Greek verb. There are many professions in which a knowledge of Greek and Latin is useful and necessary; but as the whole of society cannot follow these professions, is it not a foolish act for a father, without having the slightest intention or even the opportunity of affording his son the means of adopting one of these professions, to educate him in a manner which totally disqualifies him for any other? We may say, totally disqualifies

-for if a youth attains any proficiency in classical knowledge, and acquires a taste for it, he will be more unfit for business, because he imagines that he has got something by which he can raise himself in society above his father. If, however, the youth (which is the more probable result) does, as ninety-nine out of every hundred do who attempt a classical education, spend seven or eight years over the mere rules of the Latin and Greek languages, without being able in the end to construe an easy passage without a dictionary, he returns home at an age when he ought to be prepared to enter on active life, stultified instead of improved for all the money expended upon him.

It is a misfortune that every attempt made to prove the inutility of classical knowledge, except in particular cases, is