PROFESSOR SULLIVAN'S LITTLE BOOKS ON EDUCATION.

THE perfection of elementary educational works, as of most other things, consists in presenting all that is essential and nothing more. In Latin grammar, for example, the pupil must acquire the declen- sions of nouns ; but it is worse than needless to distract him by any peculiarity of termination, whether founded on some rule (obsolete in the Augustan age) or on some capricious usage : a foot-note will teach them when they occur in his reading, or they may be exhi- bited at a later period of his studies, when having mastered the general he may attend to the minute. A similar remark applies to the style of educational works : no labour or consideration can be too great to get rid of all unnecessary words or uncouth and cumbrous forms of expression, so as to present the idea in the clearest, which in definitions is also the most attractive form.

When the least essential matter is presented in the fewest essen-

tial words the educational writer has done all that he can do. He may indeed invent modes by which the attention of the pupil might be excited; but the application of this invention must rest alto- gether with the art of the teacher. In the Irish National School system, with which Mr. SULLIVAN is connected, the alphabet is taught by teaching the letters in familiar words, instead of drudging day after day till the idealess letters from a to z are imprinted upon the memory. It is obvious that a skilful and pleasant person, with a board, a piece of chalk, and a class of the most ignorant, could impress the forms of certain letters upon the mind of his scholars, by frequent repetition of words with whose reality they were familiar, and create much interest in the task. For example,

bat,

cat, hat, mat, rat, are all things of which most boys have a knowledge. To show the

mode in which they are presented to the eye by letters, would excite attention among the most intelligent lads—pleasantly done, perhaps among all : the form of the letters could also be pointed out by reference to natural objects—as the resemblance of c to the curve of the thumb and fore-finger ; and whilst the brightest boys would soon be able to point out in an alphabet more than two of the letters, a and t, which occur in every word, would be known by the majority ; till by new combinations and extensions the whole al- phabet were learned, and considerable advances made in spelling and reading at the same time. But it is evident that a book, as a book, is useless for this : it is of no avail to give a boy who does not know a letter, printed instructions for learning the alphabet ; nor would they be of much use to a dull, inert, or mechanical schoolmaster. In instruction made pleasing, every thing must de- pend upon the voice, the manner, and address of the teacher. If a boy is to learn the form of a by a passive impression or repetition upon his eye without active exercise of his mind, he may as well learn it one way as another ; and perhaps the old method of con- ning the alphabet is the best, as being the most direct. Again, the declensions of Latin nouns-adjective are formed upon the de- clensions of nouns-substantive : a pupil knowing the tirst three de• densions of the substantives can decline an adjective of three terminations without the drudgery of committing it to memory. This most grammars indicate ; some persons have contrived exer- cises to exhibit it ; but the real use to be made of it for pur- poses of stimulating the attention, and making the mind of the pupil active in his own advancement, must depend upon the master. He alone can adapt his lessons to the particular character and knowledge of his pupils. And in this the art of teaching con- sists—not in marking down a certain portion of a printed book, and saying, "Learn that !" which is about the extent of the efforts of many teachers.

The little publications of Professor SULLIVAN illustrate both the principles we have here laid down, to a considerable degree. His Geography Generalized and his Dictionary of Derirations may be adduced as excellent educational books; and his Lectures and Let- ters on Popular Education contain some useful practical hints on the art of teaching, besides a description of the two leading plans of popular education—the monitorial and simultaneous, as well as a critical sketch of the systems of BELL, LANCASTER, and PESTA- LOEZI. Like most things done by an experienced man with a prac- tical purpose, the Lectures also contain some transcripts of reality, furnishing incidental glimpses of the state of the humbler schools and schoolmasters in Ireland, and of the difficulties the Education Board must have had to encounter upon these points.

But, though of a less ambitious kind, or at least having a less philosophical subject, the two little school-books, as they may be termed, are of a more generally valuable character, and might both be found useful beyond the school-room. Instead of beginning, hie most 'elementary books, with truisms whose object is not ob-

vious, or a definition of technical names—as " bays," " gulfs," " peninsulas "—followed by a long list of mere names of places, Geography Generalized commences with a general view of the globe,

and the evidence by which its circular form is demonstrated, and then proceeds to describe its motion, magnitude, and leading divi- sions into zones ;—the magnitude of the world introducing a popular explanation of latitude and longitude, not in the common dogmatical mode, but by a description of the principles on which they are determined ; whilst the " zones " furnish an opportunity of con- sidering climate and temperature. The leading geographical or rather natural divisions—mountains, deserts, plains, rivers, and lakes—are then passed under review, with the most conspicuous pluenomena—tides, currents, and winds ; and a brief notice of the distribution of animals, plants, and man, concludes the general geo- graphical description. This is followed by an account of the method by which geography is taught in the schools of the National Edu- cational Society ; and by a valuable introduction to geography, being in fact an improved geography upon the usual plan. So much information, of so high a character, in so small a com- pass, (164 pages,) and we presume at so low a price, has rarely if ever appeared before. The only doubt with us is whether the higher parts, relating to philosophical and mathematical questions, are likely to be comprehended by the class of pupils in the Irish schools, for whose use the book seems to have been intended. But the Board and its officers must be better judges than we are as to the capacity of its pupils ; and if it can be understood at all, the information is unquestionably conveyed in as clear a manner as possible. Here, for example, is part of A POPULAR EXPLANATION OF LATITUDE.

We have shown, that in consequence of the spherical surface of the earth, the Polar Star appears to a person travelling due North or South to ascend or descend in the heavens in proportion to the apace passed over. Upon this fact a most important principle in geography is established, namely, that the latitude of a place in the Northern hemisphere always corresponds to the alti- tude of the Polar Star ; and hence, to ascertain our distance from the Equator, in the Atlantic Ocean for instance, we have only to take the altitude of the Polar Star, and our latitude is determined. If the Polar Star, for instance, is

10, or 20, or 53 deg. above the horizon, we may conclude, with perfect cer- tainty, that our distance from the Equator is 10, or 20, or 53 deg., as the case may be.

To make this perfectly clear, suppose we were at the North Pole of the

Earth, our distance from the Equator, or latitude, would be 90 deg., and the dis- tance of the Polar Star from the horizon, or its altitude, would be 90 deg. also; for in that position it would appear in our zenith, or right above our heads, and consequently 90 deg. above the horizon. Now, suppose we travel 10 deg. in the direction of the Equator, or due South, our distance from the Equator would be diminished from 90 to 80 deg., and the Polar Star would appear to have descended in the heavens in the same proportion, that is, our latitude and its altitude would be each 80 deg. If we travel 20 or 30, or any number of degrees under ninety due South from the Pole towards the Equator, our lati- tude and the altitude of the Polar Star will be found to decrease in proportion. Half-way between the Pule and the Equator, for instance, our latitude will be 45 deg., and the altitude of the Polar Star 45 deg. also; and if we travel to the Equator there will be no latitude, because we are no distance from it ; neither will the Polar Star have any altitude, for it will in this case be on the horizon.

This simple and beautiful principle in geography not only enables us, even in the middle of unknown seas, to ascertain our position on the Earth's surface with regard to the Equator, but it also furnishes us with the means of measur- ing the surface and determining the magnitude of the Earth.

Equally useful as Geography Generalized, if not more useful, is

the Dictionary of Derivations ; because an accurate knowledge of language is of greater general importance than an acquaintance with the form and divisions of the globe. This admirable little book—which no family, where a true knowledge of language is cultivated, should be without—consists of three parts. The first is called an Introduction to Etymology ; and besides the rules, it contains specimen-lists of English words derived through the French from the Latin. The second part is the Dictionary of Derivations ; which contains a vocabulary of English words, chiefly drawn from similar sources, namely the Latin, or the Latin through the French, though words from other languages may be found. The last part is a kind of spelling-book, expanding the plan of the introductory section and a suggestion of Joint Locita : it contains tables of English words derived so directly from the Latin, through the French, that the general meaning of each word is obvious. Its use is to teach a "leash of languages" at once ; so that a mother acquainted with French could possess either son or daughter with a pretty large store both of French and Latin words, (since direc- tions for the pronunciation of the Latin are given,) with little more trouble to either party than learning a common spelling- lesson, and gain and give in addition an insight into the sources of English. Although it may seem ridiculous to quote from spelling- lessons and a dictionary, yet it is only by quotation that the true character of this useful little book can be fully shown.

TIIE TRIPLE SPELLING-LESSON.

Euglish. French. Latin. Abhor, abhorrer, abborrere.

Abject, abject, abjectus. Abjure, ahj urer, abjfirfire.

Abound, abonder, abundfire.

Abscess absces, abscessus.

Absence, absence, absentia.

Absent, absent, sheens.

Absorb, absorber, absorbere.

Abstain, absten ir, abstInZre.

Absterge, absterger, abstergere. Abstract, abotrait, abotractus.

Abstruse, abstrus, abstrimus. Absurd, absurde, absurdly,.

RATIONALE OF POST. POST. From the Latin pushes, PLACED; which is the meaning of Post in all its applications. A. POST in the ground is a piece of timber (politics) placed erect; POST, an office, LS a situation (this word is similarly derived and applied) or employment into which one is (positus) placed ; POST, a military station, explains itself; whence the phrase to desert his POST, i. e. to leave the station in which be was (positus) placed. POST, in the sense of to travel with speed, is indebted for this application to the custom of posting or placing horses at the .different stages to accelerate the speed of couriers ; whence the term Post- haste, Pod-horse, Post-chaise, Post-boy, Post. office, and Postage. To POST a leger, means, I believe, to place or register the several items in it