the class next before him, and during his second year in common with those of the class next after him. You will at once perceive the inconvenience of that arrangement, which was still more injurious in the philosophical auditoire than in that of belles-lettres, and became fatal with respect to pure mathematics. For as it was impossible to teach the transcendent to a boy who was not acquainted with the elementary foundation, the result was that the instruction was in that respect purely elementary, and that the same course was repeated every year. Yet one benefit grew out of this. The elements of geometry and algebra were better taught, and, by being repeated twice, better inculcated, than perhaps anywhere else. Now, as the knowledge of the calculus is wanted only by the few, and that of the elements by everybody, it followed that in this way useful and necessary elementary knowledge was better inculcated and more extensively diffused. Another difference consisted in this:

The auditoire of belles-lettres had but one regular professor, who taught two hours every day (Thursday excepted), and to him was generally added an honorary unpaid professor of history, who gave but irregular and occasional lectures. With that exception, nothing was taught in that auditoire but Latin and Greek, with due attention, however, not only to the language but also to literature. Nothing whatever foreign to those purposes was introduced, not the slightest preparatory instruction in mathematics or natural science. On the other hand, the study of the languages was altogether excluded in the auditoire of philosophy. Only, as all the lectures and examinations, save only those of pure mathematics, were in Latin, the habit of speaking fluently, but without any elegance, that language was preserved. In this auditoire there were three professors. The ten regular professors (four divinity, two law, three philosophy, one belles-lettres), the adjunct honorary professors, and the principal of the college constituted "the academy." They had a "rector," triannually appointed, and the immediate control of both the college and academy. In the annual distribution of medals or premiums amongst the scholars of the college, they examined the various compositions, &c., and designated the candidates for said prizes, generally twice as many

as there were prizes. These scholars were named conférents. Amongst these the Venerable Company of Pastors selected those entitled to the prizes, one of pure mathematics and two of physical and intellectual or moral science, who formally alternated, but who practically taught each its own branch. That of physical science was almost always admirably taught; in the other department nothing was taught but commonplace obsolete logic, which was partly due to the improper (in my time the only one) selection of the professor, who was an excellent classical scholar, but altogether unfit for the station he occupied. These professors taught each but one hour a day. There was an honorary professor of astronomy, a man of merit, who had founded the observatory, and who occasionally delivered some lectures. There were no premiums of any kind, nor any change of places or rank amongst the students; they preserved throughout the whole course of their studies (including divinity and law) the same relative rank which had been adjudged to them when they left the upper class of the above-mentioned department called "college." The academy granted no degree either of A.B., A.M., D.D., or LL.D. The only form was, "You are permitted to enter a superior auditoire." The only exception was in favor of the students intended for the medical profession. To these a sort of diploma was given of A.B. or A.M., which was useful, and in France necessary for their free admission in the foreign schools of medicine. The only incentive or stimulus was that of the annual examinations, which were public, fair, severe, and followed, for each student separately, by an oral and impartial address from the rector of the academy expressive of its approbation, animadversions, and advice, as his case deserved or required. Yet it must be admitted that all were almost universally permitted to pass muster; and you know that this is generally the case in our colleges. For reasons, partly derived from experience, which it would take too much time to explain, I think that this course is beneficial.

From this statement it is obvious that, when not aided and stimulated by enlightened parents or friends, the students, from the time when they entered the academy (on an average when about or rather more than fifteen years old), were left almost to

themselves, and studied more or less as they pleased. But almost all had previously passed through at least the upper classes of the college. (I was the only one of my class, and of the two immediately preceding and following me, who had been principally educated at home and had passed only through the first or upper class of the college.) And there their minds had been disciplined and they had acquired the habit of study. For, however limited the course of instruction, and although the Latin they had learned there was in itself of no use to them and soon forgotten when they did not prosecute their studies any farther, yet the study of the classical languages when properly taught (banishing all printed translations or explanatory annotations) is most admirably adapted to the intellect of the young scholars, calculated to develop their faculties, and to give them the habit of exercising these and of that labor and persevering labor of the mind without which talents, even of a high order, become almost useless. I may here state that in the years 1775-1779, the average number of the scholars in the four upper classes of the college was about one hundred, and that of the students in the four first years of the academical course, viz., the auditoires of belles-lettres and philosophy, about fifty, of whom not more than one or two had not passed through at least the three or four upper classes of the college. Very few mechanics, even the watchmakers so numerous in Geneva and noted for their superior intelligence and knowledge, went beyond the fifth and sixth classes, which included about 120 scholars. As to the lower or primary classes or schools, it would have been difficult to find a citizen intra muros who could not read and write. The peasantry or cultivators of the soil in the small Genevese territory were indeed far more intelligent than their Catholic neighbors; but still, as in the other continental parts of Europe, a distinct and inferior class, with some religious instruction, but speaking patois (the great obstacle to the diffusion of knowledge), and almost universally not knowing how to read or to write. The population intra muros was about 24,000 (in 1535, at the epoch of the Reformation and independence, about 13,000), of whom nearly one-third not naturalized, chiefly Germans or Swiss, exercising what were considered as lower

trades, tailors, shoemakers, &c.,-and including almost all the menial servants. I never knew or heard of a male citizen or native of Geneva serving as such. The number of citizens. above twenty-five years of age and having a right to vote amounted, exclusively of those residing abroad, to 2000.

It is a certain fact that Geneva has, in proportion to its population, produced its full quota of distinguished men in the various branches of science, literature, and arts (not one poet, and but one, Rousseau, remarkable for eloquence); and, moreover, that there have been, since at least the beginning of the eighteenth century, a greater number of well-informed men in every branch of science, physical or intellectual, than could be found in any provincial town of Europe, with the single exception of Edinburgh, which was far more populous and in some respects a metropolis. Although the college and the academy were the basis on which education rested in Geneva, and although by far the greater portion of those well-informed men were alumni of these schools, yet it is clear from what precedes that there was not any superiority in their organization or outward forms over those of other similar European institutions. The essential difference, as far as the college and academy were directly concerned, consisted in the excellent choice of the regents and professors. From the origin of those institutions to this day the ablest men, in every branch respectively, whose services could be obtained, were always selected. At first, both the regents of the college and the professors of the academy were almost exclusively distinguished and learned French refugees. Nearly a century elapsed before Geneva could supply its wants in that respect out of its own stock; but by that time it was rich enough to send abroad teachers and clergymen. Yet even then, and since, distinguished foreigners were occasionally appointed to those places. And the result was that the professors were often men of superior merit, and always possessed, in their respective branches, of all the learning of their age. At first they were appointed by the Vénérable Compagnie de Pasteurs, and to the time when I left Geneva that body preserved a certain influence in that respect. I am not well acquainted with the precise organization of that company, and can only say that it embraced

all the ministers of the gospel who were or had been ministers of any of the parishes within the city, and all the other distinguished clergymen of the republic. But the right to appoint was at an early date vested in the Council of Two Hundred, which consisted of the most notable citizens and a great portion of the most enlightened, clergymen excepted, who were not permitted to make part of that political council. The Consistory, which had cognizance of offences against religion and morals, and which alone could excommunicate, consisted of six clergymen, selected by the Venerable Company, and six laymen, selected by and members of the Council of CC. The prodigious and pernicious power which the Catholic clergy had acquired by the abuse of excommunication, made the Genevese government inflexible in that respect in spite of Calvin's efforts. In few rare instances, men were appointed without examination who by their previous works had acquired an undisputed preeminence; and this was principally done in the appointment of honorary, unpaid professors. In all other cases the competition was open to all, and the examinations were most thorough and severe, for both professors and regents, continued sometimes for weeks, and testing not only the general capacity and knowledge of the candidates, but also their talent for teaching. All this was done publicly, and the decision of the Council of CC. always fair and almost universally approved. Bad choices were as few as the imperfection of human nature can permit. But how could Geneva command the services of the most eminent men she possessed? and why had the honor of being a professor become such an object of competition for all her citizens? Not, certainly, on account of the salary, which amounted only to 500 dollars a year, paid by government, and not a cent of fees by the students or any perquisites of any kind. Independent of the desire of being useful by devoting their faculties to the national education, the leading motive was the high degree of consideration attached to the office. The professors of the academy stood in their social position at least on a par with the first magistrates of the republic; they were at the head of the social scale. This could have taken place only in an enlightened community and where learning was held in high estimation; and I believe that