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THE GREAT DIDACTIC

themselves out in practice. We will only touch on one point further. An acquaintance with history is the most important element in a man’s education, and is, as it were, the eye of his whole life. This subject, therefore, should be taught in each of the six classes, that our pupils may be ignorant of no event which has happened from ancient times to the present day; but its study must be arranged in such a way that it lighten their work instead of increasing it, and serve a relaxation after their severer labours.

16. Our idea is that each class should have its own hand-book, dealing with some special branch of history; for example:

In class i. An epitome of Biblical history.
ii. Natural history.
iii. The history of art and of inventions.
iv. The history of morals.
v. The history of customs, treating of the habits of different nations.
vi. The general history of the world and of the principal nations; but especially of the boys’ native land, dealing with the whole subject tersely and comprehensively.

17. As regards the special method to be employed, I will make only one remark. The four hours of daily class instruction should be arranged as follows: the two morning hours should be devoted (as soon as morning prayer has been held) to the science or the art that forms the special subject of the class. Of the afternoon hours the first should be given to history, and, in the second, the pupils should be made to exercise style, declamation, and the use of their hands, in accordance with the requirements of the class.