CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Journal of Education, 1893. (W. Rice.)—We are glad again to commend to all readers interested in education the yearly volume of this excellent periodical, by far the best of the jour- nals which specially devote themselves to this subject. The Journal of Education has very decided views, which it states with sometimes an excess of energy ; but it may be trusted to give a reasonable and well-considered judgment on the questions touch- ing schools and universities that turn up from time to time. We would mention especially a very sensible article on Christ's Hos- pital. What with Charity Commissioners and sanitary experts, this great foundation is having a hard time of it. If all would bake as sober and sound a view of its prospects and possibilities as does the writer in the Journal, it would be well. We observe an in1Peresting correspondence on the subjeot of clerical head- masters. Without clerical head-masters, would there not be a difficulty in the way of a governing body which felt bound to assure religious teaching and influence for the school under its charge ? I layman stands at the head of the candidates. They can ask no questions ; they can, one might say, make no inquiries. There is nothing to ensure them against appointing an atheist. Would the Journal have an atheist appointed if his secular qualifications were superior to those of a believer ? It is noticeable how infrequent are the appearances of the classics in these pages. There is, for instance, a monthly competition in prize translations. Not once in the twelve months has the passage been set from a Latin author ; yet the test of translating from Latin is much the most effective. Is not the Journal a little hard on the head-master unnamed (and unknown to the writer of this notice), who spoke of his "thirty- four remaining masters, more or less," pretending not to know the exact number ? Of course he meant to magnify the greatness of his staff,—so great that he could not reckon it. Perhaps it was not very wise. "A sorry—we had almost written a scurvy— joke," says the Journal. (" We had almost written " is good. So the Eatanswill Independent, "What if we were to print the effusion ? " &c.) Perhaps so. But even then it is a little hard to go on :— " And that proved the perpetrator, if he was sober, to be utterly unworthy to be the head of a great school."
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