THE TEACHING OF CHILDREN.
The French Tradition in Education. By H. C. Barnard. (Cambridge University Press. 103. 6d.) What a pleasure it is to come on a really good book! This volume, in which Mr. Barnard has considered French education, from the time of RaMUS to Mme. Necker de Saussure, is in the best and fullest sense of the word efficient. It is scholarly without being dull or overladen. The subject is treated fully, authoritatively, and without irrelevancies in a thoroughly readable way. Whether the reader is interested in education or not, or in educational theory, this is a fascinating study. There are such noble characters to occupy one's attention as Anne de Saintonge and such illuminating and human material as Bossuet's struggles with the Grand Dauphin, not to mention the romance of the early days of the University of Paris. The Dauphin, by the way, achieved in his youth an increasing distaste for Latin. "One day a lady of the Court was re- counting the tale of her troubles. 'Do you ever have to write proses ? ' interrupted the young prince. 'No, Mon- seigneur.' 'Then you don't know what it is to be unfortunate ! ' "
Previous page
