Comment Meyer nos Pils. Par Joseph Duhamel. (Libraire Charpentier et

Fasquelle, Paris.)—Mons. Duhamel, who has had the opportunity for some years of seeing the English Public. School system at work—he is :teacher of Fs encht language and literature at Harrow—propounds in this volume a scheme for a "Colleg,e de Normandie " which is to unite the good qualities of French and English methods. "Lea Anglais," he writes (p. 31), " nous sent superieurs comma educateurs at comma hygienistes, c'est incentestable, et il faut le reconnoitre; mais leur pedagogie est, en general, inferieure a la notre." "Education." in this sense, may be taken as equivalent to training. Put into a con- crete form, this is as much as to say : The product of the English Public School is a being more competent for the affairs of life than the product of the French Lycee, but he almost certainly knows much less. N. Duhamel excepts, however, the teaching of modern languages in his general censure of our instruction, and that of physical science. These things are practical with us, he says, theoretic only in France. What he especially dislikes in the French school is the seclusion and the distrust. These defects are ruining the race. The Fiench race is, he affirms, "plus vigoureuse qua la race anglaise " (we venture to doubt) ; but it will lose its qualities, unites the present abuses are done away with. The new sellout is not to be ruled by what he calls " l'esprit adminis- tratif." " Qui dit fonctionnaire, dit absence d'individualite, absence de liberte d'action." What N. Duhamel says on this and kindred subjects is full of good sense. When we come to teach- ing we find a system which may be thus tabulated (we give it for what may be called the upper school) :—

French Latin Greek English or German History d: Geography Mathematics and Physics or 13-14. Hours.

4 3 3 . 14-15. Hours.

3 7 2 1 ...

... 15-17. 16-13.

Hours. Hours.

• . 4 Cours et I auteurs.

... 10 2 Chemistry 1

4 Natural Science

2 Physiology and Hygiene

1

•••

• -•

2 Drawing • 1* 1* ...

Politics and Litera- ture of Greece and Rome Religious Teaching 1 1 ... 2 1 ••. 1 1

••111

1

Singing 1

1

Mathematics are put into an inferior place. Here boys are allowed to specialise at a certain age, and with good results. As for games, cricket is to be excluded, being represented by Grande theque,—baseball without the " violence " which the Americans have, we are told, introduced into it. (Cricket bores the French boy, besides hurting his hands, shins, and head.) This is to be the summer game, with water polo and tennis. La crosse is to be for February and March. As to football, both "Hugger" and " Soeker " are to be played ; and the Harrow game also. Why not build a long wall and add the Eton variety ? But we cannot but fear that this variety will make a mess of Normandy football. We see no mention of fives, but fives gives the maximum of exercise in the minimum of time. Manual work is to be a feature of the programme. M. Duhamel has our best wishes for his scheme.