mother serve as an example, and let us employ this instinct, not merely to know, but to know the good only!

Once more I must be allowed to remark that it is by the medium of affection and attention that governesses can facilitate the important and difficult task of education; by adopting the course I recommend; they will not only find it advantageous to themselves, but also to their pupils: they will learn to know their own hearts, to direct their minds and reason, and keep their passions in abeyance. As the rules which govern the human understanding, are the same for the adult as the child, governesses will soon perceive that, by exercising the mind of their pupils, they will strengthen their own judgment; and by giving correct ideas to their pupils, they will rectify and improve their own; and if they take delight in their occupation, while they advance their pupils, they will improve themselves, and find happiness in the consciousness of having faithfully performed one of the most important duties in life.

DUTIES TOWARDS THE SOUL.

INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL FACULTIES-METHOD--ORDER

REASON-REFLECTION-PRUDENCE.

It is impossible to attain perfection in any art or science without method.

I have in the preceding chapters sought to shew by what means the mind was enabled to know, to retain, to express, and I have also pointed out the importance of the dawning of the intellect, for nothing is more true than the saying, begin early and begin well, as a good beginning leads to a good end. I cannot therefore too often repeat how essential it is to give able teachers to young children.

Locke very justly observed, that mental exercise was as necessary to make a man clever, as study was necessary to make a good painter; the legs of a dancing master, and the fingers of a musician fall as it were naturally, without thought or pain, into a regular and admirable motion; all these motions are but the effect of use and industry, in men whose bodies have nothing peculiar in then. As it is in the body, so it is in the mind, practice makes it what it is.

Who can doubt but that children perceive, judge, and reason, though their observation relates to trifles; but as children, they are wanting in experience, and if they express themselves badly, it is the fault of their parents and teachers, for children, I say, would as easily acquire what is right, as what is wrong. It is commonly said, that governesses, in order to teach well, should bring their understanding to a level with that of their pupils, by which it is meant, that whatever instruction is given to a child, should be conveyed in the most simple, clear, and intelligible terms; but it is certainly better to communicate reason to children, rather than wait its tardy development; yet if a governess has never examined her own powers, if she is unacquainted with

the laws of the development of the human faculties, if she knows not the importance of clear ideas, and the advantage of simple and pure language, how can she bring her understanding on a level with that of her pupil?

"We are born," says Locke," with faculties and powers capable of almost any thing, but it is only the exercise of these powers which gives us ability and skill in any thing, and leads us towards perfection." He then continues to state, that weakness and defects in man's understanding, come from a want of a right use of the mind; the fault is generally mislaid upon nature, when the fault is in a want of due improvement.

Thus the errors of man do not generally spring from nature, but from education: let us therefore apply to education, the method that should be followed for the direction of our own mind. "It does not suffice," says Descartes, "to have an upright mind, but we must know how to make use of it ;" to this great writer we are indebted, for the method which teaches us to lead the mind to perfect the understanding; I will now endeavour to apply his precepts to female education, if duly understood and acted on, they will be found of the greatest utility.

1st. The governess, who reasons on education, and considers it as a noble and useful task, will never teach any thing as true, unless she be convinced that it is so: she will therefore carefully avoid precipitation and prejudice.

2d. She will divide all difficulties in separate parts, in order to facilitate them, and make them clear and intelligible.

3d. She will seek to regulate the thoughts of her pupils, by directing their attention, in the first place, to the most simple objects, and things most easily understood, then gradually advance to a knowledge of the difficult.

4th. She will accustom her pupils to enumerate and shew that they are well acquainted with what they have learnt, and that nothing they should know has been omitted.

Such are the principles of the means by which intellectual education may be facilitated and perfected. It is impossible to attain perfection in any art or science without method; even those who have least reflected on the subject feel the necessity of a plan, and adopt the best they can, according to their own intellectual powers, and habit of observation.

For my own part, feeling the advantage of employing instruments invented by great masters, I do not hesitate recommending Descartes's method, which method consists in the order and disposition of things, towards which, it is necessary to turn our attention, for the discovery of what is true. The governess who understands the enlightened task of education, will adopt this method when she commences teaching what is easy, and then gradually advance to the difficult, or else will reduce obscure propositions to simple ones. When she has undertaken a subject, she must instruct her pupils in all that relates to it; she must present things in their regular order, so as to embrace much in a short period of time.

Method is the thread which guides us through the labyrinth of the vast domain of human knowledge, and life is so short, that whatever facilitates study, must be considered as a great benefit. I have said that it was right to lead children to elevate their minds towards their creator, by the contemplation and admiration of the works of nature. I now recommend that the order which reigns in the mighty works of God, should be made a subject of love and reflection.

Order-Order is a law, by the medium of which we see all things in nature, and in our own organisation in equilibrium and in harmony: the order of nature is an universal lesson, it is order that regulates families, countries, and society at large. If we examine ourselves attentively, we shall find that there is in us a sense of unity, harmony, and order.

Order in its application is a moral virtue, on which is founded the well-being of individuals, and of society at large, order governs the world. Experience shews that order in

children depends on the persons by whom they are educated ; and when the habit of order has not been early acquired, it renders the task of the governess very difficult, perseverance on her part can alone rectify the evil. Order is the application of method, it simplifies every thing, and it is not difficult to prove to children, that order is a saving both of time and labour; once the habit of order acquired, a love of unity and harmony are easily cultivated. From the contemplation of the order of nature, children are gradually led to observe moral order.

Providence has so constituted the world, that order leads to happiness, disorder to misfortune; it requires but little observation to remark, that the physical world is governed by immutable laws, it is a machine whose springs are in constant order. This is also the case with the moral world; harmony and happiness are the result of submission to its laws, and as disobedience to the laws of God always brings punishment, so the infraction of moral order is always attended by sorrow. The exceptions to this great law are but apparent, and it is undoubtedly most useful in education, to prove to children that whatever they do wrong, will be attended with punishment here or hereafter.

Reason and conscience, and besides these two natural judges, revelation, teaches us that God is patient, that he is slow to wrath, but that sin begets punishment, either in this world or the next. It is always wise to impress on children's minds, that physical or moral disorder must be productive of evil results, this conviction tends to their intellectual and moral improvement.

Order is the application of method-order is harmonyorder is the basis of taste; order leads to regularity and distribution of time; children cannot therefore be too early accustomed to be orderly, as the habit of order in external things, is a medium of association for ideas, which also require order that they may be connected in a logical and rational manner.