should be formed to such habits as would enable the learner to write the words correctly, without premeditation. His eye ought, under the influence of correct impressions, to direct his hand, as in acquiring the pronunciation the ear directs the tongue. Transcribing words will more effectually assist the memory in retaining their orthography than oral repetition of them. The greater number of those who learn the dictionary as an exercise in spelling do not go through one half of it, and yet they usually know the words of the second half as well as those of the first, a fact which obviously proves the uselessness of the exercise. The second object proposed from this mnemonic exercise is equally defeated; for the import of words, as it has previously been remarked, cannot, in general, be fully ascertained when they are considered separately. It is from reading and from the conversation of those who speak well, that the precise and various meanings of words must be learned.

In repeating words, the child, anxious to have the task over, often utters in one breath their spelling, their synonyms, and their definitions, as given in his vocabulary, without attending to the ideas represented by these words: so that the judgment having no participation in this mechanical repetition, no impression is left on his mind either of their orthography or of their meaning. The lesson is no sooner over than he has probably forgotten every word of it. How then can it be supposed that he derives from this exercise the expected information, or any advantage adequate to the time and trouble devoted to it.

The other practice consists in presenting to children for correction portions of language written with a false orthography; an exercise useless for those who spell correctly, and absurd for those who do not. If a learner previously knows the right spelling of the words to be altered, it is obvious that there cannot be any difficulty, merit, or improvement in making these alterations; and if he is ignorant of the spelling, it is impossible that he can effect the suitable changes, the exercise of reflection being of no avail in so arbitrary a thing as etymological orthography. His knowledge of the pronunciation, far from producing the desired result, could only lead him astray; for the very errors which are introduced in these orthographical exercises are mostly founded on a conformity of the written form with the spoken language, and that conformity, consistent with reason, would rather incline him to adopt these errors, if he should use his judgment. The erroneous impressions which the eye receives

from these misspelled words foster bad habits. He who has seen a word spelled in two ways,-correctly and incorrectly,will be more likely to err in writing it than he who has always seen it correctly spelled. Exercises in cacography produce nothing but confusion and perplexity in the mind of a learner. What must be the baneful effect of this method when the child, at his entrance upon the study of a language, receives his first impressions of a large portion of its written form from inaccurate spelling.

The correction of false syntax is not, it is true, as irrational as that of false spelling, since it may be said in its favour that it affords a means of putting the learner's knowledge of rules to the test; yet, we prefer the direct mode of instruction, by which he is made either to produce forms of expression illustrative of grammar, or to notice those of a standard work which exemplify the rules of the language. Whatever be the department of composition aimed at,-orthography, syntax, or style,—the study of good models is the surest way of learning to write correctly. When it is so easy to show a child the right road, why take him through all the crooked paths which can be imagined! In every department of education it is more judicious to present good examples to be followed than bad ones to be avoided. Vice is surely not the medium through which a child can be led to the practice of virtue.

Among those who, on this subject, hold the same opinion with us, may be mentioned Dumarsais, Matter, and Girard. The latter says,-" Whence do they take those subjects of cacology and cacography? From good writers, whose expressions and style they spoil for that perpose. This is, in my opinion, a profanation which should not be permitted. Let us, by proper means, prevent children from committing errors, and let us carefully correct those which escape them when they speak or write thereby we shall attain more safely the end which certain grammarians aim at in their miserable collections of exercises in bad spelling and bad grammar."

* Enseignement Régulier de la Langue Maternelle.

2. Modes of acquiring orthography.

Whatever may be said for or against any special orthographical exercises, they evidently are less requisite in the foreign than in the vernacular tongue. In the latter the child being, at first, acquainted only with the articulate words, requires to be taught their corresponding orthography. In the foreign language, on the contrary, knowledge of the orthography is, we repeat it, the natural consequence of the manner in which the language is learned, since the written form is constantly under the consideration of the learner; he only requires to be taught the corresponding pronunciation. The foreign orthography will be the more certainly secured, if, in reading the first works, and, especially, in second perusals, attention be duly directed to the material form of words. Its acquisition will also receive considerable aid from the double-translation, an exercise which, while it aims at higher acquirements, forwards the learner in the correct spelling of both languages. The second translation, as before mentioned, leads to accuracy in spelling the foreign words, and the first in spelling the native, if a dictionary is resorted to in all doubtful cases.

Although carefully inspecting and correcting written composition tend to improve learners in orthography, a professor may still render them valuable service by occasionally directing their attention expressly to this elementary department of composition in either the native or a foreign language. Let him, instead of dictating to them a consecutive passage, read on until he comes to words the spelling of which may present some difficulty. These words he either desires his pupils to write, or he questions them on their spelling; he then, as occasion requires, states to them the etymological principle or grammatical concord which governs their orthography; he explains the phonographical law on which the alphabetical system of writing is founded, and points out the irregularities to which this law is liable; he finally illustrates his remarks by exhibiting, on the black board, words which are alike in spelling and different in sound, or vice versâ, similar in sound and different in orthography. This practice would avoid the waste of time which results from ordinary dictation, and would, besides, impart valuable information.

As another means of learning orthography, we will suggest

the practice of extracting from the best works which the student reads the passages most remarkable for beauty of style, or justness of thought, interesting anecdotes, striking truths, and maxims. These extracts would necessarily draw attention to the orthography, at the same time that they would give correct habits of writing, cultivate taste for literature, exercise judgment in reading, and furnish useful ideas,-objects vastly more important than mere knowledge of spelling. One may be free from errors in orthography and pronunciation, and be withal very ignorant.

A third exercise in orthography consists in writing from memory pieces of prose or poetry. This practice tends to make learners careful in noticing the spelling, while committing to memory; it creates a habit of attention, and adds to the usefulness of mnemonic lessons. This and the preceding exercise possess two other advantages of which dictation is destitute,they enable learners to attend to the punctuation, and to correct their errors themselves by comparing their written copy with the model.

The different kinds of composition which are recommended in the next chapter, will further tend to familiarise learners with the orthography,

CHAPTER III.

ORIGINAL COMPOSITION.

SECT. I.-PHRASEOLOGICAL EXERCISES-IDIOMATIC AND
SYNTACTIC ILLUSTRATIONS.

To complete our suggestions on the art of writing in a foreign language, we will point out a series of progressive exercises which may alternate with the double translation, and through which skill in original composition may be attained.

Original composition simply consists in writing, instead of speaking, the ideas which are actually in the mind. If learners select subjects which are familiar to them, they will find no difficulty in composing, that is, in writing what they can readily say in conversation. Composition should then be for them the fruit of past labour, the mere application of the words and phraseology acquired from reading, hearing, and phrase-making to the expression of their own thoughts. The exercises by which these objects may be accomplished, must be analogous to those resorted to for acquiring the art of speaking, especially when, in the case of the living languages, writing is considered as an auxiliary to speaking.

In the preceding book we have adverted to the practice of forming, in the intervals of the lessons, phraseological variations on the verbs, in which ideas are expressed in the foreign language without the intervening medium of the native: this process, introduced in writing, will extend the benefit of the phrasemaking exercise, and serve as an easy introduction to original composition. If the sentences arise from ideas originating in the learner's own mind, and if their construction conform to the simplicity of the first native phrases of infancy, they may be ventured upon from the moment he has mastered a verb in its different forms,-affirmative, interrogative, and negative. Let him, when combining its various moods, tenses, persons and forms with such words as make complete propositions, endeavour to