undertaking; let us follow its instructive examples; but let us also lament that an adverse fate must hang over a man, who, by the force of circumstances, is constantly hindered from doing what he would wish to do."

After the publication of the report, there arose a long and violent literary warfare, which did any thing but add to the credit of the institution.* With this war against external foes, was unfortunately associated an internal feud, which ended in the departure of Schmid and others of the teachers.

One of Pestalozzi's biographers states, that Schmid's pride and pretensions had grown to such an extent, that he had acted with the greatest harshness toward Pestalozzi, Niederer, and Krüsi. "This was caused," continues the biographer, "by some ideas which he had partially caught up from two scientific men who were then stopping with Pestalozzi, (one of them is now a man of note in Silesia.) Perhaps at that time these ideas were not very clearly defined in the minds of those men themselves."t

The biographer means me and my friend; I shall therefore not be misunderstood, if I relate briefly the matter to which he refers.

I had come to learn and to render service. On this account, I took up my quarters entirely in the old building of the institution, slept in one of the large dormitories, took my meals with the children, attended the lessons, morning and evening prayers, and the conferences of the teachers. I listened and observed attentively in silence; but I was far from thinking of commencing myself to teach. My opinion upon all the things that I saw and heard was formed very much with reference to the boy of eight years intrusted to my care, accordingly as they contributed to his comfort or otherwise. Several weeks had passed on in this way, when I was one evening with Pestalozzi and the rest of the teachers at the hotel of the Wild Man, where they used to meet I think once a fortnight. After supper, Pestalozzi called me into an adjoining room; we were quite alone. "My teachers are afraid of you," he said, "because you only listen and look on in silence; why do you not teach ?" I answered that before teaching, I wished to learn to learn in silence. After the

* The well-known K. L. von Haller noticed the report of the commission in terms of high praise, in the Gottingen Literary Advertiser, of the 13th of April, 1811, and at the same time accused the Pestalozzian Institution of inspiring its pupils with an aversion from religion, the constituted authorities, and the aristocracy. In reply to this, Niederer wrote "The Pestalozzian Institution to the Public." This pamphlet appeared in a new form in 1812, under the title, "Pestalozzi's Educational Undertaking in relation to the Civilization of the Present Time." Bremi, of Zurich, wrote in reply to the former pamphlet ; Pestalozzi and Niederer wrote again in reply to Bremi. Niederer professes to have convicted Bremi of ninety-two lies, thirty-six falsifications, and twenty calumnies.

↑ Henning, in the Schulrath, (an educational periodical ) No. 10.-VOL. I11., No. 4.]—7

conversation had touched on one thing and another, he frankly told me things about several of his teachers which put me into a state of astonishment, and which stood in direct contradiction with what I had read in the report, but not with what I had myself already observed or expected. Pestalozzi followed up these disclosures with the proposal, that I and my friend, in company with Schmid, whom he highly praised, especially for his practical ability and his activity, should set to work to renovate the institution.

The proposal came upon me so unexpectedly, that I begged for time to think of it, and discussed the matter with my friend, who was just as much surprised as I was. We were both naturally brought by this means into a closer relation with Schmid, became in a short time acquainted with the arcana imperii, and honestly considered what obstacles stood in the way of the prosperity of the institution, and what could be done to remove them.

Foremost of these was the intermixture of German and French boys, which doubly pained me, as I had come from Paris. The parents thought otherwise: they perceived in this very intermixture a fortunate means of training their children in the easiest way to speak both languages: whereas the result was, that the children could speak neither. With such a medley of children, the institution was devoid of a predominant mother-tongue, and assumed the mongrel character of border-provinces. Pestalozzi read the prayers every morning and evening, first in German, then in French! At the lessons in the German language, intended for German children, I found French children who did not understand the most common German word. This, and much more that was to be said against this intermixture, was now discussed with Pestalozzi, and the proposal was made to him, to separate the institution into two departments, one for German, the other for French children. Only in this way, it was represented to him, could the education of each class of children be successfully conducted.

The proposal was not accepted, chiefly on account of external obstacles, which might however have been overcome. A passage in Pestalozzi's "Fortunes" shows that he afterward thoroughly agreed with us. In this passage he calls it an unnatural circumstance, that the institution was transplanted from Burgdorf to Yverdun, "from German to French soil." "When we first come here," he continues, our pupils were nearly all Germans; but there was very soon added to them an almost equal number of French children. Most of the German children were now intrusted to us, not with any particular reference to any elementary or other education, but simply in order

that they might learn to speak French in a German house, and this was the very thing that we were least able to teach them; so also most of the French parents intrusted their children to us, in order that they might learn German in our German house: and here we stood between these two claims, equally unable to satisfy either the one or the other. At the same time, the persons on either side, who committed their children to our care, saw with as little distinctness what they really wished of us, as we did the extent of our inability to satisfy their real wishes. But it had now become the fashion to send us children from all sides; and so, in respect to pecuniary resources and eulogistic prattle, things went on for a considerable time in their old glittering but deceptive path."

The second evil was this. Much as is said in the report about the life in the institution having quite the character of that in a family, and even excelling it in many respects, still nothing could be less domestic than this life was. Leaving out of consideration Pestalozzi's residence, there were indeed in the old castle class rooms, dining rooms, and bed rooms, but the parlor, so justly esteemed by Pestalozzi, was altogether wanting. Older boys who, as the expression is, had arrived at years of indiscretion, may have felt this want less ; but so much the more was it felt by the youngest-by children of six to ten years. I felt deeply on this account for my little Freddy, who, until he came to the institution, had grown up under the care of a tender mother in a lovely family circle. His present uncomfortable and even desolate existence grieved me much, and troubled my conscience. For his sake, and at the same time, for the sake of the rest of the little boys, we begged Pestalozzi to rent a beautiful dwelling house, in the vicinity of Yverdun, where the children might find a friendly compensation for the life of the family circle which they had lost. We offered to take up our abode with them.

This proposal also was declined. It may easily be supposed that in the consultation upon it, the weak side of the institution, the want of a parlor, and the impossibility even of supplying the place of the family life, was very fully discussed.*

Many of the conversations I had with Pestalozzi I shall never forget. One of them concerned the teachers of the institution, in particular the under-teachers. I saw that many of them labored with the greatest fidelity and conscientiousness, even sacrificing themselves

* We made a third proposal, because it appeared to us to be impossible that Pestalozzi's ideas could be realized in Yverdun under the then existing circumstances. We asked him to establish in the canton of Argovia the long promised poor school, and offered to engage in the work ourselves to the best of our ability. As he declined this proposal also, I thought it my duty, especially on account of the boy confided to me, to leave the institution.

conversation had touched on one thing and another, he frankly told me things about several of his teachers which put me into a state of astonishment, and which stood in direct contradiction with what I had read in the report, but not with what I had myself already observed or expected. Pestalozzi followed up these disclosures with the proposal, that I and my friend, in company with Schmid, whom he highly praised, especially for his practical ability and his activity, should set to work to renovate the institution.

The proposal came upon me so unexpectedly, that I begged for time to think of it, and discussed the matter with my friend, who was just as much surprised as I was. We were both naturally brought by this means into a closer relation with Schmid, became in a short time acquainted with the arcana imperii, and honestly considered what obstacles stood in the way of the prosperity of the institution, and what could be done to remove them.

Foremost of these was the intermixture of German and French boys, which doubly pained me, as I had come from Paris. The parents thought otherwise: they perceived in this very intermixture a fortunate means of training their children in the easiest way to speak both languages: whereas the result was, that the children could speak neither. With such a medley of children, the institution was devoid of a predominant mother-tongue, and assumed the mongrel character of border-provinces. Pestalozzi read the prayers every morning and evening, first in German, then in French! At the lessons in the German language, intended for German children, I found French children who did not understand the most common German word. This, and much more that was to be said against this intermixture, was now discussed with Pestalozzi, and the proposal was made to him, to separate the institution into two departments, one for German, the other for French children. Only in this way, it was represented to him, could the education of each class of children be successfully conducted.

The proposal was not accepted, chiefly on account of external obstacles, which might however have been overcome. A passage in Pestalozzi's "Fortunes" shows that he afterward thoroughly agreed with us. In this passage he calls it an unnatural circumstance, that the institution was transplanted from Burgdorf to Yverdun, "from German to French soil." "When we first come here," he continues, "our pupils were nearly all Germans; but there was very soon added to them an almost equal number of French children. Most of the German children were now intrusted to us, not with any particular reference to any elementary or other education, but simply in order

that they might learn to speak French in a German house, and this was the very thing that we were least able to teach them; so also most of the French parents intrusted their children to us, in order that they might learn German in our German house: and here we stood between these two claims, equally unable to satisfy either the one or the other. At the same time, the persons on either side, who committed their children to our care, saw with as little distinctness what they really wished of us, as we did the extent of our inability to satisfy their real wishes. But it had now become the fashion to send us children from all sides; and so, in respect to pecuniary resources and eulogistic prattle, things went on for a considerable time in their old glittering but deceptive path."

The second evil was this. Much as is said in the report about the life in the institution having quite the character of that in a family, and even excelling it in many respects, still nothing could be less domestic than this life was. Leaving out of consideration Pestalozzi's residence, there were indeed in the old castle class rooms, dining rooms, and bed rooms, but the parlor, so justly esteemed by Pestalozzi, was altogether wanting. Older boys who, as the expression is, had arrived at years of indiscretion, may have felt this want less; but so much the more was it felt by the youngest-by children of six to ten years. I felt deeply on this account for my little Freddy, who, until he came to the institution, had grown up under the care of a tender mother in a lovely family circle. His present uncomfortable and even desolate existence grieved me much, and troubled my conscience. For his sake, and at the same time, for the sake of the rest of the little boys, we begged Pestalozzi to rent a beautiful dwelling house, in the vicinity of Yverdun, where the children might find a friendly compensation for the life of the family circle which they had lost. We offered to take up our abode with them.

This proposal also was declined. It may easily be supposed that in the consultation upon it, the weak side of the institution, the want of a parlor, and the impossibility even of supplying the place of the family life, was very fully discussed.*

Many of the conversations I had with Pestalozzi I shall never forget. One of them concerned the teachers of the institution, in particular the under-teachers. I saw that many of them labored with the greatest fidelity and conscientiousness, even sacrificing themselves

* We made a third proposal, because it appeared to us to be impossible that Pestalozzi's ideas could be realized in Yverdun under the then existing circumstances. We asked him to establish in the canton of Argovia the long promised poor school, and offered to engage in the work ourselves to the best of our ability. As he declined this proposal also, I thought it my duty, especially on account of the boy confided to me, to leave the institution.