754 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



classes and two years to the acquisition of elegancies. Subsequently 

 a tenth class was added ; in this lowest class the basis was laid. Here 

 the children learned the form and pronunciation of the letters, then 

 reading, which can be better gained by Latin declensions and conju- 

 gations than by the catechism. In the ninth class the pupils were 

 perfected in declension and conjugation, and grappled with the ir- 

 regular verbs. At the same time a multitude of Latin words repre- 

 senting common objects were learned, and each pupil daily received a 

 number of special words to be committed to memory. In the eighth 

 class the first thing to be considered was that the boy forgot nothing 

 of what he had learned in the preceding classes. Those who entered 

 this class must be able to parse all leading words and adverbs. This 

 they learned more through practice than in any scientific manner, as 

 the Roman and Greek boys exercised themselves in speech before the 

 grammar was given them. In this eighth class the separate declen- 

 sions and conjugations were distinguished and marked by examples 

 w T hich the scholars could take from the words already learned. Then 

 Cicero's letters were to be translated with sole reference to the gram- 

 mar. Some practice in style appears for the first time during the last 

 months of the year ; there were oral exercises in the formation of new 

 Latin phrases, and the transposition of those already assigned. 



" The seventh class takes special care that nothing is forgotten ; 

 then Latin syntax is dealt with in simple rules these rules are ex- 

 plained by Ciceronian examples. Each day Cicero's letters are read, 

 for in this class they must read much in order to gain much. The 

 themes for practice in style are selected from that which the pupil has 

 learned in this or the preceding classes, thus making these themes a 

 refreshment of the memory. The teacher must help his pupils orally 

 and by writing on the blackboard. On Sunday the German cate- 

 chism is translated into classical Latin. 



" Since the preservation of what is learned is no less an art than 

 learning anew, the sixth class must not forget anything. Longer let- 

 ters of Cicero are now translated into German, and different letters 

 are given to companies of ten. In like manner various poetical pieces 

 are assigned to different pupils; the Andria of Terence and the first 

 poetical volume are read. In connection with writing, the pupils are 

 compelled to pay special attention to the minute development of their 

 style. Saturday evenings and Sundays they continue translation of 

 the catechism ; some letters of Jerome are read, and Greek is com- 

 menced. From the fifth class onward the scholars are made ac- 

 quainted with the less-known words and their objects. Metrical 

 composition is studied, and in the later months of the year this is 

 joined with some practical exercises. Then mythology is taken up ; 

 Cicero's Loelius and Virgil's Eclogues are read. In Greek the pupils 

 learn to name the virtues and vices and habits of men ; they write 

 them down carefully in their dictionary. Style must be further de- 



