310 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[MARCH, 



the management of him into your own bands, 

 and you make him what you like. He is 

 clay in the potter's hand. Excogitate then 

 a comprehensive scheme, of education, and 

 give the bent and law to his habits. Make 

 the adoption of that scheme imperative, 

 and you mould your people into just what 

 form you would have them. Men and wo- 

 men are but flesh and blood, and flesh and 

 blood follow the laws of mechanics as stea- 

 dily as plants and fossils. 



Hence originated the national plan of edu- 

 cation by primary, central, and special schools 

 in 1795, which was to pervade the whole 

 territory of France ; but which, however, 

 was never carried, to any considerable extent, 

 into execution, and was itself superseded by 

 another, in 1802 the work of Fourcroy, 

 Roederer, and Regnaud. Essentially, perhaps, 

 the new scheme differed from the first more in 

 names and distinctions than in realities. The 

 schools were now divided into primary, se- 

 condary, Lycea, and special schools, each 

 succeeding one risiBg' t in importance over the 

 other, and all placed under the superin- 

 tendence of the civil magistrate, and con- 

 fined to the same commanded course of 

 study. 



This second institution, however, assumed 

 a new and more imposing aspect under the 

 Emperor; for, in 1S08, it was transformed 

 into the Imperial University. To the control 

 of this university still existing, with scarcely 

 any but insignificant changes, though of 

 course now, with the title of " Royal," is 

 exclusively confided the public instruction 

 throughout the kingdom. To it is entrusted 

 the education of the people in all its branches. 

 The Royal University is no longer the Uni- 

 versity of Paris ; but is a body that stretches 

 its feelers through every corner of the king- 

 dom subject solely to the jurisdiction of a 

 council residing at Paris, called the Royal 

 Council of Public Instruction, the head of 

 which has the rank and title of Secretary of 

 State.* No establishments,except those con- 

 nected with the public service military ones 

 can exist in France, independent of the 

 University. Every school, of whatever na- 

 ture, public or private, high or low, for the 

 great or the little, is subject to its statutes or 

 its surveillance; and HO one can open a 

 school, without being a member of the Uni- 

 versity, or sanctioned by its authority. 



This university consists of twenty-six aca- 

 demies, as they are styled, corresponding 

 with the courts of appeal, or royal courts. 

 That is, the limits of each of the twenty-six 

 royal courts constitute the limits of an " aca- 

 demy.'* Its schools are classed thus: i. 

 Faculties, of which there are five ; theology, 

 law, medicine, sciences, and letters. These 

 are destined to the teaching of science and 

 literature in their highest branches, and can 

 alone confer the highest academical honours. 

 2. Colleges, in which are taught the ele- 



* The present head is Fraisainous, Bishop of 

 Hermopolis, and is, or lately was the King's con- 

 fessor. 



ments of philosophy and science. 3. Pri- 

 vate institutions and boarding-schools. 4. 

 Primary schools, for reading, writing, arith- 

 metic, <fec., which are again divided into 

 three orders, according as the instruction is 

 more or less advanced. 



The author of the volume before us a 

 gentleman, apparently well acquainted with 

 France enters very minutely into the ope- 

 rations of this magnificent institution, its 

 mode of government, and course of study, 

 of the whole of which he is inclined to speak 

 in a very laudatory tone. The total silence 

 he observes, we cannot forbear remarking, 

 upon the facilities, which this system of con- 

 trol gives the clergy of France, and the ac- 

 tual use they are known to be making of 

 those facilities is, for an Englishman, and 

 even for a Scotchman, to say tbe least of it, 

 something singular. Dr. Johnston must know 

 perfectly, that the Royal University is, under 

 existing management, essentially a clerical 

 institution, and altogether in the hands, 'or 

 at least uliogether under the control of the 

 clergy Can he be insensible to the conse- 

 quences ? 



But he has a particular motive for this pub- 

 lication at leust for publishing at this par- 

 ticular period. A commission a " royal" 

 commission, as he reverently phrases it is 

 actually at this time inquiring into the state 

 of the Scottish universities ; and the author 

 considers the publication, therefore, at such 

 a time, of a History of the University of 

 France, with an account of its institutions 

 and arrangements, and particularly its course 

 of study, in the higher schools and the lower, 

 eminently appropriate. Bearing these things 

 in mind but one conclusion can be drawn 

 that if any change be contemplated in Scot- 

 land, it is desirable to assimilate them to 

 that of the Royal University of France. We 

 know but little of Scotch universities ; they 

 may want reforming ; but we should wish to 

 see all institutions of this nature with fewer 

 restrictions, rather than more. 



Dr. Johnston introduces his view of the 

 present stute of education, with a history of 

 the origin and progress of the old University 

 of Paris, which is well enough as a sort of 

 syllabus of the succession of facts relative to 

 that once conspicuous and formidable insti- 

 tution ; but in any other light, is miserably 

 dry and meagre. In the course of his after- 

 statements on the existing system of educa- 

 tion, he speaks of the remark able extension 

 of schools for mutual instruction in France. 

 Is he not aware that these institutions are 

 looked upon with great coolness by the Uni- 

 versity, and have, in fact, during the last 

 year, received a serious check? 



We quote a fact or two relative to educa- 

 cation, incidentally mentioned by Dr. John- 

 ston page 228. 



The King of Prussia, by a late edict, calls 

 upon all his subjects, under penalties, to 

 send their children to school at a certain 

 age ; and the King of Sardinia, by an edict 

 of nearly the same date, forbids all persons, 



