OUTLINES FROM THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION. 51 



These general facts are full of importance with reference to the 

 question of the succession of formations and of life in the geological 

 history of the earth. So much time has heen occupied with these 

 o-eneral views that it would be impossible to trace the history of the 

 Atlantic in detail through the ages of the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, and 

 Tertiary. We may, however, shortly glance at the changes of the 

 three kinds of surface already referred to. 



The bed of the ocean seems to have remained, on the whole, 

 abyssal, but there were probably periods when those shallow reaches 

 of the Atlantic, which stretch across its most northern portion and 

 partly separate it from the Arctic basin, presented connecting coasts 

 or continuous chains of islands sufficient to permit animals and plants 

 to pass over. At certain periods also there were not unlikely groups 

 of volcanic islands, like the Azores, in the temperate or tropical At- 

 lantic. More especially might this be the case in that early time when 

 it was more like the present Pacific ; and the line of the great vol- 

 canic belt of the Mediterranean, the mid-Atlantic banks, the Azores, 

 and the West India islands point to the possibility of such partial 

 connections. These were stepping-stones, so to speak, over which land 

 organisms might cross, and some of these may be connected with the 

 fabulous or prehistoric Atlantis. 



[ To be continued. ] 



SOME OUTLINES FROM THE HISTORY OF EDUCA- 

 TION. 

 By w. e. benedict, 



PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND LOGIC IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI. 



III. 



THE truths of the educational reformers reached comparatively 

 small circles. Everywhere the schools continued to turn out min- 

 isters and priests ; indeed, this was the accepted design of the schools. 

 We have many illustrations of the home training during these years. 

 I name a few as recorded. Christian Weise, eight years of age, was 

 required by his parents to discontinue study on account of sickness. 

 He objected to this course, saying " The power of Jesus Christ will 

 come to my aid, he who is strong in the sick ones." George Nitzsch 

 (who wrote a treatise entitled " Is Scripture God Himself ? ") in his 

 ninth year could find no more delightful occupation than prayer and 

 memorizing sermons. Feustking, when he was nine years old, had read 

 the Bible through five times, and at the same age had preached before 

 his father's congregation. It is said that some one wished to use 

 extracts from classical writers ; the Church authorities thereupon 



