THE 



POPULAR EDUCATOR, 



INTRODUCTION. 



AT no period in the history of our country was it less 

 < 'SBiuy to ofl'er an apology for introducing a national 

 work on Education than at the .present time. So keen is 

 tin- competitive spirit of the age, that the advantage of 

 knowledge in the struggle for advancement is apparent 

 to all. The mighty power of steam applied to railways 

 and vessels has developed national and international com- 

 munication to a degree not dreamt of at the commence- 

 ment of the century. Telegraphy presents to our view 

 the daily contemporaneous history of the world ; and the 

 Press, relieved from those shackles which impeded its 

 action and fettered its influence, has become a powerful 

 medium for the communication of thought between the 

 leading minds of the age. In the political condition of our 

 own country a change has been wrought, the consequences 

 of which the boldest prophet avows his inability to predict, 

 but which all parties agree will bo fraught with good or 

 evil, according to the degree in which the new recipients 

 of power may be possessed of the knowledge to use that 

 power aright. . The necessity of Education, therefore, 

 \vhich was fiercely combated when this work first saw 

 the light, is now universally admitted, and the mode 

 and the system alone remain to be discussed. This truth 

 was fully recognised by no one more than the late Earl of 

 Derby, the illustrious chief of the Conservative party, and 

 he was pleased to accept the dedication of this work to 

 himself. Gratifying as is this complimentary recognition 

 of the services which the original edition of the POPULAR 

 EDUCATOR has rendered in the promotion of National Edu- 

 cation, we feel that the basis of our present claim upon the 

 co-operation of all the friends of that great movement con- 

 sists in this that our system has been tested, its efficiency 

 lias leen$>roved, whilst a sale of 750,000 copies has testi- 

 fied, on the part of those for whom it was designed, their 

 appreciation of the work and their estimate of its value. 

 But some twenty years have elapsed since the POPULAR 

 EDUCATOR first issued from the press, and during that 

 period considerable advances have been made in many of 

 the departments of knowledge. To perfect the work in 

 accordance with all the discoveries up to the present 

 day, wo have found it necessary to introduce many new 

 subjects, and to re-model many of our old lessons, and 

 we shall spare no expense in making these changes as 

 complete as possible. To amuse, to instruct, to elevate, 

 will be our constant endeavour. To render the work- 

 man more perfect in his vocation, the soldier and sailor 

 better fitted for the higher positions of his profession, 

 the naturalist more conversant with the beauties of 

 Nature, the politician further acquainted with tho im- 



VOL. I. 



portant events in the history of his country, and to 

 place at the command of tho student for .1 Ser- 



vice or University Examinations all the branches of 

 education necessary for his advancement, no effort 

 will bo wanting. Our ambition is to place in 

 English Homo an Educational Encyclopaedia, invaluable 

 as a manual of gtudy and a work of reference, -which, 

 whilst simple, progressive, and interesting in its style, 

 shall be powerful for the improvement and the advance' 

 ment of its students. 



In the three great departments of knowledge which 

 this Work will embrace History, Science, and Lan- 

 guages the end of such instruction, viz., its practical 

 application to the affairs of life, will be kept steadily in 

 view. Science will be taught not merely as abstract 

 truth or an interesting intellectual exercise, but aa 

 embodying in all its branches those principles, a know- 

 ledge of which will explain the various phenomena of 

 the world, and enable us to avail ourselves more 

 intelligently, and therefore more successfully, of all the 

 varied material with which Nature has supplied us. 



Instruction in Languages whether living or dead 

 will be so conveyed as to enable the student not only to 

 understand a given set of books in any particular tongue, 

 but to make him master of the language itself by 

 gradual and easy, but yet real and tangible stages. 



The Historic Sketches, by means of which we shall 

 teach History, will, we hope, render that study no longer 

 a mere record of battles, an obituary of kings, a mighty 

 chaos of incident ; but will illustrate how each nation has 

 discharged its functions in the world's history how each 

 epoch has played its part in the drama of a nation's life. 



A reference to our list of contents will show that under 

 various heads will bo included every branch of study 

 which can possibly be useful in the varied walks of life. 



The great aim and object of this Work is to enable 

 the people to educ.ite themselves. We have only to ask 

 them to realise the magnitude and grandeur of tho work 

 in which they will be engaged if they determine to do 

 so. Obstacles will bo overcome by united resolution. 

 Every difficulty surmounted will be additional strength 

 for further victories. A good education is tho best 

 legacy wo can leave to our children. It is the best 

 investment we can make for ourselves. Tho educated 

 man in every walk of life carries with him his own 

 capital a capital unaffected by monetary crisis an 

 investment whose interest is not regulated by tho 

 success of speculation a legacy which none can dispute, 

 and of which none can deprive. 



