viii PREFACE. 



column of ancient lore by introducing the 

 barbarous ornaments of modern science. My 

 answer is, we do not propose to devote a large 

 portion of time to Natural History in ordinary 

 cases, and even this will be taken principally 

 during those early years when very little real 

 progress is made in Greek or Latin. Every age 

 has its intellectual, as well as its moral claims ; 

 and though the stern discipline of early classical 

 instruction may offer some advantages, still the 

 hours devoted to the abstractions of grammar, 

 and the puzzling out ideas which have no pro- 

 totype in the child's mind through the dark 

 mist of a language little akin to his maternal 

 tongue, present very meagre food to that under- 

 standing they are supposed to strengthen. If 

 the child must lisp in Latin, let him do so ; let 

 his first Gradus ad Parnassum be through the 

 quagmires at its base ; the few choice spirits 

 that mount the summit may, perhaps, tread it 

 with firmer step, and enjoy the prospect with 

 keener relish ; but that step will riot be the less 

 firm, nor that relish the less keen, because a 

 daily hour was abstracted for ' Lessons on Ob- 

 jects,' or ' Lessons on Shells.' Not only are the 

 sciences so linked together that each gives each 

 a double charm, but the faculties of the mind 

 are so constituted, as that the vigour of each is 

 promoted by the due developement of the rest. 



