THE LAST YEARS 369 



ance you know the streets full of armed citizens, lit torches, and 

 challenges. All this hubbub went on till two or three o'clock this 

 morning, and then to-day everyone is back in his shop, his caf6, or 

 his office. . . . This stormy day had been destined for the celebration 

 of a very quiet citizen, your uncle Charles Bonnet. We were thinking 

 only of securing places for the ceremony. The country folk, even 

 the timid ones, had all come into Geneva attracted by the show : they 

 have firmly vowed not to put their feet in town again. . . . Your 

 sister called for a moment to find if I was dying of fear. We have 

 shown the world, we old ladies of Geneva, that we are not to be killed 

 in that way.' 



In the following June the ' Egaliseurs ' proposed that the citizens 

 should be invited to take a voluntary oath of allegiance to Liberty, 

 Equality, and Fraternity. The object was transparent to pro- 

 vide a black list of abstainers. De Saussure, anxious in every 

 way in his power to promote unity, took the oath, but both his 

 sons refused. 



His multiplied political functions did not deter de Saussure 

 from making yet another effort in the cause which from his youth 

 he had had deeply at heart. In August, returning to the field of 

 his first endeavours, he put forward a scheme for free national 

 education. It is interesting to note that his collaborator was 

 Isaac Bourrit. The pert youth of the Aiguille du Gouter had now 

 developed into a sober minister and administrator. 



The primary schools were to serve for boys and girls up 

 to the age of ten. The subjects taught were to be reading, 

 writing, arithmetic, the principles of religion and morals, the 

 rights and duties of citizens, and a summary of the laws. Country 

 children were to be instructed in rural economy and domestic 

 and veterinary medicine, which were to be put in the hands of 

 the local pastors ! Girls were to learn needlework. 



De Saussure would have wished to add geography, general 

 history, and elementary science to his scheme. ' But,' he 

 writes, 'my colleagues, less ambitious, and perhaps knowing 

 better than I do what is practicable in existing conditions, have 

 persuaded me that it is better to class these subjects as voluntary 

 studies.' There were to be three divisions : primary, secondary, 

 and final classes. The secondary classes were not to be com- 

 pulsory. Advanced students were to have the opportunity of 



2A 



