490 Foreign Notices, — France. 



ing state, but a good deal of opposition has been shown to it by the clergy, 

 daring the last twelve years. At present, there are twenty-four Lancasterian 

 schools in Paris, and a few in the provinces. Reading, writing, arithmetic, 

 drawing outlines (dcssein lin^aire), singing, and inarching are taught to the 

 boys ; and the same to the girls, with the exception of drawing, which is 

 substituted by the different kinds of sewing and needlework. According to 

 a report made to the last General Meeting of the Society, the instruction of 

 each child costs the Society from 7 to 8 francs a year ! Meetings are held 

 twice a month ; at that on the 1st of October, at which we were present, 

 the Due de Doudeauville was in the chair ; letters from several provincial 

 societies were read, and specimens of architectural drawings, made by the 

 children instructed in the Lancasterian manner at Caen and Rouen, were 

 exhibited. The drawings were exceedingly well executed, though the 

 children had not been taught above a year. An engraved model of the sort 

 of penmanship taught was on the table, in which it was satisfactory to ob- 

 serve that the French 5, and other peculiarities in French penmanship, were 

 substituted by the forms of letters in general use throughout Europe and 

 America. M. Pecchio, an Italian gentleman, who has resided some time in 

 England, gave an account of the infant schools in York, and other parts 

 of the country. Among other observations, he stated that he did not think 

 that schools for gymnastic exercises were ever likely to become general in 

 England ; because there all classes of young people were much addicted to 

 field sports, and because it was not likely that parents would be willing to 

 pay for a description of education that they could not but feel was, in a great 

 degree, unnecessar}'. [The kind of exercises which children and young peo- 

 ple are naturally inclined to indulge in, seems to depend materially on the 

 kind of food they eat. We suspect the taste of young people on the Conti- 

 nent for thejezi de bague, cheval a hois, halangoire, and other what maj' be 

 called inactive amusements, may be traced to the influence of soups, the 

 frequency of fast days, sour wine, and the want of animal food on the sto- 

 mach ; beef and porter lead to a different character of exercises ; for man, 

 after all, is subject to the same lavv's as other animals.] Comte Lasteyrie 

 remarked, that an improvement in the instruction of the children had been 

 made, by teaching them to walk and sing at the same time. He also stated 

 that, for the working classes of society, the elementary acquirement next 

 in importance to reading, writing, and arithmetic, was drawing. This every 

 gardener, carpenter, and mason will feel to be the case ; and we hope the 

 first class will not neglect this, in directing the studies of their apprentices, 

 and in the education of their own children, male and female. Having be- 

 come a member of this Society, the subscription to which is only 25 francs 

 a year, we intend, from time to time, to give reports of its progress, as well 

 as of the progress of education generally in France ; and, it we can accom- 

 plish it, without infringing on the space which must necessarily be devoted 

 to the more immediate subjects of this Magazine, we mean to extend our 

 views to the working classes of society, generally, throughout the world. 

 For this purpose, we request information from such of our readers, espe- 

 cially in Europe, America, and Australasia, as have it in their power, or 

 take an interest in the subject. To-morrow (Oct. 10.) we leave Paris, for 

 the agricultural establishment at Boville, near Nancy, under the direction 

 of M. de Dombasle ; thence we proceed to Munich, where, if we find any 

 thing of temporary interest, it will be found in its proper place ; matters 

 that require being treated at length, we reserve for our general journal. — 

 .Cond. Paris, Oct. 9. 1828. 



Strashurg, Oct. 19. — On our way here we looked into the gardens about 

 Nancy, the national establishment for breeding horses in the neighbourhood 

 of that city, the farm and agricultural institution of M. Matthieu de Dom- 

 basle at Roville, the English garden of M. Dorpat at Epinal, the museum 

 of the Soci^te d'E^mulation, and the Lancasterian school in tliat town, &c. 



