entire,-over that a top-coat of a material resembling that which our butchers use for their blue jackets, but of a dirty brown colour, no shirt, and the remains of a hat. He was of some service to us as an interpreter, and afforded us continual amusement by his absurd remarks and grotesque ideas.

Part of our route lay through the remains of the Black Forest, or Schwartz Wald. The mountains on either side were thickly clad with dark trees to their very summits, but these mountains are sad dwarfs after those I have been lately accustomed to. However we must take things as we find them, not excepting the loathsome collection of filth and grease which is furnished you in some places under the denomination of dinner. At ten o'clock at night we arrived at Kehl, and forthwith retired to enjoy a sound sleep after thirty-six hours of bustle and fatigue.

September 12th.

OUR object in stopping at Kehl, instead of at once proceeding to Strasburg, was to save the annoyance and inconvenience of an examination of passports and luggage by the French authorities, and a second edition of the same on our return into the German territory. As it was, after breakfasting and securing places by the diligence to Carlsruhe, we marched over the bridge of boats, and entered the French territory without let or hindrance. The bridge over the Rhine here is curious enough. About seventy boats or lighters are firmly moored up and down the stream, at short intervals from each other. These serve as piers to support large beams which rest on the gunwales of the barges, and athwart these beams are laid planks. Smoking is forbidden on the bridge, and the carriages walk at a foot pace, but for pedestrians it is convenient enough. The town of Strasburg is strongly fortified, and is defended by a numerous garrison. Some soldiers of whom I enquired the way to the cathedral answered me in good French, which was inconceivably refreshing to my ears after the jargon to which I have been for some time accustomed in Switzerland, and latterly in Germany.

I think the prints I have seen give a very fair idea of the exterior form of the cathedral. But of its beauty, independent of mere form, none can judge without the benefit of ocular examination. We were most struck with the transcendant brilliancy of the stained glass, some of which dates from the building of the cathedral. At the western end is a beautiful circular window divided into compartments by radii, and surpassing, if possible, even the splendour of this, in the southern aisle. At the south eastern extremity are other circular windows, subdivided into small circles. These are the most ancient in the building. Among the other lions of the cathedral was a pulpit carved in stone, and not only finely executed, but of considerable antiquity, bearing the date 1487, in curious figures. Elsewhere was a column adorned with statues which were cut out of the same block as the pillar, but totally separated from it except as far as was neces sary to support the sculptured forms. We were more than usually scandalized at the dresses of the images, which were carried to a pitch of absurdity not readily imagined by those who are not accus tomed to the mummeries of Roman Catholic churches in a Roman

Catholic country. For example, a waxen image of the Virgin was nursing a waxen infant Saviour, the one dressed in a hooped petticoat of faded silk, and the other in long clothes of the same material. In a compartment of the wall, in another part of the church, was a piece of sculpture representing the death of the Virgin Mary, and St. Peter bringing a vase of holy water to administer extreme unction previous to her demise. Alas! alas! that so noble a place of Christian worship should be thus assimilated to a heathen temple.

The organ is on one side of the centre aisle, and though it interferes a little with the symmetry of the building, this disposition has one good effect, namely, that you view the whole extent at once, the length not being broken, as with us, by the screen before the choir. The famous clock is a curious piece of mechanism, but fitter for the entertainment of children than for the contemplation of those who have arrived at mature age. In fact, a Dutch toy on a large scale, with moving figures and various peculiar ornaments, such as a cock, which crows at midday, or ought to crow, for the machinery is out of order, and a lion, which ought to roar the hours.

Having ascended to the platform of the unfinished tower, we had a capital view of the surrounding country and the town beneath us. One of the principal beauties of the cathedral, as we thought, was the union of mass and lightness; for, notwithstanding its vast magnitude and the unpromising material of which it is constructed (red sand stone), the whole of it, but more especially that tower which is completed, had quite an aërial character. It has at different times suffered much injury from lightning, which, among other devastations, has destroyed the window over the altar, which is about to be replaced at the expense of about 12007. An inscription on the platform commemorates an earthquake which in the beginning of the last century shook the church to its foundation, and threw the water from a reservoir on the tower to a distance of eighteen feet from its base.

I should not omit to mention that we encountered our German baron again in Strasburg. But here he was more soigné in his personal appearance than when travelling, inasmuch as he had provided himself with a not very clean shirt, or at least a front, which expensive luxury he seemed to think quite a matter of supererogation in the diligence, inasmuch as he was not therein encumbered with any linen whatever, foul or otherwise.

(To be concluded in our next.)

EPIGRAM.

Our footman, John Thompson (deny it who can),
Since his nose is all gone, is a fright of a man ;
To be rid of this fright, then, I humbly propose
That Thompson be ordered to follow his nose.

M.M-No. 5.

N

ORIGINAL POETRY.

There is no memory of his fate,
No record of his name;

A few wild songs are left behind,
But what are they to fame?

THE deep-toned knell again hath rung
Its melancholy chime;

And the funeral hymn again been sung,
For the young in manhood's prime.

Yet he heard it not, nor stayed
His earth-freed spirit's flight,
Through airy halls in glory 'ray'd
To gaze on mortal light!

His soul dwelt on the beautiful,
On earth and things above;
He drank their glories, and was full
Of sympathy and love.

The sorrowful ne'er slept in him,

In scenes of joy, or gloom,

And he ill could hide what hurried him,
Untimely to the tomb.

His restless spirit was not formed
For life's calm, quiet stream;

It sighed, it struggled, and it burned
For fame's ideal dream.

Hard, hard he fought, he struggled hard
'Gainst penury's cold blight;

But his wasted form unequal warr'd
With his daring spirit's might.

He knew but few, and no one cheer'd
The sadness of his heart;

He had no friend that was endear'd,
His sorrows to impart.

Yet still he toiled, nor thought of rest
His wearied frame to ease;

For his heart was broken, and oppress'd,
And nought it could appease.

He sank at last, yet dying, toiled,
Nor deem'd life ebbed so fast;

But slow decay was never foiled
Nor e'er its victim past.

Perchance, his was the common fate
That sweeps the loved away;

That circles all things, small, or great,
Nor falters on its way!

Yet that fate shall wake our sympathies,
Like the spring-dream of our youth;

For youth's dominion never dies,

When blent with simple truth!

L. E. L.

E. W. G

THE CENTRAL SOCIETY OF EDUCATION.*

"I DENY that the state has a right to punish crime unless it first has had recourse to Education for the purpose of preventing it." If these are not the words uttered, they, contain the enlightened sentiment deliberately expressed by Lord Denman (the first criminal judge in the land) from his place in the house of Lords-and we have the pleasure of recognising that learned nobleman as the President of a society lately established for the purpose of collecting, classifying, and diffusing information, with regard to the Education of all classes of society, how deep, how extensive, how difficult a subject this of Education is, we have long felt; and we have often painfully lamented the chilling apathy with which it has been regarded by a large portion of the nation, and the spirit of party and of rivalry which has influenced but too many of those who have interested themselves in it, just as if there were not in the subject itself, difficulties of sufficient magnitude without adding to it others with which it had no necessary connexion.

The Society we understand, proposes, if its funds permit, making minute enquiries into the actual state of Education and the adaptation of the systems at present practised to the wants of the nation. In order to render these enquiries of any value it will be necessary that the society should not confine itself to finding out merely the number of children, who can read and write or the number of schools. It must extend its investigation to the condition of the parents and the harmony of their knowledge, skill, industry, morals, and scenes of enjoyment with it, and from two printed papers of questions put fortk by the Society we find that such is its intention with regard to the metropolis, the provincial towns, and the rural districts in particular. We have long been of opinion that education, unless it has a tendency to make the labourer more industrious, skilful, moral, and happy is of little avail, and we have always been at a loss to discover how mere instruction in reading and writing, alone can have this effect; we earnestly hope however that the enquiries of the society will be attended with beneficial results, which can scarcely fail of being the case if they are conducted with wisdom. Notwithstanding the extraordinary progress that we have made in extending our dominion over matter, it must be acknowledged that we are far behind many nations of the continent in extending our dominion over mind.

The report of the Manchester Statistical Society with regard to

* Our readers will recollect that our September number contained a somewhat lengthy article on education, in which principles were developed not very unlike those advanced by our present correspondent. We had not received a copy of the Society's prospectus, until the sheet had been worked off. We propose always to devote more or less space in each of our numbers to the consideration of education generally. Al. though we have no connexion whatever with the Central Society of Education, we claim to be regarded as their fellow-labourers, and we shall not forget to watch their proceedings and encourage them in the good work that they have so nobly begun in the face of a prejudiced public. Ed.

education in the Borough of Manchester is one of very painful interest, and marks in a striking manner, the guilty carelessness which has existed with regard to education in this centre of activity and supposed intelligence, and powerfully contrasts it with the care, diligence, and wisdom which has characterised the conduct of other nations. We beg to recommend this valuable little document to our readers for perusal. The Central Society of Education therefore purposes enquiring into the systems of education which are formed and the progress which has actually been made in "this most essential of all sciences and arts" in Prussia, Switzerland, France, and other countries.

Nor will the society confine itself to the education of the humble classes, it also purposes considering how far those whom circumstances have placed among the higher ranks of society are prepared by an extended education to exercise the influence with which they are invested to high and valuable purposes, so as to become happy in themselves, useful members of society, and "steadfast pillars of the state," seeking their pleasure in promoting that of others, and striving to be remembered by posterity for the good which they have done for it. Although this society will be neither "the partial advocates of certain methods, nor the blind assailants of established systems," our whole course of Public School and University Education will be carefully scrutinized by the Society; the arguments which make for as well as those which impugn any established and obnoxious practice being fairly stated and duly weighed.

The points of interest for the consideration of the society are innumerable. As for instance-1. the absolute necessity there is of founding schools for schoolmasters, before any sound system of education can be carried on-2. the value of natural science in developing the youthful faculties, and awakening an interest in surrounding nature-3. the discovery of extraordinary and valuable properties, which the senses were unable to take cognizance of without scrutiny, imparts an interest to every thing, and prevents "a person who travels from Dan to Beersheba from finding that all is barren," There will also be great utility in considering the expedients to which different experienced educators have had recourse in conveying distinct ideas, to those who are deprived of one or more of the senses, and teaching them to communicate them. For the blind can be taught to read and work-the deaf and the dumb, those who have never heard a sound to express their ideas in appropriate language. Deeply interesting as the subject is as regards the individuals thus unfortunately situated, an additional importance is attached to it, if it can be made subservient, as we believe it may, to the general purposes of education. The practice of resorting to flogging for the correction of mental and moral errors must not escape notice, any more than fagging-the exclusion of modern languages-the study of the standard writers in the English language--and the learning by rote. It has appeared to us questionable, whether, even the memory beyond that of words be strengthened by this last mentioned practice. The memory appears not to be one faculty of retaining ideas, but to consist of many :--the memory of words appears to be differ