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9. Sir Charles Napier has been chosen to command the Baltic fleet.

10. Be careful in writing your exercise; or, be careful in the writing of your exercise. 11. Ahamaaz outran Čushi, when he carried the tidings of Absalom's death.

12. The man (SFOKE), or has spoken to me of the matter, and said that he had spoken of it before, and has borne with me far more than he intends to bear again.

13. The master has risen, and is now sitting in the parlour. He has sat there for some time. 14. Where have you laid the book? It lies on the table.

15. We lay in bed rather late this morning, as we were up late last night; but James lies in bed yet.

16. A poor man has fallen from the top story to the ground.

17. After the master has eaten his breakfast he will attend to you.

18. Her health has been greatly shaken by the loss of her husband.

19. Having arisen from his seat, he walked towards the arbour.

20. We have a hen sitting on eleven eggs. 21. When I went into the country, I expected to meet him.

NOTES.

1. Have is superfluous in both cases. I in tended to have visited. To have visited is the perfect tense, whereas at that time the intention was present, and hence ought to be to visit. Had not have hindered. Here we have the signs of the perfect and pluperfect tenses combined in one sentence, which is simply confusion of tense.

2. Since he or wife is the nominative case, and not both of them, the verb ought to be singular. 3. The reading of Milton, implies Milton's reading, which is not intended. Reading Milton, means Milton's thoughts, as found in his works, which is meant.

4. Here the past tense (spoke) has been used instead of the past participle (spoken).

5. Here the past participle (done) has been used instead of the past tense (did).

6. See (4).

7. See (5).

8. See (5).

9. See (4).

11. See (5).

12. See (4) and (5).

13. See (4).

14. Here the past participle of the verb to lie has been substituted for that of to lay, and vice versa.

(b) 54. 4s., 5s. 55. £189. 56. 5. 57. 4 miles per hour.

(c) 58. 4435107. 59. 675-96153. 60. 2748.9. 61. 16. 62. 1063.

QUESTIONS FOR SOLUTION.-VI.

(a) 63. If 4 oz. of gold, 17 carats fine, are mixed with 3 oz. 13 carats fine, how much fine gold will there be in a gold ornament made of the compound, and weighing 33 oz.?

64. Pure water is composed of two gases, oxygen and hydrogen, in the proportion of 88.9 to 111; what weight of each is there in a cubic foot of water?

65. In England, gunpowder is made of 75 parts of nitre, 10 of sulphur, and 15 of charcoal; in France, of 77 of nitre, 9 of sulphur, and 14 of charcoal if half a ton of each be mixed, what weight of nitre, sulphur, and charcoal will there be in the compound?

66. A rectangular cistern, of which the length is 133 ft., and the breadth 6 ft., contains 2944 cubic feet of water; what is the depth of the cistern, and what is the weight of water, when one cubic inch weighs 252.5 grains?

67. Find the square root of 01595169, and the cube root of 16934-994432.

(b) A fish was caught, whose tail weighed 9 lbs.; his head weighed as much as his tail and half his body, and his body weighed as much as his head and tail. What did the fish weigh?

68. Find a number such, that if of it be subtracted from 20, and of the remainder from of the original number, 12 times the second remainder shall be half the original number.

69. There are two bars of metal, the first containing 14 oz. of silver and 6 of tin; the second containing 8 of silver and 12 of tin; how much must be taken from each to form a bar of 20 oz., containing equal weights of silver and tin?

70. The stones which pave a square court would just cover a rectangular area, whose length is 6 yards longer, and breadth 4 yards shorter than the side of the square; find the area of the court.

71. A can do a piece of work in 10 days; but after he has been upon it 4 days, B is sent to help him, and they finish it together in 2 days; in what time would B have done the whole?

(c) 72. The circular fences on each side a gravel walk surrounding a shrubbery are 800 and 714 feet in length; what is the area of the walk?

73. The diameters of an elliptical piece of ground are 330 and 220 feet; how many feet is the circumference?

74. What is the area of an elliptical segment off by a chord parallel to the shorter axis, the height of the segment being 10, and the two diameters 35 and 25?

15. Here the past tense of to lay has been sub-cut stituted for the past tense of to lie, &c.

16. See (4).

17. See (4).

18. See (4). 19. See (4).

20. Here the active verb to set has been substituted for the neuter verb to sit. We set a hen on eggs, but she sits on them.

21. See (1).

MATHEMATICAL CLASS.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.-V. (a) 49. £1 19s. 68 d. 50. 40lbs. 51. £6 5s.; £4 38. 4d.; £3 2s. 6d.; £2 10s. 52. 414 ft. 53. .

75. Required the circumference of an ellipse whose transverse axis is 30, and conjugate 20. 76. What is the circumference of an ellipse whose diameters are 6 and 4?

GEOGRAPHICAL CLASS.
RUSSIA IN EUROPE.
EXERCISE No. XVI.

1. Give the boundaries of Russia.

2. The latitude of its most N. and S. points; longitude of its most E. and W.

3. Its length, breadth, area.

4. Chief inlets of the sea.

5. Principal lakes.

6. Chief rivers, and the seas they run into. 7. Principal mountains.

8. The nature of the soil.

9. The climate.

10. The wild animals.

11, Productions.

12. Characterize the commerce.

LOGIC CLASS.

Perform the Exercise on the " Art of Reasoning," No. 5., in the June No., 1851, Vol. II.

PHONETIC SHORT-HAND CLASS.
Go through the 6th lesson, as directed in the
No. for June, 1854, Vol. V., p. 237.

The Societies' Section.

REPORTS OF MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES.

Great Yarmouth Discussion Society.-We are happy to learn from the honorary secretary that this society has been established with fair prospects of success, and now contains forty-five members. It appears that the rules have been framed upon our Model Code," published with the Essay on Debating Societies.

the culture of their mental and spiritual nature; and, often in the face of much discouragement, it continues stedfastly to labour in this cause of social progress and humanity. Its efforts are designed to apply to every department of industrial occupation where the period of employment is unduly and unnecessarily protracted; and those London:-Early Closing Association. We efforts have recently been employed, and with have ever regarded the operations of this associa- considerable success, in promoting the Saturday tion with the greatest interest, and have much half-holiday movement in connection with the pleasure in drawing attention to the following various wholesale trades. The efforts of the brief statement of its history and objects. It was Board are at the present time more particularly established in 1842, and it is estimated, that at directed to the case of the Assistant Chemists, the present time at least 150,000 young men and whose hours of employment extend, for the most young women are more or less directly interested part, from about seven o'clock in the morning till in the efforts of this society. This is quite irre-half-past ten and eleven o'clock at night, with a spective of the large measure of influence it is liability, moreover, to their being called up at any known to have exercised, and is still exercising hour in the night, and without being able to call throughout the provinces, in originating and in so much as the sabbath their own; and it is provarious ways assisting branch associations. Pre- posed ere long to draw attention to the condition vious to its establishment, the hours of employ- of that sadly oppressed class, the Journeymen ment in nearly every department of industrial Bakers. The labours of this association are life were excessive; in many cases almost incre- essentially auxiliary to the efforts of all religious dibly so for instance, it was a very common and benevolent institutions, as it seeks to furnish practice for the linendrapers to keep their shops a very numerous and important class with the open during a large portion of the year till eleven time and opportunity for aiding in such moveand twelve o'clock at night, it being often one, ments. The association has sought to accomplish and sometimes even two o'clock, before the as- its object principally through the instrumentality sistants were really free. On Sunday mornings of public meetings, lectures, sermons, and the they not unfrequently were kept at work till three, press; ever striving, by confining its claims withfour, and even five o'clock, and numerous have in the bounds of moderation, and by the exercise been the instances of young men, instead of retir- of a right and kindly spirit, so to melt down the ing to bed, preferring going off to bathe, it being prejudices of opposing employers, as in time to broad daylight when they left their respective conciliate and win them over to the cause. It is shops. Through the agency of the Early Closing hoped the above will be deemed a sufficient proof Association, the hours of employment in many of the importance of the operations of the "Early departments of business have already been mate- Closing Association," and justify the expectation rially curtailed. Since a partial reduction in the of the Board, that if those operations are adeperiod of employment has thus taken place, very quately sustained by means of public liberality, a many valuable institutions, for the special mental very large amount of good must ensue to all perand religious benefit of young men, have been sons engaged in trade, and, indirectly, to the formed, which before were not so much as heard community at large.-J. L., Hon. Sec. of, and, indeed, but for the success of the "Early Closing Association," could not possibly have existed. There are, notwithstanding, at the present time many thousands of young men, and also of young women, who are utterly cut off from the many privileges offered by these excellent institutions. The "Early Closing Association is the only organized agency in existence for extending to the overworked population of the metropolis opportunity for healthful relaxation and

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Christchurch Mutual Improvement and Debating Society.-The second quarterly meeting of this society was held on the 12th of April, 1855. Under the patronage of the Rev. Joseph Fletcher, its president, it has already risen to a highly prosperous state. As the members have but little time at their disposal they are only able to meet for one hour weekly. On some occasions this hour is devoted to debating, on others lectures and recitations are delivered. The subjects which have

topics of the day have been powerfully discussed. The chairman has always to give an address on a subject of his own choosing. Mr. Rust was recently presented by the members of the society with an elegant gold pencil-case, as an acknowledgment of their deep obligations to him for the lively interest he has ever taken in the welfare of their society. Were ministers in general thus to give their influence in the right direction, the number and usefulness of young men's societies might be greatly increased.

Wolverhampton Mutual Improvement Society.

been discussed are as follows:-"Is Cromwell worthy of our Admiration?"—" Which most deserves the Esteem of Mankind-the Poet, the Statesman, or the Warrior?"-"Which is the better Form of Government, Monarchical or Republican?"-" Was the Execution of Charles the First Justifiable?"-"Is War under any Circumstances Justifiable?"-" Ought Capital Punishments to be abolished?"-"Does Instinct differ from Reason in Kind or in Degree?" Many able and interesting lectures have been delivered. Essays have been read by Mr. Edward Asbury on "Longfellow's Poetical Works," and " Edgar Al-This once prosperous and highly interesting lan Poe;" by Mr. C. Millard on "Trenck." A series of lectures has been delivered by Mr. Henry Edwards on "Entomology," and by Mr. W. T. Edwards on "The Plurality of Worlds." Besides these there have been essays on Shakspere, Milton, Wellington, Mahomet, on Geology, and other branches of Natural History, Spectral Illusions, &c. Mr. James G. Millard read an account of a visit made by the members to Chewton, a neighbouring spot famous for its fossil remains. A library is being formed, in which the volumes of the Controversialist hold a conspicuous and honoured place. I may add that the idea of forming such a society took its birth from a perusal of this magazine.-THRELKELD, Sec.

Slains Mutual Instruction Class.-The annual social meeting, in connection with the Slains Mutual Instruction Class, was recently held in the parish church. The chair was occupied by the Rev. James Rust, minister of the parish, whose cheerful and appropriate remarks greatly enlivened the proceedings of the evening. After partaking of some excellent fruit, able and instructive addresses were delivered on the following subjects: "Individualism," by George Gray, Thatch Hill; "Former Worlds," by George Davidson Mills, of Leask; "Books," by Alexander Sangster, Knapperna; "Dignity of Labour," by George Hardie, Knapperna;" Present War," by James R. Souter, School-house; "Female Elevation," by James Anderson, Brownhill; "Love," by Hugh Reid, jun., Cruden; "Mental Culture,' by Thomas Miller, Methlie; "Decision the Duty and Privilege of the Young." The choir belonging to the church was also in attendance, and executed several pieces of sacred music very tastefully. The society is at present in a very flourishing state, and in the course of its existence many of the leading

little association, formed by a few young men mutually anxious to contribute to each others' intellectual improvement, fell some time ago into a disorganized state. By the exertions of a few of its most zealous promoters the society was subsequently resuscitated; a number of young men joined it, and its prosperity once again augured well. The sanguine expectations of its friends and supporters have not, however, been realized; the taste of some of its members seems not to accord with such societies. That fact, with the sudden removal from the town of one or two of its best members, has led to a final dissolution of the class. At its last meeting three members only were present, and after due deliberation a motion was carried to the effect, that as there seemed no probability of the condition of the class being improved, it should be dissolved, and that the funds in hand should be expended in purchasing for four members (Mr. George Hughes, Mr. T. J. Durham, Mr. George Higham, and Mr. Green, who had been connected with the class from its commencement, and who had been its principal supporters) a suitable volume, in which an inscription should be placed explaining the circum.. stances under which the book was presented, and with the names of those who established the class and strove to promote its improvement, and thereby to rescue it from premature death.

[We are always pained in perusing such notices as the above, as they indicate so unmistake ably the apathy of some young men in the cause of self-culture. We would suggest, however, to the friends present at the last meeting, whether it would not have been better to have called a meeting of the whole society to have decided upon its dissolution, rather than that it should have been done by so few and without notice.-Eus. B. C.]

Literature.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

Messrs. Puttick and Smith announce among other sales of literary property, the copyright of the "New Quarterly Review."

The first number of a new periodical has appeared, entitled" The Quarterly Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics," and bearing on the title page the names of J. J. Silvester, M.A., F.R.S.; W. M. Ferrers, M.A.; Prof. Stokes; A. Cayley, M.A., F.R.S.; and M. Hermite, as editors. The Belgian government, some time ago, instituted a quinquennial prize of the value of £200, as an encouragement to Flemish literature. This prize has just been awarded to Conscience, the popular Flemish author.

The late eminent geologist, Mr. G. B. Greenough, whose decease was announced in our last, has left a fortune of not less than £180,000, all derived, it is said, from his father, by whom it was realized in the manufacture of lozenges.

We have to announce the death of Sir George Head, author of several valuable works on colonial matters, especially relating to Canada, where he was long resident. He was elder brother of the late governor of Canada, Sir Francis Bond Head. In early life Sir George was in the Peninsular war, in the commissariat, and afterwards was stationed in different colonies, in the same department.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Creation's Testimony to its God; or, the Accordance of Science, Philosophy, and Revelation: a Manual of the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, with Especial Reference to the Progress of Science and Advance of Knowledge. By Thomas Ragg. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

We notice this work, not because of its polemical character, but rather on account of its author having contributed to our pages, and from the fact that he started in life as a humble mechanic, and has enjoyed no means of improvement other than those of self-culture, and had" no opportunities of study save in the hours which are usually devoted to relaxation and repose." Viewed in connection with these facts the volume before us is not merely an evidence of Mr. Ragg's talent and industry, but it is full of encouragement to every humble student and self-educationalist.

In addition to the numerous volumes on the "Evidences of Christianity" Mr. Ragg considers that one was wanted, that should be "a manual in which the weightiest evidence should be presented in the strongest light, and that in the fewest words consistent with force and clearness. Men who would not read, and who could not understand if they did read, the great works of our mightiest thinkers, may still, in all probability, have the evidences of our faith presented to them in a comprehensible and acceptable form. It is by a thirst after knowledge that multitudes of them are usually led astray: and a gratification of that thirst is, at least, one of the likeliest methods of leading them back to the Fountain of true knowledge and wisdom. By such means their interest may be excited; and they will follow an argument which conveys information they are desirous of obtaining. They will read a manual which intelligibly sets forth all the new facts advancing science and patient research have made available; and thus, if in no other way, may be led to see the intimate union which subsists between true science and religion.

"The production of such a work as thus appears to him to be required, has been the object of the author in the present volume. He has endeavoured to render it interesting as well as instructive to impart secular knowledge as well as draw inferences from it-to give a manual of the physical sciences as well as the gathered results of their positive teaching. Passing through the universe of matter and of mind, he has sought, while gathering out its first-fruits as an offering to the Deity, to inquire into the nature of that which is felt and seen-and thus exhibit the accordance between science, philosophy, and religion."

Although it does not come within our province to decide how far the author has realized his object, we cannot but say that he has exhibited great industry in collecting his materials, great tact in using them up, and that we deem his volume worthy of the perusal of men of all opinions.

The Public Pearl; or, Education the People's Right and a Nation's Glory in Two Popular Lectures on State Interference, and in Three

Letters to Lord John Russell. Dedicated by permission to Lady John Russell. By "Celatus." London: Houlston and Stoneman.

work we cannot doubt its originality. Its pages Whatever may be our estimate of the value of this are not burdened by quotation marks or foot notes; but a certain style of writing pervades the whole volume. The contents of the title page we have given above, and on the back of it the reader is humbly requested to "please to read the dedicatory epistle," as-it is modestly suggested-in it may possibly be found some "choice sayings and sentiments expressed and embodied." Being unable to resist an appeal like this, we have carefully perused the epistle in question, in which "Celatus" addresses Lady John Russell in a strain of the most fulsome flattery. Lord John is nothing less than the sun of "our little system," and his lady "our satellite in the firmament," "yielding her soft and silvery light in solitudes and in the sombre shades of an absent sun;" and "our author" trusts that she will long pursue her course, "Cynthia like, in a clear sky," freely yielding her light to "the ornament, joy, and comfort of her centre of gravity!" Reader, if in such company thou canst preserve thy "gravity," it is more than we can do; but not to be thought rude, we would, in passing, express in the words of" Celatus," our admiration of "those lords of our race" who are blessed with "such ladies to mollify the manifold asperities of this terrene life

to mellow much of their mental movements, and to mature their measures to meliorate misery in this meretricious world!" As our author has such an ear for sound, we turn from his " meretricious" prose to his "proem in poem," in the hope that he will be more successful in rhyme; but here again we are disappointed, as we find him attempting to make such words as "together" and "another"-" sluices" and "muses"____"shadow" and "de facto" jingle together. In endeavouring to ascertain the cause of the stiff and mechanical style of this pseudo-poem, we discovered that it is an acrostic, and that the initial letters give us the " Reverend Owen Owen, alias 'Celatus,' Newport, Monmouthshire." This information may be useful to such of our readers who wish to have poetry "made to order," and to encourage them to apply to the right person, we present them with a "choice" extract from an ode on Lord John Russell's educational measure:"Hurra! hurra! his fame send round, From man to man, to the nation's bound; And Lord John deserves the name say Which we, the sovereign people proclaim. Hurra! who did exert his mind Like him to gain the good of mankind, To banish worse than cholera

From the nation's mind? Hurra! hurra!" Reader, in the words of our poet, "we might enlarge, but, by your kind permission, we desist."

When individuals rush into print with such trash as this, and present it to the public under attractive titles, critics fail to perform their duty, if they do not endeavour to preserve their readers against imposition.

Aids to Self-Culture.

ARITHMETIC.

ARITHMETIC (apılμoç, number) is the application of logic to number. As a science, it considers the nature and properties of numbers, and the operations to which they are subject; as an art, it applies them in various modes for the practical purposes of life. Logic, as our readers are aware, is the science and art of reasoning; it investigates the connection and relationship of our ideas, and by comparison deduces their consequences, and ascertains the necessary laws by which such deductions are governed. Arithmetic, then, taking number as its subject-matter, and logic as its method or instrument, stands in the foremost rank of the pure sciences.

As in almost every other instance, however, the art of Arithmetic was precedent to the science. Art is tentative-the result of necessity and of instinct;* Science is consequential and ultimate-the result of the tentative efforts of Art. But eventually the order becomes reversed: Science, when perfect, becomes the guide and directress of Art. Thus should it be with those for whom we now write-the noble and increasing band of SelfCulturists. Doubtless every one who reads these pages already has more or less of practical acquaintance with Arithmetic as an art; let him now regard it as a science. Too many of our friends are probably calculating machines, working by rule, without ever thinking of the principles on which those rules are founded; hence they often find themselves perplexed by more complex cases; their rules fail them, and they have nothing then to fall back upon. We invite all such to be “up and doing”—to vindicate their mental dignity and manhood—to become arithmeticians, and to cease to be mere workers of sums. Our object, therefore, in this paper will be to glance at the nature of the science; to urge its claims as a means of mental discipline; to point out the rich stores of interesting research and knowledge connected with the subject; and to supply a few hints as to the modes and means of study;-in this we feel assured that, however theoretical we may appear, we shall be found to be eminently practical.

A most striking characteristic of mathematical science (of which Arithmetic is an elementary portion), and one which should recommend it to the study of every singleminded and earnest student, is the fact that in its domains alone can the mind revel in the sunlight of ABSOLUTE TRUTH. The possibility of doubt is excluded from mathematics. No sooner have we mastered the few primary and necessary conceptions of the human mind upon which these sciences are founded, than our course through the whole range of mathernatics becomes clear and certain. We may of course blunder in some manipulations

* The writer will perhaps be pardoned this phrase, even by the most rigid adherents of Locke; his intention is simply to represent Arithmetic as an art peculiar to man, which will necessarily develop itself where there is any degree of mental culture sufficient to raise men above the level of the "beasts which have no understanding."

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