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would they place upon a secure basis, the pros. perity of a seminary which exerts a most powerful and most salutary influence upon the national character; which contributes largely to foster that mental superiority which birth cannot confer, nor wealth of itself purchase, and which has in all ages largely contributed to decide the destinies of nations.1

12

Were we to institute a comparison between American and Scotish university education, the result would not, I believe, be in every respect favourable to ourselves. The systems are essentially different, and each has its peculiar advantages.

In Scotland none of the students live within the college walls, nor do the Professors exercise any superintendence over their time, excepting during the class hours. Throughout the rest of the day they may be idle or industrious, choose good society

12 A writer in the North American Review, after enlarging on this subject with a zeal that does honour to a member of a rival institution, adds ;-" To appeal moreover to a feeling which has perhaps had too great influence over the legislatures, which have successively withheld the public patronage from Yale, we would add that on the simple footing of pecuniary account the State is much indebted to the college. The latter brings annually into circulation in Connecticut many thousands of dollars, and has done so for a long course of years. It lays no small part of the country under contribution, to increase the wealth of Connecticut; and it were but com. mon justice in the State, to return into the funds of the college, a small portion of the means which the college gathers for the State." North American Review, No. XXXIX. p. 396.

or bad, visit the church or the theatre, as they or their friends please. All those who are immediately under the eye of their parents are of course left to their management and superintendence, and this may by many be esteemed incompatible with the American system, but it is not so-the regulations of Yale College do not require that any whose parents reside in New Haven, should either eat or sleep in the college, but they require that by them as well as others, the hours appointed for private study should be so appropriated. With regard to students who come from a distance the advantage is certainly in favour of America, for in place of being left as in Glasgow exposed to the allurements and vice of a populous city, scattered up and down without one to control or to care for them, they are sheltered and watched over with unremitting care; and every effort is made to form their moral character, as well as to instruct them in literature and the sciences.

In Glasgow no restriction exists as to the age at which students enter College, nor as to the amount of reading which is requisite for admission. Boys of eleven and twelve are not unfrequently seen wearing the enviable scarlet gown; and if most of those who enter have a competent knowledge of Latin, and many a trifling acquaintance with Greek, it is owing almost entirely to the excellent system of our Grammar School, for some of the country students bring but very little of the one language,

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and not a single letter of the other. It would be a manifest improvement to admit none under fourteen or fifteen, and to require an examination on a certain number of classical authors.

The curriculum,' as it is termed at Glasgow, includes Latin, Greek, Logic, Moral Philosophy, Mathematics and Natural Philosophy; and excepting the last two, each branch may be said to be studied individually, that is without any necessary connexion with the others. Thus, during the first and second year the student's attention is devoted to Latin and Greek, and to them alone; he is quite at liberty to forget, during this period, that there are such things as English grammar, arithmetic, or geography. The third year is devoted to Logic, or rather to the improvement of his powers of knowledge, taste, and communication, with particular reference to the study of general grammar and English composition. Latin and Greek may now be laid almost entirely on the shelf. The fourth year brings the student into the mazes of Ethics and Morals; a little is read of the Latin philosophical writers, and the practice of English composition is continued. During this session it is customary to study Mathematics, but all other subjects are beyond the record.' The fifth and last session finds the student in the Natural Philosophy class, and now Ethics, Logic, Greek and Latin, may all be more or less neglected. This finishes the academical course; an examination is

undergone by those who wish a degree in Arts, upon the various subjects which have been studied, and excepting those who are preparing for the church, the legal or medical professions, few think of going farther.

must all

The system is remarkably different at Yale College. No subject occupies the student's attention, so as to exclude others equally important; all are studied in their natural succession, but in such a way as always to keep in view what has been acquired, and thus not allow one thing to jostle out another. The student takes a larger range also in Yale College than is obtained at Glasgow ; Arithmetic, Geography, Rhetoric and Forensic Disputation, Chemistry and Mineralogy, be studied during the academical course. It is not sufficient that in Glasgow most of these branches may be acquired during the same period, they form no part of the curriculum,' and are very generally neglected by all but professional students. There can scarcely then remain a doubt, but that more general knowledge will be acquired at Yale than at Glasgow College, by those who study only what they are forced to do; and of what is thus acquired, more is likely to be retained.

6

The public examinations are more frequent and more minute at Yale College, than at Glasgow. Before entering an advanced class, the students in Glasgow College are publicly examined on the studies of the previous year, but in Yale each

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class is twice a year minutely scrutinized on the whole range of their previous studies. The private examinations are probably in both pretty nearly equal.

In Glasgow every one who enters is matriculated as a matter of course, and misconduct in the class room is punished by a pecuniary mulct, while dismission from College is so rare, that a case of it may not occur for ten or fifteen years. It is unnecessary to recapitulate the very different regulations at Yale, or to enlarge upon their salutary influence.

The lecture and recitation hours with us are two or three a day, for each class;. the remainder of his time is at the student's own disposal. At Yale only a small portion of the day is allowed for recreation; the rest must be devoted to study. The session at Glasgow lasts for six months; the vacation for other six. At Yale the whole three recesses amount only to twelve weeks; probably it would be better that they should occur at one period, but certainly to spend, as we do, six months out of twelve in relaxation, is too much.

There are however in Glasgow College some important features of superiority. The lectures at the private hour to the Latin and Greek classes, upon antiquities, the higher topics of criticism, and their connexion with the philosophy of language and general grammar, are I believe, of a decidedly superior character to any that are usually met with