of vivá voce examination gives an examiner this power. With this view, we believe, it is still retained at Oxford. There can be no question but that, whatever its disadvantages and inconveniences in other respects, in the hands of a good examiner it may be made to answer this end. All examiners, probably, in looking over papers have felt how much at times they would like to supplement their written questions by a few others more searching, and by pushing on the enquiry enable themselves to ascertain how far the written answer is genuine. Where, for other reasons, vivá voce examination is inconvenient, it should be admitted that an examiner is entitled to satisfy himself upon this point. If this is granted, ve think the inference inevitable that our examiners have been well advised. With a few exceptions, the questions of the new style have been so framed as to detect whether an intelligent view has been taken of the various subjects; whether merely a knowledge of facts has been amassed, or whether those facts have been digested, and made serviceable to the great end of training the mind for its future work If fault is to be found, we might, perhaps, venture to say that in some few instances a certain vagueness is chargeable against some questions. No statistics, for instance, have quite as yet made it plain what is the calibre of the average intellect of a child of thirteen or of eleven. The average child is difficult to identify, and unless such questions are, as they may be, merely thrown out to test the candidate's powers of generalization, we should think the answers to such questions as, How such a subject should be presented? or, Whether it should be presented at all to this same abstraction? would be likely to be anything but satisfactory. We are treading, however, on somewhat delicate ground, and have no desire to criticise in detail, where we so much approve the general principle. It must be left to experience to discover the best means of arriving at the end which we consider to have been kept in view. Of one thing we are sure, viz., that the true coin of knowledge offered under such circumstances in payment of the demand may readily be distinguished from the counterfeit. If it were not so, as we have before said, to make the demand at all would be a lamentable mistake. If it were possible to have answers readymade to questions, the chief merit of which is evidently intended to consist in the fact that they presuppose the mind to have been athinking, it would be simply rewarding dogmatic teaching of the worst kind.

We are careful not to be understood as undervaluing instruction in method as a science. If our view of these recent introductions

is correct, they will be far from making such instructions useless, or even from disintegrating it. There we have general principles still to be enunciated and enforced, which are of the widest and most general application. School-ethics still have their distinct place, and that a high one. All that we wish to assert is, that it is matter of congratulation that this science is to be made to pervade all our teaching, with the certainty that it will not go unrewarded. We We are glad to think that henceforth no subject can safely be dissociated from school work. We are bound to keep alive a constant reference to the future usefulness of our instruction. Whether it be Holy Scripture, or History, or the exact Sciences, or Language, in which we are instructing, we must have respect to the reproduction of these hereafter in our shool-room. And, seeing that the teaching of the young is of all teaching the most difficult, the difficulties there met with being those which, followed out, lead us to the very roots of things, we need not fear that this obligation, which we are here under, will make even the more advanced work less interesting. On the contrary, we see in the fact that we are so bound a feature of nobleness. To pour information from one mind into another is not a difficult nor an especially worthy employment, but to train another's intellect and heart to the responsibilities and difficulties of educating the young calls the highest powers into play, and spends life to a good and honourable purpose.

THE WONDERFUL GIANT.

A STORY FOR BOYS.

Papa, you said if we learned our lesson well to-day you would tell us a story; will you tell it now?

Yes, as I have some leisure time I have no objection.

What kind of tale

would you like, shall it be about a beautiful fairy or a giant ?

O, a giant by all means, said Emily.

Yes, and the fairy another time said Edwin.

Very well. Once upon a time there was upon the earth a most wonderful giant I shall not tell you his name, but leave it for you to find out. I cannot tell you where he was born, but some think he is a native of the sun, others assert that he has a large cave in the centre of the earth, there are others who say that he is a native of the globe in which we live; neither can I tell you his age but at the least he is five thousand years old.

Does he go about the earth now, said Emily.

Yes, and it is he that hath made the earth so beautiful; if it had not been for him we should have no mountains hills or vallies. He may be likened unto a gardener as it were. He threw up a hill here, caused a river to flow there, and in a word he is the cause of all the variegated landscapes which we see. He must be of immense strength, said Edwin.

Yes, he is, or he could not have raised up all the mountains and hills that he bas. I will give you an instance or two of his strength. Once he got confined in the earth, and wishing to liberate himself he struggled so tremendously that he shook a whole city down, and buried thousands of its inhabitants in its uins. Another time he threw up such a dust that he buried a large city so deep, that all traces of it were lost for ages.

He must be a very bad giant to do that, said Edwin.

No, quite the contrary, for if it were not for him we should not be able to live a single day.

Of what use can he be to us, said Emily. I hope I shall never see him, for I should be frightened to death.

No you would not, for you see him every day, and I often see you run up to him, as if he were an old frfend. True, if you allowed him to get too much hold of you he would do you harm. There are many instances in which he has got hold of children and begun to devour them alive; therefore I would advise you to take care of yourself when in his presence.

If he is so cruel, I think we could do much better without him.

There is a race of people living on an island about three thousand miles from the eastern shores of America who for a long time tried to make him work, but they were a long time before they succeeded, not because the giant was unwilling to work, but because they did not understand how to make his harness. Sometimes when they thought they had got him nicely at work, all at once if his harness pinched him too tightly, he would smash it all to pieces and away he would go. These people saw what a useful servant he was, and after a great many attempts they are able to make his harness so that he cannot get away. In many parts he is compelled to work for years without even stopping to rest. He requires no sleep nor rest, he never tires, all he wants is some one to supply him with food and water.

What kind of work does he do ? said Edwin.

He will pump water, grind flour, weave cloth, spin, make needles and pins run across the country, with thousands of people, and hundreds of tons of heavy merchandize; he will drive ships across the sea against wind and tide; in fact, he will do almost everything you want him. Now cannot you tell me what his name is ?

Why, it is steam, said Edwin.

No, his name is not steam, but if it were not for him we should have no steam.

It is the wind, said Emily.

No, his name is not wind, but if it were not for the giant, we should have no wind, and consequently, no clouds, dew, rain, or hail.

Is it water, papa?

No, his name is not water, but if it were not for him we should have no water. It is he that sets the rivers running, and he keeps the ocean in its fluid

state.

Does the giant belong to the animal kingdom? said Emily.

No, but if it were not for him, there would be no animal kingdom; for without him they would not be able to live an hour.

Does it belong to the vegetable kingdom?

No, but if it were not for him, there would be no vegetable kingdom.

Then, does it belong to the mineral kingdom.

No, but if it were not for him the mineral kingdom would be useless, and the whole globe would be a mass of useless matter, as there would not be a plant, an animal, or any other organic substances whatsoever.

I am sure we shall never guess what it is, papa; do tell us,

I told you that you saw him every day. He even cooks our food for us.
Do you mean fire, papa?

Does fire make the vegetable grow, and animals to subsist, and cause the rivers to flow.

But it is fire that cooks our food.

No, it is not, properly speaking, fire.

Why, papa, I have found you out, it is heat.

Yes, the giant's name is Heat; some call him Caloric.

Thank you, papa, when will you tell us about the beautiful fairy? - Communicated by the author of the Philosophy of Common Things.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Bible Emblems. By David Stow. London: Griffith and Farren. Mr. Stow in bis introduction says:-"The primary object of this small publication is to induce parents and teachers, in the course of the religious instruction to children, to give to 'Bible Emblems that prominent place to which they are so justly entitled." The remaining part of the introduction, which is rather a long one, enters fully into the necessity which the writer thinks to exist, for giving more attention to the Emblems of Scripture. Some of the statements made we think too strongly put. Thus it is said:-"In a great majority of schools, the narratives of Scripture are exclusively read-no questions are put to the pupils except on mere facts --no practical lessons are drawn." That this is