oscope. This is most likely to arise
through a living teacher or commentator, who, by his tones and emphasis,
as well as by his very guarded and reserved additions, can make the
meaning of the author take shape and fulness.

As the chief text-book is chosen, among other reasons, for its method
and system, any defects on this head may be very suitably supplied,
during the reader's progress, by notes or otherwise. When the end is
clearly kept in view, we shall not go wrong as to the means: the spirit
will remedy an undue bias to the letter.

The subjects that depend for their full comprehension upon a certain
method and order of details, are numerous, and include the most
important branches of human culture. The Sciences, in mass, are avowedly
of this character: even such departments as Theology, Ethics, Rhetoric,
and Criticism have their definite form; and, until the mind of the
student is fully impressed with this, all the particulars are vague and
chaotic, and comparatively useless for practical application. So, any
subject cast in a _polemic_ form must be received and held in the
connection thereby given to it. If the arguments _pro_ and _con_ fall
out of their places in the mind of the reader, their force is missed or
misconceived.

History is pre-eminently a subject for method, and, therefore, involves
some such plan as is here recommended. Every narrative read otherwise
than for mere amusement, as we read a novel, should leave in the
mind--(1) the Chronological sequence (more or less detailed); and (2)
the Causal sequence, that is, the influences at work in bringing about
the events. These are best gained by application to a single work in the
first place; other works being resorted to in due time.

Of the non-methodical subjects, forming an illustrative contrast,
mention may be made of purely didactic treatises, where the precepts are
each valuable for itself, and by itself: such as, until very recently,
the works on Agriculture, and even on Medicine. A book of Domestic
Receipts, consulted by index, is not a work for study.

Poems and fictitious narrations will naturally be regarded as of the
un-methodical class. If there are exceptions, they consist of long
poems--Epics and Dramas--whose plan is highly artistic, and must be felt
in order to the full effect. Probably, however, this is the merit that
the generality of readers are content to miss, especially if greater
strain of attention is needed to discover