emy, answered that the
Emperor was a busy, enterprising young monarch, and that he found it
necessary always to have an eye upon him."

I asked the class who this Emperor was that Frederick the Great seemed
to fear so much, and I obtained many answers, including Alexander the
Great and most well-known imperial rulers down to Napoleon the First;
but not one named Joseph II. of Austria.

Another time we were translating a piece of Massillon, taken from his
celebrated _Petit Careme_.

When we came to the following passage, in his sermon on _Flattery_:
"The Lord," once said the holy King, "shall cut off all flattering
lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things," I asked the boys,
who, by-the-bye, were referred in the notes to Psalm xii. 3, who was
this holy King mentioned by Massillon?

The first answer was "Charles I." The second was "Saint Louis," and I
should not probably have received the proper answer if I had not
expressed my astonishment at finding that nobody in the class seemed to
know who wrote the Psalms.

Even after this remark of mine, many boys remained silent; but at last
one timidly suggested "David."

He did not seem to be quite sure.

"This," I thought to myself at the time, "is hardly an encouragement to
make children read the Bible twice a day from the time they can spell."

* * * * *

The knowledge of geography is not more widespread than the knowledge of
history among these same boys. So, if you have no time to waste don't
ask them where places are.

They know where England is; they know more or less precisely the
position of India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Cape of Good
Hope, and such other spots of the earth as are marked in red on the
maps published in England.

France, Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Turkey, they could
after a few hesitations find out on the map of Europe, but as they are
not marked in red, their patriotism prevents them from taking any more
interest in these countries.

France, however, is rather interesting to them as being a part of the
globe in which the French irregular verbs come by nature.

Never expect any thanks for all the trouble you have taken over your
pupils.

When boys succeed in their examinations, it is owing to their
intelligence and industry; when they fail, it is owing to the bad
teaching of their masters. Boys can do no wrong; get this well engraven
on your minds.