A Manual of Teaching; containing descriptions of the ordinary Systems, Methods, and Forms of Instruction, with their Application to the usual Subjects of Elementary Education; illustrated by several Specimen Lessons. Intended for the assistance of Students in Normal Schools, Pupil Teachers, Monitors, and young Teachers in general. By E. H. Rogers, Head Master of the Boys' School, Lawrence Military Asylum; and Master of Method in the Bengal Military Normal School, Sanawur; Lawrence Military Asylum Press. 1858.

THIS work, as the Author says in his preface, formed a portion of a course of lectures delivered by him to the students of the Normal School with which he is connected. It consists of 20 Sections arranged under the following heads :-Definitions, Systems, Methods, and Forms of Instruction, Rules and Hints for Teachers, on the Management of a Class, Preparation of Lessons, on Bible Lessons, on teaching the Church Catechism, Reading, Spelling, Writing, Arithmetic, Book-keeping, Geography, History, Grammar, Common Things, Geometry, Mensuration, Drawing and Vocal Music.

In the above the Author has endeavoured to compile a digest of all that he has found practically useful in the educational writings with which he is acquainted, after having put everything to the test of practice, and embodied therewith the results of his experience. The principal authorities relied upon in the preparation of the work, are Locke, Tate, and Stow. The arrangement of these authorities has been generally adopted throughout the volume, and in many instances their language has been used, but in several, the ideas have been expressed more concisely, but without any loss of perspicuity.

It is a hopeful sign, when practical teachers undertake a careful investigation of existing methods, and like Mr. Rogers clearly and candidly state the conclusions they take to be supported by the test of years. of experience. We deprecate the establishment of stereotyped processes -the attempt to make all teachers run in a groove cut for them by amateurs, though on the other hand, we should be the first to protest against stretching this liberty too far.

In offering this Manual to the attention of teachers, the desire of the Author is to assist in the introduction into the elementary Schools of the country of a greater increase of professional skill. We recommend the book heartily and unhesitatingly, and trust, though at the exercise of some self-denial, teachers will each procure a copy. It is not expected that every statement made in the work will meet with universal approval, neither is it necessary that it should be so. The Specimen Lessons on Common Things, Objects, &c., would be differently worked out by us. We would think it desirable to mix more method and induction with these and the other lessons than Mr. Rogers has done. Children should not merely be taught to observe, but to make inferences; and to store the mind through the senses is not to train out its higher powers. We however like the work none the less for not agreeing in every particular with the Author.

BENGALI WORKS.

Sushilár Upakhyán (the Story of Sushilá.) Part 1st. By Madhu Sudan Mukerjea. 1859.

THIS small book, published under the auspices of the Vernacular Literature Committee, is an important accession to their Family Library. It is written by Baboo Madhu Sudan Mukerjea-the Committee's indefatigable Assistant Secretary. It gives the first instalment of what promises to be a very good story of a very good girl. The name of the girl is Sushila, the daughter of Manohar Dás, of the banker-caste, and an inhabitant of the village of Bijyanagar in the district of Dharmapur. Though not very handsome, she was of excellent dispositions. Her parents, who seem to have been more liberal in their views than the majority of their race, put her when five years old into the village girls' school. established chiefly through the exertions of its enlightened ZemindarBaboo Joya Chandra Banerjea. That school was under the management of a European lady of the Calcutta Normal Seminary, ably assisted by a Bengali woman brought up in the Calcutta Central School. Under these excellent instructors Sushilá made rapid progress in the rudiments of knowledge, in knitting, sewing, and house-keeping. When about twelve years of age she was married to a young man who, though poor, had a cultivated mind. Some time after her marriage she left her paternal abode and went to her husband's house, which she rendered comfortable by her industry and skilful management. Our author has carried the story thus far. We wish him to continue it. The easy and simple style in which it is written-its lively delineations of the inner life of Bengali society-its exact morals—its almost Christian tone, render it an admirable reading-book to every Bengali lady. The virtuous and gentle Sushilá reminds us of some of the best female characters in the novels of Miss Edgeworth. The contemplation of such a pattern of goodness cannot but refine and purify the minds of the females of Bengal.

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Jnyán Ratnákar (the Treasure-House of Knowledge). By Chaitanya Charan Bose. Edited by Naba Krishna Bose. Calcutta, 1858,

THIS is a singular performance. It is a hodge podge of fables and facts, of false theology and incredible cosmogony, of Pouranik puerilities and true European science. It is a pocket cyclopædia in which are discussed, in prose and verse, all branches of human learning,-theology, astronomy, natural philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, history, geography, chronology, poetry, and we know not what fifty things more. thor is evidently one of the old class Pundits, who maintain that a thing may be both true and false at the same time, that a system of astro

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nomy, for instance, may be scientifically false but theologically true. Hence he tells us that there are seven continents and seven oceans of ghee, butter-milk, &c., and at the same time gives a summary of true geography, and believes in both the systems. With an enlarged charity, to which few mortals can lay claim, our author " believeth all things." And yet he is no fool. He has considerable powers of writing; his descriptions of men and manners evince no little knowledge of human nature. Agreeably to the nine literary men (popularly called nine gems) who illustrated the court of Vikramaditya, the book under notice has nine sections, each of which is called a gem. And a precious gem it is of sense and nonsense placed in immediate juxta-position.

Kourab Biyog, (the Quarrel of the Kurus). By Hur Chunder Ghose. Senampore: Tomohur Press. 1858.

THIS is a long poem of considerable merit. The author is already favourably known to the Bengali public by a former work, and the publication under notice will, we have no doubt, add to his reputation. The subject of the poem is taken from the celebrated Mahabharat. The characters are well drawn, the style is easy and flowing, and the versification on the whole accurate. But there is nothing striking in the whole concern. We have not met with a single original image or thought. Many of our native friends are fond of appearing in the world as poets; but we would remind them of the ancient saying, "poeta nascitur non fit." It would be a great gain to vernacular literature if Bengali writers were to leave the heights of "sublime poesy" and come down to sensible prose.

Sarbbachittaranjan, (the Delight of all Hearts). By Chandra Kumar Chakrabartti. Burdwan.

THE author of this work has sought to "delight all hearts" by relating in magniloquent prose two well-known stories contained in the Hindu Shastras, the request of Baman, and the translation of Dhruva into heaven. The first story illustrates the dangerous consequences of extravagant liberality, and the second points out the final reward of devoted piety. Our author is evidently an unpractised writer. His style is fluent, and at times even eloquent; but it is dreadfully verbose and inaccurate. The publication does no credit to the Burdwan Press, as every page of the book is filled with typographical mistakes.

Karnopákhyán, Rajah Harish Chundra Upákhyán (Stories of Karna and
Raja Harish Chandra). By Dina Bandhu Nandi. Calcutta.
THIS little book, consisting only of forty-five 12mo. pages, contains,
as the title shows, two stories. King Karna surnamed the liberal was
MARCH, 1859.

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so hospitable and full of reverence to the sacerdotal class, that at the request of a Brahman, who afterwards proved himself to be none other than the Deity in human shape, he cut off the head of his son Brishakatu and served it up to satisfy the cravings of the hungry priest. This action, so immoral and so revolting, is held up by the writer to the admiration of his countrymen. The other story is concerning one Harish Chandra who once ruled over Oude. The author's style is verbose, pompous, and inflated.

Jnyán Briksha or the Tree of Knowledge; for the use of Schools. By Bipra Charan Chakrabartti. Parts 1, 2, and 3, Calcutta. 1859.

THE elementary works of the popular vernacular writer Pundit Ishur Chundra Bidyásagár being entirely destitute of the religious element, the conductors of Christian Vernacular Schools have long felt the want of a series of Bengali school-books written with a decidedly Christian tone. Baboo Bipra Charan Chakrabartti, a Catechist in connection with the Church of Scotland's Mission in Calcutta, professes, in the series before us, three parts of which have been already published, to supply this desideratum. Part I. contains, besides the alphabet, the double consonants and short sentences, the history of Joseph, an anecdote of Sir William Jones, the golden rule, the multiplication table, and the Lord's Prayer. Part II. contains a short account of the earth, some rules of grammar, a succinct description of the sea, the birth of Christ, divisions of time the entrance of sin into the world, a short account of the Bible, the parable of the sower, and brief descriptions of the atmosphere and of the whale. The subjects treated in Part III., which is much more neatly got up than the other two, are the sun, the moon, the parable of the prodigal son, some rules in grammar, the creation of man, the confusion of tongues, the incarnation and discourses of Christ, English conquest of Bengal, Bengal fruits and herbs, and tides. The subjects treated in the parts hitherto published are sufficiently varied and interesting; but whether this new series will supersede the series of Pundit Ishwar Chandra Bidyáságar in even Christian Vernacular Schools, we greatly doubt. The Ex-Principal of the Sanscrit College in Calcutta is master of a simple and beautiful style of writing which, in the estimation of not a few persons, covers all his other defects. Baboo Bipra Charan Chakrabartti, however, deserves all encouragement for the spirit, the industry, and the skill, which he has discovered in this undertaking; and we strongly recommend the series to those Missionaries who are superintendents of vernacular schools.

Sávitri Satyaván Nátak.-A Comedy.

By Kali Prosono Sing, Member of the Asiatic and Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of India, and of the British Indian Association, and President of the Bedoyth Sahivi Sobha of Calcutta, &c. &c. &c.

WE are truly glad to see a wealthy young native gentleman, like Baboo Kali Prosono Sing, instead of running headlong into vice and imbecility, usual with his countrymen of like station and influence, devote himself to the cultivation of letters. Indeed so great is the good-will which we bear towards him, that we readily forgive that ludicrous vanity which has induced him to append to his name in the title-page, the designations of a lot of obscure associations with which he happens to be connected. When he appears in print again-and if advertisements in Bengali Newspapers are to be trusted, he is going to do so at no distant date-we should advise him to appear simply as "Kali Prosono Sing," without those unmeaning titles. The Baboo is already favourably known to the Bengali public by some creditable compositions, and though the genuineness of one of them was questioned, yet we have no doubt that he is a young man of some talents, and will yet gain for himself a name. The tale of Sávitri and Satyaván, which our author has dramatized, in the book before us, is taken from the Van-Parva of the Mahábhárat. Savitri, the daughter of king Ashwapati, had engaged to be the wife of Satyaván, the son of the deposed king Duymathsen, who had turned a hermit. Though revealed to her by the divine sage Narad that Satyaván was to live only one year longer, she faithfully kept her vow and was united in marriage to the hermit-prince. Agreeably to the prediction of the holy sage the prince died after one year; but his faithful wife clung to his dead body, and would not deliver it up, though claimed by the king of terrors in person. At last King Death was fairly out-witted by the gentle but heroic Savitri, and Satyaván was restored to life. Such is the story which Baboo Kali Prosono Sing has dramatized ; and the performance, we are bound to say, does no little credit to him. The characters are, on the whole, well drawn, the scenes are interesting, the dialogues smart and spirited, and the style chaste. We know not why the Sanscrit form, seven ankas, has been exchanged for the European one of five acts. The dramatist gets no advantage from the alteration; and it is as well that in all such matters the Sanscrit be taken as the model.