“ Ταύτης τοι γενεῆς τε καὶ ἅιματος ἔυχομαι εἶναι.”—HOMER.

"And take a last fond look at what we were before."-BYRON.

LONDON:

SMITH, ELDER AND CO., 65, CORNHILL.

1854.

VSL

PREFACE.

A RECENT instance of the abuse of monitorial power in a public school, has given rise to a controversy on the subject of school government, and led to the inditing of many letters and leading articles in newspapers on "Fagging and Flogging" in our public schools. Without expressing any opinion on the animus of these effusions, I may be allowed to remark that neither the tone nor temper in which these topics have been discussed is such as to conduce to a dispassionate consideration of a very grave and important subject.

It appears to me that the public have received an impression of the management of public schools, and the influence of their discipline,