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The Queen's chaplain (Aumônier de la Reine) the Abbé Guillon, was named to a French bishopric by the Crown, but the Pope refused to grant him investiture, because he had performed funeral rites of the Church over the body of the famous constitutional Bishop, the Abbé Grégoire, who died excommunicate. A compromise seems, however, to have been afterwards made; for the aumônier, though debarred from the intended promotion, was subsequently honoured with the titular designation of Bishop of Morocco, which he now enjoys He resides at Paris in possession of this and of various academic honours.

Monday, August 12.—M. A. Bonnetty accompanied us to a distribution des prix at a school, Institution Mourice, Rue St. Jacques, No. 277. I was surprised to see on the platform assigned to the grandees so many as eight or ten ecclesiastics in their clerical dress; but we learned afterwards that this school distinguishes itself from the far greater number of such establishments at Paris, by seeking the countenance of the clergy, and by placing itself under their influence. The master is a layman, and the religious instruction of the school, as is usual in French schools, is confided to a clergyman, who has generally some additional parochial duty, and is styled Aumônier or Chaplain of the school. Here is a division of secular and spiritual function in teaching, which runs through the whole system of French education. In the great colleges or schools of Paris, as, for instance, that of

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Louis le Grand, (of which more by-and-by,) the head is called the Proviseur du College, who has no ecclesiastical character or function, and the religious management of it falls into the hands of four aumôniers, two for the Roman Catholic, and two for the Protestant students.

But to return to the Institution Mourice. This is one of the 120 schools at Paris for the upper classes, which are authorized by the University of France, and are under its control; no such school can be formed without its sanction, given by the Minister of Public Instruction; and these minor schools are required to send their pupils above ten years of age to attend the classes of the great State Colleges or Government Schools of Paris, at the same time with, and in addition to, the studies which they pursue in these private establishments. Each master of a private school pays also to the University a certain sum (45 francs) as capitation-tax on each of his pupils.

The company, on this occasion, consisting mainly of parents and friends of the scholars, was placed on benches in front of the platform under an awning in a large court. The boys were arranged on each side of the dignitaries, who were seated on velvetcushioned and gilded arm-chairs. The master, M. Mourice, in plain dress, without gown or any academic badge, stood on the right side of the platform, near a table covered with prize books, such as

Dictionaries, French Tales, Choix de Lettres de Madame de Sevigné, &c.

The boys opened the proceedings with vocal musica French song with chorus; military musicians were in attendance, who took an active part. One of the boys then stepped forward on the platform, and welcomed the company with a few sentences in French. I observe once for all, that the enunciation of the boys was very rapid and low, producing the impression very much of a task said off to a master, and without animation or expression by gesture or emphatic articulation.

Next came a dialogue between three of the boys, one asking the other for an account of what he had learned in the school quarter which was just expiring, this being the day before the vacation-“ Eh bien! Mons. Jean, qu'est-ce que vous avez appris, et qu'est-ce que vous a donné le plus grand plaisir de toutes vos études ?" each of the boys holding in his hand a cahier of paper on which his part of the dialogue was written, but repeating it by heart. Mons. Jean replied that he had derived the greatest benefit and pleasure from the instructions he had received in the Catéchisme from the venerable Abbé Gabriel, their aumônier, and he then launched forth into a panegyric on the course of study in this department, and on its advantages.

Then came similar dialogues concerning the uses of the ancient languages, philosophy, history, chemistry,

drawing, botany, &c., each boy eulogizing his favourite study, something after the manner of Piscator, Venator, and Auceps, in the Complete Angler; or as if we might imagine so many different Pinnock's Catechisms turned into little boys of from twelve to fifteen years of age dressed in the school uniform of blue jackets and gilt buttons peculiar to the institution,

Then came an address in French from the aumônier, the Abbé Gabriel himself, a fine, dignified-looking ecclesiastic, which he delivered with a very expressive voice and graceful gesture. This speech was not read; its object was to show the necessity of religion as the basis of education, and it was an eloquent exposé of the power and dignity which poetry, eloquence, and the fine arts had derived from Christianity. He illustrated this by reference to the examples of Bossuet, Fénélon, and Michael Angelo, and of some French poet whose name I did not catch; and I could not think to myself what poet he could select in France in proof of his argument, unless it be one of the Racines, or perhaps Delille or Lamartine. He concluded with an address to the mères Chrétiennes. there present, congratulating them on the good training which their children received in this institution, and bearing a high testimony to the learning and piety of its director, M. Mourice, who confirmed all that was said in his favour by his pleasing counte-. nance and unaffected manners. M. Mourice was originally an artisan of Paris, and attracted the notice

of a priest, who instructed him and led him to study the Oriental languages. Shortly after this address, was a speech something of the same character, read by one of the clergy of the parish.

Then came the distribution of the prizes,-M. Mourice reading the names, then the successful boys coming either to the aumônier or to one of the other ecclesiastics (not to the master), to receive their prize from him, in giving which he placed on their head a crown of papier-máché, or some such material, with gilded leaves for the best, and green leaves and blue flowers for the of wooì who followed. These wreaths were taken from a large basket which stood near the table. Then the distributor of the prize impressed a kiss upon each cheek of the successful youth. To judge from the programme of the prizes, one would suppose that the mind of each of the boys must have become a small encyclopædia, containing, as M. Bonnetty expressed it, un peu de tout; such is the infinite variety of subjects for which honours are awarded. It may be noticed, that besides prizes for rhetoric, &c., down to Conversation Anglaise, rewards were given for excellence in Ecriture Sainte, in analyse religieuse, and one in la prière.

As each boy approached the distributor of the prize, the military band struck up a triumphant pæan in honour of the juvenile victor. Some of the prizes were given by the mothers, who placed the green wreaths on the heads of their sons, and whose kisses

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