I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

ΤΟ

THE RIGHT HON.

LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH,

K.T., P.C., LL.D.,

Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, and now
Secretary for Scotland,

Who, in addition to the admirable discharge of the other duties of his high office, has left on Scottish national education in its widest sense the impress of his wise insight and patriotic statesmanship.

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INTRODUCTORY

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

1

Bury St Edmunds-A walking feat-Unintentional injury

to a bishop in posse—Appointed inspector-Rev. Dr

Montagu Butler-Professor Jack

CHAPTER II.

Educational awakening-Government aims-First experi-

ences-A "pheesical" impossibility

CHAPTER III.

Wide range of travelling-The devil like a roaring lion—

Horseback and saddle-bags-An involuntary swim on

horseback-Unsatisfactory buildings-Primitive rail-

way management

CHAPTER IV.

Five stages of Code development - History repeating

itself— Elasticity and higher general level - Lord

Balfour of Burleigh and Sir Henry Craik-The aim

a return to the ideal old parish school - Dullards,

like the poor, always with us-Early general reports

represent the principle of recent changes-Dull and

clever alike provided for

9

14

24

CHAPTER V.

Dr John Brown's estimate of a kindly joke-One of an

inspector's first duties-Cases in point-Why one

should not go to Berlin-"Glad to see your back"

-"He disna ken there's twa Dees" - A pilgrim

defined-"A gutsy brute”—“Are ye the Goaver-

ment?"-Mistaken for some one else

CHAPTER VI.

Gratuitous visits and their results-Inspection before the

Code-Act of 1861 for increase of salaries of parish

teachers and removal of the incompetent-An amus-

ing case-"I jist fushed too mich"

CHAPTER VII.

The Revised Code an injury to Scottish education-The

"beggarly elements supreme — Intelligence dis-

regarded-Unfair to Scotland because based exclu-

sively on the character of English schools-Educa-

tion levelled down, not up—Many teachers and some

inspectors educationally demoralised by it-A proof

that English officials did not know Scottish schools.

CHAPTER VIII.

Effects of kindly encouragement and words in season-

Rev. Dr Mackenzie of Kingussie and education in

the north-Sympathetic patience of teachers of the

blind and dumb-Abnormal development of special

faculties.

64

CHAPTER IX.

Old parish schools-Candlemas-Changed customs-M.

Biot's estimate-Parish schools' relation to the Uni-

versity First Scottish Code-"No use pumping

when the well's dry"-Scottish and English gradu-

ates compared-"A stickit minister"

73

"Bairns maun like their books"

"She has a

dreadfu' memory”.
"_"Read as weel's ye can do”—

"What! are ye keekin'?"—"Hoo could I charge

fees?"-"Eh! man, Bell's deid"

CHAPTER XI.

Sheriff Nicolson-J. F. Maclennan-D'Arcy Thompson-

Swearing in Latin-A reading party- Alexander

Smith-'Punch' to the rescue-P. P. Alexander

CHAPTER XII.

Changes in graduation and bursaries in Edinburgh and

Glasgow-Aberdeen, why different—Dick Bequest-

Graduation and bursaries fifty years ago and now-

University no place for poverty of both purse and

intellect Bursaries, wherever possible, should be

open to free competition-Crooked answers from

examination papers

CHAPTER XIII.

Orkney--Kirkwall cathedral-"Picts' houses" and stand-

ing-stones-Rents sixty years ago, “I sud pay a hen"

"The haithens ate Tam"-"I thocht I was needin'

a snuff" - North Ronaldsay-Shapinsay - Colonel

Balfour-Maeshowe and the antiquaries-Professor

Aytoun-Cologne cathedral

CHAPTER XIV.

Shetland-Fair Isle-A purpose of marriage-Foula-

A running commentary on the last chapter of Ec-

clesiastes

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135

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