for we believe it to be enforced by bad education. When it is considered how many people are over-worked, how many are underfed, and how precious a boon leisure is when it is rest from labour, we do say that society cannot afford to maintain a large and increasing class in absolute idleness. The leisure which is so pernicious to these women, properly distributed, would take much of the hardship from toil, and would greatly increase the happiness of mankind; whereas, when it is concentrated on the lives of individuals it loses all its value, and becomes as great a curse to its possessor as the want of it is to the over-worked labourer. But if society stands in need of the labour of women, it stands much more in need of their purity and unselfishness, their heroism and public spirit, which are at present too rare. If this is not the case, what is the meaning of the taunts which the keenest observers of mankind-such as Fielding, Thackeray, and Dickenscast upon women? They constantly portray them either as unprincipled schemers, or as affectionate fools. There is too much justice in these sarcasms for us to put them aside as meaningless. George Eliot has, it is true, given us many a type of noble womanhood; but we cannot afford to neglect the lessons of our censors, and if we are forced to the conclusion that the present training of women tends to produce creatures like Becky Sharp or Amelia Osborne, it is the duty of all who care for the welfare of mankind to strive earnestly after every reform that may effect an improvement in that training. The first thing to be sought is education, and we are glad that in this direction by far the greatest advance has been made in the position of women by the opening to girls of the Cambridge local examinations; for following close upon improved education must come the extension to women of those legal, social, and political rights, the withholding of which is felt, by a daily increasing number of men and women, to be unworthy of the civilization of the nineteenth century.-MILLICENT GARRETT FAWCETT. Macmillan's Magazine.

A SCHOOL FOR Young Ladies in GENOA.-In writing the few following lines I recall the recollection of a time when not only the ground of my education was laid, but friendships were formed which have since been to me a source of the purest pleasure.

In the dark days when Italy was still in bondage, two noble ladies of Genoa, the Marchesa Doria and Contessa Rebizzo, undertook to provide the young ladies of Italy with the means of a liberal education. With the consent of Vittorio Emanuele, the only sovereign who then protected intellectual progress, they rented the Palazzo Pallavicini, where, some time before, learned men had met together for scientific objects. The palace is situated on a salubrious hill, with a view of the sea on one side and that of the mountains of Liguria on the other. It VOL. XI.

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rises like an island in the middle of a large garden, containing four goldfish fountains, which have given to it the name of Palazzo delle Peschiere.

When I was a pupil in this institution, it had existed but a few years. There were about a hundred scholars, and only young ladies of good family were admitted. The terms were high and the same for all, as was the education. The institute was divided into six classes, each class being distinguished by the colour of the sash. The first, or preparatory class, had a green one; the second green with a scarlet tie; the third all scarlet; the fourth all white; the fifth white with a blue tie; the sixth blue. The punishment for a grave fault was having the sash over one shoulder instead of round the waist.

The dresses were all of one colour; grey for the winter and lilac for the summer, no distinction of toilette being allowed. This system was adopted to prevent jealousy; for the same reason young ladies of title were only called by their surnames, without higher consideration than for the other pupils. No one was allowed to let her hair grow long till she was fourteen. The grown-up pupils were allowed to watch the younger, to reprove them, in a friendly way, if found in fault, but not to punish them.

The studies began on November 1, and were conducted with great regularity. There was a separate mistress for each department of knowledge, and a master was attached to each of the higher classes. Professor Mercantini, a friend of Garibaldi, came every day to teach Italian and Greek history, to correct our compositions, and to explain to us the "Divina Commedia" of Dante, which we learnt by heart; the other Italian poets and classics were only read. Professor Marmocchi taught geography and astronomy; Professor Gherardi mathematics and natural philosophy; Mr. Tubino was the drawing master; Mr. Gambini attended for music; and the Canonico Canale for religion. To avoid confusion of ideas, there was an interval of an hour between each lesson as given by the master, and this was employed in learning or preparing for the next. We had dancing and gymnastic exercises three times a week; foreign languages were taught grammatically, but they were not spoken.

Needlework was well taught; and beside the fancy work we made every year a certain number of clothes for poor people, which were given to them by ourselves (with a little money) at Christmas time.

The sanitary regulations were attended to with the greatest care. The dormitories were large and airy, each of them holding eight little iron bedsteads for the pupils, and a larger one for the mistress; each bed was ornamented with a pretty little white head-curtain tied with pink bows. We made our own beds, helping each other like sisters.

Soon after sunrise two maid-servants entered each dormitory to

assist in brushing our hair, which we plaited and dressed ourselves. An hour was allowed for dressing. When the toilette was completed, we all attended the service in the chapel in the house. After the service, we went out for a walk up the mountains, making use of this time in gaining a general idea of botany. On our return home, the breakfast was ready, which consisted of café au lait and bread and butter all the year round. After it we went to our respective classes till luncheon time at twelve o'clock. Luncheon consisted of a plate of meat, vegetables, a little fruit and bread. We dined at six on soup, boiled and roasted meat, very often varied by poultry, vegetables, salad, fruit, bread, and a silver jug of wine; the spoon and fork were of the same metal. We could be helped three times from any dish, and eat as much bread as we liked.

After luncheon and dinner an hour was allowed for recreation, which in fine weather was spent in the garden, and when it was cold and wet indoors, in a large room kept for the purpose.

At eight we had the evening service; and after that some of us remained in the schoolroom, doing crochet or netting, while one of the pupils read aloud some instructive book till bed-time, which was at nine; others went to take the bath. On the first floor were set aside three large rooms for this purpose-one containing about thirty bathing-places, separated one from another by curtains, the second for resting after the bath, the third for dressing; there were maidservants to attend upon us. By this arrangement, each pupil had, alternately, her bath three times a week from November till the end of June. During July and August, omnibuses came every morning at five o'clock to fetch the young ladies, who, escorted by the mistresses and by six maid-servants, went to the seaside, where they were taught to swim. This was really a great treat to us, being allowed on such occasions to make as much noise as we liked; there were tents set up where we went to change our clothes; the bathing-costumes, which we always made ourselves, were of black alpacas braided with scarlet. During the hour we were in the water, we were as happy as the fishes themselves; on coming out we each had a piece of dry bread. All this was superintended and directed by Mr. Casta, the doctor of the school, who inspected also the kitchen every morning after visiting the dormitories and inquiring after our health. If any one of us was ill, she was separated from the others and sent to a room called the infirmary, where she was attended by a good nurse and kept till she was well again. The dentist also came every Thursday to clean the good teeth and take the bad ones out.

According to the national custom we had our carnival in January, which lasted ten days; of these eight were employed in learning comedies, which we played in the evening, in our theatre at school;

the two last evenings were spent in dancing. In the first ball we appeared dressed in white, having a pink ribbon with long ends for the sash, and a white camellia in the hair. At the second ball we were allowed to put on fancy dresses, which were ordered in the town by our parents. The costumes were generally rich and picturesque, and well suited, of course, to the pupil's figure and complexion. The most favourite ones were costume Pompadour, the dress of Lucia dei Promessi Sposi, and the Swiss peasant's costume. The ball-room was large, well furnished, and decorated with beautiful pictures from good Italian artists; the orchestra consisted of two pianofortes, two violoncellos, and a cornet-à piston; these instruments were played by the musicians from the opera. The parents and several friends of the pupils were asked on this occasion; but they were only spectators, no one being allowed to partake of our amusements.

The dancing began at nine o'clock, and went on with increasing animation till one o'clock in the morning; at least this was the time fixed for its end; but we were most happy when we could succeed in making the school-clock strike twelve when it was one, which made the ball last an hour longer.

The days for receiving visitors were Thursdays and Sundays, from two till five o'clock. When our parents or friends came to call upon us, a maid was sent to fetch us by the two mistresses who kept the drawing-room on this occasion. The morning of the first of the abovementioned days was employed in letter-writing; we were only allowed to seal those addressed to our parents; all the others were given open to the inspectress, and read by her before being posted.

The King and Queen of Sardinia (now, happily, of Italy) visited our school three or four times a year. They came separately. The queen was generally attended by Monsignor Sharvatz, Archbishop of Genoa, while the king was accompanied by Cavour, La Marmora, il General Fanti, il Filosofo Mamiani, and other distinguished men.

We received the queen with a large bouquet of flowers, gathered in our garden, and tied with a white silk ribbon embroidered by ourselves with gold. There was also declamation of some poetry, which, as well as the vocal and instrumental music, was composed for the occasion. The queen always looked pleased and gratified by the reception, but, not being accustomed to express herself in Italian, she said but very little. The king was received with enthusiastic and martial spirit, which showed itself in the young ladies being drawn up in two lines, all along the entrance from the garden to the gate of the school, where one of them, who had distinguished herself during the year for learning and good conduct (I had twice that privilege), presented him with the national flag which belonged to the school; in return he shook hands, and expressed himself with great amiability and satisfaction.

Either the king or the queen made their appearance once during our examinations, which lasted a week, from one o'clock in the afternoon to half-past five each day. The parents, relations, and friends of the young ladies were present, and a great many other people besides. The crowd was always imposing. The examinations took place in the same room where the carnival balls were given. They began with the sixth class, the other classes following in order of their number. On these occasions our masters and mistresses were only spectators; any others were allowed to ask us questions in regard to the programme of our studies. The same questions were often asked in different ways and the teachers gave no assistance or explanation; there were no appointed examiners. On the first day we had examinations in geography and astronomy. On the second, in foreign languages and their respective history and literature. On the third, in mathematics and natural philosophy. On the fourth, were declamations of the "Divina Commedia" by the two higher classes (fifth and sixth), and examinations in Italian history and Italian literature for all. On the fifth day the subject was religion. On the sixth, music. On the seventh, Italian composition; the themes being given by the public. We wrote our compositions in the same room before everybody; an hour was allowed for each subject; when ready, we got up by turns and read them aloud. The drawings and needlework were exposed in a room where everyone could inspect them. With these displays the examinations terminated.

On the following day, which was the last of August, the prizes were distributed, and the pupils had their reward, according to their merit and good conduct. Before this took place, our masters, mistresses, and several people who had been present at the examinations, met together at the Marchesa Doria's house, in the Via Balbi, and gave their votes; while the scholars, all dressed alike, in white, were drawn up in lines, each class separately waiting their fate in the same room where their talents had been tested the day before. There were three kinds of medals, gold, silver, and bronze. All the young ladies' names were written down. Contessa Rebizzo kept the list, and she called them aloud, one at a time, beginning with the highest class. Each prizescholar made a reverence to the public first, and then she went straight to the Marchesa Doria, who kissed her and passed round her neck a white silk ribbon, from which the medal was suspended. On returning to her place she was accompanied with great clapping of hands.

After the prizes were given away, the two directresses and some of our masters made speeches which concerned the education and duty of ladies in general. Then we all bade each other farewell; our parents being in waiting to take us home for the holidays, which lasted till the end of October.

I am now grieved to have to state that this excellent institution, from