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to render it quite impossible really to feel sentiments of so brief duration: such is this exercise. A good delivery of the Tones is almost as seldom to be met with as a black swan. But then, say those who favour it, that is the great advantage of the thing. If you can once get to deliver the Tones with effect: if you can manage t0 pass from this sentence, “Agneau plein de douceur! qui vous a donc forcé à vous charger de nos fautes, à accepter la mort pour nous donner la vie?” to the following: “O hommes stupides! O hommes plongés dans le sommeil du péché!” giving their full and natural emphasis to each of these sentences, both so vehement in such a different way, you are not very likely to have much difficulty in delivering an ordinary sermon.

After the Tones, the bell is rung for Catechism, an exercise in which the novices have to learn, both in speculation and by practice, the art of teaching in general, and especially the art of teaching religion. The Father who presides (sometimes a novice, at others the Socius of the Master) first gives general rules and hints, both as to what to say and how to say it; and notes how much severity, with what temperament of kindness, is required to maintain discipline. Then a novice stands forth in the middle, and for the nonce becomes the catechist; all tho others are Sunday-school children. He proceeds to explain the first notions of religion to them; questions them sometimes; they, on their part, must personate children. They rather overdo it in general. Such laziness, such disorder, such insubordination, could hardly be found in a reformatory. He has here to show his presence of mind, his energy, his self-command, and all the qualities indispensable to a good teacher. Then comes, as usual, the criticism; sometimes favourable, sometimes severe, always useful. In after-life, the teacher will have no witnesses of his class but the boys, and no one to give him good advice. True, it will be more serious then, and this is but a sort of child's play; but there is no objection to sham fights, naval manœuvres, and the Kriegspiel—why then should not this sort of game have its value too?

Here I may add a word or two about a similar exercise, which, as I have heard, is practised during the Third Probation^[1] (or second novitiate) by the priests who, after their theological studies, pass a year to prepare for active life in the ministry. I allude to the “Exercise of Confession.” Certain of the “Tertiaires” are appointed beforehand, and have to study their parts as penitents, so as to give the most trouble possible to the Confessor. One is a dévote, laden with the sins of other people; another, a nun, with no end of scruples and peccadilloes of her own; a third is a soldier, rough and ready—says he has done nothing, but lets plenty of sins be wormed out of him by degrees. A man kneels down—he is a Voltairean workman, come to dispute; followed by an inn-keeper, whose earnings are not always of the most honourable kind; and then there comes a monk, with an unintelligible confession, having done something he does not like to say, and fears to leave unsaid. After all these have been questioned, counselled, rebuked, and (if possible) absolved in turn, there is the inevitable judgment upon the performance. “Notre Père

1. ↑ The First Probation comprises only the time of Postulance, before admission as a novice.