ce, with much less labour, he would have achieved an unqualified
success.

By observing a young nephew of four years he is led to his present
method. He returns to Germany, puts it into practice, and is speedily
and eminently successful. He banishes Dictionary, Grammar, Roots,
Ollendorf and Robertson.

Mr. Gouin appears to have thought that since a language is made up of
grammatical rules and words, it was only necessary to commit them to
memory to have mastered the language. His mistake was that of the person
who should suppose that since strength is derived from food, the more
food he swallows the stronger he becomes. He exceeded his capacity of
mental digestion and assimilation.

Another cause of Mr. Gouin's failure was that of supposing that a
knowledge of the theory carries with it the ability to practice.

Mr. Gouin states that his memory was in his eye not in his ear, and that
a month's interruption of his labours proceeding from disease of sight
brought on by overwork was sufficient to efface from his memory Grammar,
Dictionary all previously learnt. Dicken's Yorkshire schoolmaster, Mr.
Squeers recognised that knowledge acquired, ought speedily to be put into
practice. Mr. Gouin would have found in Paris, many young Frenchmen
engaged in commercial pursuits who speak Italian or Spanish or
Portuguese, and even English or German, well, who have never been in any
country where these languages are spoken. This was the case so far back
as 1866.

_Review of Reviews_, 1892, _page_ 88.--Professor Blackie says that after
five months in Germany, he knew German as well as his mother tongue. He
attended Professor's lectures, took regular lessons in German. He added
to this the text-book used by Professor, daily intercourse with students,
and the constant reading of easy German books. By this combination of
social intercourse, primary training of the ear, and secondary use of
relative books both in reading and writing, he spoke German like English
in five months. Memory depends upon force of original impression and
frequency of repetition. He says that at the University pupils did not
learn to speak Latin. A new professor came who spoke it, made a speech
in it, and called upon the pupils to reply, Blackie was the only one who
ventured to do so, and had learnt by "spouting" Latin speeches of Cicero
etc. in his room. He used Italian vowels.

Dr. Hanes says it is impossible to learn a language by the translat