THE EXERCISE OF THE ROPE.

This is a large rope fastened to a staple in the ceiling, in the middle of the room. The exercise, which is fit only for boys, consists in ascending to the ceiling by means o this cord; this is very difficult without the assistance of the legs, that is, by keeping them asunder, instead of twining them round the rope, because all the weight of the body rests entirely on the wrists. Difficult, however, as it is, M. de Chartres, his brothers, and my nephew, performed the exercise equally well in this manner. This capability of ascending and desending readily by the help of a single rope, may be of great use on a thousand occasions in life. In case of a fire, if the flames should render it impossible to escape by the doors; in travelling, if we wish to descend into those deep and curious grottos, which many travellers, for want of this practice, have not been able to see, or at least have incurred great danger. This exercise, as well as that of the pulley, I employed as a relaxation between their studies; and in the winter, at Belle Chasse, between each language-lesson, and after our reading, my pupils exercised themselves in one of these two ways, or in a trial of strength of wrists (lutte des poignets) for ten or twelve minutes.

THE EXERCISE OF WEIGHTS AT THE FEET.

This was an invention of M. de Montpensier and my nephew, who practised it every day for six months. This exercise astonishingly increased their growth. The pupil fixes to each foot a weight as heavy as he can carry, without great exertion; he then raises himself by his hands on the rope fixed to the ceiling, till his feet are at some distance from the ground, and for some minutes contracts and extends his legs alNo. 19.

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ternately with considerable force. The weights which M. de Montpensier fastened to his feet last winter amounted together to fifty pounds, consequently weighed twenty-five pounds each.

LEAPING.

There are three modes of leaping; first, horizontally; secondly, over something raised above the ground; thirdly, from a high place to the ground. The last is dangerous, as in this kind of leaping there is a risk of breaking the leg, if it deviate ever so little from the proper direction in falling. This exercise, therefore, should be proscribed; especially as a perfect master in the other two modes will leap well in this, if ever he should be under the necessity of risking it, to avoid a great danger. In the garden of the country-house, where we spent our summers, I caused a piece of ground about twenty feet square to be dug up. This piece of ground which was called the leaping ground (sautoir), was situated under the windows of my chamber, and on a large green where the exercises of running were performed, so that without qutting my chamber I could see the children run, leap, and play at prison-bars. As the earth in this leaping-ground was soft they could receive no injury by falling. They thus leaped at full speed, that is to say, taking a distance to run: this distance should neither be too short nor too long; twelve or fifteen paces are sufficient. In leaping, the feet should not be separated from each other, and the legs should be thrown forward, so that if the child fall, his position might be that of sitting upon the ground: if he fall upon his knees it is a proof that the leap was not well performed. For the high leap I placed two forked sticks upon the border of the leaping-ground, and between

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them suspended a cord. The object is to leap over this cord, which may be done in two ways, either by taking a run, or with the feet close, that is, without a run. The cord is only to be hung upon the sticks and not fastened to them, in order that it may give way, if the child should not clear it; for, if his feet were to be caught in it, the resistance would make him fall in a dangerous way upon his back, and out of the leaping-ground. When the pupil is perfectly master of this mode, he may venture to leap over real bars, taking care that their height be less than he is accustomed to clear with ease; for instance, if he commonly leap four feet with the loose cord, the bar should be no more than three feet, and we may be sure that if any imminent danger should require his leaping over a bar, or any similar obstacle, he would then rise as high as if it were only a cord. At this kind of exercise M. de Charters did not excel the rest of my pupils; but in the horizontal mode, he could clear, at a running jump, a space of twentyone lengths of his own foot.

RUNNING.

This exercise I divided into two kinds; one a trial of speed, the other of long-windedness. In the latter the pupil does not exert all his force, and by habit a child may run a long time. Mademoiselle d' Orleans, at twelve years, ran a league without stopping or walking a single instant. No one is ignorant, that in walking the body should be erect, the toes turned out, and the leg advanced before the body at each step; for it is impossible to walk well if we advance the body and the leg at the same time. In running, it is quite the reverse; the body must be inclined forwards, the toes turned neither in nor out, and the body advance with the legs.

I employed a rope-dancer a whole winter to teach my pupils this exercise. They took their lessons when they rose from table, as it is not at all fatiguing, and requires no exertion. This exercise gives agility and boldness: it teaches a person to walk with address and safety in the narrowest and steepest path, which in travelling, and on many other accasions, is of no small utility.

RIDING.

Of this M. d' Orleans gave his children the first lesson, and has since presided at almost all they have taken. They all mount upon horseback with courage and skill, leap bars, ditches, &c. M. de Chartres, tho' he does all these things, has the least inclination to this exercise, and M. de Beaujollois is in this respect a most astonishing youth. Like his brothers, he will travel twenty leagues upon horseback, and two or three upon foot, in the same day, without being in the smallest degree fatigued; but it must be observed that he has been exercised from his earliest infancy in every thing that could render him strong and hardy. When he was put under my care he was only three years old; and there is not a child living, of his age, who possesses his agility, address, and strength. If these happy physical qualities were sedulously cultivated, at seventeen he would assuredly be a prodigy in this respect: but of this I have not the smallest hope, since within the four months that he has been no longer under my care, he has been made to give up almost all the exercises which I directed him to perform, and in which he excelled.

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SWIMMING.

Of this too M. d' Orleans gave his children the first lessons, and has frequently swum with them since. They all swim perfectly well, leaping into the water head foremost. M. de Chartres saved the life of a man (inspector of bridges and roads at Vendome) who was on the point of being drowned, by leaping into the river the moment he heard his cries. I know nothing of this art, but I recommended two things; that they should sometimes be thrown into the water with all their clothes on, because people are commonly in this state when they fall in by accident, and that they should be carefully instructed in the methods proper to be pursued to succour and bring to shore a person in danger of being drowned.

ARCHERY.

Neither M. de Chartres nor his brothers were fond of this exercise, which has in it more of gracefulness than utility; but Mademoiselle d' Orleans, and the young persons brought up with her, handled the bow with considerable dexterity.

SHOOTING.

As I was very desirous that my pupils should never be enamoured with the sports of the field, the delight only of the idle, and a passion fatal to the people before the revolution, I never encouraged them in this exercise, and they were therefore very indifferent about, and scarcely ever pursued it.

MILITARY EXERCISE, which they partly learnt under my inspection. To this they applied themselves with zeal and activity.

BILLIARDS.

I had no desire that they should excel in this, for I wished them to have as little inclination for gaming