A PRIMARY HISTORY OF BRITAIN FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. EDITED BY WILLIAM SMITH, D.C.L., L.L.D. OTHER BIBL LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1873. 226. k. 231. DR. WM. SMITH'S ENGLISH COURSE. I. A HISTORY OF BRITAIN, for ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. Edited by WM. SMITH, D.C.L. 12mo. 2s. 6d. II. A SCHOOL MANUAL OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR; with Copious Exercises. By William Smith, D.C.L., and Theophilus D. Hall, M.A. 12mo. 3s. 6d. III. A FIRST ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Abridged from the above. 12mo. Nearly Ready. LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, AND CHARING CROSS. PREFACE FOR THE TEACHER. THIS book is a Primary History in no narrow sense: it is meant for young people of all classes, in schools and families. It is an honest attempt to exhibit the leading facts and events of our history, free from political and sectarian bias, and therefore will, it is hoped, be found suitable for schools in which children of various denominations are taught. The work has been undertaken with two chief aims: first, to give a true and plain account of the history of our united nation, so that the rising race may not have to follow their fathers in the hard and sad path of unlearning; and secondly, to present a clear and lively narrative of the events most needful to be known, and no mere skeleton of facts and dates. Care has been taken to avoid embarrassing the young reader with many objects at one time, or distracting his attention by many clauses in one sentence. The style aimed at is that of plain good English, not cramped within a narrow vocabulary. It is considered far better (except for the very youngest children) to raise a learner to a fair knowledge of his own language, and to stimulate his efforts at understanding the words which are really needful to express the facts and ideas that he has to learn, than to adopt a childish style which children are the first to resent. The book is designed for class-reading, not for cramming. The teacher will, it is hoped, not resent the occasional hints given in the notes. Many names and things, which could not be omitted if the history were to be really told, have been left for the teacher to explain. Such is the case with geographical details. It is not the part of a History to teach the Geography of Britain or of the other countries necessarily named. It is taken for granted that the subject will be explained in Class with the aid of Wall Maps. Military movements should be constantly traced on the Map. All important dates are given, not that the memory may be encumbered with them, but as a guide to that knowledge of the sequence of events, apart from which the events themselves are often thoroughly misunderstood. |