part of the reign of Philip-His death and characterFrance during his reign.

EXERCISES.

1. France under the Franks. 2. Sketch of the Reign of Charlemagne. 3. Normandy and the Normans. 4. Persecution of the Albigenses. 5. The Times of Cardinal Richelieu. 6. A Summary of the Reign of Louis XIV.

6. Write a short account of the following subjects connected with General History.

SKELETONS.

I.-The Crusades.

Pilgrimages to Jerusalem common in the earliest ages of the Church-Palestine under the TurksOppression of the Christian Pilgrims-Peter the Hermit-Pope Urban II.-First Crusade-Popular frenzy -March of Peter the Hermit-His followers-Their fate-Godfrey of Boulogne-Capture of JerusalemMassacre of the Turks-Establishment of the kingdom of Jerusalem-Second Crusade-Conrad III. and Louis VII.-Result of the expedition-Jerusalem taken by the illustrious Saladin-Effect produced in EuropeThird Crusade-Fate of the Emperor Frederic I. Jealousy of Philip Augustus-Exploits of Richard the Lion-hearted-Fourth Crusade-Andrew II. King of Hungary-Fifth Crusade-Frederic II. of GermanyLast Crusade-St Louis of France-Effect of the Crusades.

II.-Sack of Rome by the Imperialists.

Francis I. of France-The Constable BourbonCauses of the estrangement between them-Bourbon deserts to the Emperor Charles V.-Contributes materially to the reverses of the French in the Milanese-Is disappointed in the expectations held out by the Emperor-His difficult position at Milan-Resolves to attack the Papal territories-Pope Clement VII.Bourbon's arduous march-Mixed character of his troops-The Pope's vacillating conduct-His treaty

with Lannoy-The attack on Rome-Death of the Constable-Sack of the city-Its prolonged and aggravated character-The Pope besieged in the Castle of St Angelo-Characteristic hypocrisy of Charles V.

III.-The Seven Years' War.

A short account of the Pragmatic Sanction-Seizure of Silesia by Frederick of Prussia-Result of the war of the Pragmatic Sanction-Coalition between Austria, France, and other powers, in 1756, for the dismemberment of Prussia-Frederick invades Saxony-Seizure of the Saxon state papers-Frederick defeats the Austrians under Brown-Subjection of Saxony-Battle of Prague-Defeat of Frederick at Kolin-His retreat from Bohemia-His critical position in November 1757 -Defeats the French at Rosbach-Consequences of the victory at Leuthen-Silesia reconquered by Frederick -Frederick assisted by England-Defeat of the Russians at Zorndorf-The Austrian Generals Daun and Laudohn surprise Frederick at Hochkirchen-Silesia invaded by the Austrians-Dexterous movements of Frederick Siege of Dresden-Its unhappy positionDefeat of Frederick at Kunersdorf-Reverses of the Prussians-Exhausted condition of Prussia-Berlin occupied by the allies-Obstinate resistance of Frederick -Death of Elizabeth of Russia-Change in Russian politics favourable to Frederick-Withdrawal of France from the coalition-Peace of Hubertsburg.

EXERCISES.

1. American War of Independence. 2. Some Account of the Conquest of Mexico. 3. The Invasion of Spain by the Moors. 4. The Rise of Mohammedanism. 5. History of the West Indies. 6. War of the Spanish Succession.

SECTION V.

GEOGRAPHICAL EXERCISES.

1. Write a short description of the following Cities.

MODEL.

St Petersburg.

St Petersburg, the capital of Russia, is situated partly on the mainland, and partly on the small islands near the mouth of the Neva. Though now covering a surface of thirty square miles, with a population of half a million, its site, at the beginning of last century, was but a dreary marsh, occupied only by the miserable huts of a few fishermen. In 1703, Peter the Great conceived the idea of converting this desolate region into a seat of commerce; and a wooden hut, erected with his own hands, was the foundation of a city, which, in point of magnificence, extent, and mercantile importance, is worthy of its position as the capital of a mighty empire. It was named after the patron saint of its founder.

The banks of the Neva at St Petersburg present a very striking and lively prospect. Remarkable for the depth and transparency of its waters, this river has in many places the width of the Thames at London; and innumerable boats are constantly in motion upon its blue surface. On one side the granite quay, three miles in length, is lined with a succession of magnificent buildings, conspicuous among which are the imperial palace, the Admiralty, and many of the superb mansions inhabited by the nobility. The residence of the English merchants, called the English Line, is on this side of the river. The Admiralty is a gigantic and imposing structure. On the land side it presents a front extending more than three-quarters of an English mile in length, and its two wings, each nearly 700 feet long, stretch down to the edge of the river. The most prominent features on the opposite side are the fortress, the summer gardens, fronted by an iron palisade with glittering tops, the floating bridges, the Academy of Sciences, and the Academy of Arts.

The streets and public places of St Petersburg, like the buildings themselves, are on a scale of uniform

magnitude and grandeur. "Large as the houses are in themselves," says Kohl, "they are made to appear small by the gigantic plan of the whole." The total absence of mean or paltry-looking houses contributes to the general effect of this arrangement. The ground being the property of the Emperor or of the nobles, the poorer class of buildings observable in English towns is rarely allowed to appear. In certain quarters of the town, a lively and picturesque effect is produced by a numerous assemblage of elegant villas, erected in every style of architecture, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, French, and English. This diversity of appearance is heightened by the Eastern character of the Greek churches, which are all surmounted by a fine gilded dome. Brick, faced with stucco, in order to resemble stone, is the prevalent material of which the better class of houses is constructed; and, as the outside of them is washed yearly, they always appear new. The roofs are flat, sheeted with iron, and variously painted, the predominating tints being red, green, or an ash-coloured gray. A number of light and elegant iron bridges facilitate the intercourse between the different islets on which the city is partly built.

In respect of grandeur as a whole, together with showiness and splendour of detail, St Petersburg is admitted to surpass every other European capital. Indebted in a great measure to its extremely modern origin for these advantages, it is for the same reason destitute of interesting relics and historical associations. Its most attractive monument is the celebrated statue of Peter the Great.

The houses of St Petersburg, like those of Venice and Stockholm, are mostly built on piles, the ground being too marshy to afford a secure foundation otherwise.

2. Write a short description of the following Countries.

MODEL.-Iceland.

The island of Iceland is a dependency of the kingdom of Denmark, and is situated on the verge of the Arctic Circle, between the 12th and 25th degrees of west longitude. Its extreme length from east to west, and its breadth from north to south, are respectively 280 and 200 miles. Its superficial area is variously estimated, some making it 30,000, and others 40,000 square miles. It contains 60,000 inhabitants.

Iceland is traversed in almost every direction by mountains, which are nearly all volcanoes in full activity. They generally attain a height of about 6000 feet, and are perpetually covered with snow. The celebrated Hecla is 5110 feet high. The interior of the country, in which these volcanoes are mostly situated, presents everywhere the aspect of a bleak and inhospitable desert; but their pernicious effects are scarcely experienced by the Icelanders, whose habitations are confined chiefly to the rich and beautiful valleys near the coast.

The Geysers are the most extraordinary physical features in the country. These are fountains from which hot water and vapour, accompanied by subterranean thunderings, are projected in columns into the air, frequently to the height of ninety feet. There are also numerous boiling springs, and bogs of boiling mud. All these phenomena indicate the volcanic origin of the island.

The fisheries of Iceland are the chief source of subsistence to the inhabitants. Cod is taken in great abundance on the coast; and, when dried, it forms one of the principal articles of barter. The fishing season is from February to May, when the natives flock to the southern and western shores of the island, the north and east being generally closed against that branch of industry by the polar ice. Rural occupations are carried on with unremitting zeal during summer, which, in