9. Some obvious defects must be noticed. The curious rule of forbidding the use of _all_ books whatever is a very exaggerated attempt to make the pupil to rely entirely on the professors and _répétiteurs_. The exclusive practice of _oral_ examination also seems to us a defect. Certainly every examination should give a pupil an opportunity of showing such valuable qualities as readiness and power of expression; but an examination solely oral appears to us an uncertain test of depth or accuracy of knowledge; and however impartial or practiced an examiner may be, it is impossible that questions put orally can present exactly the same amount of difficulty, and so be equally fair, to the several competitors. At the same time, although in all great competing examinations the chief part of the work (in our opinion) should be _written_, the constant oral cross-questioning of the minor examinations at the Polytechnic, appeared to be one of the most stimulating and effective parts of their system, 10. A more serious objection than any we have named lies against the exclusive use of mathematical and scientific training, to the neglect of all other, as almost the only instrument of education. The spirit of the school, as shown especially by its entrance examinations, is opposed to any literary study. This is a peculiar evil in forming characters for a liberal profession like the army. Such a plan may indeed produce striking results, if the sole object is to create distinguished mathematicians, though even then the acuteness in one direction is often accompanied by an unbalanced and extravagant judgment in another. But a great school should form the whole and not merely a part of the man; and as doing this, as strengthening the whole mind, instead of forcing on one or two of its faculties--as giving, in a word, what is justly called a _liberal_ education--we are persuaded that the system of cultivating the taste for historical and other similar studies, as well as for mere science, is based on a sounder principle than that which has produced the brilliant results of the Polytechnic. 11. It may be added, in connection with the above remark, that as the entrance examination at the Polytechnic influences extensively the teaching of the great French schools, and is itself almost solely mathematical, it tends to diffuse a narrow and exclusive pursuit of science, which is very alien from the spirit of English teaching. 12. We may sum up our remarks on the Polytechnic School thus:-- Regarded simply as a great Mathematical and Scientific School, its results in producing eminent men of science have been extraordinary. It has been the great (and a truly great) Mathematical University of France. Regarded again as a Preparatory School for the public works, it has given a very high scientific education to civil engineers, whose scientific education in other countries (and amongst ourselves) is believed to be much slighter and more accidental.