The French had borne their lot under Louis XIV.’s strong government. Louis XV. was very different. The evils of a despotic government were clearly shown by him. He it was who said, ‘Après nous le déluge!’ Then came Louis XVI., conscientious and full of good intentions. Get from the girls something of Louis’ character. But the great opportunity of the people came in the calling of the States General, in order to raise money. _Step 8._—A short recapitulation of the principal points. _Subject: Literature._ Group: English. Class IV. Age: 16. Time: 45 minutes. CHARLES LAMB. OBJECTS. 1. To give some main principles to guide the choice of reading. 2. To give a short sketch of the life of Charles Lamb. 3. To show how the writer’s character is reflected in _The Essays of Elia_. 4. To emphasise the fact that very thoughtful reading is necessary in order to get full pleasure and benefit from a book. LESSON. _Step 1._—Decide with the pupils as to some principles which should guide us in the choice of books, such as the following:— Never waste time on valueless books. Have respect for the books themselves. Try to cultivate taste by noticing the best passages in any book that is being read. Time is too short to read much; there is a necessity, therefore, for judicious selection. The best literature can only be appreciated by those who have fitted themselves for it. It is more important to read well than to read much. The gain of reading some of the most beautiful literature while we are young is that we shall then have beautiful thoughts and images to carry with us through life. To get at the full significance of a book it is necessary to dig for it. Thus _The Essays of Elia_ are not only pleasant reading, but they are the reflection of the writer’s character. All that Lamb was can be gathered from his works, and to rightly understand these one must know something of the grand though obscure life of Charles Lamb. _Step 2._—Try to draw from the girls, who are already familiar with some of the essays, what they tell us of Charles Lamb. Charles Lamb was born 1775. His father was in the service of Mr Salt, whose portrait is found in _The Old Bencher of the Inner Temple_. 1782, Charles received a presentation from Mr Salt to Christ’s Hospital (see _Essay_). The result of his education is summed up in _The Schoolmaster_. From fifteen to twenty he was a clerk in the South Sea House (_Essay_). In 1795 he was transferred to the India House. He lived near Holborn with his parents and his sister Mary. Here took place the calamity occasioned by Mary’s insanity.