AMERICAN  PREFACE.

Vll

lish  People.”  That  tlie  advocates  of  populär  scientific  education
will,  at  an  early  day,  obtain  wliat  tliey  desire,  cannot  well  be
doubtcd. 1  Tlien,  with  a  full  development  of  the  public  scbool
System  established  in  1870,  tbe  educational  equipment  of  England
will  be  complete  and  exceedingly  eflicient.
ART-INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION  IN  FRANCE.
First  fniits  of  systematic  English  art-education  soon  began  to
manifest  themselves.  At  the  Universal  Exhibition,  held  at  London ­
  in  1862,  the  advancement  in  English  art-manufactures,  sinee
1851,  was  clearly  shown;  and  the  French,  ever  sensitively  alive
to  their  industrial  interests,  took  alarm.  Such  great  results  so
soon  achieved,  what  miglit  not  be  expected  in  the  future!  France
saw,  indeed,  that  it  was  not  safe  to  rely  upon  prestige,  however
distinguished:  she  saw  that  to  stand  still  was  to  go  to  the  rear;
she  saw  that  to  maintain  her  position,  so  long  indisputably  held,
at  the  head  in  art-manufactures,  she  must  advance.  The  next
year  the  Emperor  appointed  a  large  and  able  Commission,  wliich
was  divided  into  sections,  to  investigate  the  subject  of  technical
education  in  general,  and  of  art-industrial  education  in  particular.
In  1865  this  Commission  submitted  an  elaborate  report,  showing
what  the  Situation  was  at  liome  and  in  all  parts  of  Europe.  They
declared  tliat  “  drawing,  with  all  its  applications  to  tlie  different
industrial  arts,  sliould  he  considered  as  the  principal  means  to  be
employed  in  technical  instruction.”  They  made  sundry  recommendations
  for  the  advancement  of  art-education,  of  drawing  in
particular,  which  the}-  believed  sliould  be  made  more  scientific,
more  uniform,  and  more  general,  if  France  was  to  retain  her
industrial  supremacy.  They  would  liave  less  of  individual  eaprice,
and  more  teaching  in  harmonj-  with  sound  and  fixed  educational
principles.  The  government  proceeded  at  once  to  act  upon  the
advice  of  the  Commission;  and  the  art-instruction  of  France,
which  had  so  long  been  the  best  in  Europe  for  industrial  purposes,
was  in  various  points  reconstructed  and  made  better  still.  Steps
were  taken  to  provide  better  teachers,  better  appointed  school-1
  In  1873  the  total  nuinber  of  “science  classes,”  ander  the  Supervision  of
the  Science  and  Art  Department,  was  3,810,  in  1,238  sehools.  Number  of  students,
  44,012.  Bnt  the  work  is  not  systeiuatieally  done  yet.