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النشر الإلكتروني

HENRY PESTA LOZZI,

Sa. 1831

AND

HIS PLAN OF EDUCATION;

BEING AN ACCOUNT

OF

HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS;

WITH COPIOUS EXTRACTS FROM HIS WORKS,

AND

EXTENSIVE DETAILS ILLUSTRATIVE OF

THE PRACTICAL PARTS OF HIS METHOD.

BY E. BIBER, PH. DR.

Sine irâ et studio, quorum caussas procul habeo.

TACITUS.

LONDON:

JOHN SOUTER, SCHOOL LIBRARY,

73, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD.

340.

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tion of some particular party or other to the subject, they modified the ideas which they had to set forth, so as to render them palatable to the intended readers, and, as a necessary consequence, the features of the original were proportionately distorted.

The regret with which the Author of this Memoir has for several years past witnessed the misapprehensions in theory, and mistakes in practice, to which this state of things naturally gave rise, induced him to comply with the invitation of some friends, who requested him to furnish the public with a translation of the account which Pestalozzi himself gave of his experiments, in a series of letters, published under the title, "How Gertrude Teaches her Little Ones." Perceiving, however, that a mere translation of that work could not, especially in so confused a state of public opinion, clear up the matter, he resolved to embody the most interesting and most practical parts of those letters in a larger work, which should contain an authentic history of Pestalozzi's life, and his different establishments, as well as a critical review of his various literary productions, and a tangible outline of the method to be pursued, according to his principles, in the different branches of instruction.

The result of this reformed plan is the Volume now presented to the public. The facts stated in the biographical part are derived from the best sources of information; the author having been called upon, when abroad, not only to

PREFACE.

take cognizance of all those which had received publicity, but also to examine a great number of private documents connected with the history of Pestalozzi. As regards the account of his method, the author has thought it right to enlarge the materials which the writings of Pestalozzi and his school supplied, by the results of his own study and experience upon the subject, in order to render the work as useful as possible to parents and teachers who desire to be assisted in the application of principles, the practicability of which is far more frequently questioned than their intrinsic excellency.

Having given this short explanation of the origin of the work, and of the changes which it has undergone since its first announcement, the author is satisfied to let the value of his labours be determined by the test of practice; provided always, that he shall stand committed only to the experiments of such as are duly qualified.

London: May 1831.

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