merit in the least. Absolutely new thoughts are very rare.
Truths which were once new must be constantly renewed by being
pronounced again from the depth of the ardent personal
conviction of a new human being.

That rational thoughts on the subject of pedagogy as on other
subjects, are constantly expressed and re-expressed, shows
among other things that reasonable, or practically untried
education has certain principles which are as axiomatic as
those of mathematics. Every reasonable thinking man must as
certainly discover anew these pedagogical principles, as he
must discover anew the relation between the angles of a
triangle. Spencer's book it is true has not laid again the
foundation of education. It can rather be called the crown of
the edifice founded by Montaigne, Locke, Rousseau, and the
great German specialists in pedagogy. What is an absolutely
novel factor in our times is the study of the psychology of the
child, and the system of education that has developed from it.

In England, through the scientist Darwin, this new study of the
psychology of the child was inaugurated. In Germany, Preyer
contributed to its extension. He has done so partly by a
comprehensive study of children's language, partly by
collecting recollections of childhood on the part of the adult.
Finally he experimented directly on the child, investigating
his physical and psychical fatigue and endurance, acuteness of
sensation, power, speed, and exactness in carrying out physical
and mental tasks. He has studied his capacity of attention in
emotions and in ideas at different periods of life. He has
studied the speech of children, association of ideas in