Now if a man parts with his money in expectation of receiving something in return, and does not receive that something, it looks very like fraud. Fraud is an ugly word, and we must be very careful not to apply it to the teachers of languages as a class. We have, however, some serious charges to make against them, because we say boldly that if the money and time spent has not brought the result aimed at, then the blame must rest upon the teachers, and if some are inclined to pity them rather than blame them, it can only be on the score of ignorance; and if teachers who receive pay and make promises are ignorant, then the pity must perforce give place to blame. Let any middle — aged person examine his large accumulation of French books, and he will see that nearly every one of them assumes that all its predecessors have failed in their object,b'