MODERN LITERATURES IN EDUCATION. 403 



ness of the language can take away the inherent complexity of the 

 subject. However, were it even granted that for the best men Latin 

 and Greek, as being harder in their grammar, are better instruments 

 of training, does it follow that French, German, and Italian, should be 

 neglected altogether ? In point of the variety of the knowledge con- 

 nected with them, they stand above Latin and Greek ; and it may be 

 suspected that even their comparative easiness as languages would 

 benefit some men, who, though possibly of very sufficient ability, have 

 not the linguistic faculty very strong. Mathematics are even a more 

 severe intellectual gymnastic than Latin and Greek; but the superior 

 variety of knowledge connected with the classical languages is con- 

 sidered to make them not inferior as means of education. The same 

 argument, taken a step further, serves to defend modern literatures 

 from the charge brought against them in this point of view. But, at 

 the worst, let them, in the distribution of the prizes of the university, 

 be considered inferior ; not, therefore, as of no account whatever. 



A frequent objection to the proposal here made is the advantage it 

 would give to those who had happened to have been educated abroad. 

 The stress sometimes laid on this objection is quite ludicrous. The 

 advantage is one analogous to that which richer men have over pooi-er, 

 in being able to command the services of better instructors. It would, 

 however, be considerably diminished by the fact that, in such an ex- 

 amination, more regard must necessarily be paid to substance than to 

 style or language. And if the effect were that of inducing parents to 

 take all possible means of giving their children an early acquaintance 

 with foreign languages, could this be said to be a bad result ? 



It is probable that modern literatures would require a greater 

 exercise of judgment in the examiner than Latin and Greek. They 

 verge more on controversial questions ; it is more easy in them to win 

 credit for a petty sharpness, a flimsy mode of dealing with great sub- 

 jects. But this is merely a danger which it is needful to point out, 

 not a solid and final objection. 



This is not the place to discuss what should be the precise form of 

 an examination in modern literatures. Of course, definite authors would 

 have to be selected by the university ; it would be impossible to leave 

 the student to wander at his own sweet will over George Sand, Alfred 

 de Musset, and Heinrich Heine the kind of authors which, it is to be 

 guessed, are more read than any other by the present students of 

 French and German. Of these definite authors, some might be per- 

 manent, others changed every year. Then, as to the composition in 

 modern languages ; this, it is probable, would take the form as much 

 of essays on special points connected with the authors read, as of 

 direct translation into those languages. English literature and com- 

 position would itself come in for a share in the curriculum ; and it is 

 possible some modern Latin works might be admitted, as those of 

 Erasmus or Reuchlin. Experience would guide toward the right mode 



