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might gather would be likely to cramp his expression as much as it 

 enlarged his knowledge, leaving him, so far as the use of his own 

 tongue is concerned, where he started, if not considerably behind that 

 point. On the other hand, the study of his own tongue in its master- 

 pieces would enrich his vocabulary, without corrupting his syntax, and 

 perfect his expression, as well as enlarge his knowledge. In short, the 

 study of it would make him a master of it. Respecting the descent 

 of the tongue, as respecting the " embryology of modern civilization," 

 he has no call to trouble himself till he has achieved this mastery, if 

 ever. The one belongs to the philosophy of language, as the other to 

 the philosophy of history. Neither has anything special to do with 

 the use of English, which either would help him to master not less pos- 

 sibly and surely not much more than ontology or ontogeny or any 

 other recondite study, that he may find it profitable or agreeable to 

 pursue after (but not before) he has equipped himself for anything 

 and everything by mastering his faculties, through the mastery of his 

 native tongue. If for this, however, the study of the tongue in its 

 sources were essential, he would have to go back not to Latin and 

 Greek, which have only multiplied its words and modified some of its 

 forms, but to Anglo-Saxon and the cognate languages, whence come 

 the bulk of its working vocabulary and all its grammatical principles ; 

 but this study, as I have intimated, is not essential to culture. A sci- 

 entific knowledge of our mother-tongue is no more essential to the 

 accurate and refined use of it than a knowledge of anatomy is essential 

 to the graceful and effective use of our limbs ; for what Bacon says 

 of commonwealths and virtue is far more true of linguistics and cul- 

 ture they nourish culture grown, but do not much mend the seeds. 

 If I had my way in the halls of education, I would not only dismiss 

 Latin and Greek, but send off packing along with them the historical 

 and comparative study of English itself, and, bringing to the front, 

 say, mathematics, chemistry, physiology, and philosophy, natural, 

 moral, and mental, put the whole training squad under the immediate 

 command of Captain English not the fossil infant of the Ciedmon 

 age, but the living man of the nineteenth century, with whom we all 

 have a speaking acquaintance at least. Glossology is important in its 

 place, but it has no proper place in a scheme of education. Putting 

 English glossology into such a scheme, after putting out the dead lan- 

 guages, has the appearance of giving a sop to the classical Cerberus 

 a weak concession to the enemy. Erudition, it should never be for- 

 gotten, is not education, nor the means to it ; on the contrary, edu- 

 cation is the means to erudition, as to every other spoil of intellect. 

 And education, it can not be too often repeated, is essentially and pre- 

 eminently the mastery of one's own language ; for which the master- 

 pieces of the language are not merely indispensable but enough. Suf- 

 ficient for the mastery of English is the study thereof. The aphorism 

 of Goethe is as false in spirit as it is absurd in letter. 



