53 8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



works of art, in a few hours imbibe more of the true Hellenic spirit 

 than he could by listening ever so long to dissertations on the aorist 

 tense, the subjunctive and optative modes, and the particle av. 



In the teaching of history, the course of instruction which often 

 loses itself in unimportant details as, for instance, the party struggles 

 of ancient Rome, or the rivalries of emperors and popes in the middle 

 ages I should like to see more fully illustrated than is usually the 

 case, with general views of the state of civilization, exhibiting the 

 heroes of science, literature, and art. The mass of very unprofitable 

 dates which the young are required to commit to memory seems all the 

 more pitiable when we remember that these pupils are suffered to re- 

 main ignorant even of the existence of the most important constants 

 of Nature. Can it be that a knowledge of the date of an agrarian law, 

 or of the accession of a Salico-Frankish emperor, is of more importance 

 for a liberal education than is a knowledge of the combustion-heat of 

 carbon or the mechanical equivalent of heat ? 



I have not time to enter on the question of the modern languages 

 in the gymnasium. Besides, to me it appears to be a matter of greater 

 moment to find out how we can secure for pupils in the gymnasia more 

 thorough instruction in the mother-tongue. As I have already re- 

 marked, we have here to do with overcoming a national defect. But 

 to discuss this point more fully here would carry us too far away ; be- 

 sides, I have already discussed it elsewhere. 



So far I have spoken only ol my own wishes. But I do not stand 

 alone. I know of a large number of eminent men who share my views. 

 Under the banner with the motto " Conic sections ! No more Greek 

 compositions ! " I am sure I could assemble a meeting for gymnasium 

 reform which would be formidable for the amount of intellect which 

 would be there represented. I am very glad to find myself, as regards 

 every topic of importance, in accord with my colleague, Prof. Adolph 

 Fick, of Wurzburg, who quite recently has written a paper entitled 

 " Considerations on Gymnasium Education." 



It were rash to attempt to penetrate the future in so complex a 

 matter as this. But, in conclusion, to come back to the train of 

 thought which led us up to this practical question, it appears to me 

 that in such a reform of the gymnasium as I have here indicated is to 

 be found the best security against the inroads of realism on our intel- 

 lectual culture. The transformed gymnasium, again harmonized with 

 the requirements of the period, will for the first time be fully equipped 

 for the struggle with realism. Instead of burdening its pupils with 

 classical studies till they turn from them in disgust, rendering them in- 

 sensible to the charms of the Hellenic spirit, and giving them an aver- 

 sion to humanism by the torturing drill in pedantic forms ; instead of 

 violently giving to their ideas a direction which sets them at variance 

 with the world around, the gymnasium will insure to them an harmoni- 

 ous education in accordance with modern ideas. While based on an 



