Thk TKAOHiNf; OF History i\ Schools. 295 



bye when it is a valid excuse for other deficiencies, and a \alid claim 

 to good citizenship, that a man is good at his oivu business. More and 

 more it is demanded of the citizen that he be also wise in the aftairs 

 of the State. Nothing is better than history as a cure for narrow- 

 minded provincialism, fur idle tongues and seltish thoughts. Nowhere 

 can we learn better that fault-finding is not valuable criticism and that 

 the wise man reconstructs, but never ilestroys. 



The first aim of the teacher of history' should be to encourage and 

 foster — in some cases even to implant ^the germs of interest in men 

 and nations in byegone times. Admitting that as our first aim, what 

 vnU interest them ? That depends on many things — perhaps most upon 

 early training. For decently brought up children the most obvious 

 interest in history is a moral one. Parodying Tolstoi's criticism on 

 De Maupassant, we might say that the right moral attitude on the 

 part of the teacher towards his subject-matter is likely to be a very 

 important factor in his success — more important than even the intel- 

 lectual \irtues of lucidity and good argument. At an}' rate well- 

 brougiit-up children are quicker to appreciate character than stjde. 

 The story with a moral is the stor}' which is remembered ; only, I 

 should add, the moral must be in the story, not presented by itself at 

 the end. I am aware that this doctrine would appear shocking to 

 many professional historians. To them what they call historical truth 

 is above all else the aim and end of their labours, and that is right 

 for them. But historical fact has a moral interest, and it is one of 

 the greatest powers by which to move the young mind. I do not in 

 the least advocate making history lessons into sermons. There is 

 nothing so repulsive to the healthy young mind as preaching. But the 

 good teacher will avoid sermonising. One's earliest remembrance of 

 history is one of good kings and bad kings ; of heroes and cowards ; of 

 honourable knights and lying churls ; of tyrants and oppressed cities ; 

 of feudal lords and slaves, serfs and villeins. The interest in these 

 is surely a moral interest. Later interest in historic truth must be 

 based upon an enthusiasm founded on these early moral appeals. 



Again, I do not wish that the teaching of history should be made 

 subservient to the narrow morality which alone is possible to boyhood, 

 but I do wish that the enthusiasms of that moral outlook, narrow but 

 forceful as they are, should be enlisted in interesting the pupil. Boy- 

 hood is the age for enthusiasm, for the hearty approval of chivalrous 

 conduct, for righteous indignation at oppression, for the applause of 

 noble aspirations made effective by strenuous personalities. A teacher 

 who can make nothing of this feature of the history lesson had better 

 confine himself to mathematics. 



But some boys have not a generous appreciation for the moral 

 aspect of history. The ideal teacher would, I suppose, lead them to 

 the same end ; but in any case the method with them must be different. 

 Perhaps some among them can enjoy in imagination the spectacular 

 value of many a historical scene. Psychologically they may be good 

 visualisers. There is a current impression that the eye is the most 

 vulnerable point in the school-boy's defence against the master. la 



