42 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 



of the old Roman civilization — The shame and miseries of society — 

 The vices of self-interest, and preparation for violence and inev- 

 itable ruin. III. The fall of the empire, and the desolations pro- 

 duced hy the barbarians — The destruction of the old fabric of so- 

 ciety. IV. The reasons Avhy the old conservative influences of 

 paganism did not arrest the ruin— The failure of art, literature, and 

 science, and the mechanism of governments. Y. The reasons why 

 Christianity did not save the Empire, and the ideas which the church 

 incorporated with subsequent civilizations — The foundation of the 

 new Teutonic structure. 



Three lectures, by Professor Louis Agassiz, of Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts, on the "Glacial period." 



- One lecture, by Professor J. L. Campbell, of Wabash College, on 

 "Galileo." 



Seven lectures, by Dr. Reinhold Solger, on "The Races of Men." 



Six lectures, by Professor W. D. Whitney, of Yale College, on 

 " Philology." I. History and objects of linguistic science — Plan of 

 these lectures — Why and how do we speak English — How language 

 is preserved and perpetuated — Its constant change — The study of 

 language an historical science. II. Illustration of the processes of 

 growth and change in language — Formation of words by combination 

 of old materials— Mutilation and corruption of existing forms — Change 

 and development of meaning — Rate of progress of these changes. 

 III. Statement and illustration of the influences causing the growth 

 of dialects, and those checking and counteracting this growth — Our 

 language a Germanic dialect, with partly French vocabulary — Other 

 languages with which it is related — Branches of the Indo-European 

 family of languages, and proof that they are of common descent — 

 Place, period, and grade of civilization of the original tribe. lY. His- 

 torical and linguistic importance of the Indo-European race and lan- 

 guage — History of the language — Its development from monosyllabic 

 roots. Y. Survey of the other great families of language, Semitic, 

 Sc3'thian, Chinese, Polynesian, Egyptian, African, and American — 

 Isolated languages not included in these families. YI. Comparative 

 value of linguistic and physical evidence of race, and their relative 

 bearing on the science of ethnology — Relation of the study of language 

 to the question of the unity of the human race — origin of language — 

 Its character and value to the human race." 



The number of applications for the use of the lecture-room has 



* A synopsis of this course of lectures has been furnished by the author for insertion in the 

 appendix to this report. 



