764 - PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION J, 
I believe that this evil, which I consider a great and 
crying one, may be remedied by the adoption for study im 
schools of the least annotated, and least “edited” texts; 
and, in the case of modern authors, | am strongly of opinion 
that unannotated texts are by far the best. A series of 
English classics on the model of the late Prof. Henry Mor- 
ley’s well-known little National Library Series, cheap, well- 
produced, and unannotated, is, I think, the edztio desiderata 
for use in schools. I must not leave this subject without 
adding that there seems already to be a fairly strong 
reaction setting in against over-annotation and its allied 
evils. and that in the case of Shakespeare, at least, there 
are now editions (notably that edited by Prof. Herford for 
Messrs. Macmillan) which leave little or nothing to be 
desired in the way of dispedagogisation. 
I come now to the third cardinal fault in the teaching 
of poetry in schools, and what I have to say on this head 
applies also, to some extent, to the study of the English 
classics at the universities, old and new. It is only with 
reluctance that I can admit that the examination system 
is really necessary in any department, but I must allow that 
in most subjects it is an unavoidable evil. I do not propose 
to enter at length here upon the question whether literature 
can be taught, or whether examinations in literature can 
be so conducted as to obviate the danger of cramming. 
The subject has attracted much attention in England of 
recent years, and has been the casus belli in several con- 
troversies. Some prominent English literary journals, 
notably the Saturday Review, have taken upa very decidedly 
hostile attitude to the examination system, as tending to 
encourage cramming and the development to perfection of 
the crammer’s art. This seems to me very encouraging. 
With examinations and their effects in general I cannot 
here deal however, but must enter a most vigorous protest 
against our English classics being made the subjects of 
examinations in our schools. I would say, if examinations 
are really a necessity in schools, for the purpose of testing 
the relative capacity, industry, and progress of the pupils, 
let the English classics form an unrecognised, unofficial 
department of the school curriculum. I do not believe it 
is possible for any child or youth to enjoy or appreciate 
thoroughly any poem in which he is about to be, or has 
been, examined in the ordinary school way. I need not 
dilate here upon the evil effects of reading with a view 
to examination. It will be sufficient to say that the mind 
of the reader is directed solely, or almost so, to the detec- 
tion of possible “points” and “likely’”’ passages for ex- 
