414 REPOET — 1891. 



hope and confidence for the future, by unfolding the moral and 

 spiritual growth of mankind through the ages of history. 

 Literature alone does this, and therefore on account of its 

 character-forming power, because it purifies and strengthens 

 the emotions, because it gives us the highest motives for right 

 action and the rules for life, it ought, in my judgment, to be 

 the main foundation of any educational system. Literature, no 

 doubt, has other claims for admission into that system, as 

 giving facility, elegance, and accuracy in the expression of 

 thought; but it is by reason of its influence on character that 

 I would assign it a supremacy over all other subjects. 



The next question is. What literature ? Fifty years ago the 

 answer, without hesitation, would have been, Latin and Greek ; 

 now probably it would be, Latin, Greek, German, French, and 

 English. Fifty years hence I believe it will be, English and 

 French or German. I have no wdsh to disparage the classics. 

 No one who honestly considers what Greek and Latin thought 

 have done and are still doing for the education of the world 

 can speak of the classics with anything but gratitude and 

 respect ; but we cannot fail to realise that even amongst the 

 most conservative champions of classical education, even in 

 the centres where classics and classics only have been the 

 most cherished tradition, opinion has been much modified of 

 late as to their suitability to meet our present needs. If the 

 new knowledge that the world has been gathering since the 

 Renascence in literature, in natural and social science, and in 

 mathematics is to be admitted to a reasonable share in our 

 education, either classics must go altogether or the time given 

 to them must be materially reduced. Can we teach the classics 

 effectually with two or three hours a week for them in the 

 time-table? Undoubtedly, no. Such a restriction of time 

 would make the study of them worse than useless. Some 

 wish to throw overboard Greek and retain Latin ; but nearly all 

 the classical literature w^orth keeping is Greek, and nearly all 

 our scientific terms, whose meaning is not plain to us from 

 kindred words in our own tongue, are Greek. Latin is no 

 doubt the key to the Eomance languages, a point I will speak 

 of more fully hereafter, but any other arguments which can be 

 advanced for or against Latin apply equally to Greek, and the 

 two, in my opinion, must stand or fall together ; and, if they 

 are read at all, they must be read accurately. Much as 

 grammars and methods have improved of late years it would 

 be impossible to attain a precise knowledge of the accidence 

 and syntax and a wide acquaintance with the literature of 

 Latin and Greek with a few hours' work per w^eek. Such study 

 would only result in slipshod work, destructive of all mental 

 accuracy. At present this defect, at any rate, cannot be laid 

 to the charge of classical study. Therefore I maintain boldly 



