NOT WHAT THE PUBLIC EEQUIRES. 477 



merchant and manufacturer, no less than him who has 

 devoted his life to what is called a learned profession. 

 And yet more : the number of those who consider a 

 collegiate education indispensable to a profession, has for 

 some time been decreasing. Men have begun to doubt 

 whether the course we pursue is that best adapted to 

 prepare men for the duties even of professional life. * 



u During the last thirty years, the position of the learned 

 professions, therefore, in comparison with other walks 

 of life, has been declining. There is, consequently, less 

 demand for professional education ; while for those who 

 do follow professions, many doubt whether the course of 

 arts is the best preparation ; and hence another diminu 

 tion of demand for collegiate instruction. 



&quot; The ancient Greeks attained the highest distinction 

 as an intelligent people. What unspoken tongues had 

 they as a part of their early training ? We here, there 

 fore, have no faith in any such study as necessary to the 

 development of the human mind. We see that those 

 nations are progressing fastest who are most distin 

 guished by the application of scientific discoveries to the 

 arts of life ; the men among them who are the most 

 distinguished in aiding this progression are also the most 

 illustrious in their several countries. These owe no debt 

 to dead languages ; we may safely, therefore, insert in 

 our academical, instead of the dead languages, other 

 courses of study more suited to the wants of these lead 

 ing classes of men.&quot; 



This latter conclusion forms the basis of Dr Wayland s 

 new propositions for reforming the course of instruction 

 in the Brown University, adapting it to the wants of 

 the time, and making it self-supporting. *He proposes 

 that degrees in arts should be given as heretofore. But 

 as more learning than is now prescribed, in quantity and 



* This last passage is from a pamphlet published by Dr Way land 

 subsequent to my visit to Providence. 



