254 Darwinism and Other Essays. 



knowing that are to be exclusively obtained by a 

 knowledge of Latin and Greek." And doubtless 

 this amusing statement will in some quarters meet 

 with as much applause as the loose assertions of 

 Temple met with in their time. For this old con- 

 troversy about the comparative merits of the an- 

 cients and the moderns has been lately resusci- 

 tated, though in somewhat altered shape. Times 

 have changed ; and what in the eighteenth cen- 

 tury was considered good meat for strong men 

 we should now regard as but indifferent milk for 

 babes. We therefore no longer idly argue about 

 the comparative amount of genius possessed by an- 

 cient and by modern writers ; but we dispute quite 

 zealously, and with sufficient one-sidedness, over 

 the comparative value of ancient literature and 

 modern science as means of mental discipline and 

 branches of liberal education. University reform 

 is a favourite subject of discussion. And among 

 the multiplicity of things that may be taught un- 

 der a reformed scheme of education, the problem 

 of what must be taught is pressing ever more 

 strongly for a definite solution. The difficulties 

 inherent in the problem are greatly enhanced by 

 the inevitable prejudices of the inquirers. One 

 of the main obstacles in the way of a speedy and 

 amicable settlement of the question arises from 



