50 Selections from Huxley 



of the poorer; and, if the education of the poorer classes 

 were such as to enable them to appreciate really wise 

 guidance and good governance; the politicians need not 

 fear mob-law, nor the clergy lament their want of flocks, 

 5 nor the capitalists prognosticate the annihilation of the 

 prosperity of the country. 



Such is the diversity of opinion upon the why and the 

 wherefore of education. And my hearers will be prepared 

 to expect that the practical recommendations which are 



10 put forward are not less discordant. There is a loud 

 cry for compulsory education. We English, in spite of 

 constant experience to the contrary, preserve a touching 

 faith in the efficacy of acts of parliament; and I believe 

 we should have compulsory education in the course of 



15 next session, if there were the least probability that half 

 a dozen leading statesmen of different parties would 

 agree what that education should be. 



Some hold that education without theology is worse than 

 none. Others maintain, quite as strongly, that educa- 



20 tion with theology is in the same predicament. But this 



is certain, that those who hold the first opinion can by no 



means agree what theology should be taught; and that 



those who maintain the second are in a small minority. 



At any rate " make people learn to read, write, and 



25 cipher," say a great many; and the advice is undoubtedly 

 sensible as far as it goes. But, as has happened to me 

 in former days, those who, in despair of getting anything 

 better, advocate this measure, are met with the objec- 

 tion that it is very like making a child practise the use 



30 of a knife, fork, and spoon, without giving it a particle 

 of meat. I really don't know what reply is to be made to 

 such an objection. 



But it would be unprofitable to spend more time in 

 disentangling, or rather in showing up the knots in the 



