NATURE'S INSURGENT SON 55 



It seems to be beyond dispute that the study, firstly 

 of Latin, and much more recently of Greek, were 

 followed in our Universities and in grammar schools, not 

 as educational exercises in the use of language, but as 

 keys to unlock the store-rooms the books in which 

 the knowledge of the ancients was contained. So long 

 as these keys were needed, it was reasonable enough that 

 every well-educated man should spend such time as was 

 necessary in providing himself with the key. But now 

 that the store-rooms are empty now that their contents 

 have been appropriated and scattered far and wide in 

 all languages of civilization, it seems to be merely an 

 unreasoning continuation of superannuated custom to go 

 on with the provision of these keys. Such, however, 

 is the force of habit that it continues : new and ingenious 

 reasons for the practice are put forward, whilst its 

 original object is entirely forgotten. 



In the first place, it has come to be regarded as a 

 mark of good breeding, and thus an end in itself, for 

 a man to have some first-hand acquaintance with Latin 

 and Greek authors, even when he knows no other 

 literature. It is a fashion, like the wearing of a court 

 dress. This cannot be held to justify the employment 

 of most of the time and energy of youth in its 

 acquirement. 



A second reason which is now put forward for the 

 practice is that the effort and labour expended on the 

 provision of these keys even though it is admitted 

 that they are useless are a wonderful and incompar- 

 ably fine exercise of the mind, fitting it for all sorts 

 of work. A theory of education has been enunciated 

 which fits in with this defence of the continued attempt 

 to compel young men to acquire a knowledge, however 

 imperfect, of the Latin and Greek languages. It is 



