58 THE KINGDOM OF MAN 



department of Anthropology. What seems to us un- 

 desirable is, that mere stories and bald records of 

 certain peoples should be put forward as matter with 

 which the minds of children and young men are to be 

 occupied, to the exclusion of the all-important matters 

 comprised in the knowledge of Nature. 



There are, it is well known, not a few who regard 

 the present institution of Latin and Greek and so-called 

 History, in the pre-eminent place which they occupy 

 in Oxford and the great schools of the country, as 

 something of so ancient and fundamental a character 

 that to question the wisdom of that institution seems 

 an odious proceeding, partaking of the nature of 

 blasphemy. This state of mind takes its origin in a 

 common error, due to the fact that a straightforward 

 account of the studies pursued in the University during 

 the last five hundred years has never been written. 

 Our present curriculum is a mere mushroom growth 

 of the last century, and has no claim whatever to 

 veneration. Greek was studied by but a dozen or two 

 specialists in Oxford two hundred and fifty years ago. 

 In those days, in proportion to what had been ascer- 

 tained in that subject and could be taught, there was 

 a great and general interest in the University in the 

 knowledge of Nature, such as we should gladly see 

 revived at the present day. As a matter of fact, it is 

 only within the last hundred years that the dogma of 

 compulsory Greek, and the value of what is now called 

 a classical education, has been promulgated. These 

 things are not historically of ancient date ; they are 

 not essentials of Oxford. We are therefore well within 

 our right in questioning the wisdom of their continuance 

 in so favoured a position, and we are warranted in 

 expressing the hope that those who can change the 



