80 PRINCIPAL SUBJECTS OF EDUCATION 



fication of and commentary upon the principles of art; 

 if you look upon the literature of a people as a chapter 

 in the development of the human mind, if you work out 

 this in a broad spirit, and with such collateral references 

 to morals and politics, and physical geography, and 

 the like as are needful to make you comprehend what 

 the meaning of ancient literature and civilisation is, 

 then, assuredly, it affords a splendid and noble educa- 

 tion. But I still think it is susceptible of improvement, 

 and that no man will ever comprehend the real secret 

 of the difference between the ancient world and our 

 present time, unless he has learned to see the difference 

 which the late development of physical science has 

 made between the thought of this day and the thought 

 of that, and he will never see that difference, unless he 

 has some practical insight into some branches of physi- 

 cal science ; and you must remember that a literary ed- 

 ucation such as that which I have just referred to, is out 

 of the reach of those whose school life is cut short at 

 sixteen or seventeen. 



But, you will say, all this is fault-finding; let us hear 

 what you have in the way of positive suggestion. Then 

 I am bound to tell you that, if I could make a clean 

 sweep of everything I am very glad I cannot because 

 I might, and probably should, make mistakes, but 

 if I could make a clean sweep of everything and start 

 afresh, I should, in the first place, secure that training 

 of the young in reading and writing, and in the habit 

 of attention and observation, both to that which is told 

 them, and that which they see, which everybody agrees 

 to. But in addition to that, I should make it absolutely 

 necessary for everybody, for a longer or shorter period, 

 to learn to draw. Now, you may say, there are some 

 people who cannot draw, however much they may be 



