THE CLASSICS 333 



and quote Horace ; but they could not say bo to a goose 

 in Latin or Greek, or ask for food or drink even ! and 

 yet we say they have acquired a knowledge of the Latin 

 tongue ! and have had their intellect raised thereby. There 

 are of course boys and men who will respond to all the 

 master teaches, and learn the colloquial Latin that the 

 master cannot teach or speak, but these are the rare excep- 

 tions, and I would give them every opportunity of acquiring 

 all that can be taught or learnt. So it is with the English 

 Classics. How many of all that are taught (or told) to 

 admire Milton and Shakespeare ever take up either as 

 a pleasure, or taking them up, have the divine gift of 

 readily appreciating their beauties. But we do not give 

 the boys 6-8 years of our English Classics why not ? 

 I would have every child whose parents could afford it 

 taught some Classics, both Latin, Greek and English, 

 and encourage those that had a gift for them to go on ; 

 but to continue rubbing the noses of 19 boys out of 20 

 in these subjects for 6-8 years is in my opinion utter 

 folly.' 



The history of the East and its philosophies were a con- 

 stant interest, especially when they touched upon the bases of 

 Western creeds. There was a special fascination in the subject, 

 because he had ' " assisted," as the French say, at worship 

 in Buddhist Churches.' 



To the Same 



Jan. 23, 1891. 



I heard a most curious thing last night, from Mr. Maunde 

 Thompson, principal Librarian B.M. that the oldest 

 Chaldean inscriptions in the B.M. were dug up in London ! 

 on the banks of the river, dating 4000 B.C. Luckily some 

 Dutch tiles were found with them, which gave a clue to 

 the discovery that the position was occupied by a Dutch 

 merchant who traded with the Persian Gulf. This was 

 before the Fire of London. Probably the stones, which 

 are like those used for gate posts, came home as ballast, 

 possibly were used as ballast by a boat down the Euphrates 

 or Tigris before getting on board the British ships that 

 brought them to England.' 



