170 SELECTED ESSAYS FROM LAY SERMONS 



meaning of ancient literature and civilisation is, — then, 

 assuredly, it affords a splendid and noble education. 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 develop- 

 ment 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 physical science; and you must remember 

 that a literary education 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 dravr. Now, you may 

 say, there are some people who cannot draw, hovv^ever much 

 they may be taught. I deny that in toto, because I never 

 yet met with anybody who could not learn to write. Writ- 

 ing is a form of drawing; therefore if you give the same 

 attention and trouble to drawing as you do to writing, 

 depend upon it, there is nobody who cannot be made to 

 draw, more or less well. Do not misapprehend me. I do 

 not say for one moment you would make an artistic draughts- 



