UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 451 



rowing little or nothing from the people whose land they occu- 

 pied. The recent exhibition is of the utmost interest to scientists, 

 as it throws light upon the darkest age of Egyptian history, 

 bringing us into contact with the neolithic culture of Europe, 

 which we find transplanted at that remote period upon the 

 banks of the Nile, and it gives us the means of tracing connec- 

 tions with the products of the Mediterranean peoples back to at 

 least 3000 B. c. 



The work of the museum has grown so rapidly that, in spite 

 of the liberal accommodations allowed the department in the 

 new Library building, only a portion of the material can be ex- 

 hibited, and even the facilities for storage are becoming wholly 

 inadequate. As early as 1893 the project of erecting a museum 

 building for the suitable display of the collections was taken up 

 by Mrs. Stevenson. Through the influence of Dr. Pepper, the city 

 authorities conveyed to the university a tract of land for the pur- 

 pose of establishing thereon a free museum of art and science. In 

 1895 the trustees of the university applied to the Legislature for 

 an appropriation, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of which 

 is to be devoted to the erection of this building. Plans have been 

 adopted, and ground will be broken soon. The entire scheme 

 as proposed represents an outlay of about two million dollars. 

 Here will arise one of the most important adjuncts to general 

 culture, not only for the students enrolled upon the college regis- 

 ter, but for people of intelligence throughout the city, the State, 

 and the entire country. This department receives no return from 

 students in fees or emoluments. It is a gift to them and to the 

 public, supported entirely by private benevolence. 



Literature and philosophy form subjects of investigation just 

 as interesting as any other evidences of civilization. The impor- 

 tant place of modern languages in the college curriculum has 

 attracted a great measure of attention in recent years. Although 

 at first introduced from the standpoint of utility, they have come 

 to be treated as languages to be investigated philologically, and 

 as possessing literatures to be studied historically and critically. 

 The University of Pennsylvania has been foremost in taking this 

 view of the modern languages. By the Professor of German and 

 the recently added Professor of Romance Languages both French 

 and German philology are taught, courses in Gothic and old 

 French being offered to such as desire them; and in both lan- 

 guages, as well as in Italian, the literature receives full attention. 

 English, by the addition of courses in Anglo-Saxon and English 

 philology, has followed in the same direction. Students may now 

 not only obtain large practical drill in the use of their mother 

 tongue, but may also learn something of its origin, its history, its 

 growth, and of the linguistic laws that govern it. Sanskrit sup- 



