Classic Literature, 39 



Another cause which has doubtless contributed 

 to produce the effect in question is, the incon- 

 ceivable enlargement of the sphere of enterprise 

 and activity which the past age exhibited. New 

 objects of profit and pleasure have arisen, and en- 

 gaged the public mind) new fields of labour and 

 adventure have been thrown open ; and, of course, 

 in calculating an education for active life, the re- 

 finements of ancient literature began to receive a 

 smaller share of regard. To which may be added, 

 that the increased intercourse of mankind, on the 

 one hand, by bringing several living languages 

 more into use, necessarily diverted a share of at- 

 tention from the ancient; and, on the other, by 

 rendering the study of various modern tongues 

 more easy and useful, took away one important 

 argument in favour of a learned language as a me- 

 dium of general intercourse. 



It must be admitted, that this manifest decline 

 of classic literature has been attended with some 

 advantages. In consequence of discarding dead 

 languages, as the ordinary medium of philosophi- 

 cal publications, such writings have become more 

 accessible and popular; the student has more time 

 left for becoming acquainted with his vernacular 

 tongue; the attention of the learned is more di- 

 rected to moral and physical sciences; the youth 

 destined for active life is no longer condemned to 

 waste his days by devoting them to objects which 

 are, to him at least, of subordinate importance. 

 In a word, the gradual disuse of what are called 

 learned languages, may be regarded as an im- 

 portant branch of the system of those who con- 

 sider the general diffusion of knowledge as a de- 

 sirable object; and who wish to make every part 

 of it as popular as possible. There are few things 

 more directly calculated to break down the " wall 

 of partition" between the literary and the other 



