86 On the Campus 



extensive with, the best the world has treasured, and 

 yet, when he comes to discuss public education, he thinks 

 not of any of these things. Instead he goes straight to 

 the practical heart of the case and declares that public 

 education shall fit a man for just one thing; for duty, 

 for his civic duties-, for all the offices (duties) both pub- 

 lic and private, in peace and war. Noblesse oblige is the 

 old French, saying which means that very nobiUty puts 

 the king under obligation; and Milton means to tell us 

 that if we are to take the king's place, as in his time 

 men did, we can do it only by assuming royal obligation ; 

 duty, duty, duty ! 



Milton would have a man look to it that he govern his 

 own household, private duty, than which in a free gov- 

 ernment what can be more important; he would have a 

 man join with his fellows to manage the block on which 

 he lives, if citizen of a town; to see that each man has 

 his own without suffering trespass; that the common al- 

 ley is kept clean and sanitary, that trees are properly 

 selected and properly planted; that walks are properly 

 placed and properly built; he would have the citizen 

 taught how to manage his ward, how to vote, how to 

 elect the alderman; the mayor, and the duties of each; 

 the management of the town, the city ; that the duties are 

 identical whether the town be large or small; that the 

 government of farm and township are quite the same; 

 and that to the management of commonwealth and re- 

 public we apply the same principles exactly until at 

 length the whole country is managed by the simple dis- 

 charge of individual duty, and the nation is governed 

 by law. 



