Report on a Cowse of Liberal Education, 331 



Cessions, where the advantages of a classical education were 

 not enjoyed ; — but success of this kind proves only that tal- 

 ents may sometimes force their way to eminence through 

 powerful obstacles. In settling a plan of education, the in- 

 quiry should be, not what some men of uncommon endow- 

 ments have done, but what most men find necessary. Even 

 in cases of extraordinary success, such as have been now al- 

 luded to, the want of classical knowledge has been often felt 

 and lamented. 



In the profession of medicine, the knowledge of the Greek 

 and Latin languages is less necessary now than formerly ; 

 but even at the present time it may be doubted, whether the 

 facilities which classical learning affords for understanding 

 and rendering familiar the terms of science, do not more 

 than counterbalance the time and labor requisite for obtain- 

 ing this learning. Besides, a physician, who would thor- 

 oughly investigate the history of his profession,' will find a 

 knowledge of the ancient languages, essential to his object. 

 In all the professions, likewise, a knowledge of general lite- 

 rature is of high importance as a qualification for extensive 

 intercourse with mankind. The formality of the professional 

 character, where the course of reading and thinking is con- 

 fined to one channel, has often been remarked. The mere 

 divine, the mere lawyer, or the mere physician, however well 

 informed he may be in his particular profession, has less 

 chance of success, than if his early education had been of a 

 more liberal character. 



For these very obvious advantages, which now attend the 

 study of classical literature in the college, the course of study 

 which, it is understood, would be proposed as a substitute, 

 promises but few and partial equivalents. Instead of the po- 

 ems of Homer, which have had so extensive and important 

 an influence on the heroic poetry of all succeeding times, and 

 which, it cannot be denied, are constantly appealed to as 

 establishing many of the most important canons of criticism, 

 we are presented in several new courses, with the Henri- 

 ade of Voltaire ; and the History of Charles XII. of the 

 same author, in place of the historical writings of Livy and 

 Tacitus. This is a specimen of the improvements in educa- 

 tion which are the occasion of so much boasting; an exam- 

 ple of a change to render knowledge more practical and 

 popular. But in what sense, so far as an acquaintance with 

 the rules of taste, and a familiarity with those general prin- 



