Report on a Course of Liberal Education, 333 



many would enter upon it, merely from its novelty ; more 

 from a persuasion, that it would be attended with less labor; 

 and the consequence would be, that the college, so far as 

 this cause should operate, would be the means of lowering 

 the professional character of our country. But here it will 

 be asked. Is the literature of the modern nations of Europe 

 to form no part of a course of liberal education ? Is not 

 modern literature a subject of discussion as well as ancient ? 

 Undoubtedly it is ; and facilities for acquiring the more pop- 

 ular languages of Europe should be afforded in our public 

 institutions. The claims of the modern languages are ques- 

 tioned only when they are proposed as substitutes for the an- 

 cient, not when they are recommended on their own merits. 

 If modern literature is valuable, it should be studied in that 

 way, which leads most directly to a thorough understanding 

 of it ; and this way lies through the literature of the an- 

 cients. If the languages and literature of Italy, France and 

 Spain, beyond what is merely superficial, is an object with 

 the student, they should be acquired through the Latin ; nor 

 is there reason to doubt, so far as experience affords the 

 means of judging, that this is the most expeditious mode of 

 acquiring a famiharity with the languages in question. To 

 begm with the modern languages in a course of education, is 

 to reverse the order of nature. 



Modern languages, with most of our students, are studied, 

 and will continue to be studied, as an accomplishment, rath- 

 er than as a necessary acquisition. Those likewise who 

 spend time in learning to speak the modern languages, soon 

 lose their knowledge, unless they live where these languages 

 are in constant use; nor can there be a doubt, that students 

 do as generally neglect their French, Ilahan and Spanish, in 

 after life, except when these languages are retained by the 

 course of business, as they neglect their Latin and Greek, 

 This is especially true in professional life; where the demand 

 for a knowledge of the modern languages, in comparison 

 with the ancient, is altogether inconsiderable. To suppose 

 the modern languages more practical than the ancient, to 

 the great body of our students, because the former are now 

 spoken in some parts of the world, is an obvious fallacy. 

 The proper question is^ — what course of discipline affords 

 the best mental culture, leads to the most thorough knowl- 

 €dge of our own hterature, and lays the best foundation for 

 professional study. The ancient languages have here a de- 



