360 Report on a Coutse of Liberal Education. 



the French may be studied without any derangement of the 

 estabhshed system, and with great advantage as a parallel 

 course. Even the French, however, in their judgment should 

 not be substituted for the classics, either as a condition of 

 admission, or in the regular course of study, or as a test of 

 scholarship. The committee do not deem it an equivalent 

 course. The Spanish and Italian are so easily acquired by 

 one who is versed in Latin, that they may well be considered 

 as appendages to it, and need not in the opinion of the com- 

 mittee, be included in a systematic course of collegiate stu- 

 dies, where this language is taught ; much less are they enti- 

 tled to precedence. The present regulation which allows 

 the students to study French and Spanish at their option, the 

 committee deem judicious and proper, and they are of opin- 

 ion that suitable facilities should be continued to all who 

 may signify their desire to study those languages, when 

 properly advanced in the ancient. 



The considerations briefly adverted to, in the necessarily 

 rapid view which they have taken of the subject referred to 

 them, have brought the committee to the conclusion that it 

 is inexpedient so to alter the regular course of instruction, at 

 this college, as to leave out of the same, the study of the an- 

 cient languages. 



Fully convinced of the importance of the thorough study, 

 and an accurate knowledge of the ancient languages, and 

 believing that much misconception regarding their utility 

 has arisen from the fact that they have been but partially 

 studied and acquired, the committee have seen with appro- 

 bation, that within the last twenty-five years those languages 

 have here received increased attention, and that the class- 

 ical and other attainments required as a qualification for ad- 

 mittance into the college, have been considerably aug- 

 mented. The effect of such augmentation has evidently 

 been to elevate the character of the institution, and the 

 standard of scholarship. The period of academic prepara- 

 tion having been prolonged, and consequently the age, at 

 which students will ordinarily apply for admittance extended, 

 they are enabled the more successfully to pursue the studies 

 requiring maturity of intellect, and further to advance in 

 learning and science. 



Approving highly the course which has hitherto been pur- 

 sued, the committee entertain the opinion that the terms of 

 admission may very properly, be gradually raised so as ulti- 



