^3 



in working problems, and dare not spend any time in really 

 studying mathematics. Very few English Mathematicians 

 reach the first rank for this very reason." 



4. DESTRUCTION OF ORIGINALITY AND INDIVIDUALITY. 



Professor Mapother, M.D., Examiner in the Irish College of 

 Surgeons. — " An all important final competition chokes out the 

 power for original thought and original work, by which alone 

 our Science is to widen its boundaries." 



Rev. E. K. Blumhardt. — " My idea of education is to teach 

 children to think for themselves ; this end is to a great extent 

 defeated by the present system." 



Rev. T. Travers Sherlock. — " Enthusiasm and originality 

 cannot flourish." 



Sir F. Leighton, Bart., President, R.A. — " I hate everything 

 machine-made — probably a machine-made education is amongst 

 the worst products of that order of operation, and I believe that 

 the evils you speak of, the premature sterilizing of the intellect, 

 the mischievious overstraining of the frame, the misdirection of 

 the energies, &c, &c., do frequently, probably very frequently, 

 accompany the systems prevalent in our day, and that the flower 

 of individuality must needs suffer in this numbing atmosphere ; 

 but of all these things I know nothing of my own knowledge 

 and experience. I got little of my education in England, and 

 never in my life competed for anything." 



Auberon Herbert. — " Sterilising uniformity, loss of per- 

 sonal choice and of self-direction, and consequently, loss of interest 

 are such fatal injuries, that it is in vain we turn on a river of 

 gold to fertilise our favourite schemes." 



E. K. Chambers, M.D. — " This cultivation of the memory is 

 injurious to the powers of observation and reasoning. They 

 become atrophied from want of use." 



I have noted over forty more opinions similar to these. 



5. EVIL OF SUBSTITUTING A MERE LOVE OF PRIZE-GAINING 

 FOR TRUE DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE. 



Sir T. H. Farrer, Bart. — " I deprecate with all my heart the 



