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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1882)
rmmmmtNmmm& - ?fev.u ' . -Tr ?Wf - . T H E H E S 1 E R IAN S T U D E N T . 3pF ,wmwi?limfi!w.rwt"':j ), iV in. In the first plucc wo think that the acquisitinn of somooftlic Modern Languages, French and Gorman in particular, is an imlispeiisublc pint or n liberal education. Though not so much time and attention is devoted to them in the Classical as in other courses, yet here also they arc very often prescribed studies and if not arc al most always optional. So that a Classical student iietu ally acquires n knowledge of these languages. Hut it is not to be supposed that a good education is confined to the few years of college life. And if "Classicus" does not get this knowledge before he graduates, in after life, if he may need it, in travel or business, he will have acqui red the power to learn these languages with comparative case and rapidity. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French are four of the so-called Romanic languages, or those derived principal, ly from the Latin. Now it is very manifest that a know), edge of Latin would greatly assist a student in the acquis!, tion of these languages. Pies. Portei of Ynlo College says that if n student intend to learn several Romanic languages a thorough study of Latin would be a positive gain in time at least. John Stuart Mill goes so far as to as sort that the mastery of Latin "makes it easier to learn four or five of the Continental languages than it is to learn one of them without it." Much of what we call learning is in Latin and Gvcuk. The latter is the original language of the New Testament and the records of the beginning of church history arc al so in that dialect. Modern science has constructed its most complicated vocabulary from these two languages, from the Greek especially and full knowledge the glossaries ot its several branches is quite a step in their acquire ment. But it is evident that this knowledge can be at tained only by the stud' of these languages. When any invention appears or new instiumeut or machine is made resort is generally had to the Greek for its name since there very easily one may be found expressive of its use. The telegraph, barometer, microscope and telephone are a few out of the many taken directly from the Greek. In facility of forming compound words and in copiousness and signiflcancy Greek surpasses most, if not all, other languages. Again, the student of French and German, of Corneillc and La Fontaine and Goethe and Schiller for instance, Is mainly conversant with modern thought and modern life as these and indeed most of the common authors in these have flourished within the last two centuries. Take, on the other hand, the disciple of Virgil and Cicero, Demos thenes end Homer. We do not pretend to sny that tho classical student is carried back, bodily, to a prehistoric age and lives and converses with those old "fossils,,' but he does, more or less, enter into the thoughts and feelings of his authors and the knowledge which he obtains in connection with his studies of ancient history and litem ture, from which all subsequent history and literature must necessarily take its beginning, is not altogether un important. And it cannot be disputed that some advan tage is gained from an acquaintance with the literary works of races so different in many respects from one's own and which were written from 1000 to 2700 years be fore his time. However imperfect these impressions may bo when taken with tho mental discipline acquired in tho grammatical study of tho two languageo, wo think they form no mean argument for the study of the classics in preference to tho modern languages. In conclusion we add the testimony of tho Universities of Germany, generally considered (he seats of learning in the world: Previous to 1870 no students were admitted to the inivcrsitics unless they had had the rigid classical training of the gymnasium, tho nreparatory school to tho University proper. Hut in December 1870 a decree was passed by the government to admit students also from tho Real-schools where science, modern languages and math emalics arc the principal subject of instruction. After a trial often years Hie Faculty oi'thc University of Berlin submitted arepoitand we will briefly state the opinion of the Professors of Malhema'.ics, Natural Sciences and Modern Languages, the specialties of tho Real-schools. In the inferior branches of Mathematics there was no spe cial difference noticeable between the Classical and Non Classical students. Hut the Professors of higher grades certify that the Classicals, though less advanced in the be ginning, gradually surpass the Non-Classicals and in his own words, "leave them far behind in the intricacies and subtleties of tho more difllcult mathematical relations." In Astronomy there was u marked difference between tho two; although tho Real-school or as we may call them the Scientific students a.ie more skilled and have a better knowledge at first afterward they advance more slowly and were quite inferior to lha Classicals in "independent research, original investigation, etc. In Cnemistry the Scientific and Classical students could not bo put on tho same plane. The former show more skill in elementary principles, but become indifferent from early familiarity with the subject and in final examhations are generally lower than might be expected, while the latter arc invria bly higher. In French there was no perceptible differ ence. In English, however, though the "Sciciitifios" study it before, at tho completion of the course they are far in ferior to their Classical contemporaries and one professor of Gcrtru-ii asserts that no one can attain to a "thorough ly satistactory development" without the previous Gym nasium training. By the opinions of the professors as above the Faculty were uuaninmous in the belief that the admission of thee Real-school students had been disastrous to higher learn ing and must bo arrested before the "supreme excellence of scholarship" for which the German Universities have been renowned becomes a thing of the past. '85 RALPH WALDO EMERSON. "Pallida mora wquo pulsat pedo titbernaa puupcrtns rcgumquc turres." Horace. Somu questioned if Death's bluet ntono The lawt tear from the tree had blown, That grow on Aciopolis'brow; Or whether some angelic wing, Trancing the air with vibrant Hwlng, Had caught it from tho Dough. Perchance you Bay. ''Why ever grieve? Again shall blossom, bud and loave That classic tree" Ah I nevermore, the last of Greeks Is gone. His wearied, fond heart seeks , Eternity. And so to-day I read thy page, Of "Nature" or tho grand, old sige Of Attica. And think I see thy face askanco, Earnest with olden, beaming glance, Look up to me. Addison. One of the class of 'S3 of Dartmouth, it is said, is one of the "Twelve Apostles" of the Mormons. -.-0 ... wif,til0UCU. ykak$J.nin vXt
