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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1882)
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT. T ) - in. In llio first place wo think Hint tlio acquisition of somo of the Modern Languages, rrencli mul German in particular, is an indispensable part of n liberal education. Though not so much timo and nltcntion is devoted to tli cm in the Classical ns in other courses, yet hero also they aro very often prescribed studies and if not nro al most always optional. So that a Classical student actu ally acquires a knowledge of these languages. But it is not to be supposed that a good education is confined to tho few years of collego 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 ease and rapidity. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French arc four of tho so-called Romanic languages, or those derived principal ly from the Latin. Now it is very manifest that n knowl edge of Latin would greatly assist a student in the acquisi tion of these languages. Pros. Porter of Yalo College Bays that if a student intend to learn several Romanic languages a thorough study of Latin would be a positive gain in timo at least. John Stuart Mill goes so far as to as sort that tho mastery of Latin "makes it easier to learn four or five of the Continental languages than it is to learn ono of them without it." Much of what wo call learning is in Latin and Creek. The latter is the original language of the New Testament and tho 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 tho study of these languages. "When any invention appears or new instrument or machine is mado resort is generally had to tho Greek for its name since there very easily ono may bo found expressive of its use. Tho telegraph, barometer, microscope and telephone arc 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 Corneillo and La Fontaine and Goetho 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 witliin the last two centuries. Take, on tho other hand, tho disciple of Virgil and Cicero, Demos thenes rnd Homer. Wo do not pretend to say that tho classical student is carried back, bodily, to a prehistoric ago mid lives and converses witli those old "fossils,, but he does, more or less, enter into tho 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 bo disputed that somo 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 foro his timo. However imperfect these impressions may be when taken with tho mental discipline acquired in tho grammatical study of tho two languages, wo think they form no mean argument for the study of tho classics in preference tq the modern languages. In conclusion wo add tho testimony of the Universities of Germany, generally considered die seats of learning in the world: Previous to 1870 no students wore admitted to the Universities unless they had had the rigid classical training of the gymnasium, tho urcparatory school to tho University proper. But in December 1870 a decree was passed by the government to admit students also from tho Real-schools where science, modern languages and math ematics are tho principal subject of instruction. After a trial often years Hie Faculty of the University of Berlin submitted a report and wo will brlelly slate the opinion of the Professors of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Modern Languages, the specialties of tho Real-schools. In the inferior brandies of Mathematics there was no spe cial difference noticeable between tho Classical and Non Classical students. But tho Professors of higher grades certify that the Classicals, though less advanced in the be ginning, gradually surpass the Nou-Classicals and in his own words, "leave thorn far behind in tho intricacies and subtleties of tho more difllcult mathematical relations." In Astronomy there was a marked difference between tho two ; although tho Real-school or as wo may call them tho Scientific students a.ie more skilled and have a better knowledge at first afterward they advance more slowly and were quite inferior to tho Classicals in "independent research, original investigation, etc. In Cnemistry tho Scientific and Classical students could not be put on the same plane. The former show more skill in elementary principles, but become indifferent from early familiarity with the subject and in final examinations are generally lower than might be expected, while the latter aro invria bly higher. In French there was no pcrcoptlble differ ence. In English, however, though the "Scicntiflcs" study it before, at the completion of the course they are far in ferior to their Classical contemporaries and ono professor of Gorman asserts that no one can attain to a "thorough ly satisfactory development" without the previous Gym nasium training. By the opinions of tho professors as above tho Faculty were unaninmous in the belief that the admission of theo Real-school students had been disastrous to higher learn ing anil must.bo arrested before the "supreme excellence of scholarship" for which tho German Universities have been renowned becomes a tliliiu of the past. '85 RALPH WALDO EMERSON. "Pallida mors icquo pulsat pedo tabemas pnupcrtnu rpgumquo turrcs." Horace. Somo questioned If Death's blast alouo The last leaf from tho tree had blown, That grow on Aciopolls'brow; Or whether somo angelic wing, Trancing tho air with vibrant swing, Had caught it from tho Dough. Perchance yoa say. ''Why ever grieve? Again shall blossom, bud and loavo That classic tree." Ah 1 ncvermoro, the last of tirceks Is gone. His wearied, fond heart seeks Eternity. And so to-day I read thy page, Of "Nature1' or tho grand, old sage Or Attica. And think I see thy faco askance, Earnest with olden, beaming glanco, Look up to me. Addison. i One of the class of '88 of Dartmouth, it is said, is ono of the "Twelve Apostles" of tho Mormons.
