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.
