Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-02-15
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
Litere Fictitise.

snow the propnefy OF introducing the study Il
novels, romances, and other works Of the imari.
nation, into the University Curriculum. Tic
London Times finishes the author and his work
in ITS most irresistible style of burlesque by the
following imaginary examination Of pupils in pass
ing from cass TO Glass:
We commence with what, out of Difference to
the Oxford schools, are called 'Pass questions -
but that merely means elementary questions a.
dapted to the lowest forms. The Vicor of Woke-
field is the classic with which the examination
commences. We omit tho first inierrogaiory
and come to the second, which is also prelimina-
ry, and meant to ascertain the learners acquain-
tnnco with the outline of the book. 1t runs:
who was Moses, aud who gave him that
namel"
We pass from Goldsmith to Scott. Gun
Mdnncring is tho next book ON the list, and for its
bearing on what has been said above we take
question No. 9--"llow far may Miss Julia Mnn-
nering's letters be regarded ns fair specimens of
young Indy correspondence Estimate approx
mately) the number of stamps which each of
these missives would require, the labor Of the
postman employed in their conveyance and the
general effect which they were calculated to pro.
duco ON the nervous system of Mr. Rowland HILL
Illustrate by such original correspondence in
your own possession From tho third classic
"Pickwiok," select, for similar reasons, three
questions, Nos. 7, 10, and 10, respectively tho
first is, Describe !. the practical, ., the senti
mental method of loye-makng and state their
comparative efficacy as manifested in the onses
of Mr. Alfred Jingl and Mr. Tracy Tupmnn.n
The second is follows:
we won't 20 home iill morning" &c
GLOW far is Dickens authorized in styling this
composition the national nir!' State the
fully as at issue between this mir and tint of
God save the Queen and give the two first
bars of both in full score" Finally, put il
in the spirit of inquirers. might not the follow.
ing by way of exercise in composition, be far
better tost than the ordinary and haokneycd
''dictntionl"
translate into the style Of DR.. johnson:
"'Wot like in that style of writing il,
that there nint no calm names in it-no We
muses. nor nothin' o. that kind Wots the good o.
calm young woman Venus or an angel,
Sammy You might iist ms well call her grif-
fin or unicorn, Kings Arms at once, which
is very we'll known to be collection o. fabulous
animals ;"
We advance now to more formidable phalanx
of quesions, designed for maturer minds of high
or ambitions. The two are about to quote
must have been drawn up with some reference
to the arrival in Oxford as examiners Of persons
go august as Mr.. llalnm and Lord Mahon. They
are conceived in the vein of tho great Maeaulay
himself:
mo. 4. Estimate from the facts preserved
respecting the domestic chaplains of Squire Wes
tern and the Marquis of Steyne the extent of eo
& hSlHSllcHi power III InelT hIu
show how far the character of the good parson III
Chancer is reflected in Q) Parson Adams (2)
Porson Trulliber (D the clergymen OF Miss
Austens novels.
"No. I6. Whit peculiar conditions of society
may be supposed to have produced the gentle
man highwaymani ? Trace the history of this
institution from the time of Smollett to that of
Bulwcr, and determine how far the latter has ad
equately realized its character"
AlWuys w th tho ilpa nboyo promised of fem
nne application, was to another, intimating
selves n purt of the answer by mention of those
notorious camaras which, alike at Madrid. Vi
cnnn. Naples and Paris have in unsettled times
exercised an nndoubted influence:
"No - In the suspension of authority which,
terror produces in family the lady's maid usu-
ally usurps considerable power On what occa-
sion is this principle enunciatcd, and how far is
such generalization authorized by historical
parallels p
From the philosophy we viii select only one
two of the simpler problems. and be content with
much In this particular branch much has
been already done for education by the acute and
learned author of Philosophy in Sport, not to
say by the German metaphysicans gcnerally-
We take No. /.
al don't know nothing GLOW far does this
famous npophthegm present a true parallel to the
professions of universal ignorance made by So
crates aud how far may the conduct of the
Athenlans III eSpelhng Dlagoras be PLEADED as
precedent for the perpetual injuncons to move
on, addressed to tho boy Joe by the English civil
power!
And No g.
Compare the Mrs Harris ofSairey Camp with
the Damon of Socrates, and show that the in
credulity of Mrs. Elizabeth Prigg with regard to
the former had its prototype in that of the Athe-
nian Judges"
From the philosophy we are carried by the ao-
knowledged order of things to ethics logic and
rhetoric. We omit the logic as not rudimentary
enough general utility as at present drawn out,
and also because we know it is a word offear, ,un-
pleasing to female ear. We doubt, even, wheth-
or much is to be got out of the rhetoric taught,as
it always must be, rather by example than by
precept but from the ethics we will borrow ono
question, which is calculated to do good, by ma
king the novel writer's uncomfortable.
''No. 6,-.Thaokeray--th Mcaiah of modern
society Explain and illustrate these words, and
show how the parellel bears upon the objections
commonly urged against this writer moral
ist."
Enough has, we trust, been said to establish
the merit of this unpretending programme, and.
since the profits of the sale to be devoted to-
the Patriotic Fund, we wish the writer favora-