Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-11-19
The Classics.

men Of the reasoning by which that paper
reaches its position on the subject, we qnote
from its article published last week the 'oi-
lowing paragraph;
The praise OF the study OF 'reeA anu
Latin seems 10 US unnecessarily e1traVagan''
IL is not true that the surest way 10 get
knowledge of the best English Is to learn II
through painful and laborious study Vi
languages which have now no value except
AS discipline Of the mind. 1t hall the time
were spent in the study of English classics
that is now spent in making wretched anu
unrramnatical TRANSACTIONS of languages
spoken bv nobody, and used By no American
in the ordinary pursuits of any business OF
profession. English would be infinitely better
known than it IL.
In reply to this we submit /, That an IN
stitution should not be condemned because
some of its friends unduly exaggerate It's
merits. Because the classics are too highly
commented by few, therefore they are
worthy If no commentator at all, seems
to be the main argument of the Freeman
We need not point out its absurdity. = 1t
/, true chat the best way to learn the English
language is by studying the languages from
which it WIS derived We take issue square
/ " with our contemporary on this point.
/ We affirm that the best writers OF our own
/ language are those who are most thoroughly
acquainted with Latin and Greek. So noto-
rious is this fact, that the most strenuous adj
yoca:es for what is called the '' new educa-
ton. " do not attempt to deny it, Ihey gen
orally essail the classics on another ground
altogether. viz: that Of relative importance.
They concede the intrinsic value OF a class
zeal education, and oppose it only because it
is, as they say, less valuable than scientific
education. We 30 not know that Prof.
Huxley. for instance, ever questioned the
usefulness of the ancient languages
to one who would become a master OF
English The question OF classical UeTSuS
scientific education We will not open at this
time. both because it is 10 extensive for the
limits Of this article. and because it Is not
preached by the Freeman. 3, 1t is not true
that the study Of the classics is Of no value
except as discipline of the mind. Where
can be found loftier philosophy than that OF
Pla.o. subimer poetry than that Of Homer
E5chv lus, and Virgil. keener dialectics than
those Of Aristotle? What orators have
cqualed the eloqucnce Of Demosthenes anc
Cicero? What historians have shown mort
graphic skill than Nenophon and Livy, o.
more profound Judgment than Thucydide
and Tacitus? What teachings have high
er moral tone than those Of Socrates, Cicer
and Plutarch? The Freeman will reply tina
these works can he studied as well in trans
latious Is in the originals But this is a no
ton which the numerous and unsatisfactor'
ATTEMPTS t. translate the above authors hav
pretty thoroughly exploded. Fancy mar
studying Homer through PoPe's translation
or Horace through Balwer Lytton More
over if the classical writers are to be studie
in translations. it must certainly be for tn
intellectual food which they offer. The DIS
ripEae by this method would be a minimum
quantity. Or if our Montpelier contempt
rary protests that knowledge either direc
or mediate of Plsto's idealism or Horace
poetical criticisms Is not essential 10 success
r in life, We conccde thepoint- 1t Is not Hscf'
ssry that the editor of the Freeman be &C
ouaiuted with Paradise Lost, OF the beautie
ofSbskspeare. In fact if education be made
mere utility, the list Of studies can be re
) lieyed of many which the Freeman is eyI
IDENTIFY willing to retain. But it is not de
> sirabe perhaps to conduct ones affairs oil
the narrowest possible intellectual basis
From the Importance which the frssna
claims for modern languages and she science
we would detract nothing. But it should b
remembered that even French and German
are studied largely for discipline, and 70
their genealogical connection with our Owl
language. SO far they have no advantag
over the ancient languages. Now for thei
practical benefits, we ask the Freeman how
many that study these tongues, ever have Al
opportunity to employ them in active life an'
now many that have an opportunity ar
able to improve it? Could our boarding
school misses discuss the fashions with Eu
genie, or our college graduates talk polite
with jules Favre? And after these questions
are answered we have another. As mattel
Of utility. wherein l. it of more Importance
70 understand the rules Of French and Ger
man rrammars. Darwins theory Of the orl
gin of species Of the positive philosophy
r than TO be ar linted with the structure o
the Greek anu Latin languages, and the
beauties Of their hterAtures? The ancien
writers were pagans it is true; but none o
them ever taught that man was descende'
from monkey, or that he was evolved b.
natural processes out Of chaos. We woul,
discuss the subject, however, on
higher plane than this. We would elc
yate culture far above the level Of utilita
rianisn. But on the ground which the Free
man itself chose, our readers will see how
untcnable Is its position.
We quote once more from the Freeman
We do not need to read Demosthenes, d
Cicero. or Plato, or Seneca, or Homer, o
Virgil. in the original to enable US to appre
/ ciate Burke or Webster, Edwards or Beecher
, Tennyson OF Whittier.
= This is all true. Nor, as we have alread,
t said. do we need to read Burke or Webster
f and the rect Of the authors mentioned, o
/ any leading English writer. Life has it
pleasures even Tor him who never learned tn
alphabet But though we can apprecat
] Burke without studying Demosthene
! whence was derived Burke's value as
= writer and an orator whom it is desirable I
appreciate? From the careful study q
( ancient models Of eloqaence which forme
= his character as great orator; and from
= thorough acquaintance with ancient Ian
r guages, which gave him such a mastery c
his own. The case is the same with III
4 other authors named in the extract.
is difficult To mention a single great write
: Of English who was not also a student of tn
r classics. Let our contemporary begin til
search and it will soon give up in despair
, But We - further Not only does the &c
e. pacity ~ these writer's t. handle their Ian
S guage depend upon their acquaintance wit
its sources but our own capacity 70 EMO
f them depends upon the same thing Tn
f is commonplace truth. 1t takes d poet I
appreciate the highest BEAUTIES of Milton {
Dante Only painter can discover the mi
1 limitie- Of Raphael. The Oratorio which el
F. cites the cold admiration Of the unprofession'
4 listener. will drive Beethoven into ecst asie'
: We of course do not hold that every ma
e can Or ought to become a great colnpo~el
+ painter and poet The principle, however
I is plain. that if culture is to be sought