The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-14

X,
'Modern Literature" course. After all, it is
not such bad beginning; ''good to count
gains from, as the newspapers of the de-
feated party are wont to say ufter an election.
It seems, however, by the statements of the
Harvard Adgocate and the Boston AdDertiser,
that the whole system is to be remodeled,
with somo improvements for next year. Ex-
President Hills university Lectures and
President Elliotts university Courses" are
TO be thrown into one, and we have some
thing which really begins to look like the ar
rangements of a German University. In
1S70-'7t the whole lecturiug force is appa-
rently to be drawn from Cambridge and vici-
nifty; and of the twenty-nine lecturers all but
nine are officers of the College. These nine
are Messrs. G.. Il. Ellis, +. Bocher, w. ID.
Howells, A. Phelps, c. G. Perkins, c. Wright,
J. Fiske, ]. i. Oliver, b. j. Jeffries, and w.
Everett As to the departments the courses
may be thus classified Natural Sciences (D;
Metaphysics a.; Modern Literature (D;
Ancient Literature (3); English Literature (3),
Mathematics and Astronomy (3); Theology
CD Art q j History Q); Political Science (D.
There are certainly some great gaps here.
History, for instance, seems to have very
scanty attention, and Philology to be almost
wanting. The classics, too, have to put up
with rather short rations. But, on the whole,
the courses bring us much nearer to true
WulOu las
yet seen, and the names of the lecturers make
certainly a respectable, though not perhaps o
brilliant list. The names of Peirce, Agassiz,
Wyman, Hedge, Lowell, and Child would
do honor to any university. We are sorry
to miss the name of Professor Wolcott
Gibbs. Among the new accessions the most
important is doubtless Mr.. Charles @. Per-
kins, whose European laurels have been an
honor to his Alma Mater, to whom in turn he
gives the fruit of his study of "Ancient Art. J"
Mr.. Howells, too, must be always agreeable,
though he must remember that ''New Italian
Literature" is not an inexhaustible theme
Some of the literary subjects appear perhaps a
little crude and ambitious, as that of Modern
Classics, assigned to Prof. Cutler. The most
difficult theme perhaps in the list, and that re-
curing the maturest culture on ''The Study of
Literary Models and on English Style" is as
signed to gentleman not q graduate of the
College, and whose name is not very familiarly
known in literature at least-Mr. Austin
Phelps.
But the principle involved in these lectures
is of more value than any details of the new
experiment. In time, pupils will inevitably
be drawn, and the lecture-rooms be ade-
quately filed The proposed rearrangement
of prices, fixing $40 as the fee for each full
course, and So for each shorter course-giv-
ing each pupil his choice of courses-will
afford the utmost freedom to students, while
supplying sufficient element Of competition
to lecturers. The ultimate result will be to
bring round the University class of learned
men, varying in years. pursuits, and opin-
ions, who, without official connection with its
government, will increase its reputation and
enlarge its intellectual atmosphere. This
is precisely what gives to the German
universities their peculiar value. Teaching
is there not monopolized by the regular
instructors, but they are always stimulated
and kept awake by the competition of other
minds. At Berlin, for instance, the number
of extra professors and pri0at-docents is
double that of the regular professors, Ill
against 55, by the last accounts we have at
hand. The consequence is an astonishing
mental activity and vast range of instruc-
ton. At Berlin, in 1866, there were de-
hvered 175 distinct courses of academica
lectures on topics in philosophy Gncluding
iterature), 40 in medicine, 62 in law, 36 in
theology-2S3 in all. Compared with this
copious array, the Harvard beginnings seem
humble but they lie in the right direction
and the end is sure. In one respect, too,
these American university lectures" are fai
in advance of any which Germany ever saw
they admit no distinction of sex in know
ledge.