Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-12-26
The Study of Ancient Ian
gUagcs.
Hainesville, Dec. q,

Eds. Dadepe,ade,lt:
AS it is the object of an educa-
ton to enable a man to perform
his part in life, in a manner credi-
table to himself, and profitable
to those around him, he should en-
deavor to obtain a knowledge of
those branches of literature which
are best calculated to promote that
object. Entertaining this view Of
the subject, / think there are rea-
sons why the study of ancient
languages should not constitute
any part of a liberal education.
That those who study those lam
guages are benefited thereby,
will not be denied but whether
the benefit thus obtained. is, by
any means, proportional to the
vast amount of time and labor us
ually devoted to the study of two
or three dead languages, and yet
how small is the number of those
who, even during that time, be-
come sufficiently acquainted with
them, to derive any advantages
from their tedious labors, Besides,
no other part of an education is SO
readily forgotten as this.
Whether this is owing to the fact
that it is less frequently called into
action in the ordinary business of
life, or that few persons become
thoroughly acquainted with them,
it is nevertheless true, that in
many instances the knowledge of
those languages is lost in less time
than it was obtc ined.
A knowledge of those languages
of but little practical utility
since every thing contained in
them, whic h was worthy of being
preserved, whether relating to his
tory or other sciences, has been
translated into other languages,
from which a knowledge of those
things may be more readily and
accurately obtained. 1t is true
that, las far as the style of an author
is concerned, no work can be fully
translated into any other language
than that in which it is written
yet it is only among Tutors and
Professors of languages, and
such as have devoted the half of an
ordinary life time to study of them
that we find few linguists capa-
BILE of judging of the beauties OF
defects of a composition written in
those languages; although we fire.
quently hear the veriest tyres Of
classical litature, descanting upon
the comparative merits Of Demos
themes and Cicero, Of Homer and
Virgil, of Horace and Juvenal
with an air of certainty that Pope
or Addison would scarcely have
ventured to assume, we often
hear 1t asserted that a knowledge
of the ancient language, is of the
most incelculable value that the
lawyer, for example, with Out
such knowledge, would not bt
able to comprehend and explain
the numerous legal phrases, Dor
: rowed from the Greek and Latir
languages.
But It may be asked. why ar,
= our codes of civil laws filled will
such unintelligible jargon. The
reason is obvious 4; the laws ar,
, thus rendered mystery to tn,
English scholar, and the commu
: nifty kept dependent on literary
aristocracv who continue to exac
I their Ave dollar fees, for as many
minutes explanation of a subject
which would otherwise need n,
explanation. And when we re
member that hundreds ofyouni
: men are annually leaving the Col
Y leges and other institutions Q
r learning in our country, with con
h situations impaired by leng con