The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-08-24
The Educatlon Of BOYS.

MIR. Robert Lowe, ex-Ohancellor OF
the ExchequeI and ex.Home Secretary
OF England, recently delivered an nd.
dress at Highgate School, near London.
In presenting prize given by the
Baroness OF Burdett. Coutts for mathe-
matics to the successful competitor, he
said:
"There is no doubt q great demand
now made upon schools-inanitely
greater than there was at the time
when DR.. Dyne and were at school.
People are expected to know Latin,
Greek, mathematics, English-no iu.
considerable study-ancient and mod
ern history, French, German, and /
know not how many others-physical
science-and for these the demand at
present seems to be that the person
who studies all these things is TO know
them Just as well MS II his mind had
been confined, as it used to be forty or
fifty years ago, merely to the study OF
Latin and Greek. Now, ladies and
gentlemen, we may ask that, but we
shall not getit, It is impossible. It
is not desirable, I am quite certain, in
order TO comply with that demand for
almost universal knowledge, that We
should make tho knowledge we impart
in any degree superficial. II is more
important, as matter OF education,
that q boy should learn few things
well than that he should have q fair
acquaintance with q great number OF
things which he does not know well.
Tho problem before us in education is
how we can consolidate these two things
the demand which exists for greatly
enlarged course OF studies. and ut the
same time obtain that solidity and that
thorough grounding in knowledge
which is indispensable for unless il
DO obtained, man may pass through
his life reading and studying, and yet
mover know what true knowledge really
is, what it is to know any one thing
thoroughly and excellently well. What
I venture to suggest is this, and 1t is a
matter OF the last importance-that is
why I take the liberty Of mentioning it
here-that we cannot possibly avoid
meeting the demands made upon
schools in all these directions. There
Is so much to say for everything re.
quired Of o school that 1t is impossible
TO put aside any one OF these demands.
What we can do is this-we can give n
ireer scope for the choice OF q boys
career, SO that without requiring every.
thing from him, we can allow him to
shape his own course, or the course his
parents wish, in some degree, 80 that
he may obtain thorough knowledge es.
pecialiy suited 10 the career which he
Is destined to fill. Otherwise fear we
are doing very much like Pharaoh, and
asking for increased production with
out giving any straw-any means to
accomplish 1t. There is certain time
a boy can give-all he ought to give ;
but It is not wise to oyerburden and
overtask any person, particularly young
persons, and the result We aim at can
only be obtained by more extended OPP
tions, whereby any person can thorough
ly master any subject he undertakes.
I will mention another thing. Tho
Baroness Burdett.C Coutts, I believe, gave
this prize mainly with the view OF en-.
couraging the study OF physical science.
cannot help thinking that probably
the prize will be quite as efficient II
given for physical science instead Of for
mathematics, because there is no doubt
you cannot go far into physical science
without good knowledge OF mathema-
tics. Very mach more time is applied
to the study Of physical science than
was the case thirty or forty years ago.
AT the same time there are o vast num-
ber Of things most useful, valuable and
improving to the mind which can be
learned without the study Of mathema-
tics, and US far as l am concerned II I
were TO choose between the two I am
bound TO say I would rather have q
knowledge Of physical science without
n very great knowledge Of mathematics
than I would have knowledge OF
mathematics without physical science.
One more remark I shall make, and that
isl am speaking now OF optional sub
iects-that there Is one language which
I think it is great pity is almost on.
tirely excluded from school education
in England. Ills tho most ancient and
perhaps the most interesting in itself OF
oil ianguages-I mean the Hebrew. 1t
seems TO me, confess, uncomfortable
how II should happen that 80 very few
OF cur clergy are acquainted with He
brew. I Icannot understand how man
can consider himself as having com.
petently mastered the elements OF
theology when he is not acquainted
with that language. II Is not merely
the knowledge Of the language itself,
but the light which 1t throws, and which
nothing else can throw, upon tho text
OF the New Testament for instance.
The view man has, the knowledge that
man gets OF the Bible, when he reads
II standing on the vantage ground OF a.
knowledge OF Hebrew, is infinitely
greater than can be got by taking them
up and passing to them not naturally
from the knowledge Of the Hebrew OF
the Old Testament, but from the Greek
classics. / hope to see the day when in
our schools there will, at any rate, be
an option for tho study OF Hebrew.
Nothing can tend more to develop q
thorough and sound knowledge OF tho
Bible or to make our clergy learned and
competent in their avocaton."
A Quiet Hint for Husbands.
The Troy Budget, which is disgusted
with some Of the softer phases Of the
NJ. =. IL E.tN.