Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-04-28

IroWel would assist his memsry by say
ing; "Well, half a crown won't be too
much will it?' The boy thought not
and Trswel pursued his quest elsewhere,
sometimes elicihng five shillings as the
possible figure. Certain | am that the
aggregate number of pence received by
any one boy during any one quarter
never approached half a crown.
When | say that we seemingly did
learn Greek under the auspices of DR..
saunders, some readers may be of opinion
that | contradict myself. But the
opinion will cease when they learn what
an utter sham our Greek was. A Scotch
element, from some unknown reason or
other, prevailed in the school. We had
Dalzeps Greek and Ruddiman's Latin
grammar, while our contemporaries looked
up to Eton-all had enough when com
pared to the elementary books which, in
obedience to German impulse, are con-
stantly published now. We had, also,
DalzePs "Analecta Minorq" made up of
presumably easy Greek experts; but the
crack book was a Glasgow edition Of An
acreOn.
suppose this book is still in vogue on
the other side of the Tweed for when
ever have referred to it in the course
of conversation with north.country
friends, | have invariably found that
they recognized the article. 1t was a
very thin volume, clad in that irrepressi-
BILE sheepskin which was once regarded
as the proper clothing for spelling books
and tutors assistants" and at the bot
tom of each page was a literal prose
translation of the Greek above.
Now, only imagine two years of Greek
study eliminating with Anacreon
There is no need to inquire here how far
the pretty poems attributed to the old
debauchee of Teos are spurious; but any
one who knows anything about the mat
ter knows that, if there is one author
least fitted among others to familiarize a
student with the peculiarities of the
Greek language, that one is AnacreOn.
But with our Latin, Of course, we did
something. Did we? AS far as | my
self am concerned, | can safely report
that, if the Greek | learned vas little,
the Latin was still less. | had learned
no Greek at Mrs, Jackson's, and will
do DR.. Saunders the justice to say that
under him | did learn the alphabet; but
as for Latin, all could do was to keep
up the amount had brought with me
from the preparatory establishment. In
Cultivating the language of CicerO-to
whom, be it remarked, not the slightest
allusion was ever made-we were bound
tight to that eminent classic Eutropius,
with occasional deviations into the Sec
ond book of Virgi's Eneid, in which
latter region we we're most literally as
sisted.
All respect to Eutropius! Within the
last few years he has shot up into some
thing like celebrity as the historian who,
in the most lucid manner, recorded the
foundation of the Dacian colony by Ira
jan, to which the Roumanians trace their
origin; and of late the Danubian pro-
vinces have figured among the threads
which are entangled in that great knot,
the eastern question. But half CEN
tury ago there were no ROumanians
bearing that name, and the youth
of twelve must have been a marvel of
geographical erudtOn if he knew any
thing about Moldayia and Wallachia in
connection with ancient history. The
fact was, Eutropius, still known as very
useful in his way, is remarkably easy,
and was made even easier by the addi-
tien of an ortO; that is to say an ar
rangement OF the Latin words in English
order, placed under the proper text, but
but the OrdO, and this, be it repeated,
was our crack book. There was a vague
tradition that somebody had once
studied Cornelius Nepos; out ] set that
down among the myths OF the place,
Many books were not purchased; but,
thanks to the financial genius that per
vaded the establishment, and which, !
think, was embodied in the person of
Trowcl, some of those that were sold
must have fetched high prices The
boys, as a rule, were Of that happy-go-
lucky kind who, when they quit school,
do not care to be burdened with remi-
niscences, but leave their books behind
them. In that case the volumes were in
variably sold over again; and he was a
lucky youth, on the hy.leaf Of whose
EutrOpius the name of a former school
fellow was not inscribed.
There are many worthy people now
living who are of opinion tnat, at our
great schools" too much time is ex-
pended on the dead languages; and if
they have followed me to this point they
are probably admiring DR.. Saunders for
the quantity of sound, useful knowledge
that he diffuses while thus lightly skim
ming over the surface of Greek and
Latin. If so, they are egregiously mis-.
taken. II the reverend doctor aspired
to anything besides the reputation OF
popular preacher, it was to the character
OF promulgatOr OF classical lore. No
head master at Eton or Harrow, in the
good old days, had stronger views in this
matter than he. We all, indeed, learned
writing and arithmetic under the guild
ance OF an authorized assistant, but when
some ill-fated wretch was compelled, at
the request of his ignoble parents, to
solve few problems in Bonnycastle's
Geometry" | well recollect with what
contempt the pursuit was regarded by
his fellows. Geometry was all very well
for future carpenter, but what possible
interest could be taken in it by any one
who aspired to the character OF gentle
man? Of course the vulgar science fell
into the province of the assistant, for
never would the august DR.. Saunders
been seen with pair of base mechanical
compasses in his hands. Did they think
highly of mathematics at Cambridge
IfsO, so much the worse for Cambridge.
But the roval road to French discov
cred by Rev. DR.. Saunders was aster-
piece. Two of us were placed side
by side at desk, with an old-fashioned
French novel Warranted harmless) ly-
ing before us. This we were expected
simply to puzzle out together, without
being subject to any examination, either
by the doctor, or by any other third
party. That, in this irresponsible posi-
tion wc ever looked at the novel at all is
to me matter for marvel but, most as
suredly, We did so; though, it must be
owned, the narrative was frequently in
terrupted by conversation on our own
private affairs. One one occasion, the
Illicit discourse was interrupted by the
doctor, who, with considerable ingen-
mity. had cOntriyed To place his head