The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-05-04

grammar, while our contemporaries looked
up to Eton-all had enough when com
pared to the elementary books which, il
obedience to a German impulse, are con
stantly published now. We had, also
DalzePs "AndJecta MinorG," made up Of
presumably easy Greek experts; but the
crack book was Glasgow edition Uf An.
acreon.
suppose this book is still in vogue on
the other side of the Tweed; for when
ever I have referred to it in the course
of conversation with north-country
friends, have invariably found that
they recognized the article. 1t was q
very thin volume, clad in that irrepressi-
bic 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 tamiliarize a
student with the Reculiarities of the
Greek language, that one is Anacreon.
But with our Latin, of course, we did
something. Did weH As far as l my
self am concerned, / can safely report
that, if the Greek / learned was little,
the Latin was still less. l had learned
no Greek at Mrs. Jackson's, and l 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 VirgiPs Eneid, in which
latter region we were 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 GEN.
tury ago there were no Roumanians
bearing that name, and the youth
of twelve must have been a marvel of
erudition if he knew any
thing about Moldavia and Wallachia in
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 Ordo; 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: but / 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, 1
think, was embodied in the person of
must have fetched high prices. The
boys, as a rule, were of that happv-go-
lucky kind who, when they quit school,
DO not care to be burdened with remi- |
niscences, but leave their books behind |
5hem. In that case the volumes were in |
sold over again; and he was |
lucky youth, on the fy-leaf of whose |
Eutropius the name of a former school |
ellow was not inscribed.
There are many worthy people now
living who are of opinion that, at our
great schools" too much time is ex-
pended on the dead languages; and if
hey have followed me to this point they
ire probably admiring DIR. Saunders for
he quantity of sound, useful knowledge
hat he diffuses while thus lightly skim
ming over the surface of Greek and
latin. If so, they are egregiously mis-
AIKEN. If the reverend doctor aspired
% anything besides the reputation OF a
popular preacher, it was to the character
II a promulgatOr of classical lore. No
lead master at Eton or Harrow, in the
,ood old days, had stronger views ir this
natter than he. We all, indeed, learned
writing and arithmetic under the guild
nee of an authorized assistant, but when
ONE ill-fated wretch was compelled, at
he request of his ignoble parents, to
olive few problems in Bonnycastle's
Geometry" we'll recollect with what
the pursuit was regarded by
lis fellows. Geometry was all very we'll
or future carpenter, but what possible
interest could be taken in it by any one
Vho aspired to the character of gentle
nan? OF course the vulgar science fell
ntO the province of the assistant, for
lever would the august DR.. Saunders
'een seen with pair of base mechanical
ompasses in his hands. Did they think
ighly of mathematics at Cambridge
fsO so much the worse for Cambridge.
But the roval road to French discov.
red by Rev. DR.. Saunders was a aster-
'iece. Two of us were placed side
y side at desk, with an old-fashioned
french novel Warranted harmless) ly-
ng before us. This we were expected
imply to puzzle out together, without
'eing subject to any examination, either
" the doctor, or by any other third
'arty. That, in this irresponsible posi-
ion we ever looked at the novel at all is
o me a matter for marvel, but, most as
uredly, we did 80; though, it must be
wned, the narrative was frequently in
errupted by conversation on our own
rivate affairs. One one occasion, the
llicit discourse was interrupted by the
octor, who, with considerable ingen-
ity, had contrived to place his head,
between ours, and harshly
on our abuse of the trust
7ith which we were so handsomely and
D unacademically honored. We mildly
loaded that the novel was "dry," and
wonder of wonders i--when we re-
urned to the school-room after the half
our sDent in the playground habitually
Onceded 10 the boys in the course of a
ay, which lasted from about balf-past
inc till one, our plea was thought to be
,asible, ard the triumphant doctor
laced before our eyes the more anus
lg Hermann, of Unna," work trans
tied from the German, and of which an
,uglish version was eagerly read at the
me when Mrs. Anue Radcliffe was at |
ne heighth of her popularity. am
bic to affirm that we did find this book
lore entertaining than its predecessor.
IN what ground, with our very imper-
ct mastery over the French tongue,
e found one book more amusing than
mother, can't conjecture.
Even our studies of the vernacular +.
ere sometimes pursued after dGissez-diIer j
shion, which scarcely accorded with
le importance attached to them. DR..
aunders had an aged father-in law, who {
i'd cut off whatever communication {
as left between himself and the other q
orld by taking strong and frequent
inches of coarse rappee, and this re-
'ectable but somewhat dingy gentle.
an was occasionally trusted with the
Iperintendence of body of readers.
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