Wichita eagle., 1888-05-29
OLD AND NEW TEACHINGS.

From Macmillans Magazine.
The fact remains indisputable that,
despite the onset by the Edinburgh Re-
view at the close of Keate's reign, his
best BOYS had no cause to blush when
he matched at the universities with those
from other schools, even with those who
who had sat at the feet of the great DIR.
Butler, of Shrewsbury. The immense
list Mr. Wilkinson has compiled of Eton-
ians who were afterwards CONSPICUOUS in
the conduct of English affairs, at home
and abroad, is not perhaps much to the
point. Elton was then, as 1t has always
ben pre-emmently the school of ariStoc-
racy: and in those old days, when COM
Detitiye examinations for all things
under heaven were unknown, the high
places of the realm were mostly filled by
members of aristocratic families, and
not. we venture to think, so badly filled
as it pleases a democracy TO think. But
in the pages both of Etonian
and Mr.. Lytle's book there IS
ample PROOF that IN some way,
which ii is certainly now hard to under
stand. keate did turn out some very
good scholars; or. perhaps it would be
more correct to say, boys who only want
ed the ampler and serener air of the uni
versities to become very good scholars
OF course, generally speaking, scholar
ship was not fifty or sixty years ago the
exact thing it has since become. The
classics were studied rather on their lit
erary than their pathological side, and
were not possibly less understood and
valued on that account But the true
reason lies in this fact the Eton boys. of
those days, if they learned but little,
learned that little well. Homer, Horace
and Virgil formed the basis of their
classical education; and If boy went
regularly up the school, and passed his
last year or two under keate's own eye,
il was his own fault if he did not come
to know the best part of those three
authors almost literally by heart, for the
saying lessons were long and frequent
then, and the mere mechanical eIer-
else of learning every day so many lines
OF verse. whether they be Greek, Latin
or English, Is one of the best mental
disciplines possible. And 1t will, we
think. be generally allowed that q
boy who knows Homer, Horace and
Virgil as thoroughly perhaps as 1t Is
possible for boy TO know them, starts
with every chance Of becoming a classic
al scholar. The system Is now changed.
L lHI1It5 EOEliE III" - AAAAa laS1
that one might fancy our puzzled lads
asking with the melancholy poet:
But We, brought forth and reared IN hours
OF change, alarm, surprise
What shelter TO grow ripe Is ours
What leisure TO grow WISE
II is thought better for a boy 10 know
very many things imperfectly than TO
know one or two things well Perhaps
in these DAYS it Is better for the boy,
commercially speaking, Just az In these
DAYS the best education for girl Is con-
sidered 20 be that which enables her 20
chatter giibly tguileless of all Greek |
about the immortal truths of Plato. and |
20 hold views. more startling than nrtho- |
dox, on leprosy and the law OF poyula- |
ton The pastors and masters Of the |
young generation may be presumed 10 |
know their own business best: at any /
rate it certainly is not ours TO teach /
them; but what came out OF that old. /
wild, narrow. roasine-fed Eton does /
seem 10 suggest that they ~ere not /
wholly astray who kept TO the Greek |
maxim, Give Us = good thing two Or |
three Tunes oyeE.