New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-18
LITERARY NOTES.

commonly he added, "a device OF ScnOoinldSttlS
10 excuse their own pedantry. / wieVe IN Greek
/ believe in the Bible 1t is the highest intel
lectual stimuant Of which | know. But then 1t
always depends upon what the Greek Is that Is
taught. and what use you make Of it. nave the
greatest contempt for the young prigs from OK
ford who think. because they can scan Few lines
of an old tragedan, that they are sent from
Heaven as oraces Of all wisdom. 1t Is the fault
Of Greek scholars of the present day that they
keep themselves apart from the living Greeks while
they cling a dead language. a modern Greek
cannot understand a single word of oxford Greek
oxford in this view. is school of conceit' FOR
mere scholarship is a miserable thing. Mathe-
mates. in itself mere training, Is appled UNI
versally. Mathematics leads to Applied Maine
matics and so to Natural Philosophy. Greek az
II is often taught to-day is simply bones without
life Languages ought TO be taught by living IN
Them and speaking in them You can't really
teach a language by mere grammar II you le"'n
n language you must use that language Just a.
Caesar used Greek and Milton used Latin There
are other things in education more useful than the
unused Greek Of to-day. | am exceedingly anxious
10 combat the vulgar idea that modern Greek Is
a corrupt and barbarous language almost as TAI
removed from classical Greek as Italian Is from
the dialect used by Horace and virgil. As d
matter of fact. there is less difference between
ancient and modern Greek than there Is between
Cbaucer's English and the English OF to-day. our
great schools and universities should give up treat
ing Greek az a dead language. and they sho"u
fling overheard their present fashion OF prohouno
ing II in a barbarous and arbitrary fashion WHO"
nobody understands but themselves hoIu NoiE
strongly that considerations of policy as wen DIS
NJ human sympathy should induce al persons
whether inside outside the university ~ o"'"
yate living familiarity with the living inher'ors
pf the noble Greek language. And wouu S"s
pest that the Christian churches-with whoih
Greek is not only intellectual luxury pu,
professional too-shoud institute travelling schoia'-
sbips for distinguished young theoioglahs. .o'
the purpose Of getting in five months "Nns
hold of the language of st. Luke ana 81 fauI VIII"
more pleasure and profit than ulue' "'7 P
scholastic system dead books ana sIaili'"'''"'
rules can be achieved in as many years
Mr. woodberry's book on James Russell lower
is on the verge of publication The author mas "''
che advantage Of access 10 the ample materlai III
,horce of Professor Norton. Towells executor ana
has been permitted TO examine all the poets uh-
published letters.
, collection Of biographical. typographical and
,r,cal sketches TO be entitled 'In the Footsteps
NJ the Poets" Will soon be published in LONDON.
The poets dealt with are Milton ny PROFESSOR IT.
David Mason Herbert by Or. John Brown oil pou-
ford; Cowper by Canon Benham; Thomas ny
"Hugh Halliburton: Wordsworth, by Henry -
Ewart': Walter Scott. by Mr.. John Dennis; Brown
,ng bv Mr. r. H. Hutton Mrs Browning. by The
Lord Bishop of Ripon and Tennyson' by Mr.. Will
lam Canton.
Mr. Norman Gale. the author Of the fresh ana
fragrant strawberry and cream verse of "A Country
Muse" is a teacher. He has school OF MS OWL
at the now famous English town of Rugby
volume Of papers by Professor Woodrow Will
con will, soon be brought out by the Scribners. 1t
e 70 be called IAN Old Master and Other Political
Essays"
Mr. Goodwin Smiths new book on the United
States is intended for English rather than Ameri-
ran readers The author says in his preface: II
IL comes into the hands Of an American ms h"e'-
alty will make allowance for the position OF All
Enrlshman who regards the American common
wealth as the great achievement oil ms race, anu
looks forward TO the voluntary reunion OF IN,
. american branches of the within its pale ana
desires to do justice to the mother country.
An amusing story dealing with Lord Tennyson's
ynisnronunciation of French is told by Nine
I,rnst in her souvenirs" Tennyson. she SAYS ar
irving in Paris with of his brothers put up
at the Hotel Violet. and had good fire klndleu III
their bedroom. He then went out alone loi VAIN
saving TO the walters and porters whom he passed
on the stairs "Ne laissez pas sOrter mon lou
His grur Lincolnshire failed TO grapple with te
niceties of the French ecu" and he meant OF
course by "sortr." etendre He was promptly
obeyed The boots and concierge felt that Inc
singular appearances Of these Englishmen were no"
explained They FASTENED TO the chamber door and
1urned the KEY I'm the lock. Some minutes later
Lord Tennyson's brother wished to go out in his
turn Finding his door locked. he rang the bell
rang again No ono answered. He broke tho bell
handle and left himself no resource but To Wig
,,ouslv tbump the door. The interested group Of
walters outside thought it best To open the door
about an inch and bid him TO 'be quiet But !
W. mt to go out. Open," Your brother has given
strict orders against doing So What my
brother? Hes waiting for me. But the waters
were infexibe. He became angry. loud. and finally
Yurious The hotel servants flung themselves on him
IN a body and Overpowered bv numbers despite ms
stout resistance and Indignant shoutinss. he was
tied to the foot Of ;he bed. 1t would he impossible
10 describe the poor mans exasperlton. Happily |
Ternvson at length returned. and IN his deep tones
explained pointing to the fireplace Mas mon lou
cest ca.
A small octave volume. entitled American Book
Plates" Is coming from the Macmillan press. II |
Is TO contain fifty Illustrations. Mr. Charles Dexter
Allen is its author.
An edition Of the late William Allngham prose
Uerks will soon be brought in London. The |
FIRST two volumes are filled with essays on inter
eating spots which the author had visit ID or lived
in and are to be called "Rambles
4 book dealing largely with the old Plymouth !
colony is coming from the press of Houghton & |
Niain II Is to bear the title OF "rhe Old Colony !
Town and Other Sketches" ana viii be found rich |
,n quaint tradition and legend. Its author is Mr. |
w. Il. Bliss.
One Of the most successful English novels Of the ]
mast season was Mr.. Frankfort Moore's Il Forbid |
the Banns"-a book which was reprinted here IT /
sbas lately gone into NTH edition Mr.. Moore Is /
about to publish another novel with the queer title /
of "A Gray Eye or So
NJ Iouis Morn's French Illustrations" is to he /
nublished this autumn by the ScTibners in an edi- /
lion Of one thousand numbered copies The work !
is 20 be complete five parts and Will contain .
fifteen plates printed in Color with one hundred
illustrations i'm the text