The Irish standard., 1894-12-29
FROM A SCHOLAR,
Brilliant Lecture By Bishop Spal-
ding on Education at tire Uni
versity Of Notre Dame.
ALL MUST LEARN TO SUFFER.

ALL MUSl LEARN ~ SUFFEH'
A Noble, True Man or Woman is
the Best Thing in the World,
Says the Great Prelate.
Right Rev. j. L. Spalding, the bishop
of Peoria, opened the lecture course at
the University of Notre Dame on
Education" Bishop Spafding is rec
ognized throughout the world as one Of
the leading lights of the Catholic church.
He is justly famous as poet, an essayist
and scholar. Therefore his views Oh
the all-importapt and much discussed
topic Of education will be read with
much in terest by Catholics aud Prot
estants. Among other things Bishop
Spalding said:
Now, in speaking to those who are
engaged in the work of educating them
selves, what I would first demand is
f aith in education. I will appeal to the
experience of teachers, and ask them if
the great obstacle with which they have
to contend is not lack Of faith In educa-
tion. The true believers in education
and you find few of them among the
young, as you find only few OF them
among mature minds-are the true men
and women. The true believers give no
concern to their teachers. It is well with
them; their faith will buoy them up; it
will carry them through thousand
difficulties A thousand failures will not
make towards of them. They will still
believe, and still pursue each object
which their daily education brings with
in their grasp.
It is most difficult faith. It it were
not, it would be wrong for me to say
that there are only few believers in the
power and efficacy Of education. You
know that the arrangement, the provi.
Dental arrangement, which makes educa
tion possible, is that which makes the
human offspring helpless for long
period of life. The human child depends
wholly upon It's parents, not for two or
three or four years; but it depends upon
it's parents a most wholly for fourteen or
sixteen years of it's life. Throw boy Of
IL years out into the world to make his
own way, and nine times out Of ten he
will be trampled under foot, will be
wrecked upon the rocks, will be cast
away. This necessity, of chnging to
psrents for the necessities of life forces
us to obedience.
The idea Of every true believer in
education, of everyone that has faith in
the innerimpulse chat is irresistible, in
the transforming influence of education,
is to become more, to know more, to feel
more, to live more in communication
with God and with all that God has
made.
What is the best thing in the world,
what is the highest thing in this world
visible? Is it not a noble, true man or
woman! We all feel that. We all of us
love heroes and sages and great poets
and painters, men of wisdom and power
and genius. We all lovethem; they are
the conquerors in the race. A mans
writings may have lived for thousand
years, but they will have no sacredness
or charm to set over us unless it has been
consecra ed and illumined by truthful
ness apd God like mind. We know
this; we feel it. Why talk aboutit when
this is forever before us, that the best, is
the best man or the best women in the
complete sense-I mean the best posi-
BILE here on earth.
Well, the idea-my idea at least-of
college education is that it is meant for
nothing else than to train the faculties.
The knowledge you get at college is OF
very little importance. It is not Of mo-
ment what you know when you-leave
college; but it is Of the greatest import
ance how thoroughly your intellect has
been trained, and what kind Of character
you have.
One of the greatest educational powers
is in words, in language; and language in
its perfection is found in literature. In
the great books Of all the different Ian
guagee, the cream Of literature, there is
all human knowledge in the most perfect
form. Literature is the great awakening
power Of education, literature in all It's
branches, history, geography, etc. Geog
raphy, which takes US into all countries,
tells US Of the vegetation, the animal life,
the climate, ETC. Why has travel such
an educational force? Blessed Is the man
who, while still young, is permitted to
travel over this earth and see what is
highest and noblest! It Is worth al the
pains of life. Now geography brings ell
| the world before us. Schiller, il his
|sWilliem TelP' one Of the best dramas
describes the scenery off Switzerland