The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-24
ing to solve their problems, but not
descending to sensationalism or
catch-phrases.
Browning VS.. Shakespeare.
A Philadelphia Society Considers
Browning the Superior Writer.

Browning the Superior Writer.
They had a discussion in a Phila-
delphia literary society the other
evening about the relative merits of
Shakespeare and Browning. The vote
was all one way 1t was a Browning
society.
One of the speakers summed up the
sentiment of the society by saying
that Browning was superior to
Shakespeare in experience, sympa-
thy, and education.' If there ever
was telling example of the form
which the education craze takes
among modern Americans it is this
one We may one of these days
reach the point of discrediting the
Ten Commandments because Moses
never went to graded school. Of
course, it does not make any differ
ence whether the Philadelphia aggre-
cation of intellect appreciates
Shakespeare or not, or whether it ap-
preciates Browning or not, except as
this particular society represents a
certain class of people who pose as
educated folk. 1t will not affect the
regulations of the writer's in question
very greatly, but it will make some
difference in the intelligence of the
country, whether people who have
time and opportunity to read use it
in the right way or not
A literary society which has moth
ing better to do than to argue the
conservative merits of two men, both
great in their own way. is occupying
itself foolishly to begin with. The
childishnes of such a proceeding is
about on level with the discussion
of the comparative pleasantness of
winter and summer To read an au-
thor in the right way is to appreciate
his fine qualities and understand his
limitations, and not TO bother about
comparing him with somebody else,
who also has an established reputa-
tion.
The education of Shakespeare is a
subject On which there has been
great deal of foolish and ridiculous
chatter. We seem to be in danger in
these days to losing sight of the fact
that a mans education is that which
leads him to exercise his gifts, not
that which puts gifts into him. This
is one of the few words in which the
derivation IS worth considering. No
college could have given Shakespeare
his genius; all that he needed was
such knowledge as he could use in his
undertakings, and that he got. in one
way and another Associated with
all the men worth knowing In his
day, in touch with bigger and more
wonderful enterprises than the world
had seen for many centuries, having
access to whatever libraries were in
existence, he would have gained
nothing by undergoing a strict rou-
tine in which a mass of information
which he could not use might have
been hammered into his head If il
were possible now for a boy TO grow
up in direct contact with the mind of
nearly every great man of his time,
and at the same time have opportuni-
ty to master his own language and
ascertain whatever he might need to
know in the course of any special un-
dertaking. does anybody doubt that
that would be a better education for
him, if he had genius, than cut and
dried system in which he would be
shut off from men in order to be
filled up from books? Books are not
magic knowledge-boxes; they are the
recorded knowledge of men, and wis
dom is wisdom, however Il is gained.
Browning was a great man in his
time, and a great leader of thought.
but if there had never been any
it is doubtful If we
should have had our Brownings and
our Tennysons and our literary socie-
ties. 1t is all very we'll TO extol the
trained thinker, but the man who
systems of thought is the
great man.