Newark post., 1914-04-01

and scientific inheritance OF a So
ciety whose morals they repudiate
and whose belief they were bent
upon destroying By the close Of
the fourth century pagan lnstruc-
ton had almost entirely ceased,
Christianity was the acknoW-
lodged religion Of the Roman
Empire and had spread into all
parts Of the then known world.
What teaching was done was by
teachers drawn from the priest
hood as during these years of tear
ing down and building up they ap-
peared as the sole repositories OF
learning. In the monasteries were
preserved such manuscripts as es-
capped the iconiclastic work OF some
of the early Christians, and also all
literature pertaining to the new re-
ligion. Changing boundaries and
changing vernacular during the
next four hundred years were OBJ
stacles to the establishment OF
state schools and a popular medium
for communication, yet the ruder
minds Of the barbarians were being
slowly impregnated with the cul-
ture drawn from Asia, Greece and
Rome even while they were forming
states and empires.
Toward the close of the Sth cen
fury Charlemagne conceived the
idea of popular education for his
people, gathering in his court
famous scholars including Alcuin
of England to help him in his
scheme of educational reform. His
vision extended beyond the en-
pire of force. He was one Of those
leaps in "welt geist" that is some
times shown in Nature evolution
in physical things. Alfred the
Great little later said 'The Eng
lish ought always to be free, free
as their own. thoughts. Free born
sons should know how to read and
write.' The monasteries that had
arisen during these centuries had
furnished the comparative quiet
that had kept alight the Pickering
lamp of knowledge and within
their walls the ancient classics as
well as the scriptures were copied.
Parish and church schools were
, formed where the young were III
structed: their chief ideal for the
future semed to have been prepar-
ing for the life after death, it was
perhaps the time of greatest indl-
vidualism in teaching. We might
say also that these centuries We're
the era of true vocational educa-
!, cation, men s names, even, beng
: often derived from their occupa-
,, ton. instruction in these lines,
! was given in the home or work
;. room and in later years the learn
er graduated into their guilds.
', When toward the beginning of the
= 18th century the quickening ill.,
. fuences of various world forces,
. were felt, the parish schools and
:, monastic teaching were no longer
y enough to satisfy the seekers for
. knowledge. The great universl-
. ties of Europe then arose in an
! swer to this demand and were
e recognized by both church and
. state. 1t is a great temptation to
: linger on the formative work OF
=, the Middle Ages to trace the
. course and conveyance Of those
influences which produced the
= Renaissance of the 18th century
- - Always some one who knew was
T handing to another the keys OF
! knowledge that unlocked ever more
g and more treasure.
: What the invention Of print
s ing did for education we can
: scarcely overestimate, teacher and
). pupil alike were set free from
: much drudgery, it was a veritable
d liberation of the spirit. When we
s. look upon the manuscripts execut,
e ed before the invention OF print
e ing we realize how close indeed is
S the connection between the hand
l. and speech. 1t was the hand that
f Transcribed the thought, with in
: finite pains, into characters that
O would hold it for future ages. We
e can scarcely give credit enough tc
d those patient copists to whom we
O owe our knowledge Of the past
g The wonder grows as we study
o those times and their achievements
q not that thorn Nrerp so MANY inlet.