Fourth Lecture [pp. 561-568]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
John Clarke, who translated a number of the lower tional power and efficacy to their efforts. Their conLatin school books. He advises, when a translation is stant study is, to please all with whom they are conallowed, to double the number of lines that is regarded nected or concerned: they sedulously cultivate every
as a task without a translation. His reasoning on the source of moral and intellectual improvement, and they
subject is irrefiitable-and further, that the student be ardently desire to secure their own happiness by proobliged, not merely to translate the Latin into English, moting that of other people. In a word, they constitute
but the latter into the former, and, if necessary, twice spectacles in the moral world, as refreshing and delightover. This will as effectually fix the meaning in his fil to the eyes of the mind, as those enchanting spots
mind as if he had spent his precious time in poring over of the physical world, found only in the great desarts
a Dictionary. of Africa, are to the eyes of the exhausted traveller
On the subject of the extreme facility of learning perishing with intolerable heat, thirst and hunger.
Latin, the testimony of Locke is conclusive. They console us for much of the evil which we antici "WVhatever stir there is made about Latin, as the pate, in beholding the many thousands of the rising
great and difficult business, his mother may teach it him generation growing up in ignorance and all its conseherself, if she will but spend two or three hours in a quent vices: they encourage our efforts to labor in the
day with him, and make him read the Evangelists in noble cause of education, while they cheer our hearts
Latin to her: for she need but buy a Latin Testament, and animate our hopes in pursuing that course which
and having got somebody to mark the last syllable but we believe to be the only available one for permanently
one, where it is long, in words above two syllables promoting human happiness. The pride and joy of
(which is enough to regulate her pronunciation and ac- their parents' hearts-the highly prized objects ofwarmcenting the words) read daily in the Gospels, and then est affection among all their other relatives, and of
let her avoid understanding them in Latin if she can. esteem and regard to every one who knows themAnd when she understands the Evangelists in Latin, they constitute, in fact, our country's only sure reliance
let her, in the same manner, read Esop's Fa)les, and for the preservation of its honor-the promotion of its
so proceed on to EutropiuLs, Justin, and other such welfare-thesecurityofitshappiness. How supremely
books. I do not mention this, as an imagination of what important then, is it to increase their number! But my
1 fancy may do, but as of a thing I have kitnown done, and present object being rather to expose faults, than to
the Latin toigue twith ease got in this way."-Locke, p. 319. eulogize good qualities, I shall say no more of this first
Philadelphia, August, 1836. class, than to wish them, from my inmost soul, every
P.S. May I not assume that the knowledge of Greek blessing to be enjoyed in the present life, and all the
and Latin, acquired by lads in Grammar schools, before felicity of the life to come.
they go to college, is superficial and of little use in after The second class consists of those who alwvays keep
life? If this be granted, as 1 presume it will, it follows within the strict letter of the law, leaving its spirit for
as the whole number of students in all the colleges in other people to regard, who may have any such fancy.
the United States is only about five thousand;* that To go a single hair's breadth beyond the exact words
the time devoted to those languages, by all the other of whatever requisition may be made of them, would
scholars, who never enter a college, might be much be deemed, not only a great waste of time, but a griev ~~~better employed. ~ous breach of duty to themselves. They acknowledge
the authority under which they are placed, and will do
nothing which can fairly be ascribed to a spirit of in subordination. But the performance of what might be
-F O I R T H L E C T U R E called extra duty, however beneficial to themselves,
they would consider a very unwise thing, if not the
Of the Course on the Obstacles and Hindrances to Education they folld,ov er a ve the m ot ty
arising from the peculiar faults of Parents, Teacher and extremity offolly. All, over and above the most scanty
Scholars, and that portion of the Public immediately concern- compliance with the demands of their teachers; every
ed in directing and controlling our Literary Institutions. thing more than is barely necessary to save appear BY JAMES M. GARNETT. ances, would be shunned with infinitely more care,
The Faults of Scholars. than they are capable of exerting in any voluntary act
of real praise-worthy conduct. Whatever they do, is
On the present occasion, I shall attempt to expose done-because it is required by their lawts-not because
the obstacles to all correct education, arising from tlhe they desire to do it on account of its being right in itpeculiar faults of youth, during the period of their self, or for the pleasure it might give their instructers,
pupilage. who are no more the objects of their regard, than would
In all schools having a sufficient number of scholars be so many men or women in the moon. The scholars
to embrace much variety of character, the pupils may of this class all die, as they have lived-by none resbe divided into four distinct classes or castes, which pected-by none beloved: no regret will be felt for their
may be thus described. The first, not content with loss, and a few days will suffice to extinguish the redoing merely what is required of them, in a manner membrance of them forever in every bosom but that of
barely sufficient to avoid a violation of the rules estab- their unfortunate parents. Like horses in a bark-mill,
lished for their government, exert every faculty, at all they will have travelled their appointed time, and will
times, to do their best. They love knowledge and have performed with equal exactness their regular, daily
virtue for their own sakes —not from merely selfish task; but beyond this the record of their lives will be
considerations; and their earnest desire to obtain them as entirely blank, as if they had always continued to
for the sake also of their fellow creatures, gives addi- form component parts of their elemental and kindred
, See American Almahack for 1836, p. 11. dust. If the whole mass of mankind had always con,
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