Recent Discussions Concerning Liberal Education [pp. 585-616]

1867.] Liberal ~ducation. 609
tions are categorical, what only conditional; whether the intention is to express similarity or contrast, to make a plurality of
assertions conjunctively or disjunctively; what portions of a
sentence, though grammatically complete within themselves,
are mere members or subordinate parts of the assertion made
by the entire sentence. Such things form the subject-matter
of universal grammar; and the languages which teach it best
are those which have the most definite rules, and which pro
vide distinct forms for the greatest number of distinctions in
thought, so that if we fail to attend precisely and accurately
to any of these, we cannot avoid committing a solecism in language. In these qualities the classical languages have an
incomparable superiority over every modern language, and over
all languages, dead and living, which have a literature worth
being generally studied."
In addition to all this, ~Ir. ~1ill maintains with great cogency,
"that the superior value of the literature itself, for purposes of
education, is still more marked and decisive. Even in the substantial value of the matter of which it is the vehicle, it is very
far from having been superseded." In scientific knowledge the
moderns of course surpass them, but not in "the treasure they
(the ancients) accumulated of what may be called the wisdom
of life; the rich store of experience of human nature and
conduct which the acute and observing minds of those ages,
aided in their observations by the greater simplicity of manners
and life, consigned to their writings, and most of which retains
all its value. The speeches in Thucydides; the Rhetoric,
Ethics and Politics of Aristotle; the Dialogues of Plato; the
Orations of Demosthenes; the Satires and especially the
Epistles of Horace; all the writings of Tacitus; the great work
of Quintilian, a repertory of the best thoughts of the ancient
world on all subjects connected with education; and, in a less
formal manner, all that is left to us of the ancient historians,
orators, philosophers, and even dramatists, are replete with
remarks and maxims of singular good sense and penetration,
applicable both to political and private life; and the actual
truths we find in them are even surpassed in value by the
encouragement and help they give us in the pursuit of truth."
"In purely literary excellence-in perfection of form-the
VOL. XXXIX.-N0. Iv. 7~