1834.]

Wolsey's Direction for Teaching.

21

should be recalled to the higher precepts of grammar, as for instance, to the figures prescribed by Donatus to the elegance of Valla, and to any ancient authors whatever, in the Latin tongue. In lessoning from these, we would remind you to endeavor to inform yourselves at least on the points it may be proper should be illustrated on each present occasion. For example, when intending to expound at length a comedy of Terence, you may first discuss in few words the author's rank in life, his peculiar talent, and elegance of style. You may then remark how great the pleasure and utility involved in reading comedies; of which word you should explain the signification and derivation. Next, you may briefly, but perspicuously unravel the substance of the plot; and carefully point out the particular kind of verse. You may afterwards arrange the words in more simple order; and wherever there may appear any remarkable elegance; any antiquated, new-modelled, or Grecian phrase; any obscurity of expression, any point of etymology, whether derivation or composition; any order of construction rather harsh and confused; any point of orthography; any figure of speech, uncommon beauty of style, rhetorical ornament or proverbial expression; in short, anything proper or improper for imitation; it should be scrupulously noticed to the young."

Such was the plan of teaching marked out for the oldest classical school in England. What a different thing it must have been for boys to learn Latin then, when, as there were no dictionaries widely diffused, on account of the imperfection of printing, the master construed the lessons to the boys, and they were not required to learn by heart even the regular verbs, till they had read Virgil, nor the irregular verbs, till after they had learned Cicero, while the peculiarities and niceties of grammar were left until they had advanced to the highest class! Boys will hardly call dictionaries and grammars facilities, when they have but increased their difficulties, by taking from masters all sense of responsibility in the preparation of their lessons! Nor did the ease and luxury of those days of study consist merely-in reading the beautiful Latin authors with experienced scholars, instead of digging the skeleton of their meaning out of dictionaries and grammars. In those days, discipline was a very different thing. Listen to the Cardinal, in his directions. about the studies of the fifth class:

'One point that we think proper to be noticed, as of first importance, is, that the tender age of youth be never urged with severe blows, or harsh threats, or indeed with any sort of tyranny. For by this injurious treatment all sprightliness of genius either is destroyed, or is at any rate considerably damped.'

And again, in the directions for the seventh class; —

'At intervals, attention should be relaxed, and recreation introduced; but recreation of an elegant nature, worthy of polite literature. Indeed, even with his studies, pleasure should be so intimately blended, that a boy may think it rather a game at learning, than a task. And caution must be used, lest by immoderate exertion the faculties of learners be overwhelmed, or be fatigued by reading, very far prolonged; for either way is alike a fault.'

22

Opinion of Erasmus.

[Jan.

Was this the direction of a mere theorist, who did not know the nature of a schoolboy? The Cardinal, says our author, was a schoolmaster, before he was a statesman.'

In

It is not proposed to recommend precisely this method of teaching Latin, to our modern schoolmasters, for several reasons. the first place, few schoolmasters, in this age, when Latin has ceased to be a spoken language even among the learned, could be found capable of teaching the two lower classes. And in the second place, it is not necessary now that boys should learn to speak. But let it ever be remembered, that this natural and obvious method of teaching a language, was the first method proposed in the classical schools of England. Whatever arguments may be put forth, for the modern method, let it never be said that it was the method pursued by those distinguished scholars, whose Latin, though learned at school, was as a vernacular language. Let it be acknowledged, that as the first method of teaching it has declined, the ease and familiarity with which the language was formerly used, has declined also.

St Paul's school, at London, was founded by Dean Colet, a little before the Ipswich school. This school was also divided into eight classes, and the same course of instruction was adopted. Indeed, both Wolsey and Colet are known to have been intimate friends of Erasmus, who was the adviser of both in regard to these schools; and whose opinions, both in regard to the time and method of teaching Latin grammar, and with respect to the discipline of boys, is well known. On the latter subject he says, in his tract on the education of youth;

'You may kill some children before you can make them one whit better by beating; and yet at the same time, with good words and good usage, you may do what you please with them. Of this temper I own myself to have been, when a boy. And my master, of whom I was a great favorite, because he was pleased to have conceived great hopes of me, having a mind to get a thorough knowledge of my disposition, did therefore make a trial how I could bear a sound whipping. Upon this a fault was cooked up, of which (God knows) I never so much as dreamed; and accordingly I suffered the discipline of the school. Immediately I lost all manner of relish to my studies; and this usage did so damp my spirits, that it almost broke my heart. From hence we may see, that these illiterate butchers (to give them no better term) ruin many a hopeful lad. And it is an observation, not ill grounded, that the most ignorant schoolmasters are generally the best at this exercise.'

The sentiments of Erasmus about Latin grammar, have already been given in Cardinal Wolsey's Letter. They are to be found again in his friend Colet's address to the St Paul's School, which he founded. Having recommended attention to nothing more in grammar than the mere distinction of the parts of speech, before entering on the study of the classic authors, the Dean asserts, that

1834.]

Dean Colet's Remarks on Rules.

23

the study of such authors will better familiarize the pupil with the regular forms of language, than any dry rules given in the shape of abstract principles. His remarks are thus quoted by Taylor:

"In the beginning, men spake not Latin because such rules were made, but contrariwise, because men spake such Latin, upon that followed the rules and were made. That is to say, Latin speech was before the rules, and not the rules before the Latin speech. Wherefore, well beloved masters and teachers of grammar, after the parts of speech, sufficiently known in our schools, read and expound plainly unto your scholars good authors. And show to them every word, and in every sentence what they shall note and observe, warning them busily to follow and to do like, both in writing and in speaking; and be to them your own self also speaking with them the pure Latin very present, and leave the rules. For reading of good books, diligent information of learned masters, studious advertence and taking heed of learners, hearing eloquent men speak, and finally busy imitation with tongue and pen, more availeth shortly to get the true eloquent speech, than all the traditions, rules, and precepts of masters.'

Again, Erasmus himself, speaking of the importance of grammar, in his Ecclesiastes, says ;

'When I speak of grammar, I do not mean the inflections of nouns and verbs, and the agreement of one word with another according to its places; but the modes of speaking correctly and properly, which can only be acquired from multifarious reading of the ancients, who excelled in elegance of speech.'

He elsewhere refers expressly to the opinion of Colet, who

'Could not bear that the standard of a good style should be taken from the exact rules of grammar; which he would often affirm, did rather obstruct the purity of the language; not to be attained but by the reading of the best and purest authors.

After these quotations, it may be surprising to some readers to know, that Colet and Erasmus were authors of the Eton Latin grammar, with which Lily had less to do than either of them, although it bears his name. But this is not inconsistent. They did not intend to recommend a superficial study of language, when they withdrew abstract rules to the later stages of the course of study; or rather when they recommended, that the rules of language should be taught, by word of mouth, according to the present need of the scholar, instead of being learned, all at once, as abstract speculation. The science of grammar is not like the science of geometry, which it is useful to learn by itself, in the rigid forms of abstraction; and which may then be applied to natural philosophy, navigation, and other matters. For the science is not pure enough to hang together in the mind, without its natural exponents. If the student wants the discipline of pure science, (and every student does), let him take it in those studies which are especially appropriate to give it in the best manner. Let him learn geometry. But let grammar be learned in its applications, and then

24

Opinions of Roger Aschum.

[Jan.

the various rules will take such hold of the memory as their comparative importance demands, and no more.

From the earnestness, however, with which all these great scholars exhort masters on this subject, it was obviously the tendency then, as now, for masters to give the abstract rules to the pupils, instead of lecturing upon grammar at recitation time. In the course of half a century, corruption grew on apace; 'and after a conversation on the subject, says our author, which took place at Sir William Cecil's, (then principal Secretary of State, afterwards Lord Burleigh) Sir Richard Sackville, treasurer of the exchequer, requested Ascham, who was one of the party, to commit to writing the opinions he had expressed. This was in 1566. At that period the defects of school discipline had become so great, as to attract the attention of many persons of chief consideration in the kingdom. The immediate cause of the conversation was the severity exercised towards the boys at Eton, some of whom had run away for fear of being beaten. The cruelty of schoolmasters was generally condemned by the company present, and it is particularly reprobated by Ascham in his treatise, which is called 'The Scholemaster.' But we shall omit all that he says upon discipline, except one passage worthy of especial consideration.

This will I say, that even the wisest of your great beaters do as oft purish nature, as they do correct faults. Yea, many times the better nature is the sorer punished. For if one by quickness of wit take his lesson readily, another by hardness of wit taketh it not so speedily; the first is always commended, the other is commonly punished; when a wise schoolmaster should rather discretly consider the right disposition of both their natures, and not so much weigh what either of them is able to do now, as what either of them is likely to do hereafter. For this I know, not only by reading of books in my study, but also by experience of life abroad in the world, that those which be commonly the wisest, the best learned, the best men also, when they be old, were never commonly the quickest of wit when they were young.'

It is indeed curious to see how difficulties in school discipline have gone on, hand in hand with the abandonment of the natural method of teaching Latin; and while there was then, a severity of punishment scarcely known at this day, the general principles stated, are capable of application to many modern institutions.

1834.]

London Journal on Moral Education.

25

MORAL EDUCATION.

We were rejoiced to find an Essay on Moral Education in the London Quarterly Journal of Education for July, and were deeply interested by its perusal. In this organ of the celebrated Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, we find it distinctly stated, and ably maintained, that

'Instruction by itself, is an instrument of which either a good or bad use may be made. It is to moral education, so much neglected in these times, that we must direct the skill, the attention, and the capacity, of every one who devotes himself to instruction.'

The Editor concedes that the cultivation of the intellect will 'form some habits of order and industry.' But it is added it is at least insufficient. We use his own italics. He laments the

total want or insufficiency' of schools for moral cultivation; the almost total absence of those exercises which are proper to form' the moral feelings, and habits, and the exclusive attention to the understanding. He remarks: The great thing which education neglects is the formation of character and morals.' He shows from the statistics of France, that ignorance does not produce a greater amount of crime, than misdirected knowledge that something more than mere intellectual light must be given, to subdue the passions and govern the appetites, which civilization often renders more imperious in their demands. He quotes the remark of Seneca; Since learned men have abounded, good men are scarce.' He adds, that in the present day,'-'it appears that the formation of morals was never less attended to than since we have been so zealously occupied in the diffusion of knowledge.'

We would again express our gratification at this noble stand against the knowledge-mania of the day, and we thank the editor for his efforts to fix the basis of a good system of instruction, by putting moral education before all other kinds of education.' Let knowledge be diffused! Let the intellect be cultivated to the greatest extent; but let not the heart be neglected, or we may still be but archangels fallen.'

In regard to the modes of moral education, we should perhaps differ from the Editor. In our view, there are no sanctions but the commands of God and the prospects of a future world — no motives but the love of God and of the Saviour which are sufficient to subdue the passions and control the appetites of the mass of men. We have seen perhaps he is observing at this moment men of intellectual strength of 'power of will' which is seldom equalled -bending their necks to the yoke of appetite and passion - even

NO. I.

3