autobiography and selected essays-第24章

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they　do。



I　desire　to　speak　with　the　utmost　respect　of　that　science

philologyof　which　grammar　is　a　part　and　parcel；　yet　everybody

knows　that　grammar；　as　it　is　usually　learned　at　school；　affords　no

scientific　training。　　It　is　taught　just　as　you　would　teach　the

rules　of　chess　or　draughts。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　I　am　to

understand　by　a　literary　education　the　study　of　the　literatures　of

either　ancient　or　modern　nationsbut　especially　those　of

antiquity；　and　especially　that　of　ancient　Greece；　if　this

literature　is　studied；　not　merely　from　the　point　of　view　of

philological　science；　and　its　practical　application　to　the

interpretation　of　texts；　but　as　an　exemplification　of　and

commentary　upon　the　principles　of　art；　if　you　look　upon　the

literature　of　a　people　as　a　chapter　in　the　development　of　the　human

mind；　if　you　work　out　this　in　a　broad　spirit；　and　with　such

collateral　references　to　morals　and　politics；　and　physical

geography；　and　the　like　as　are　needful　to　make　you　comprehend　what

the　meaning　of　ancient　literature　and　civilisation　is；then；

assuredly；　it　affords　a　splendid　and　noble　education。　　But　I　still

think　it　is　susceptible　of　improvement；　and　that　no　man　will　ever

comprehend　the　real　secret　of　the　difference　between　the　ancient

world　and　our　present　time；　unless　he　has　learned　to　see　the

difference　which　the　late　development　of　physical　science　has　made

between　the　thought　of　this　day　and　the　thought　of　that；　and　he

will　never　see　that　difference；　unless　he　has　some　practical

insight　into　some　branches　of　physical　science；　and　you　must

remember　that　a　literary　education　such　as　that　which　I　have　just

referred　to；　is　out　of　the　reach　of　those　whose　school　life　is　cut

short　at　sixteen　or　seventeen。



But；　you　will　say；　all　this　is　fault…finding；　let　us　hear　what　you

have　in　the　way　of　positive　suggestion。　　Then　I　am　bound　to　tell

you　that；　if　I　could　make　a　clean　sweep　of　everythingI　am　very

glad　I　cannot　because　I　might；　and　probably　should；　make　mistakes；

but　if　I　could　make　a　clean　sweep　of　everything　and　start　afresh；

I　should；　in　the　first　place；　secure　that　training　of　the　young　in

reading　and　writing；　and　in　the　habit　of　attention　and　observation；

both　to　that　which　is　told　them；　and　that　which　they　see；　which

everybody　agrees　to。　　But　in　addition　to　that；　I　should　make　it

absolutely　necessary　for　everybody；　for　a　longer　or　shorter　period；

to　learn　to　draw。　　Now；　you　may　say；　there　are　some　people　who

cannot　draw；　however　much　they　may　be　taught。　　I　deny　that　in　toto；

because　I　never　yet　met　with　anybody　who　could　not　learn　to　write。

Writing　is　a　form　of　drawing；　therefore　if　you　give　the　same

attention　and　trouble　to　drawing　as　you　do　to　writing；　depend　upon

it；　there　is　nobody　who　cannot　be　made　to　draw；　more　or　less　well。

Do　not　misapprehend　me。　　I　do　not　say　for　one　moment　you　would　make

an　artistic　draughtsman。　　Artists　are　not　made；　they　grow。　　You　may

improve　the　natural　faculty　in　that　direction；　but　you　cannot　make

it；　but　you　can　teach　simple　drawing；　and　you　will　find　it　an

implement　of　learning　of　extreme　value。　　I　do　not　think　its　value

can　be　exaggerated；　because　it　gives　you　the　means　of　training　the

young　in　attention　and　accuracy；　which　are　the　two　things　in　which

all　mankind　are　more　deficient　than　in　any　other　mental　quality

whatever。　　The　whole　of　my　life　has　been　spent　in　trying　to　give　my

proper　attention　to　things　and　to　be　accurate；　and　I　have　not

succeeded　as　well　as　I　could　wish；　and　other　people；　I　am　afraid；

are　not　much　more　fortunate。　　You　cannot　begin　this　habit　too

early；　and　I　consider　there　is　nothing　of　so　great　a　value　as　the

habit　of　drawing；　to　secure　those　two　desirable　ends。



Then　we　come　to　the　subject…matter；　whether　scientific　or

aesthetic；　of　education；　and　I　should　naturally　have　no　question　at

all　about　teaching　the　elements　of　physical　science　of　the　kind　I

have　sketched；　in　a　practical　manner；　but　among　scientific　topics；

using　the　word　scientific　in　the　broadest　sense；　I　would　also

include　the　elements　of　the　theory　of　morals　and　of　that　of

political　and　social　life；　which；　strangely　enough；　it　never　seems

to　occur　to　anybody　to　teach　a　child。　　I　would　have　the　history　of

our　own　country；　and　of　all　the　influences　which　have　been　brought

to　bear　upon　it；　with　incidental　geography；　not　as　a　mere　chronicle

of　reigns　and　battles；　but　as　a　chapter　in　the　development　of　the

race；　and　the　history　of　civilisation。



Then　with　respect　to　aesthetic　knowledge　and　discipline；　we　have

happily　in　the　English　language　one　of　the　most　magnificent

storehouses　of　artistic　beauty　and　of　models　of　literary　excellence

which　exists　in　the　world　at　the　present　time。　　I　have　said　before；

and　I　repeat　it　here；　that　if　a　man　cannot　get　literary　culture　of

the　highest　kind　out　of　his　Bible；　and　Chaucer；　and　Shakespeare；

and　Milton；　and　Hobbes；＇81＇　and　Bishop　Berkeley；＇82＇　to　mention

only　a　few　of　our　illustrious　writersI　say；　if　he　cannot　get　it

out　of　those　writers　he　cannot　get　it　out　of　anything；　and　I　would

assuredly　devote　a　very　large　portion　of　the　time　of　every　English

child　to　the　careful　study　of　the　models　of　English　writing　of　such

varied　and　wonderful　kind　as　we　possess；　and；　what　is　still　more

important　and　still　more　neglected；　the　habit　of　using　that　language

with　precision；　with　force；　and　with　art。　　I　fancy　we　are　almost　the

only　nation　in　the　world　who　seem　to　think　that　composition　comes

by　nature。　　The　French　attend　to　their　own　language；　the　Germans

study　theirs；　but　Englishmen　do　not　seem　to　think　it　is　worth　their

while。　　Nor　would　I　fail　to　include；　in　the　course　of　study　I　am

sketching；　translations　of　all　the　best　works　of　antiquity；　or　of

the　modern　world。　　It　is　a　very　desirable　thing　to　read　Homer　in

Greek；　but　if　you　don't　happen　to　know　Greek；　the　next　best　thing

we　can　do　is　to　read　as　good　a　translation　of　it　as　we　have

recently　been　furnished　with　in　prose。＇83＇　　You　won't　get　all　you

would　get　from　the　original；　but　you　may　get　a　great　deal；　and　to

refuse　to　know　this　great　deal　because　you　cannot　get　all；　seems　to

be　as　sensible　as　for　a　hungry　man　to　refuse　bread　because　he　cannot

get　partridge。　　Finally；　I　would　add　instruction　in　either　music　or

painting；　or；　if　the　child　should　be　so　unhappy；　as　sometimes

happens；　as　to　have　no　faculty　for　either　of　those；　and　no

possibility　of　doing　anything　in　any　artistic　sense　with　them；　then

I　would　see　what　could　be　done　with　literature　alone；　but　I　would

provide；　in　the　fullest　sense；　for　the　development　of　the　aesthetic

side　of　the　mind。　　In　my　judgment；　those　are　all　the　essentials　of

education　for　an　English　child。　　With　that　outfit；　such　as　it　might

be　made　in　the　time　given　to　education　which　is　within　the　reach　of

nine…tenths　of　the　populationwith　that　outfit；　an　Englishman；

within　the　limits　of　English　life；　is　fitted　to　go　anywhere；　to

occupy　the　highest　positions；　to　fill　the　highest　offices　of　the

State；　and　to　become　distinguished　in　practical　pursuits；　in

science；　or　in　art。　　For；　if　he　have　the　opportunity　to　learn　all

those　things；　and　have　his　mind　disciplined　in　the　various

directions　the　teaching　of　those　topics　would　have　necessitated；

then；　assuredly；　he　will　be　able　to　pick　up；　on　his　road　through

life；　all　the　rest　of　the　intellectual　baggage　he　wants。



If　the　educational　time　at　our　disposition　were　sufficient；　there

are　one　or　two　things　I　would　add　to　those　I　have　just　now　called

the　essentials；　and　perhaps　you　will　be　surprised　to　hear；　though　I

hope　you　will　not；　that　I　should　add；　not　more　science；　but　one；

or；　if　possible；　two　languages。　　The　knowledge　of　some　other

language　than　one's　own　is；　in　fact；　of　singular　intellectual

value。　　Many　of　the　faults　and　mistakes　of　the　ancient　philosophers

are　traceable　to　the　fact　that　they　knew　no　language　but　their　own；

and　were　often　led　into　confusing　the　symbol　with　the　thought　w