English at Harvard.

Sunday's Herald contained a well-written article by a "Harvard Senior" upon the study of English here. We quote selections:

"The object of all these courses is to make the students read and form judgments of their own. Here lies one of the most marked differences between the new and old-time modes of teaching English literature. Formerly the students were crammed with facts and dates, such as the time when the authors were born and died, and the names and dates of publication of their principal works. Anything more worthless than this is difficult of conception. Today a practical acquaintance with the works of the authors is the object sought.

"One often hears criticisms on the English department of Harvard because there is no single course in which a student can get a comprehensive knowledge of English literature. It is perfectly true that no such course exists, for the simple reason that it would be of no value. The courses are to teach the students the literature, the real works of the authors, which certainly cannot be done in one year, but may be fairly well done in four years.

"It has also been suggested that there should be a course in what may be called the philosophy of literature, or its underlying principles and development in all countries. The only answer to this criticism is that there is, probably, no man in America capable of conducting such a course. It would necessitate an intimate knowledge of the literature, physical and political conditions and habits of the people in every country inhabited by the Aryan stock.

"Fifteen years ago Prof. Hill came to Harvard. From that time he has been working to carry out his plan of more thorough instruction in English. Meeting opposition on every side, in the preparatory schools, as well as among the students and in the faculty, he kept on. In spite of apathy or difference of opinion among his associates he still worked for his department. Everywhere he went he met the statement, 'I write well enough, and I was never taught English.' This hostility, or at best indifference, had to be overcome. Finally he drew to himself the young and enthusiastic supporters, with whom he has carried on the reform until the English department is accounted one of the best in the college.

"If we may trust to numbers, we can get some interesting results. In 1883, out of the 972 students of the college, 192 took English courses other than those required by the faculty. It does not follow that 192 different students studied English, for some may have taken more than one course, but that the number of men in all the courses in English amounted to 192. Bearing this inaccuracy in mind, we may now see to what results we are led. In 1883-4, 20 per cent. of the students studied optional English; in 1885-6, 453 out of the 1006 students took English, or 45 per cent. of all the students in college. This marked increase - more than double - in the percentage of students of English shows very well the striking growth of the English department. In comparison with the other studies of the college, English ranks seventh, being taken by nearly as many men as the four which precede it in the list, Latin, German, Greek and Political Economy. When, however, the number taking English prescribed by the faculty is added to the list of those taking optional courses, the total exceeds the number taking history, the most popular study, by nearly 900."