THE CASE OF THE CLASSICS.

Those students who advocate classical education deplore the present lack of interest in the classics. They find as the chief reason for this neglect the scientific and materialistic tendencies of the age, manifested in the colleges in the popularity of so-called practical courses. No doubt this accounts in large part for the conditions, but it is also worth while to ask whether Interest in the classes might not be stimulated by different methods of teaching. Many a general student would be glad to continue his Greek and Latin in College if he had assurance that they would be presented in a form at once thorough and attractive.

As now taught, the Greek and Latin courses which must be taken first are wholly elementary. Translation and composition alternate with bits of grammar and history. When the student has secured sufficient knowledge of the languages to enable him to enjoy their masterpieces, he is nearing the end of his undergraduate course.

One remedy which seems plausible has been suggested: to offer several courses covering a large amount of ground. This can be accomplished by supplementing the reading of a few texts with the use of many translations. Time would thus be gained which could properly be given to the study of the works as literature and to and estimate of the real character of the classics. Such courses would not only be valuable to the general student, but would also be useful in supplementing the training of the specialized classicist. The classical department must always offer a certain amount of philological work for those who are to become professional scholars; but there will always be a much larger number of general students whose claims are equally urgent.