eminent victorians-第40节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



'a　place　of　really　Christian　education'。　The　boys　were　to　work

out　their　own　salvation；　like　the　human　race。　He　himself；

involved　in　awful　grandeur；　ruled　remotely；　through　his　chosen

instruments；　from　an　inaccessible　heaven。　Remotely　and　yet　with

an　omnipresent　force。　As　the　Israelite　of　old　knew　that　his

almighty　Lawgiver　might　at　any　moment　thunder　to　him　from　the

whirlwind；　or　appear　before　his　very　eyes；　the　visible　embodiment

of　power　or　wrath；　so　the　Rugby　schoolboy　walked　in　a　holy　dread

of　some　sudden　manifestation　of　the　sweeping　gown；　the　majestic

tone；　the　piercing　glance；　of　Dr。　Arnold。　Among　the　lower　forms

of　the　school　his　appearances　were　rare　and　transitory；　and　upon

these　young　children　'the　chief　impression'；　we　are　told；　'was　of

extreme　fear'。　The　older　boys　saw　more　of　him；　but　they　did　not

see　much。　Outside　the　Sixth　Form；　no　part　of　the　school　came　into

close　intercourse　with　him；　and　it　would　often　happen　that　a　boy

would　leave　Rugby　without　having　had　any　personal　communication

with　him　at　all。



Yet　the　effect　which　he　produced　upon　the　great　mass　of　his

pupils　was　remarkable。　The　prestige　of　his　presence　and　the

elevation　of　his　sentiments　were　things　which　it　was　impossible

to　forget。　In　class；　every　line　of　his　countenance；　every　shade

of　his　manner　imprinted　themselves　indelibly　on　the　minds　of　the

boys　who　sat　under　him。　One　of　these；　writing　long　afterwards；

has　described；　in　phrases　still　impregnated　with　awestruck

reverence；　the　familiar　details　of　the　scene：　'the　glance　with

which　he　looked　round　in　the　few　moments　of　silence　before　the

lesson　began；　and　which　seemed　to　speak　his　sense　of　his　own

position''the　attitude　in　which　he　stood；　turning　over　the

pages　of　Facciolati's　Lexicon；　or　Pole's　synopsis；　with　his　eye

fixed　upon　the　boy　who　was　pausing　to　give　an　answer''the

pleased　look　and　the　cheerful　〃thank　you〃；　which　followed　upon　a

successful　translation''the　fall　of　his　countenance　with　its

deepening　severity；　the　stern　elevation　of　the　eyebrows；　the

sudden　〃sit　down〃　which　followed　upon　the　reverse'and　'the

startling　earnestness　with　which　he　would　cheek　in　a　moment　the

slightest　approach　to　levity'。



To　be　rebuked；　however　mildly；　by　Dr。　Arnold　was　a　Potable

experience。　One　boy　could　never　forget　how　he　drew　a　distinction

between　'mere　amusement'　and　'such　as　encroached　on　the　next

day's　duties'；　nor　the　tone　of　voice　with　which　the　Doctor　added

'and　then　it　immediately　becomes　what　St。　Paul　calls　REVELLING'。

Another　remembered　to　his　dying　day　his　reproof　of　some　boys　who

had　behaved　badly　during　prayers。　'Nowhere；'　said　Dr。　Arnold；

'nowhere　is　Satan's　work　more　evidently　manifest　than　in　turning

holy　things　to　ridicule。'　On　such　occasions；　as　another　of　his

pupils　described　it；　it　was　impossible　to　avoid　'a　consciousness

almost　amounting　to　solemnity'　that；　'when　his　eye　was　upon　you；　

he　looked　into　your　inmost　heart'。



With　the　boys　in　the　Sixth　Form；　and　with　them　alone；　the　severe

formality　of　his　demeanour　was　to　some　degree　relaxed。　It　was　his

wish；　in　his　relations　with　the　Praepostors；　to　allow　the　Master

to　be　occasionally　merged　in　the　Friend。　From　time　to　time；　he

chatted　with　them　in　a　familiar　manner；　once　a　term　he　asked　them

to　dinner；　and　during　the　summer　holidays　he　invited　them；　in

rotation；　to　stay　with　him　in　Westmorland。



It　was　obvious　that　the　primitive　methods　of　discipline　which　had

reached　their　apogee　under　the　dominion　of　Keate　were　altogether

incompatible　with　Dr。　Arnold's　view　of　the　functions　of　a

headmaster　and　the　proper　governance　of　a　public　school。　Clearly；

it　was　not　for　such　as　he　to　demean　himself　by　bellowing　and

cuffing；　by　losing　his　temper　once　an　hour；　and　by　wreaking　his

vengeance　with　indiscriminate　flagellations。　Order　must　be　kept

in　other　ways。　The　worst　boys　were　publicly　expelled；　many　were

silently　removed；　and；　when　Dr。　Arnold　considered　that　a　flogging

was　necessary；　he　administered　it　with　gravity。　For　he　had　no

theoretical　objection　to　corporal　punishment。　On　the　contrary；　he

supported　it；　as　was　his　wont；　by　an　appeal　to　general

principles。　'There　is；'　he　said；　'an　essential　inferiority　in　a

boy　as　compared　with　a　man'；　and　hence　'where　there　is　no

equality　the　exercise　of　superiority　implied　in　personal

chastisement'　inevitably　followed。



He　was　particularly　disgusted　by　the　view　that　'personal

correction'；as　he　phrased　it；　was　an　insult　or　a　degradation　to

the　boy　upon　whom　it　was　inflicted；　and　to　accustom　young　boys　to

think　so　appeared　to　him　to　be　'positively　mischievous'。　'At　an

age；'　he　wrote；　'when　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　a　true；

manly　sense　of　the　degradation　of　guilt　or　faults；　where　is　the

wisdom　of　encouraging　a　fantastic　sense　of　the　degradation　of

personal　correction？　What　can　be　more　false；　or　more　adverse　to

the　simplicity；　sobriety；　and　humbleness　of　mind　which　are　the

best　ornaments　of　youth；　and　offer　the　best　promise　of　a　noble

manhood？'　One　had　not　to　look　far；　he　added；　for　'the　fruits　of

such　a　system'。　In　Paris；　during　the　Revolution　of　1830；　an

officer　observed　a　boy　of　twelve　insulting　the　soldiers；　and

'though　the　action　was　then　raging；　merely　struck　him　with　the

flat　part　of　his　sword；　as　the　fit　chastisement　for　boyish

impertinence。　But　the　boy　had　been　taught　to　consider　his　person

sacred；　and　that　a　blow　was　a　deadly　insult；　he　therefore

followed　the　officer；　and　having　watched　his　opportunity；　took

deliberate　aim　at　him　with　a　pistol　and　murdered　him。'　Such　were

the　alarming　results　of　insufficient　whipping。



Dr。　Arnold　did　not　apply　this　doctrine　to　the　Praepostors；　but

the　boys　in　the　lower　parts　of　the　school　felt　its　benefits；　with

a　double　force。　The　Sixth　Form　was　not　only　excused　from

chastisement；　it　was　given　the　right　to　chastise。　The　younger

children；　scourged　both　by　Dr　Arnold　and　by　the　elder　children；

were　given　every　opportunity　of　acquiring　the　simplicity；

sobriety；　and　humbleness　of　mind；　which　are　the　best　ornaments　of

youth。



In　the　actual　sphere　of　teaching；　Dr。　Arnold's　reforms　were

tentative　and　few。　He　introduced　modern　history；　modern

languages；　and　mathematics　into　the　school　curriculum；　but　the

results　were　not　encouraging。　He　devoted　to　the　teaching　of

history　one　hour　a　week；　yet；　though　he　took　care　to　inculcate　in

these　lessons　a　wholesome　hatred　of　moral　evil；　and　to　point　out

from　time　to　time　the　indications　of　the　providential　government

of　the　world；　his　pupils　never　seemed　to　make　much　progress　in

the　subject。　Could　it　have　been　that　the　time　allotted　to　it　was

insufficient？　Dr。　Arnold　had　some　suspicions　that　this　might　be

the　case。　With　modern　languages　there　was　the　same　difficulty。

Here　his　hopes　were　certainly　not　excessive。　'I　assume　it；'　he

wrote；　'as　the　foundation　of　all　my　view　of　the　case；　that　boys

at　a　public　school　never　will　learn　to　speak　or　pronounce　French

well；　under　any　circumstances。'　It　would　be　enough　if　they　could

'learn　it　grammatically　as　a　dead　language。　But　even　this　they

very　seldom　managed　to　do。　I　know　too　well；'　he　was　obliged　to

confess；　'that　most　of　the　boys　would　pass　a　very　poor

examination　even　in　French　grammar。　But　so　it　is　with　their

mathematics；　and　so　it　will　be　with　any　branch　of　knowledge　that

is　taught　but　seldom；　and　is　felt　to　be　quite　subordinate　to　the

boys'　main　study'。



The　boys'　main　study　remained　the　dead　languages　of　Greece　and

Rome。　That　the　classics　should　form　the　basis　of　all　teaching　was

an　axiom　with　Dr。　Arnold。　'The　study　of　language；'　he　said；

'seems　to　me　as　if　it　was　given　for　the　very　purpose　of　forming

the　human　mind　in　youth；　and　the　Greek　and　Latin　languages　seem

the　very　instruments　by　which　this　is　to　be　effected。'　Certainly；

there　was　something　providential　about　it　from　the　point　of

view　of　the　teacher　as　well　as　of　the　taught。　If　Greek　and　Latin

had　not　been　'given'　in　that　convenient　manner；　Dr。　Arnold；　who

had　spent　his　life　in　acquiring　those　languages；　might　have

discovered　that　he　had　acquired　them　in　vain。　As　it　was；　he　could

set　the　noses　of　his　pupils　to　the　grindstone　of　syntax　and

prosody　with　a　clear　conscience。　Latin　verses　and　Greek

prepositions　divided　between　them　the　labours　of　the　week。



As　time　went　on　he　became；　he　declared；　'increasingly　convinced

that　it　is　not　knowledge；　but　the　means　of　gaining　knowledge

which　I　have　to　teach'。　The　reading　of　the　school　was　devoted

almost　entirely　to　selected　passages　from　the　prose　writers　of

antiquity。　'Boys；'　he　remarked；　'do　not　like　poetry。'　Perhaps　his

own　poetical　taste　was　a　little　dubious；　at　any　rate；　it　is

certain　that　he　considered　the　Greek　Tragedians　greatly

overrated；　and　that　he　ranked　Propertius　as　'an　indifferent

poet'。　As　for　Aristophanes；　owing　to　his　strong　moral

disapprobation；　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　read　him　until　he

was　forty；　when；　it　is　true；