autobiography and selected essays-第21节

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song　of　Shakespeare　or　of　Goethe　is　pure　art；　it　is　exquisitely

beautiful；　although　its　intellectual　content　may　be　nothing。　　A

series　of　pictures　is　made　to　pass　before　your　mind　by　the　meaning

of　words；　and　the　effect　is　a　melody　of　ideas。　　Nevertheless；　the

great　mass　of　the　literature　we　esteem　is　valued；　not　merely

because　of　having　artistic　form；　but　because　of　its　intellectual

content；　and　the　value　is　the　higher　the　more　precise；　distinct；

and　true　is　that　intellectual　content。　　And；　if　you　will　let　me　for

a　moment　speak　of　the　very　highest　forms　of　literature；　do　we　not

regard　them　as　highest　simply　because　the　more　we　know　the　truer

they　seem；　and　the　more　competent　we　are　to　appreciate　beauty　the

more　beautiful　they　are？　　No　man　ever　understands　Shakespeare　until

he　is　old；　though　the　youngest　may　admire　him；　the　reason　being

that　he　satisfies　the　artistic　instinct　of　the　youngest　and

harmonises　with　the　ripest　and　richest　experience　of　the　oldest。



I　have　said　this　much　to　draw　your　attention　to　what；　in　my　mind；

lies　at　the　root　of　all　this　matter；　and　at　the　understanding　of

one　another　by　the　men　of　science　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　men　of

literature；　and　history；　and　art；　on　the　other。　　It　is　not　a

question　whether　one　order　of　study　or　another　should　predominate。

It　is　a　question　of　what　topics　of　education　you　shall　select　which

will　combine　all　the　needful　elements　in　such　due　proportion　as　to

give　the　greatest　amount　of　food；　support；　and　encouragement　to

those　faculties　which　enable　us　to　appreciate　truth；　and　to　profit

by　those　sources　of　innocent　happiness　which　are　open　to　us；　and；

at　the　same　time；　to　avoid　that　which　is　bad；　and　coarse；　and　ugly；

and　keep　clear　of　the　multitude　of　pitfalls　and　dangers　which　beset

those　who　break　through　the　natural　or　moral　laws。



I　address　myself；　in　this　spirit；　to　the　consideration　of　the

question　of　the　value　of　purely　literary　education。　　Is　it　good　and

sufficient；　or　is　it　insufficient　and　bad？　　Well；　here　I　venture　to

say　that　there　are　literary　educations　and　literary　educations。　　If

I　am　to　understand　by　that　term　the　education　that　was　current　in

the　great　majority　of　middle…class　schools；　and　upper　schools　too；

in　this　country　when　I　was　a　boy；　and　which　consisted　absolutely

and　almost　entirely　in　keeping　boys　for　eight　or　ten　years　at

learning　the　rules　of　Latin　and　Greek　grammar；　construing　certain

Latin　and　Greek　authors；　and　possibly　making　verses　which；　had　they

been　English　verses；　would　have　been　condemned　as　abominable

doggerel；if　that　is　what　you　mean　by　liberal　education；　then　I

say　it　is　scandalously　insufficient　and　almost　worthless。　　My

reason　for　saying　so　is　not　from　the　point　of　view　of　science　at

all；　but　from　the　point　of　view　of　literature。　　I　say　the　thing

professes　to　be　literary　education　that　is　not　a　literary　education

at　all。　　It　was　not　literature　at　all　that　was　taught；　but　science

in　a　very　bad　form。　　It　is　quite　obvious　that　grammar　is　science

and　not　literature。　　The　analysis　of　a　text　by　the　help　of　the

rules　of　grammar　is　just　as　much　a　scientific　operation　as　the

analysis　of　a　chemical　compound　by　the　help　of　the　rules　of

chemical　analysis。　　There　is　nothing　that　appeals　to　the　aesthetic

faculty　in　that　operation；　and　I　ask　multitudes　of　men　of　my　own

age；　who　went　through　this　process；　whether　they　ever　had　a

conception　of　art　or　literature　until　they　obtained　it　for

themselves　after　leaving　school？　　Then　you　may　say；　〃If　that　is　so；

if　the　education　was　scientific；　why　cannot　you　be　satisfied　with

it？〃　　I　say；　because　although　it　is　a　scientific　training；　it　is　of

the　most　inadequate　and　inappropriate　kind。　　If　there　is　any　good

at　all　in　scientific　education　it　is　that　men　should　be　trained；　as

I　said　before；　to　know　things　for　themselves　at　first　hand；　and

that　they　should　understand　every　step　of　the　reason　of　that　which

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　wr