of course straightforward
imitate without mastery
acquaintance compendious squirm
construct with
persistency preceded cherished
posterity at least
unequalled predominant And even of those who, 1 being great scholars, attain a certain general
2 with the ancient writers, can it
really be said that they have also obtained the 3
of English How many young gentlemen there are from the
universities and public schools who can turn a Latin verse
4 a facility which would make the old Romans 5 in their tombs. How few there are who can
6 a few good sentences, or still less a
few good paragraphs of plain, correct, and 7
English. Now, I am a great admirer of the Greeks, although,
8 , I have to depend upon what others
tell me about them and I would like to see our educationists
9 in one respect, at least, the Greek example. How is it
that the Greeks made their language the most graceful and
10 mode of expression ever known among men Did they spend
all their time studying the languages which had 11
theirs Did they explore with tireless
12 the ancient root dialects of the vanished world Not at
all. they studied Greek. They studied their own language. They loved it, they
13 it, they adorned it, they expanded
it, and that is why it survives a model and delight to all
14 . Surely we, whose mother-tongue has already won for
itself such an 15 empire over the
modern world, can learn this lesson 16 from the ancient Greeks and bestow a little care and some proportion of the
years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a
17 part in the future progress of
mankind.