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to make a short poem, whatever its poetical worth may be, than to understand good poetry; and after much reading and exercise it will be even an easy task to write, if not in self-made thoughis, at least in the adopted language of poetry. And many a would-be-poet did not more. Hear Schiller's epigram:

Weil ihm ein Vers gelingt in einer gebildeten Sprache,

Die für ihn dichtet und denkt, glaubt er ein Dichter zu sein!

But it is neither necessary to be a poe, nor to have the vain fancy of being one; however, to know the metrical laws and to practise them, is in the same degree desirable to a scholar, as it is the requisite of a well-bred gentleman to understand poetry.

Let us add a few words in regard to private studies. Our readers will have rightly inferred from the large number of lessons, that a German gymnasiast has plenty of work in order to do his public task conscientiously, and very little time left for fancy-siudying, provided that he takes a sufficient time for meals, rest and exercise. On the other hand, it is obvious, that not all the authors mentioned above can be read. Yet some acquaintance with all of them is required, and the view is generally taken by the professors, that the reading which cannot be done in the lessons ought to be supplied at home. The student, therefore, must work pretty hard to be well prepared for the lessons, to have his weekly exercises, as German and Latin compositions, Greek, metrical and mathematical lessons, exactly studied, and to give, as it is required in some colleges, every month a good account of his private studies. There he presents extracts of an author with compositions of any kind he pleases, in prose or poetry; and where no such account is given publicly, private studies of the same sort are nevertheless expected. Besides the morning and night hours, the free afternoons of Wednesday and Saturday afford a longer series of studyhours. There are in the whole about eight weeks, vacation. The results of the home-studies are, of course, soon perceived by teacher and pupil, and the loss of time is doubly compensated by the rapid progress and by the ability to make the best exercises in the shortest time. Still, we do not mean merely free and independent reading and working, but chiefly the free spirit of diligence used independently of the necessities of school, yet in doing the school-work. Then the instruction of the professor and his suggestions, as well as his corrections, do safely conduct the student through the classical paradise.

The boy of fourteen is now a young gentleman of twenty years. Having made his lawful run, and having the permission of the professors to graduate, he must bite a sour apple and get examined. This

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examen maturitatis" is somewhat more difficult and more important than the usual semi-annual or annual examinations, for it will declare him prepared for independent and professional studies, and also decide on the degree of his maturity ("imprimis," " omnis," "satis," dignus). Commonly one or two delegates of the country are present to preside, sometimes to examine themselves (in Berlin, Hegel examined the "Arbiturienten" in philosophy). Still, if the student has entered upon that last part of the examination, he may be certain of success, since those who have not satisfied by their compositions written previously, are commonly by a friendly hint prevented from exposing themselves to a useless display. To each composition one day is allowed. Sometimes students of other gymnasia come to be examined, in order to get their certificates or diplomas from a college of their State, after they have been educated in another State. Such have a harder work to get through, unless they are prepared like that student, who, being asked what authors he had read particularly, confidently answered, "I have read them all." Of course, he was about to study philology, and thus we hope, he read the remainder afterwards. With some allowance, we hope there are some like him. All however have laid a good foundation for any kind of scholarship, are likely to read with ease the New Testament (such as are to be theologians are taught the Hebrew in Prima), the Corpus Juris and Celsus, can understand a Latin lecture or oration, and retain so much during their professional life in the university, as to be able generally to speak Latin after three years, in the theological, juridical or medical examinations.

Alexander Humboldt in his "Kosmos," calls it a judicious remark, "that we in spite of the great telescopes know more about the interior than about the exterior of the stars." Not half so judicious, we know, nor likely to meet with much acknowledgment, will be our remark, that in many respects the same seems to be the case here with the star of German philology. All know its light, weight and productivity, but few know its physical condition and growth. We shall be happy if we have succeeded in acquainting a larger number with the organization of the German colleges or gymnasia.

The classical education, as common to all scholars, is here closed. But for those who intend devoting their lives to classical learning and teaching, the philological training continues in the universities. These professional institutions, especially with regard to philology, will be described in another article.

Table of Lessons in the Blochmann- Vizthum College (1840) at Dresden.

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By Prof. W. G. T. Shedd, University of Vermont.

THE general and growing interest in the subject of education is one of the most hopeful features of the present age. Throughout the country the popular mind is becoming increasingly awake to the importance of knowledge, and the nation as a body is coming to regard Education as one of the great natural interests. Already is it provided for and protected, as commerce, and manufactures, and agriculture are provided for; and the number is already large who clearly see and feel that it is of more importance and exerts a far greater influence upon the perpetuity of the Republic than any or all of the economical interests united.

There is, however, one characteristic attending this general interest upon the subject of Education which cannot but strike the eye of a thoughtful observer. It is a characteristic which, as history shows, invariably attends the movement of the popular mind in proportion as it becomes more extensive and far-reaching, and one that is deleterious in its influence if it does not find its counterpart and corrective.

We refer to the tendency to popularize knowledge in an excessive and injurious degree. By this is not meant the disposition to diffuse knowledge among the greatest number possible, but the disposition to render all knowledge superficial and in this form to diffuse it through society. If we mistake not, there are signs of a disposition to destroy the distinction between popular and scientific knowledge, and while en

gaged in the laudable effort to spread information as widely as possible among all classes, to do it at the expense of that profound and scientific culture which must exist somewhere, in some portion of the community at least, in order to the perpetuity and vitality of even the common information of society.

There is no surer way of correcting this and kindred errors, than by establishing and diffusing profound and comprehensive views respecting the whole subject and the subject as a whole. It is a defective view of knowledge as a whole, an incomplete view of the system of education which lies at the bottom of the error in question. It is forgotten that the body of knowledge which is sought to be diffused is an organization with central and superficial parts, and that the complete system of instruction which proposes to impart this knowledge is an organized system, of which no better definition can be given than that all its parts are vitally connected and are reciprocally means and ends. Popular knowledge therefore cannot be diffused separated from scientific knowledge, and this latter again requires to pass through the tests of popu larization in order that it may be proved to have a real and not imaginary existence, in order that it may be seen to be one with truth and absolute existence, and not the mere figment of the brain.

It will be our object in this article to distinctly mark the difference between scientific and popular knowledge, and to show the necessity and worth of those institutions whose office it is to impart scientific in distinction from popular education.

Knowledge traced to its ultimate is in the form of fundamental truths. These fundamental truths or first principles as applied to particular cases or run out to meet the ordinary wants of mankind lose their scientific and profound appearance, become popular in their character, useful in their results and go to constitute the common every-day knowledge of society. The gold originally in the form of heavy bullion has become, comparatively, light coin and a useful circulating medium.

There is, for example, an amount of information diffused through society which is sufficient for the practical purposes of commerce, manufactures and agriculture, and by virtue of the common intelligence in these departments the ship sails swiftly, the machine works well, and the earth brings forth abundantly. But it is not expected, and under the present arrangements of society perhaps it is not rational to expect, that all who work in these spheres should possess a thorough knowledge of those principles of natural science — those first truths of astronomy, and chemistry, and mechanics, and mathematics which lie under all this action of man and yet this body of principles, the science which is VOL. VII. No. 25.

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