It fluently, but if not, through the reading of authors. As

little of grammar as possible, no memoriter exercises, no

Latin composition, either in prose or verse, but, as soon

as possible, the reading of eas}- Latin texts, — these are the

recommendations of Locke that have been too little heeded.

The purpose is no longer to learn Latin for the sake of

writing it elegantly ; the only purpose truly desirable is to

comprehend the authors who have written in that language.

The obstinate partisans of Latin verse and conversation will

not read without chagrin these earnest protests of Locke

against exercises that have been too much abused, and that

impose on the learner the torment of writing in a language

which he handles with difficulty, upon subjects which he but

imperfectly understands. As to Greek, Locke proscribes it

absolutely. lie does not disparage the beauty of a language

whose masterpieces, he says, are the original source of our

literature and science ; but he reserves the knowledge of it

to the learned, to the lettered, to professional scholars, and

he excludes it from secondary instruction, which ought to be

but the school which trains for active life. Thus relieved,

classical instruction will more easily welcome the studies that

are of real use and of practical application, — geo graphy ,

which Locke places in the first rank, because ii i- " an exercise

of the eyes and memory " ; arithmet ic, which "is of so general

use in all parts of life and business, that scarce anything can

be done without it"; then what he somewhat ambitiously

calls astronomy, and which is in reality an elementary cos-

mography ; the parts of geometry which are necessary for

206 THE HISTORY OF PEDAGOGY.

" a man of business" ; chronology and history, " the most

ao-reeable and the most instructive of studies " ; ethics and

common law, which do not yet have a place in French pro-

grammes ; finally, natural philosophy, that is, the physical

sciences ; and, to crown all, a manual trade and book-

keeping.

218. Attractive Studies. — Another characteristic of

Locke's intellectual discipline is, that, utilitarian in its pur-

pose, the instruction which he organizes shall be attractive

in its methods. After hatred for the pedantry which use-

lessly spends the powers of the learner in barren studies, the

next strongest antipathy of Locke is that which is inspired

by the rigor of a too didactic system of instruction, where

the methods are repulsive, the processes painful, and where

the teacher appears to his pupils only as a bugbear and a

marplot.

Although he may go to extremes in this, he is partly right

in wishing to bring into favor processes that are inviting and

methods that are attractive. Without hoping, as he does,

without desiring even, that the pupil may come to make no

distinction between study and other diversions, we are dis-

posed to believe that something may be done to alleviate for

him the first difficulties in learning, to entice and captivate

him without constraining him, and, finally, to spare him the

disgust which cannot fail to be inspired by studies too

severely forced upon him, and which are made the subject

of scourges and scoldings. It is especially for reading and

the first exercises of the child that Locke recommends the

use of instructive plays. "They may be taught to read,

without perceiving it to be anything but a sport, and play