"2dly. At Oxford the infancy of science is still mistaken for its maturity, because the Logic of Ariftotle is ftill taught. Yet the principal exception to this reproach, the perfon of whom Oxford has an undoubted right to boast as an illuftrious mathematician, as one "whofe writings inftructed, and will for ever inftruct, the fcientific world," is one, who not only carefully studied the Logic of Ariftotle, [Wallis] and thus miftook the infancy for the maturity of fcience; but who is famous for having recommended and written a treatife of that Logic, more copious and minute than the Compendium now ufually employed.

3dly. An important change has of late years taken place in the ftudies of the Univerfity, and therefore it is perfectly just to say, that they fill remain the fame.

"4thly. The properties of Conic Sections, and of the higher curves, together with the doctrine of Fluxions, and Newton's Principia, are regularly taught, and therefore it is perfectly just to fay, that the student has no means of advancing beyond the mere elements of Geometry.

"5thly. A writer, who combats this affertion, really confirms it; because, when he fays these things are taught, he places certain parts of mathematical fcience beyond the Elements, which M. D'Alembert and Profeffor Playfair have directed him to arrange in that manner.

Such, I conceive, to be a tolerable fummary of the argument which this learned adverfary of Oxford maintains. Now although it is quite immaterial to that argument how long ago the prefent fyftem of studies was introduced, fince he acknow. ledges himself that he knew it was introduced, but fays, p. 165, he was filent about it because it did not concern his reasoning, yet in answer to his queftion, which is put with fuch a tone of confi. dence, I will tell him, that I know the subjects have been uni. formly taught here for twenty years paft, and, I believe, for more than double that period, which he affirms are not taught here; and that during the laft ten years they have not only been taught, but have been made the fubject matter of examinations for degrees." P. 46.

The objects of the fecond affailant were to make the University of Oxford answerable, as a body, for the works iffued from its prefs; and to decry Mr. Falconer's Strabo, both as to the Latinity of the Editor, and the correctness of the edition. The former of thefe attempts is effectually repelled by the following clear and judicious statement.

"The Clarendon Prefs has been liberally endowed, and the management of its concerns is entrusted by the Univerfity to a board of Eleven Members, called Delegates of the Prefs, who derive no emolument from their office. They have the entire

difpofal

difpofal of its funds: they direct what books fhall be printed; and to what extent the Authors or the Editors fhall be favoured with their aid. A conftant and regular fupply iffues from this prefs of Bibles, Common Prayer Books, and reprinted editions of the moft ufeful works. Perfons who project improved editions often fubmit their propofals to the Board, which are always attentively confidered, and encouraged in proportion to the opinion entertained of the competency of the perfon, and the general merits of his plan. If the plan be adopted, the money for carrying it on is fupplied, and the whole risk is thrown upon the public fund. It is alfo common for undertakings of this kind to originate with the Delegates themfelves; and in that cafe individuals are fought out, who are thought well qualified for conducting them, and who have given, either in public or private, fome proof of their fitness.

"In none of thefe proceedinge do the Delegates take on them that kind of refponfibility which belongs to the Editor of a work, except as far as the printing is concerned. For the general plan, and the general competency of the perfon employed, they are refponfible, but not for the detail of the execution. Miftakes both in matter and in language may be made, for which an Editor may be blamed but the difgrace attached to these mistakes.cannot in any fairness be imputed to the Delegates; efpecially if the work contain valuable materials procured by their means, and openly communicated to the world." P. 31.

The objections to Mr. Falconer's Latinity are answered in part by acute grammatical difcuffions and distinctions, with many claffical examples, from a careful perufal of which the Latin scholar may derive much inftruction; and it is diftinctly fhown that the Reviewer did not understand the principles of that language, and is often guilty of barbarifms, in his attempts to correct the ftyle of Mr. Falconer. By way of giving more weight to the invidious reflections against Oxford, Mr. Falconer was reprefented in the Edinburgh Review, as "a diftinguished graduate, felected from the whole body, at an advanced period of life;" and Mr. Tyrwhitt, (the only Oxford Editor who was praifed) was ftated to be an auxiliary volunteer, refiding in the metropolis, engaged in bufinefs," and having no title or degree added to his name. To thefe allegations the plain anfwers are, 1. That Mr. Falconer never was a graduate, that he was not even a member of the University when he undertook the work ;-that he was not then at an advanced period of lifeand was neither felected from the whole body (to which he did not belong) nor indeed selected at all, It is alfo fhown that

the

the objections against the edition of Strabo in question are pofitively falfe *.

2. With respect to Mr. Tyrwhitt, it is answered, that he was not only regularly educated at Oxford, but had taken two degrees there, and had been for feven years a fellow of Merton College: that he quitted all public employment from the year 1768, and paffed the remainder of his life in critical and literary ftudies. But that his Poetics, the work particularly praifed, was a pofthumous publication, produced from unfinished notes. When the reader is informed that these extraordinary miftakes and mifreprefentations are attempted to be defended by the Reviewer, he may eafily conceive what kind of difputant he is.

The third affailant, who rails against the manner in which the learned languages are ftudied at Oxford, is answered, as far as his reflections appeared to deferve reply, in a clear and fatisfactory manner. But firft, with refpect to the utility of claffical learning, a point much urged by fome oppofers of it, after fome more general reflections, the following fatisfactory 'conclufion is made.

"In the cultivation of literature is found that common link, which, among the higher and middling departments of life, unites the jarring fects and fubdivifions in one intereft, which fupplies common topics, and kindles common feelings, unmixed with those narrow prejudices with which all profeffions are more or less in. fected. The knowledge too, which is thus acquired, expands and enlarges the mind, excites its faculties, and calls thofe limbs and muscles into freer exercife, which, by too conftant use in one direction, not only acquire an illiberal air, but are apt also to lose fomewhat of their native play and energy. And thus, without directly qualifying a man for any of the employments of life, it enriches and ennobles all. Without teaching him the peculiar bufinefs of any one office or calling, it enables him to act his part in each of them with better grace and more elevated carriage; and, if happily planned and conducted, is a main ingredient in that complete and generous education, which fits a man to per form juftly, skilfully, and magnanimously, all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war." P. 111.

The particular objections of the Reviewer are then reduced to four charges.

* Partly from the statement of Mr. Falconer, nephew to the Editor, published in the Gentleman's Magazine, Sept. 1809.

A a

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXVII. APRIL, 1811.

"Ift. That claffical learning forms the fole business of English education.

"2dly. That hence the taste and imagination only of the Atudent are cultivated.

"3dly. That the inftruction of our public fchools and univer. fities, even in claffical literature, is of a limited and mistaken kind.

4thly. That in Oxford particularly, every manly exercife of the reafoning powers is difcouraged." P. 116.

The firft charge, fays the Reply, befides being fpun and twifted into the materials of every page, is alfo diftinctly laid before us in the following terms.

"A young Englishman goes to fchool at fix or feven

:

old and he remains in a courfe of education till twenty-three s twenty-four years of age. In all that time, his fole and exclu five occupation is learning Latin and Greek."

66

This charge of learning Latin and Greek, thus ftated, as if nothing but the languages themselves was to be learned, from the great authors whofe works are written in one or the other of them, is treated with juft ridicule and contempt: as if, fays the Reply, the ftudy of Bacon, of Locke, of Milton, of Addifon, and all our greatest moralifts, hiftorians, and poets," were to be called learning English. The fecond charge, it is truly anfwered, can mean nothing, unless the poets alone were ftudied. In the answer to the third charge, the grofs ignorance, as well as the injuftice of the accufer is ably difplayed. To the fourth objection, a fhort and general anfwer is firft given; but it is more fully repelled in the fourth chapter of the Reply, where a diftinct view is given of the plan of ftudies and examinations purfued at Oxford, The whole of this part we fhould be glad to infert, but are prevented by its length; we fhall, therefore give only the horter refutation, which ftands in the third chapter.

"The best answer to this will be given in the account of our Audies; and fomething, I truft, has been already faid in refutation of it, when the falfe eftimate made of the nature of claffical learning was expofed. The student undergoes a clofe examination in the fubject matter of all he reads, and fome of the works moft read are no light exercife of the understanding. Strict Logic, Divinity, and Mathematical theorems, whether pure or mixed, cannot fail to difcipline the reasoning powers; and these form a part of the ftudies in every College. There are lectures read in Experimental Philofophy, in Aftronomy, in Chemistry, in Mineralogy, and in Botany: how far thefe purfuits, exercise the ftudent's mind, can only be collected from the general tendency

of

T

of fuch ftudies. They do not enter (except the two first, and thefe at the option of the candidate) into the examination for degrees; and as they are taught not by tutors, but by public profeffors, it cannot well be afcertained what impreffion they make on each individual." P. 131.

We have now noticed the chief points of this difpute, as far as the limited extent of our publication will admit, we fhall conclude by inferting the fpirited vindication of himself which the author of the Three Replies has given, in answer to the charge of incivility and rancour.

"To the world at large it is at least a novel fpectacle to fee an Edinburgh Reviewer appear as plaintiff in a cause of this nature. Long have we been accustomed to the complaints of men, whose feelings have been wounded by the wanton feverity of that pub. lication, whofe literary pretenfions have been treated with the moft contemptuous ridicule, whofe names have been ftudiously connected with every phrafe expreffive of fcorn, whofe veracity has been impeached without fcruple, and who have been fingled out and expofed, with malicious pleasure, as the object of indecent and fcurrilous buffoonery. It cannot therefore be expected that much fympathy will be awakened by this appeal, in the breafts of thofe to whom the ordinary tone and temper of that Review is already known. Some people indeed may derive a little fatisfaction from perceiving that this cruelty on their part did not proceed from utter apathy; and a hope may arife, that, as their fenfibility has been awakened to their own fufferings, a little re. gard may hereafter be fhewn, if not from a fenfe of pity, yet from a motive of prudence, to thofe of others.

Since, however, the writer of this article has judged it expedient to mitigate the ftrain of invective which difgraced his former pages, there will not be much occafion for reverting to that topic now; and I fhall confine myself chiefly to the confideration of thofe points, which he very juftly confiders as affecting, "his veracity and his knowledge." A fteady and careful examination of the feveral points in queftion is indeed neceffary, before any judgment can be fafely pronounced; and if I am favoured with this during the philological minutia which it is impoffible to on it, I have no doubt of being able to prove demonftratively, that his claim to thefe attributes is fmall indeed.

"But though I wish to give him all fair play, there is one screen, from the benefit of which I truft he will be deprived in the outfet of the bufinefs. To impeach the veracity of another in private life is thought to be an infraction on the rules of fociety. But why is it fo confidered? Is it not becaufe, if the accufed party be guilty, he is unworthy of a place in that fociety? And the A a 2 peace