subject of the book. He had no sense of the beauties of an author, and
very little light is thrown by him on real difficulties. He interprets
past ages by his own. The greatest classical writers are the least
appreciated by him. This seems to be the reason why so many of them have
perished, why the lyric poets have almost wholly disappeared; why, out
of the eighty or ninety tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles, only seven
of each had been preserved.

Such an age of sciolism and scholasticism may possibly once more get
the better of the literary world. There are those who prophesy that the
signs of such a day are again appearing among us, and that at the end
of the present century no writer of the first class will be still alive.
They think that the Muse of Literature may transfer herself to other
countries less dried up or worn out than our own. They seem to see the
withering effect of criticism on original genius. No one can doubt that
such a decay or decline of literature and of art seriously affects
the manners and character of a nation. It takes away half the joys and
refinements of life; it increases its dulness and grossness. Hence it
becomes a matter of great interest to consider how, if at all, such a
degeneracy may be averted. Is there any elixir which can restore life
and youth to the literature of a nation, or at any rate which can
prevent it becoming unmanned and enfeebled?

First there is the progress of education. It is possible, and even
probable, that the extension of the means of knowledge over a wider
area and to persons living under new conditions may lead to many new
combinations of thought and language. But, as yet, experience does
not favour the realization of such a hope or promise. It may be truly
answered that at present the training of teachers and the methods of
education are very imperfect, and therefore that we cannot judge of the
future by the present. When more of our youth are trained in the best
literatures, and in the best parts of them, their minds may be expected
to have a larger growth. They will have more interests, more thoughts,
more material for conversation; they will have a higher standard and
begin to think for themselves. The number of persons who will have the
opportunity of receiving the highest education through the cheap press,
and by the help of high schools and colleges, may increase tenfold. It
is likely that in every thousand persons there is at least one who is
fa