dy the
sanscrit, the ancient persic, or the hebrew. But, the plurality of the
american ladies, studying modern languages from foreigners, who know well
the very languages of their own country, the young ladies, I say, do not
lose their time, like the plurality of gentlemen in learning greek, and
latin from native americans, who get the professorship in colleges,
because they have friends in this country. Hence the study of greek, and
latin becomes a necessary thing in the american colleges: nay, it is a
faculty, without which, a student cannot receive his diploma. And the
foreigners, who would be the most useful as professors of modern languages
in colleges, have but a blank name of professors. So, the student, who can
get his diploma without any of the modern languages, study only what he is
compelled to do; and the foreign professors, having neither fee, nor
pupils, stand there to fill up the required number of professors, without
which those colleges could not be called universities.

Out of one hundred american ladies, who learned modern languages from me,
I cannot reckon five gentlemen. I have no doubt that in America there must
be good professors of greek, and latin, as well as among any other nation
in the world; but, a dead language will always be a dead language, even
from the mouth of the best professor; and a Buscheron, the deceased
professor of the latin language in Turin, Italy, was one of those rare
birds which does not appear on this earth, but during one thousand years,
if it does: and when it does, such a bird, I mean such a professor, might
be unable to impart his latin to others. But, no person is perfect here,
below the moon, and the want of literature in the american gentlemen is
counterbalanced by many virtues, for which I have as much sympathy towards
them, as I have towards my countrymen. The mercantile business in which
they are thrown, gives them such an extensive knowledge of the world,
which does supply, in great measure, their deficiency of languages, or of
books. They know what is passing in Europe, Africa, Asia, New Holland, and
South America. They are patient, industrious, brave, and active. I have
seen american gentlemen going to bed wealthy, and on the next morning,
when they found themselves reduced to beggary, sustaining their misfortune
with manly fortitude, noble composure, and getting anew into business with
such cheerfulness, as if nothing had happened to them. Such an eulogy is
th