civilisation which began in
Palestine and Greece.

VI

I would press the point more rudely upon you, and more
particularly, than does Newman. And first, for Latin--

I waive that Rome occupied and dominated this island during 400
years. Let that be as though it had never been. For a further
1000 years and more Latin remained the common speech of educated
men throughout Europe: the 'Universal Language.' Greek had been
smothered by the Turk. Through all that time--through the most of
what we call Modern History, Latin reigned everywhere. Is this a
fact to be ignored by any of you who would value 'values'?

Here are a few particulars, by way of illustration. More wrote
his "Utopia," Bacon wrote all the bulk of his philosophical work,
in Latin; Newton wrote his "Principia" in Latin. Keble's Lectures
on Poetry (if their worth and the name of Keble may together save
me from bathos) were delivered in Latin. Our Vice-Chancellor, our
Public Orator still talk Latin, securing for it what attention
they can: nor have

The bigots of this iron time
_Yet_ call'd their harmless art a crime.

But there is a better reason why you should endeavour to
understand the value of Latin in our literature; a filial reason.
Our fathers built their great English prose, as they built their
oratory, upon the Latin model. Donne used it to construct his
mighty fugues: Burke to discipline his luxuriance. Says Cowper,
it were

Praise enough for any private man,
That Chatham's language was his mother tongue,
And Wolfe's great name compatriot with his own.

Well then, here is a specimen of Chatham's language: from his
speech, Romanly severe, denouncing the Government of the day for
employing Red Indians in the American War of Independence. He is
addressing the House of Lords:

I call upon that right reverend bench, those holy ministers
of the Gospel, and pious pastors of our Church--I conjure
them to join in the holy work, and vindicate the religion of
their God. I appeal to the wisdom and the law of this learned
bench to defend and support the justice of their country. I
call upon the bishops to interpose the unsullied sanctity of
their lawn; upon the learned judges to interpose the purity of
their ermine, to save us from this pollution. I call upon the
honour of your lordships to reverence the dignity of your
ancestors, and to maintain your own. I call upon the spirit
and humanity of my coun