s, sciences, and arts. While the chief purpose of the
_Gymnasium_ is to prepare for the learned professions, that of the
_Real-school_ is to prepare for practical life. The relation of these
two institutions to each other and to the university led to the _Berlin
Conference_ in 1890, at which it clearly appeared that the younger is
outstripping the older and more conservative institution. See Russell,
"German Higher Schools."

CHAPTER XXXV

GENERAL VIEW OF THE EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES

=Literature.=--_Dyer_, Modern Europe; _Duruy_, The French Revolution;
_Yonge_, Three Centuries of Modern History; _Andrews_, Institutes of
General History; _Lord_, Beacon Lights; _Taylor_, History of Germany;
_Guizot_, History of Civilization; _Draper_, Conflict between Religion
and Science; _Schwickerath_, Jesuit Education.

The history of the world since the seventeenth century has been crowded
with events, and characterized by movements of greatest moment to
mankind. It is not the purpose of this work to discuss political
movements, to chronicle wars, or to study the great upheavals of society
except in so far as they have a direct bearing upon educational
questions.[121]

The political chains that fettered the nations of the world have
gradually been broken until greater liberty has been secured, a more
perfect acknowledgment of the rights of the individual brought about,
and a more tolerant religious spirit fostered in every civilized land.
These things have exerted a tremendous force in the intellectual
emancipation of man. At last the long struggle of the centuries begins
to bear legitimate fruit, and the supreme educational purpose of
Christianity, that of asserting and maintaining the importance of the
individual, seems destined to complete realization. The noble truths of
brotherly love, equality before God, and human rights were obscured
during the long centuries,--obscured sometimes by the very institution
whose chief aim is to scatter light and give gladness to men. It has
remained for modern education to rediscover the educational principles
which the Great Teacher promulgated, and which through the struggle of
centuries failed of recognition, and bore indifferent fruit.

Among the many social and political changes that have taken place during
the last two centuries, we may mention a few that have a direct
influence upon education. Preceding centuries had prepared the way,--had
broken the ground and