etain it. If that be so, we would
start every boy on Latin as his first foreign language. Those who
showed little ability would abandon it at about the time they began
French.

In the case of boys with some real linguistic ability, we are happy to
find ourselves thoroughly conservative. We believe firmly in the grand
old fortifying classical curriculum, provided it is understood that the
languages themselves are but means to an end, to the understanding of
the classical civilisation. In fine, the goal of classics should be
to-day, as it was for the Renaissance scholars, ultimately political.
The classical student who, at the time when his schooling ends, is
still doing no more than "settling Hoti's business" and "properly
basing Oun," is in the position of Browning's "Grammarian," with this
vital difference that he probably does not intend to employ his future
life in building any superstructure upon the foundations thus
laboriously laid.

In mathematics there is probably a deeper cleavage than in any other
subject between the real thing, as mathematicians understand it, and
the elementary knowledge within the reach of all. "The real thing" is
perhaps the most remote and specialised of all branches of learning.
For a few it is the best, indeed, the only natural, line of
development; but these are few and easily recognised, and even they
should not be allowed to specialise too narrowly--that is a point which
no one who is not a mathematician will dispute. At the other end of
the scale comes the third of the three R's; and about that again there
is no controversy, except as to the best methods of teaching it.[2]
Yet the schools do not recognise sufficiently clearly this line of
cleavage, and many boys who are presumed to have reached the end of the
elementary stage remain for some time battering in vain at the doors of
the inner temple. These should go back once over the elements again to
see if they know them, and then give it up for good. This will mean a
cheerful exodus from the upper-middle mathematical divisions. We
confess to sympathy with the conservative-radical head master who said,
"I shall not advocate the abolition of compulsory Greek in University
examinations until I can get people to agree to the abolition of
compulsory Algebra."

There is perhaps a middle term between elementary and "real"
mathematics; that is the mathematics that is the handmaid of physics,
and leads us on to the natural scie