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the bea utitul dyes of Roman and Gree iar
| zoos. It scholars, therefore, do not writ,
our language with ease or purity, or ele
gance. the cause must lie somewhat deeper
than a ct,njectural ignorance of It's true
dictiou.


But am prepared to yield still more to
the force ofthe objection. do not deny
that d language may be bHilt up without the
aid ofaany foreign materials. and be at once
flexible for speech aud graceful for compost
tion. That the literature of nation may
be splendid and instructive. full of interest
and be auty in thought and diction. which
has nc, kindred with classical learning; that
in the vast stream oftime it may run Its own
current, unstained by the admixture of sur
rouno'ing> languages; that t may realize the
ancient fable Doris amara suam non inter
misce at undam;" that it may retain its own
favour, and bitter saltness TOO. But L do
DENY that such national literature does in
fact xist In modern Europe. in that commu-
nifty of nations, of which we form part, and
to whose fortunes and pursuits in literature
and rts we are bound by all our habits, and
feeIin gs, and interests. There is not SIN
ole nation from the North to the South of
Europe, from the bleak shores of the Baltic
to the bright plains of immortal Italy, whose
literature is not embodied in the very ele
ments of classical learning. The literature
of Eng land is, in an emphatic sense, the
production of her scholars; of men who
have cultivated letters in her universities,
and colleges, and grammar schools; of men,
who thought any life too short. chiefly, be-
cause il left some relic of antiquity unmas'
tered, and any other fame humble. because


il faded in the presence of Roman and Gre
elan genius He who studies English lite
rature without the lights of classical learn
ing. loses halfthe charm ofi;s sentiments and
style, OF its force and feelings of its delicate
touches ofits delig htful allusions. of its illus
trative associations Who, that reads the
poetry of GRAY, does not feel that it is the re-
finelRent of classical taste which gives such
inexpressible vividness and transparency to
his diction2 Who that reads the concentra-
ted sense and melodious versi6catlon al
Dryden and Pope. does not perceive IN them
the disciples ofthe old school. whose genius
was inflimed by the heroic verse, the terse
satire. and the playful wit of antlqulty2
Who, that meditates over the strains OF Mil
ton. does not feel that he drank deep


At "Silou's brook, that dow'd


Fast by the oracle of fGodi'---


that the fires from his magnificent mind
were lighted BY Goals from ancient altarsl


Il is no exaggeration to declare, that he'
who proposes to abolish classical studies,
nroposes to render, In great measure inert
and modifying the mass of English iitera,
,ure for three centuries; to rob US of much oil
the glory of the past. and mach OF the ~
struction Of future ages; TO blind US to excel
Iencies, which few may hope to equal ana
none to surpasS to annihiaIe associations
,,hicb arc interyoyen with our best sentl-
nents. aud give to distant times and couh'
tries presence and reality, as If they were
I IN fact our own.