THE ENGLISH QUESTION AGAIN.

"TO a Greek or Roman the place which English occupies in our education would seem absurdly small. There never was so fine a literature as ours, and never was a literature so neglected by those who possessed it. There are many college-bred men who have mastered Latin poetry and Greek plays, for whom Shakspeare continues to be Greek, and Milton but a stumbling-block.

The writer heads the present article with these words, taken from an able article in the Advocate of May 27, because they admirably suggest certain thoughts of his own, and certain comparisons not at all to the advantage of the English Department of Harvard College. He may be pardoned for repeating a sentence or two from a former article of his own in Vol. XV. of the Crimson : "If the Freshman year must consist of required studies, let Rhetoric be transferred from the Sophomore year, and let there be, in addition, some good elementary course in English Literature; give too, if you like, the writing of Themes to Freshmen.... In advocating a substitution of English for Mathematics and Classics in the Freshman year, we do not deny that by far the best method is complete freedom of choice, not only for three years, but for four.... I have not intended to find fault with the Faculty as the cause of these evils. We cannot expect the present small corps of English instructors to do further duty."

These words are as true now as they were a year since. No change for the better has been made. We still have less English than either Greek or Latin or German. And the Sophomore required work is hardly a compensation for the mathematical and classical Freshman work. But not content with one injustice, it is now, as the writer understands, proposed to add another : the Faculty are discussing the advisability of doing away entirely with required Rhetoric and Themes. If it were at the same time proposed to abandon required work altogether, there would be room for warm approval; otherwise, English is the last thing to be abandoned, especially while Classics and Mathematics employ nearly three-fourths of the Freshman year. It is this and other similar moves that have led many people to suppose that there exists among some members of the Faculty a disregard of all departments but their own, and in particular a hostility to the English Department, which is not creditable to the reputed liberality of their ideas as to college instruction and government.

Even at the risk of repetition, let us see what the facts in the case are. "Honors in Modern Languages are based mainly on French and German. Honorable Mention is a meagre reward for faithful work in seven English courses." If Graduate Courses a and b (under Modern Languages) could be added to the present list as requisites for Final Honors in English, - a thing at present unknown, - these, together with six hours of English 2, and possibly another hour of English 7, would amply deserve such Final Honors - something more, at least, than Honorable Mention, which is all a student of English can hope for under the present system.

Now what excuse is there for retrogression? Progress was anticipated, and has failed to be noted. And now the required work is to be thrown aside (for an attempt to do so is making) without a particle of sound reason for it. When Latin and Greek and Mathematics are ready to quit their claims to the position of required studies, then will it be time for English to withdraw, and not till then; then will it be right, and not till then. The time, indeed, has come for a decisive policy. Half-way measures have been tried and have failed. Therefore the writer thinks that those who have the best interests of our College at heart, who see clearly that it cannot suffer in one department without suffering in all, should use every legitimate effort to maintain English as a required study. Surely nothing is more important than that one understands as thoroughly as maybe his own language; and when the gross ignorance of English even among college-bred men is considered, it becomes a matter of grave moment that Harvard, foremost in so many things, should not be backward in undertaking a change for the better in this direction.