© This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text
The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital
library, Documenting the American South.
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
The frequency and ability, with which you have been addressed from this chair, on the various topicks which relate to your mental culture and moral improvement, leave to the present incumbent, but the gleanings of the rich harvests of those who have preceded him. And As it is difficult to select a theme which will interest you by its novelty, he trusts that the present moments will not be lost, while your attention is directed to a subject, tho, not new is however not the less important.
The subject offered to your consideration, is, a particular attention to classical litterature.
The young, owing to their inexperience and want of that practical knowledge which they in after life acquire, are incapable of properly appreciating those improvements to be derived from this source; and are apt to inquire, what advantages will result to them from an acquaintance with those languages which on account of their seeming little practical use to mankind, are termed "the dead languages." By a consideration of this kind the young pupil is frequently hurried to the unjust conclusion, that all classical litterature is useless and calculated to waste in a criminal manner both his time and exertions, and instead of laying hold of it as the means by which he is to facilitate his ascent along the rugged steep of the hill of science, is but too apt to consider it as an obstacle thrown in his way only to impede his progress; and sometimes even to wish that it were entirely discarded form our seminaries of learning.
To a person obtaining a liberal education and who wishes to distinguish himself in the particular
part he may act on the on the stage of life, whether in the capacity of a politician, the polite
scholar, or in any of the different professional departments, it is of paramount importance, that he
acquire an intimate and accurate knowledge of antiquity. The happiest means to put him in possession
of this knowledge is a close and careful perusal of the Latin and Greek authors. It is true that
many of the ancient writers have been translated into the English language and may afford to the
reader, sources of much valuable information; yet so intimate is the connexion between thought and
the language in which it is expressed, that the English schollar could in this way form but an
imperfect view of the manners, customs, and modes of thoughts in ancient times. It is the profound
Greek and Latin scholar who can at pleasure transport himself into
Another advantage arising from this source is the facilities which it affords us in the acquisition
of the foreign living languages. Their introduction into so many of the different Colleges of the
Union and in many places, into private schools within the last few years, satisfactorily shew the
increasing desire of the American youth to make themselves acquainted with them; and it would be
needless here to press arguments in favour of the advantages which a knowledge of them affords to
the professional man and private gentleman. We become every day more sensible of their importance.
The rapid advancement of our republic in population, wealth, & litterature, which entitle
her to so enviable a rank among the nations of the earth, the enlargement of her commercial sphere,
that link which connects all civilized nations together, and the frequent intercourse which our
citizens have with foreign kingdoms urge but too forcibly their utility. It is the man who has
enriched his mind with the spoils of ancient litterature and embellished it with a familliar
acquaintance with the modern that feels himself at home in a foreign land. No two nations think
precisely in the same way, much less those which speak different languages. This we see verified in
the different shades of meaning which our own and the mother country attach to the same word. Hence
we see that words in passing from one nation to another
The improvement of our taste is an advantage by no means of minor importance.
These remarks, fellow members, have been made, not so much for the purpose of setting fully before you the importance of the classicks, as of calling your attention to them.
I cannot conclude however, without offering you a few remarks on the duties that devolve on each
one of you as a member of this litterary compact. It is an association which we have formed for our
improvement and in whose honor or disgrace we must all partake. The estimate which we place upon a
piece of metal or matter of any kind, depends wholly upon the value of each separate particle with
which it is composed; so the estimation in which this society is held and its future prosperity,
depends very much on the character of each individual member. The duties of this house, altho, they
they have long since ceased to interest you, with their novelty, in consequence of your familliarity
with them, are not, on that account to be esteemed of less importance. It is by a faithful
performance of them that you will acquire the capacity of arrainging your