vi PREFACE BY LORD RAYLEIGH

To save these from intellectual stagnation during
several important years of their lives is something
gained ; but the thorough-going advocates of scientific
 education aim at much more. To them it
appears strange, and almost monstrous, that the
dead languages should hold the place they do in
general education; and it can hardly be denied
that their supremacy is the result of routine rather
than of argument. I do not, myself, take up the
extreme position. I doubt whether an exclusively
scientific training would be satisfactory ; and where
there is plenty of time and a literary aptitude I can
believe that Latin and Greek may make a good
foundation. But it is useless to discuss the question
upon the supposition that the majority of boys attain
either to a knowledge of the languages or to an
appreciation of the writings of the ancient authors.
The contrary is notoriously the truth ; and the defenders
 of the existing system usually take their
stand upon the excellence of its discipline. From
this point of view there is something to be said.
The laziest boy must exert himself a little in puzzling
out a sentence with grammar and dictionary, while
instruction and supervision are easy to organize and
not too costly. But when the case is stated plainly,
few will agree that we can afford so entirely to disregard
 results. In after life the intellectual energies
are usually engrossed with business, and no further
opportunity is found for attacking the difficulties
which block the gateways of knowledge. Mathematics,
 especially, if not learned young, are likely
to remain unlearned. [I will not further insist upon
the educational importance of mathematics and