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orchard bough； the goats clambering from crag to crag after the cistus and the thyme； the brown youths and wanton lasses singing under the dark chestnut boughs； or by the leafy arch of some
Grot nymph…haunted； Garlanded over with vine； and acanthus； and clambering roses； Cool in the fierce still noon； where the streams glance clear in the moss…beds；
and here and there； beyond the braes and meads； blue glimpses of the far…off summer sea； and all this told in a language and a metre which shapes itself almost unconsciously； wave after wave； into the most luscious song。 Doubt not that many a soul then； was the simpler； and purer； and better； for reading the sweet singer of Syracuse。 He has his immoralities； but they are the immoralities of his age： his naturalness； his sunny calm and cheerfulness； are all his own。
And now； to leave the poets； and speak of those grammarians to whose corrections we owe； I suppose； the texts of the Greek poets as they now stand。 They seem to have set to work at their task methodically enough； under the direction of their most literary monarch； Ptolemy Philadelphus。 Alexander the AEtolian collected and revised the tragedies； Lycophron the comedies； Zenodotus the poems of Homer； and the other poets of the Epic cycle； now lost to us。 Whether Homer prospered under all his expungings； alterations； and transpositionswhether； in fact； he did not treat Homer very much as Bentley wanted to treat Milton； is a suspicion which one has a right to entertain； though it is long past the possibility of proof。 Let that be as it may； the critical business grew and prospered。 Aristophanes of Byzantium wrote glossaries and grammars； collected editions of Plato and Aristotle； aesthetic disquisitions on Homerone wishes they were preserved； for the sake of the jest； that one might have seen an Alexandrian cockney's views of Achilles and Ulysses！ Moreover； in a hapless moment； at least for us moderns； he invented Greek accents； thereby； I fear； so complicating and confusing our notions of Greek rhythm； that we shall never； to the end of time； be able to guess what any Greek verse； saving the old Homeric Hexameter； sounded like。 After a while； too； the pedants； according to their wont； began quarrelling about their accents and their recessions。 Moreover； there was a rival school at Pergamus where the fame of Crates all but equalled the Egyptian fame of Aristarchus。 Insolent！ What right had an Asiatic to know anything？ So Aristarchus flew furiously on Crates； being a man of plain common sense； who felt a correct reading a far more important thing than any of Crates's illustrations； aesthetic； historical； or mythological； a preference not yet quite extinct； in one； at least； of our Universities。 〃Sir；〃 said a clever Cambridge Tutor to a philosophically inclined freshman； 〃remember； that our business is to translate Plato correctly； not to discover his meaning。〃 And； paradoxical as it may seem； he was right。 Let us first have accuracy； the merest mechanical accuracy； in every branch of knowledge。 Let us know what the thing is which we are looking at。 Let us know the exact words an author uses。 Let us get at the exact value of each word by that severe induction of which Buttmann and the great Germans have set such noble examples； and then； and not till then； we may begin to talk about philosophy； and aesthetics； and the rest。 Very Probably Aristarchus was right in his dislike of Crates's preference of what he called criticism； to grammar。 Very probably he connected it with the other object of his especial hatred； that fashion of interpreting Homer allegorically； which was springing up in his time； and which afterwards under the Neoplatonists rose to a frantic height； and helped to destroy in them； not only their power of sound judgment； and of asking each thing patiently what it was； but also any real reverence for； or understanding of； the very authors over whom they declaimed and sentimentalised。
Yesthe Cambridge Tutor was right。 Before you can tell what a man means； you must have patience to find out what he says。 So far from wishing our grammatical and philological education to be less severe than it is； I think it is not severe enough。 In an age like thisan age of lectures； and of popular literature； and of self…culture； too often random and capricious； however earnest； we cannot be too careful in asking ourselves； in compelling others to ask themselves； the meaning of every word which they use； of every word which they read； in assuring them； whether they will believe us or not； that the moral； as well as the intellectual culture； acquired by translating accurately one dialogue of Plato； by making out thoroughly the sense of one chapter of a standard author； is greater than they will get from skimming whole folios of Schlegelian aesthetics； resumes； histories of philosophy； and the like second…hand information； or attending seven lectures a…week till their lives' end。 It is better to know one thing； than to know about ten thousand things。 I cannot help feeling painfully； after reading those most interesting Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli； that the especial danger of this time is intellectual sciolism； vagueness； sentimental eclecticismand feeling； too； as Socrates of old believed； that intellectual vagueness and shallowness； however glib； and grand； and eloquent it may seem； is inevitably the parent of a moral vagueness and shallowness； which may leave our age as it left the later Greeks； without an absolute standard of right or of truth； till it tries to escape from its own scepticism； as the later Neoplatonists did； by plunging desperately into any fetish…worshipping superstition which holds out to its wearied and yet impatient intellect； the bait of decisions already made for it； of objects of admiration already formed and systematised。
Therefore let us honour the grammarian in his place； and； among others； these old grammarians of Alexandria； only being sure that as soon as any man begins； as they did； displaying himself peacock…fashion； boasting of his science as the great pursuit of humanity； and insulting his fellow… craftsmen； he becomes； ipso facto； unable to discover any more truth for us； having put on a habit of mind to which induction is impossible； and is thenceforth to be passed by with a kindly but a pitying smile。 And so； indeed； it happened with these quarrelsome Alexandrian grammarians； as it did with the Casaubons and Scaligers and Daciers of the last two centuries。 As soon as they began quarrelling they lost the power of discovering。 The want of the inductive faculty in their attempts at philology is utterly ludicrous。 Most of their derivations of words are about on a par with Jacob Bohmen's etymology of sulphur； wherein he makes sul； if I recollect right； signify some active principle of combustion； and phur the passive one。 It was left for more patient and less noisy men； like Grimm； Bopp； and Buttmann； to found a science of philology； to discover for us those great laws which connect modern philology with history； ethnology； physiology； and with the very deepest questions of theology itself。 And in the meanwhile； these Alexandrians' worthless critici