( 2 ) 4. We shall take the second proposal first, chiefly because the majority of the gentlemen who have honored us with their opinions are more or less in its favor. The objections that have been taken to this proposal may be summarized as follow :- (a) Vernacular literature requires no teaching in Colleges. (b) Vernacular text-books if prescribed in lieu of a portion of the course in Classics will have the effect of discouraging the study of the Classics and if prescribed in addition to those in the Classical languages would add to the burden of the pupils. (c) Apart from their intrinsic worth, books in classical languages have a linguistic interest which vernacular books can not have for students who speak those vernaculars. (d) Books of high intrinsic worth are but rare in the vernacular languages. 5. We do not think there is much force in any of the objections noted above, excepting the second. Most of these objections appear to us to be based upon a misapprehension of the proposal which does not, as has been erroneously supposed, seek to encourage the study of the vernaculars at the expense of the Classical languages. The first objection is, we think, sufficiently answered by the fact that London University prescribes English and other modern languages as subjects of examination. As regards the third objection, though from an antiquarian point of view the linguistic interest attaching to the study of Classical languages must be great, we do not think it can fairly be asserted that the study of vernaculars is without any linguistic interest from a philological point of view. The fourth objection involves merely a matter of opinion, and we are by no means prepared to accept it as correct, To the second objection which in our opinion has some force, we yield so far that we do not think it desirable at present that text books in the vernacular languages should be prescribed as subjects of examination. Buat we see no objection to books being recommended as models of style. We would therefore content ourselves for the present with proposing that in the F. A. and B. A. Examinations, composition in and translation into, the vernaculars be made a part of the test. This is already the case in the Entrance Examination, and we do not see why the same test should not be prescribed for the F. A. and B. A. We may therefore suggest that the University be moved to adopt the following regulation for the F.A. and B.A. “That at the F. A. Examination and in the A Course of the B. A. Examination (when a classical language is taken as a third subject) one paper should be set, containing (i) passages in English to be translated into
