Dr. Arnold, from his entering upon the head-mastership of Rugby, threw
himself into the great work of school reform, based upon the
associations of his boyhood, and the convictions of his more mature
experience. “To do his duty was the height of his ambition,—those truly
English sentiments by which Nelson and Wellington were inspired; and,
like them, he was crowned with victory; for soon were verified the
predictions of the Provost of Oriel, that _he would change the face of
education through the public schools of England_. He was minded,
_virtute officii_, to combine the care of souls with that of the
intellects of the rising generation, and to realise the Scripture in
principle and practice, without making an English school a college of
Jesuits. His principles were few: the fear of God was the beginning of
his wisdom; and his object was not so much to teach knowledge, as the
means of acquiring it; to furnish, in a word, the key to the temple. He
desired to awaken the intellect of each individual boy, and contended
that the main movement must come from within and not from without the
pupil; and that all that could be, should be _done by_ him and not _for_
him. In a word, his scheme was to call forth in the little world of
school those capabilities which best befitted the boy for his career in
the great one.”[75]
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Footnote 75:
_Quarterly Review_, No. 204. In the latter sentence is conveyed the
advantage which education in a large school has over education at
home.
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