The student about to enter college has scarcely a pleasanter task than
that of examining the course he is about to begin. The prospect of
future achievements, how fascinating it is! That Livy which he has heard
discussed by learned seniors and professors will soon be his property,
too. The problems that are historical among his big brothers and cousins,
and sisters as well, sometimes, he will soon grapple with. Whole fields
of unknown literature and science and art open to him in his brief
glance. He enjoys familiarizing himself with the names of the authors
of the text-books, in marking among the elective studies his choice, in
looking up the old text-books in the library, in preparing note-books
for the next year, in picking up random bits of information. Getting
ready for his college course often becomes quite as engrossing as the
actual work. The C. L. S. C. student will experience this same interest
in looking over what he is going to do another year. The course is now
ready, and he will have the entire summer for contemplating his coming
conquests. Enjoy the prospect to the full; it is certainly a goodly
one. The bone and sinew of next year’s course is to be Roman History
and Literature. The place Greece and its men filled in the course of
1884-85 will be taken by Rome. While the subject is equally interesting,
the course of the coming year has one great advantage. Greece has no
modern history of particular importance, its heroes died with Corinth’s
destruction, its literature and art and philosophy faded with its loss
of patriotism. Where Rome stood, now Italy stands. The history of the
decadence of Roman rule and the growth of Italian freedom is one of the
most thrilling chapters in the world’s history. A literature, an art, and
a science belong to this new growth. In studying Rome’s life we have a
modern chapter that keeps up our interest. The course happily provides
for us papers on “Modern Italy” and “Italian Biography,” in addition
to the works on the History of Rome, the “Preparatory Latin Course in
English,” the “College Latin Course in English,” and “A Day in Ancient
Rome.” A practical turn is given to the work by a study of the relations
of Rome to modern history.
The more general work of the course is selected from the wide fields of
philosophy, science, art and religion. Dr. Geo. M. Steele has prepared
a work on “Political Economy,” which will furnish some of the liveliest
reading for the year. This subject will be supplemented by two series
of papers on “Parliamentary Practice” and “International Law,” to be
published in THE CHAUTAUQUAN.
Robert Browning in “Pomegranates from an English Garden” will be the
representative of English poetry. It will be seen that, as in the case
of Robert Browning’s poems, several studies are introduced to brighten
the more solid work; for this purpose we have “In His Name,” by Edward
Everett Hale, read in connection with a book by Dr. Townsend on “The
Bible and the XIXth Century,” and a series of studies, to appear in THE
CHAUTAUQUAN, on “God in History.”
One work which will be a real treat to everybody is “Studies in Human
Nature,” by Dr. Lyman Abbott. The additional readings in THE CHAUTAUQUAN
are: “Wars and Rumors of Wars To-day,” “The Age we Live In,” “Religion
in Art,” “Art Outlines,” “Studies in Mathematics,” “Moral Philosophy,”
studies on “How to Live,” by Edward Everett Hale, papers on the past,
present and future of electricity, and “Home Studies in Physical
Geography.” A better course has never been presented to the members of
the C. L. S. C.