Andrew Lang, in his _Adventures Among Books_, writes:
"Saint Augustine, like Sir Walter Scott at the University of Edinburgh,
was 'The Greek Dunce.' Both of these great men, to their sorrow and
loss, absolutely and totally declined to learn Greek. 'But what the
reason was why I hated the Greek language, while I was taught it, being
a child, I do not yet understand.' The Saint was far from being alone in
that distaste, and he who writes loathed Greek like poison--till he came
to Homer. Latin the Saint loved, except 'when reading, writing, and
casting of accounts was taught in Latin, which I held not far less
painful or penal than the very Greek. I wept for Dido's death, who made
herself away with the sword,' he declares, 'and even so, the saying that
two and two makes four was an ungrateful song in mine ears, whereas the
wooden horse full of armed men, the burning of Troy, and the very Ghost
of Creusa, was a most delightful spectacle of vanity.'"