it is true, and not without grace, but still an unhesitating submissionto the mere authority of the king, seemed to have become the only efficient bond of connection between the crown and its subjects, and the main resource of the state for the preservation of social order. The nation ceased to claim its most important rights, if they came in conflict with the rights claimed by the royal prerogative; so that the resistance of Aragon in the case of Perez, and that of Catalonia against the oppressive administration of the Count Duke Olivares, were easily put down by the zeal of the very descendants of the Comuneros of Castile.

"It is this degradation of the loyalty and religion of the country, infecting as it did every part of the national character, which we have felt to be undermining the general culture of Spain during the seventeenth century; its workings being sometimes visible on the surface, and sometimes hidden by the vast and showy apparatus of despotism and superstition under which it was often concealed even from its victims. But it is a most melancholy fact in the case, that whatever of Spanish literature survived at the end of this period found its nourishment in such feelings of religion and loyalty as still sustained the forms of the monarchy, an imperfect and unhealthy life, wasting away in an atmosphere of death. At last, as we approach the conclusion of the century, the Inquisition and the despotism seem to be everywhere present, and to have cast their blight over everything. All the writers of the time yield to their influences, but none in a manner more painful to witness, than Calderon and Solis; the two whose names close up the period, and leave so little to hope for the future. For the "Autos" of Calderon and the "History" of Solis were undoubtedly regarded, both by their authors and by the public, as works eminently religious in their nature; and the respect, and even reverence, with which each of these great men treated the wretched and imbecile Charles the Second, were as undoubtedly accounted to them by their contemporaries for religious loyalty and patriotism. At the present day, we cannot doubt that a literature which rests in any considerable degree on such foundations must be near to its fall."

By these observations we shall be prepared to find the history of Spanish literature during the third period, or from the accession of the Bourbon family to the invasion of Buonaparte, a sad record of political and literary decline. The war of the Succession following upon the death of Charles the Second still further exhausted the energies of unhappy Spain, and made it the battle-field of foreign and civil strife, until the peace of Utrecht, concluded in 1713, established the claims of the Bourbon family, and left the kingdom, though shorn of half its European dominions, at least the blessings of peace for the renewed cultivation of literature and art. Philip the Fifth, however, had been educated at the court of Louis the Fourteenth, and it could not well be otherwise than that French influences and French taste should prevail in the literature he was sincerely desirous of promoting. The first important work undertaken in his reign was the

founding of an academy, principally for the cultivation and establishment of the purity of the Castilian language, whose members immediately set about the preparation of a dictionary. This great work they completed in six folio volumes, between 1726 and 1739, an abridgment of which was printed in 1780, and this has continued to be an authoritative standard of the language. Other works relating to the Spanish language gave evidence that the academy was not idle. But the creative spirit of the Spanish seemed to have exhausted itself in the brilliant ages which were gone; and there was little to give hope of a revival of the ancient national tone. Unlike England and France, the Spanish nation took little pains to lay a deep foundation for the permanent development of the national mind. The bad influence of the Catholic church, though not directly interfering with the first sprightly runnings of inventive imagination, was deadly to the cultivation of the reason. A sound intellectual philosophy could not grow up under the shadow of the Inquisition; a comprehensive and liberal education had but a small chance of general adoption when it pointed to the horrors of the secret chamber, or led to the fiery martyrdom of the stake. Physical science was stifled ere its birth under the watchful jealousy of a priestly tyranny which detected damnable heresies in every natural truth. Critical interpretation of the Scriptures would find but little favor after the rumor of certain opinions respecting the Song of Solomon, not quite in accordance with the views of the popish doctors, carried the illustrious Ponce de Leon to the prisons of the Holy Office, and kept him there five years undergoing every torture that could be inflicted consistently with the preservation of life. These are the secrets of the decline of Spain. Yet many noble men have adorned this period by the display of genius capable of exalting a nation; of patriotism ready to bear all things—reproach, imprisonment, exile, and death itself for their beloved country. We need mention only such men as Father Isla, the Moratins, Yriarte, Melendez Valdes, Jovellanos, and Quintana. Able scholars and admirable writers are still upon the stage of life. The spirit of the age may still, through them, breathe fresh energies into the national character. Works like this of Mr. Ticknor must make them feel that the genius of Spain is honored and reverenced, and that the scholars of another hemisphere regard the country with admiration for the past and hope for the future.

ARTICLE VIII.

THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE.

THE basis of education at these universities has long been, as is well known, the classics and mathematical science. At Oxford, classical study has been the reigning, though not the exclusive pursuit. At Cambridge, mathematical science has had the precedence, though, for many years, the study of Latin and Greek has been earnestly pursued. The system of instruction at both universities has lately undergone some important changes, and it is doubtless susceptible of still further improve ments. This system had its origin many ages ago, and it is not strange that it should not have kept pace with the busy world around. Yet with all the acknowledged imperfections of the system, with all the evils which may have resulted from those imperfections, Oxford and Cambridge have been the source of great and inestimable blessings. The system has worked out an amount of good far preponderant over the evil; and we may ask, Do not the two subjects-Mathematical Science and the Classics—now lie, as in past times, at the basis of liberal education? Are other sciences and branches of literature, however important, to be regarded as fundamental? Is a natural science, or a modern language to be put on a level with geometry and Greek? These questions we shall endeavor to discuss in a future Number of this Journal. They seem to us to deserve a patient and fresh examination. We wish to call attention, particularly, to some of the results of the English system. At present we shall confine ourselves to a brief exhibition of certain changes recently effected at Oxford and Cambridge, and of further alterations which are advocated from various quarters.

The changes effected in the Oxford course are in substance the following. There are to be three public university examinations, instead of two as heretofore. In the examination, technically termed "Respon sions," which takes place about one year and a half from the commencement of the course, little change has been introduced. The subjects comprise one Greek and one Latin author, arithmetic, two books of Euclid, or, instead of arithmetic, algebra may be substituted. The second examination, the "first Public Examination," occurs about the end of the fourth year from matriculation. For the ordinary candidates, the following are the subjects: one Latin and one Greek book (different from those used in "the Responsions"), the four Gospels in Greek, algebra,

either logic or three books of Euclid, the translation of English into Latin, and a paper of questions in syntax. For candidates for classical honors, the following are the subjects: the four Gospels, the great writers of antiquity (Homer, Virgil, Cicero and Demosthenes being recommended), logic, if the candidate wishes to be in the first division, otherwise Euclid and algebra, critical and other papers, translations into Latin and Greek. Candidates for mathematical honors must "bring up" pure mathematics. At the third or "Final Examination," the candidate must necessarily pass two of the four schools to be named. In the first school, "Literae Humaniores," the topics are the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, sacred history, the subjects of the books of the Old and New Testament, evidences of Christianity, one philosophical and one historical author in Greek or Latin (but not the same books as in the "Responsions"), papers of questions. The "class men" may "give up" one or more of the Epistles, logic (logic necessary if one aims at the first or second class), Greek and Latin languages, history, chronology, geography, poetics, political ethics, as in the present system, and illustrated by modern writers. All the candidates must pass, besides, in one of the three following schools, but not necessarily in the same term. The "first school" embraces the mathematical part of mineralogy, six books of Euclid, or the first part of algebra, and for candidates for honors, pure and mixed mathematics. The "second school"-"natural science” — includes mineralogy, the principles of two of these three parts of natural philosophy, viz. mechanical philosophy, chemistry, and physiology, and an acquaintance with some one science included under mechanical philosophy. The candidate for honors must be acquainted with the three parts above named. The "third school" is "law and history." The minimum includes English history from the Conquest to the end of Henry the VIIth's reign, or from the accession of Henry VIII. to George I. For those who take the earlier part of English history, Blackstone on Real Property is required; for those who take the latter portions of English history, Blackstone on Personal Property and the Rights of Persons, or Justinian in lieu of Blackstone. The candidates for honors must take, in addition, Adam Smith, modern history to 1790, international law and civil law. "Elegant scholarship will be rewarded by distinguished marks." "It is necessary that arithmetic should be well taught in schools, as none can go through the examinations without a knowledge of geometry."

Some of the changes above indicated were adopted on the 24th of April, 1850. Some time must of course elapse before the new system can be brought into practice. A serious difficulty as to its working has been suggested, arising from the mode of electing fellows to the differ

ent colleges. The entire instruction is in the hands of the college tutors, unless the student resorts to the expense of private tuition. The tutors are usually chosen from the fellows. The average number of fellows in a college at Oxford is twenty-eight. But as more than half of these are non-resident, the available number, out of which tutors must be chosen, is less than fourteen. The majority of the colleges, however, have not the option of selecting the tutor out of fourteen. The colleges which have the larger number of fellows, have the smaller number of undergraduates. Several of the colleges have forty fellows each, while some come down to an average of six or seven, out of whom the tutors are to be chosen. But in so small a number as six or seven, persons are not likely to be found competent to teach in the various branches of the languages, logic, poetics, politics, ethics, ancient history, mathematics, various departments of physical science, etc. Yet there must be a considerable number of competent teachers in all these branches, if the new system is to be carried through efficiently. The difficulty is still further enhanced by the close-fellowship system which is peculiar to Oxford. With the exception of nearly all the fellowships of Oriel and Balliol, those of the other colleges are subject to various restrictions. In ten out of the nineteen colleges, the great majority of the fellowships are restricted in respect to birth. Candidates must be born in particular counties, or dioceses, and in few cases on particular manors, or in particular families. Consequently tutors must be chosen, not merely out of the average number of fourteen individuals, but these individuals must not be selected out of the university at large. Another class of restrictions make it necessary to elect a youth of from seventeen to nineteen years of age, either to a fellowship at once, or to a scholarship which leads to a fellowship. Eleven colleges are more or less subjected to this restriction. Several of them require, besides, that the candidates for fellowships or scholarships should have been educated at particular schools. Christ Church, New College, Magdalene, St. John's, Jesus and Pembroke, which, taken as a whole, are by far the wealthiest in the university, are among the colleges in which the custom prevails of electing youths to be fellows at once, prior to their admittance to the university, or the nearly similar one, of electing them to scholarships which lead to fellowships. Such regulations would seem to be ill fitted to produce accomplished tutors in the various departments of knowledge. Still, if there be an honest intention on the part of the university to carry out the recent enactments, — and in the present state of the public mind in England, the university would find it unwise to recede or remain stationary means for instruction will be provided by a more liberal ar

1 London Athenaeum, Jan. 19, 1850.