Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/290

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268 CHRISTIAN GREECE AND LIVING GREEK. through lack of practice, failed to perforin an essential part of the work, is now, at the sugges- tion of the visual centre, quick to recall each sound, and, reinforced by the utterance-memory, is quick, accurate, and vigorous in reviving each idea. The work of exchange is now done by the true coin of the realm. Our civilization, as it stands, is thoroughly impregnated with Greek ideas. Our arts, our letters, our morals, our institutions, our religious tendencies even are based upon Greek culture, inspired by Greek perfection, and renovated with Greek refinement. The study of Greek is not, as it has been heretofore, a mere linguistic discipline, or a purely scholarly attainment, but it means a practical study of the sources and origins of our modern civilization. It affords to the modern mind a better comprehension of the nature and character of our own elements of cul- ture. For this purpose the methods and sys- tems of teaching and learning Greek must be remodelled. Grammatical chicane has to be reduced to a more human minimum; a closer attention to the spirit must be advanced to a really humanistic maximum. Greek, the most beautiful of languages, will live TO QPAION ZH AIQNmZ !