Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/264

of other splendid donations, should be applied to encourage the study of the languages, by equally dividing the amount between any three of the Junior Sophister class, two of whom should appear most expert in the Latin and the Greek, and the third in the Hebrew language; and the other incomes of Mr. Hollis to be divided equally between nine other Junior Sophisters, who should most excel in the knowledge of said languages, the said scholars to be all of good morals. * * * By other action the Corporation * * * voted that the exercises of the Freshmen and Sophomores, with their respective Tutors, on Friday morning (except when they declaim) "be to read some celebrated orations, speeches, or dialogues in Latin or English, whereby they may be directed and assisted in their elocution or pronunciation; that the Tutors attend the declamations in the Chapel on Friday morning, and that once a month the two senior classes have their disputations in English, in the forensic manner, without being confined to syllogisms; that the number of opponents and respondents be equal and that they speak alternately; the questions to be given out by the Tutors at least a fortnight beforehand." [But President Quincy adds] notwithstanding the unanimity with which these principles were adopted, it was found difficult to introduce a practice so little in unison with the private recitations, syllogistic forms, and solemn exercises of ancient times. 16 It was not however until President Willard's administration, namely in 1787 after the War of the Revolution, that we trace some significant changes in the books of instruction, recreating the curriculum, but not up to the standard of that of Philadelphia of 1756: Horace, " Sallust, Cicero de Oratore, Homer, and Xenophon were substiuted for Virgil, Cicero's orations, Caesar, and the Greek Testament The number of exercises was increased, and the instructors were enjoined to ascertain that they were learned by the whole class. These classics formed the principal studies of the first three College years. The Freshmen were instructed, also, in rhetoric, the art of speaking, and arithmetic; the Sophomores in algebra, and other branches of mathematics; the Juniors in Livy, Doddridge's Lectures, and, once a week, the Greek Testament; the Seniors in logic, metaphysics, and ethics. The Freshmen and Sophomores were required to study Hebrew, or French, as a substitute. Through the College course all the classes were instructed in declamation, chronology and history. In 1788 Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric was introduced as a text book. 16 Quincy, ii. 127. "Ibid., ii. 279.