Lest we should all grow parochial in our literary interests-7-
as when . a critic. said recently, without hesitation and pre- sume* without thought, that Shelley was undeniably one among the three or four greatest lyric poets the world has knoym7-we are glad to see a collection of addresses by Dr. J. W. Mackail, Classical Studies (John Murray). In one lecture he discusses " What is the good of Greek ? " ; not that he.. feels that the classical scholar is in a position of danger and needs to be defended, but in order to express • positively the value of contact with that great culture. A man Who knows nothing of the classics suffers from a deficiency. disease of the mind. A realm of spiritual knowledge and artistic experience is shut to him, and he must remain /unconscious of the roots of modern culture. No, we should :hardly expect a rational being to consider that a classical education needed apologies. Dr. Mackail occupies himself _mainly with Homer, Virgil and Horace. His addresses have not quite the polish of his earlier work, but they are pleasant and often illuminating to read.
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