IX. General Questions. 1. Determine the position of Buttmann in scientific etymology, and of Wolf in literary criticism. 2. Account for the introduction of speeches by ancient historians, and show in what respects they are differently employed by different writers. 3. With what limitations is conjectural emendation of the text of an author admissible? 4. Show how Roman poetry was affected, (1) by rural life, (2) by sculpture, (3) by the arena. 5. Never use technical terms' (Haupt). What ground is there for this maxim of criticism? 6. Is there reason to think that writers on Greek and Latin etymology have underestimated the influence of analogy on the growth of inflexions? 7. Compare the characteristic features of Hellenistic Greek with those of Latin of the Silver Age. [Craven Scholarships, 1880.] Latin Prose Composition. (1) It is not enough in a situation of trust in the commonwealth, that a man means well to his country; it is not enough that in his single person he never did an evil act, but always voted according to his conscience, and even harangued against every design which he apprehended to be prejudicial to the interests of his country. This innoxious and ineffectual character, that seems formed upon a plan of apology and disculpation, falls miserably short of the mark of public duty. That duty demands and requires, that what is right should not only be made known, but made prevalent; that what is evil should not only be detected, but defeated. When the public man omits to put himself in a situation of doing his duty with effect, it is an omission that frustrates the purposes of his trust almost as much as if he had formally betrayed it. It is surely no very rational account of a man's life, that he has always acted right; but has taken special care to act in such a manner that his endeavours could not possibly be productive of any consequence. (2) The glory of the house had indeed departed. It was long since couriers bearing orders big with the fate of kings and commonwealths had ridden forth from those gloomy portals. Military renown, maritime ascendency, the policy once reputed so profound, the wealth once deemed inexhaustible, had passed away. An undisciplined army, a rotting fleet, an incapable council, an empty treasury, were all that remained of that which had been so great. Yet the proudest of nations could not bear to part even with the name and the shadow of a supremacy which was no more. All, from the grandee of the first class to the peasant, looked forward with dread to the day when God should-be pleased to take their king to himself. Some of them might have a predilection for Germany: but such predilections were subordinate to a stronger feeling. The paramount object was the integrity of the empire of which Castile was the head; and the prince who should appear to be most likely to preserve that integrity unviolated would have the best right to the allegiance of every true Castilian. [Craven Scholarships, 1881.] |