Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/256

XXXV.

However, we have somewhat anticipated the course of events, in this review of the English tuition of the College and Academy, made necessary here in order to preserve the continuity of Franklin's argument; and we recur with satisfaction to the Provost's plan or scheme of education, broad and liberal in its stretch, which claims in our thoughts a preeminence over any cotemporary curriculum in this country and perhaps in England. He divided it in two great sections, the Latin and Greek Schools, and the Philosophy Schools; the first embracing all tuition in those ancient Languages in their structure and their uses, and the other building on this foundation and making use of the necessary vehicle of language to pursue the study of the reason of things employing the term Philosophy in its generic term the Love of Wisdom, embracing both Natural and Moral Philosophy. At the stage when the word Philosophy was here applied to district schools its use was more general than it has now come to be used in this generation, and modern curricula use it to denote narrower spheres. Dr. Johnson's new Dictionary had now appeared, and Peter Collinson l the good friend and agent in London of the College and Academy had in October 1755 sent out to its Library an early copy of this great lexicographical work, then just published; and we find in it Johnson's definition of Philosophy as " the course of sciences read in the schools," and for definition of the word sciences he uses the pithy quotation from Hooker, " any art or species of Knowledge." This was much broader in its scope than anything yet attempted in our Colleges, and its conception was bold as well as novel; but in their confidence in the learning and in the ingenuity of the young Provost, the Trustees accepted the programme for the time, soliciting however the opinion of the learned upon it. But let the Provost himself explain his em1 Mr Collinson's Invoice shows: 1755.1 May, Blair's Chronology 49,' 18 July, Martin's Introduction to English Tongue 2/ 16 Sept, Johnson's Dictionary 2 vols 4-IO/ v. Treasurer' s Accounts.