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[Letter of Francis William Newman to Dr. J. Chapman] 10 Circus Road, Dear Sir, I ought to have said to you yesterday, that I have often planned an article on the teaching of Latin to the working men and clerks. They are certainly very desirous of learning it; as appears both in Mr. Maurice's College, & in the Evening Chapel at King's College. Many of our Council wish for an evening Latin Class with us. I think our modes of teaching too artificial, and the expenditure of time too great; & that we ought to teach by talking. But this cannot be done except in new material (i.e. working men & clerks, who cannot enter the existing schools) else it involves a subversion of those schools. Nor can it be done without new principles, which (if they ever prevail) will generate a new, more interesting, more sprightly & simple Latin literature—will be less jealous of modern Latin—& will produce higher qualifications in teachers. Our pretty good scholars are surely far better grammarians that 99 out of 100 of the population of old Italy. It is readiness that we want, not grammatical soundness. Would you have room for, & would you like, a (popular) article on these subjects for the next Westminster? Very sincerely yours,
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