ENGLISH COMMERCE AND ENGLISH EDUCATION.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—I fully agree with the article in the Spectator of July 10tb, on " English Commerce and English Education ;" indeed, it expressed concisely views which I have held for many years. I wish your correspondent, " A Birmingham Merchant," had given the nationality of his twelve clerks, or travellers, who understand at least one language besides English. Probably most of them are Germans ! My firm also correspond in five languages, and employ seven linguists, but only one of them is an Englishman. Ten years ago, I wrote to the principal of an excellent school at Eastbourne, deploring that I was obliged to send my only son to the Continent, in order to acquire a conversational knowledge of the French and German languages. In English schools, these languages are imperfectly taught, and as a rule, one or two hours per week is the maximum time devoted to them. I hold that, in a commercial school, as much time should be• given to modern langriages as is given to the study of Latin and Greek in a classical school. I sent my son to a large public school in Wfirtemberg, where twelve hours weekly were spent in the acquirement of French, and five hours per week at the classes for geometrical and freehand drawing was compulsory.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A SHEFFIELD MERCHANT.
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