"Children can learn two languages, or even three at once; and this, if these are spoken to them by different individuals, without confusion and without being less able to learn other things. Memory is aided because imagination connects the words with a person, a scene, or events; and, little by little, the utility of speech calls forth active efforts in the learner.... In general the old method was one of repetition: _it dealt immensely in committing Latin to memory_.... Nothing is easier to boys than such learning, even when the thing learned is uninteresting... yet... means should be taken of making it interesting and instructive and rhythmical.... It seems to me that we want what I may call a Latin novel or romance; that is, a pleasing tale of fiction, which shall convey numerous Latin words, which do not easily find a place in poetry, history, or philosophy.... If anyone had genius to produce, in Terentian style, Latin comedies worthy of engaging the minds and hearts of youth (for I can never read a play of Terence to a young class without the heartache), I should regard this as a valuable contribution." [Footnote: Mr. Darbishire says in a letter to which I have had access: "One of his" (Newman's) "special endeavours was to accustom his students to deal with Greek as a spoken language, as he and we did in reading Greek plays."] To return to the letter. "Weston-super-Mare, "_16th Feb._, 1884. "My dear Friend, "The late Professor George Long (my predecessor in University College), editor of the _Penny Cyclopaedia_ was originally professor of Greek and a student of Sanskrit. He maintained that German, studied as it ought to be, prepared the mind for other work as effectively as could Greek, and, as Dr. W. B. Hodgson (and I too) independently alleged, that the study of _modern_ languages and learning to _talk_ them ought to _precede_ the study of Greek. To make Greek the basis of an entire school and force it on all is with me cruelty as well as folly. Five out of six women and men would not learn it enough to _retain_ or _use_ it. If you place ancient languages and all that cannot be learned by _talking_ at the END, only those will study who have a special object, and these will duly _use_ them. I think that is the only wise and _just_ way. Further, I think it a grave mistake to teach the scientific _side_ of any language first, and try to proceed through science to practice. The popular side should go first. Greeks talked rightly before Protagoras, but Protagoras first taught that Greek had three genders.... _After_ a full acquaintance with the substance of a language, its laws and relationships come naturally and profitably. In a dead language we are _forced_ to bring on the science earlier: that is the reason for deferring such study till a riper age; and best if delayed until _after_ learning several _modern_ languages (by talking, if possible), the more different from one another the _better_.