Social Transformations of the Victorian Age: A Survey of Court and CountryEscott, T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet)
History
Social Transformations of the Victorian Age: A Survey of Court and Country
Escott, T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet)
Great Britain -- Civilization -- 19th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
The great Dr Pusey, whose mind was as truly liberal as his Churchmanship
was high, had been struck recently by the number of great Anglican divines
who were the sons of small tradesmen. It was for Oxford to revive the
example of the ancient monks of Durham, and to devise means for bringing
the University within the reach of the poorest in the land. Another member
of Christ Church whose pointed features, dark complexion, saturnine habit
and rare scholarship will be recalled by many readers of these lines, Mr
Osborne Gordon, joined with Professor Hussey in impressing by almost daily
protests this popular duty on his too exclusive Alma Mater. At this time
religious tests existed in all their historic severity. There was no
matriculation without signing the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Common
Prayer Book, and no degree till after a like process with reference to the
Three Articles of the Thirty-Sixth Canon.
These facts account for the then dominant Liberalism of educated opinion
inside and outside the University. Had tests ceased to exist when they
were abolished in Ireland, as both Canning and Sir Robert Peel at one time
or another had suggested, it is scarcely speculation to say that the
demand which in 1868 brought about the unattached system and, after
another decade or so, the Extension Lecture system, might not have
organized itself with such drastic results. The non-collegiates might have
come into existence while as yet the Great Western Railway approached the
Cherwell no nearer than Didcot. The Extension Lecture machinery was not
less dependent upon the propulsive power of steam than the iron engine of
Stephenson itself. To-day Bradshaw's Guide is as indispensable a part of
the lecturer's equipment as his manuscript notes. Here, as at other points
in our secondary education, more organization and more endowments are
required. There should be more inducements to young and competent
graduates who have the knack of imparting their own knowledge to large or
small classes to take up this work as a career, not as an occasional
auxiliary to other occupations. The Extension centres also need to be
supplemented more largely with local colleges such as that for which
Reading is indebted to Oxford and Exeter to Cambridge.
CHAPTER XV
FROM THE OLD SOCIAL ORDER TO THE NEW
The concrete personal result of the civic, social, and educational
processes already described is now to be examined. The personal
contrast between the new generation of young men and women of the
middle class, most likely to strike an Englishman returned to London
after long absence. Sex emancipation. The typical physique of both
sexes has been visibly modified, amongst other agencies by bicycle
practice. The stately maiden or matron of the period was unknown to
John Leech; has been drawn faithfully by Du Maurier. Some social
ideals are unchanged, but older middle class ideals have passed out of
date.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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