The Teacher: Essays and Addresses on EducationPalmer, Alice Freeman
Philosophy
The Teacher: Essays and Addresses on Education
Palmer, Alice Freeman
Education; Education, Higher; Women -- Education
To the Greek Church he was always loyal. Its faith had glorified his
youth, and to it he turned for strength throughout his solitary years.
Its conventual discipline was dear to him, and oftener than of his
birthplace at the foot of Mt. Olympus he dreamed of Mt. Sinai. On Mt.
Sinai the Emperor Justinian founded the most revered of all Greek
monasteries. Standing remote on its sacred mountain, the monastery
depends on Cairo for its supplies. In Cairo, accordingly, there is a
branch or agency which during the boyhood of Sophocles was presided over
by his Uncle Constantius. At twelve he joined this uncle in Cairo. In
the agency there, in the parent monastery on Sinai itself, and in
journeyings between the two, the happy years were spent which shaped his
intellectual and religious constitution. Though he never outwardly
became a monk, he largely became one within. His adored uncle
Constantius was his spiritual father. Through him his ideals had been
acquired,--his passion for learning, his hardihood in duty, his
imperturbable patience, his brief speech which allowed only so many
words as might scantily clothe his thought, his indifference to personal
comfort. He never spoke the name of Constantius without some sign of
reverence; and in his will, after making certain private bequests, and
leaving to Harvard College all his printed books and stereotype plates,
he adds this clause: "All the residue and remainder of my property and
estate I devise and bequeath to the said President and Fellows of
Harvard College in trust, to keep the same as a permanent fund, and to
apply the income thereof in two equal parts: one part to the purchase of
Greek and Latin books (meaning hereby the ancient classics) or of Arabic
books, or of books illustrating or explaining such Greek, Latin, or
Arabic books; and the other part to the Catalogue Department of the
General Library.... My will is that the entire income of the said fund
be expended in every year, and that the fund be kept forever unimpaired,
and be called and known as the Constantius Fund, in memory of my
paternal uncle, Constantius the Sinaite, Kônstantios Sinaitnês."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account