"We will now," said he, "endeavour our best to
sober thee, finding that Doctor Glaston hath omitted it."
"Not entirely omitted it," said William, gratefully; "he did after
dinner all that could be done at such a time toward it. The doctor
could, however, speak only of the Greeks and Romans, and certainly
what he said of them gave me but little encouragement."
SIR THOMAS.
"What said he?"
WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.
"He said, 'The Greeks conveyed all their wisdom into their theatre,-
-their stages were churches and parliament-houses; but what was
false prevailed over what was true. They had their own wisdom, the
wisdom of the foolish. Who is Sophocles, if compared to Doctor
Hammersley of Oriel? or Euripides, if compared to Doctor Prichard of
Jesus? Without the Gospel, light is darkness; and with it, children
are giants.
"'William, I need not expatiate on Greek with thee, since thou
knowest it not, but some crumbs of Latin are picked up by the
callowest beaks. The Romans had, as thou findest, and have still,
more taste for murder than morality, and, as they could not find
heroes among them, looked for gladiators. Their only very high poet
employed his elevation and strength to dethrone and debase the
Deity.
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