Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/371

Rh of being fanned into life. It is true the form of tuition is kept up in them, but the ceremony is gone through by men who are (as far as I could learn) devoid of comprehension in the very branches which they profess to teach. I was particularly curious to assure myself of the state of learning in the university of Benares, the place where one should expect that ancient acquirements would be found in the best preservation. My incompetence to judge on the subject of the answers given by the young men examined before me did not extend to the manner of their performance, which was such as inspired the notion that every thing they said was wholly by rote. On following up this suspicion, I learned that I had guessed accurately. I remained satisfied that the students only got by heart certain formularies unexplained to them by professors incapable of expounding the spirit of the lessons. Of course, the instruction unless where it chanced to fall on some mind uncommonly vigorous and acute would have very limited effect in future application; and if it did happen to be bestowed on a genius able to unravel it, the rational calculation was that it would only render him more dexterous in those crooked practices which the depraved habitudes of the community would offer to his imitation. I thence conceive that the revival of the liberal sciences among the natives can only be effected by the previous education (beginning with the rudiments) which shall gradually give to individuals the power of observing the relations of different branches of learning with each other, of comprehending the right use of science in the business of life, and of directing their enlargement of thought to the promotion of those moral observances in which rests the temporal convenience of society as well as the sublimer duty of man. Then, but not till then, such records or such traces of ancient lore as remain in the universities may be useful. Consequently to this opinion I must think that the sum set apart by the Hon’ble Court for the advancement of science among the natives would be much more expediently applied in the improvement of schools, than in gifts to seminaries of higher degree.”

On this passage it is necessary to remark that the institution which Lord Moira describes as “the university of Benares” was most probably the Government college at that place, which there is reason to believe was about the time of His Lordship’s visit in a very inefficient condition. Such, at least, is the only way I can account for the statement given, unless on the supposition that the Governor General and his informants may have misapprehended the real facts of the case before them. It would certainly be unjust to apply the above description to the schools of learning in Bengal and Behar that have originated with the natives themselves and are under their management; for although, in the usual course of study, the scholars no doubt commit a great deal to memory, it is not servilely committed, but is in general thoroughly understood