Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/331

 Martin Bucer on Education 327 ing years. Bucer's concern about them led him in 1626 to enquire from Zwingli about the plan of instruction in Zurich with the hope of learning something that would be of service in Strassburg. He says in the letter that the Wittenbergers did not approve of the methods used at Strassburg in the preparation of boys for the ministry, because Greek and Hebrew were begun early, and given precedence over Latin. 28 However, this plan was not unapproved by Bucer. Writing to Beatus Rhenanus, he declares the knowledge of Greek and Hebrew more profitable than that of Latin, which is valuable because it is widely used and a necessary tool of knowledge, rather than because of the intrinsic value of the language and its literature. Yet he is far from discouraging the study of Latin, when not pursued to the exclusion of the other tongues. On the contrary, he greatly desires the town council to take in hand the reformation of the Latin schools at Strassburg. 29 About this time the magistracy consulted Melanchthon about the plan of the school at Nurnberg. 30 Other schools were from time to time established in Strassburg, and education seemed to flourish. Nevertheless, lack of organization greatly reduced its effectiveness; hence in 1534 the magistrates set to work to improve the system. An important feature of the plan, adopted in 1536, was that all the Latin schools of the city should be united in one. 31 Bucer was much concerned in this movement. 32 Moreover, it was to him and Jacob Sturm that Louis Carinus and Erasmus, bishop of Strassburg, recom- mended a suitable man to carry out the work of reorganization, and it was Bucer who invited to Strassburg and received mto his house the man who made its schools famous John Sturm. 33 Bucer's interest in education continued throughout his career in Strassburg, 34 and when in England he looked back on his life there, the schools were among the things he longed for. 35 28 76. p. 344. 29 76., p. 341. 30 76., pp. 337, 370. 31 Schmidt, op. ciL, p. 31. 32 Baum, op. ciL, p. 521. 33 Schmidt, op. ciL, pp. 17, 32. 34 Baum, op. cit., p. 536. Ib., p. 558. 35