Our Intellectual Strength and Weakness; A Short Historical and Critical Review of Literature, Art and Education in Canada

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1898 Excerpt: ... VII.-P. 33. A short review of the origin and history of the Royal Society of Canada; its aim, the encouragement of the literature of learning and science, and of original ethnographical, archaeological, historic and scientific investigation; desirous of stimulating broad literary criticism; associated with all other Canadian societies engaged in the same work; the wide circulation of its Transactions throughout the world; the need of a magazine of a high class in Canada. VIII.--P. 42. The intellectual standard of our legislative bodies; the literature of biography, law and theology; summary of general results of intellectual development; difficulties in the way of successful literary pursuits in Canada; good work sure of appreciative criticism by the best class of English periodicals like the Contem porary, Athenaeum, English Historical Magazine, Academy, etc.; Sainte-Beuves advice to cultivate a good style cited; some colonial conditions antagonistic to literary growth; the necessity of cultivating a higher ideal of literature in these modern times. IX--P. 49. The condition of education in Canada; speed and superficiality among the defects of an otherwise admirable system; tendency to make all studies subordinate to a purely utilitarian spirit; the need of cultivating the humanities, especially Greek; remarks on this point by Matthew Arnold and Goldwin Smith; the state of the press of Canada; the Canadian Pythia and Oly mpia. X.-P. 53. Libraries in Canada; development of art; absence of art galleries in the cities, and of large private collections of paintings; meritorious work of O'Brien, Reed, Peel, Pinhey, Forster and others; establishment of the Canadian Academy by the Princess Louise and the Marquess of Lome; necessity for greater encourag...