Charactere and Sport.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 12

Charactere and Sport.

BY PROFESSOR MAHAFFY. v j

::."Not long ago, when cjoylng. tho hospitality of the 'Outlookj'.". writes Professor. John J. Mnhafi'y in the "Outlook," "wo hiid a dis- ' cussion -on tho higbeit/ and, best typo of- hu- • man. character,', which'/was .suddenly introduced by a remark of- Signbr Ferrcro (tho historian, of Rome) that European civilisation would - not advance with; proper 'strides' Until ' we had 'abolished'. tlio; barbarOhs' ideals of tho most perfect life prevalent- in England, more especially the notion that, a sporting' man of good breeding-whp .occupied a large part of. his lifo:in physical,labours and pleasures was'th« highest type attainable.• ; ; >^ "This, idea' indeed in wido' Contrast:; t<> that of. tho tnoderii' intellectual' man'in:Con-..." tinental Huijopp,' whether professor, poltician, journalist ..or author, who has grown up without this desire for physical exorcise, this on ganised- washilg. bf time and "energy in field sports and. matches of strength 1 and 1 skill, whoso recreations are rather thoSe'<if tho night and tlio towu than those of tho : day and' tho 'cpiihtry. ■. '' ; "This love of;' sport helps largely to make ! young Englishmen content; to liv'o' ft solitary lifo in remote -corners of the' Einph , e.' ' Thev havo this'relaxation and this-excitementK jyholcsome solace, and;d whblesoiho'occupation for their loisaro .hoursi'i instead Of longing for,' : tho boulevards and cafes of ' Paris or liomo. or seeking among tho natives other' -con'sola. - tionswhich lower thoir, prestige \ iii ■w-cll-■ a« . their-morar.tone.; I well'"-remomber s saying to-'' King, Humbert, when lib -was regretting th« cohdition Of Sardinia, that if, instead of .sending thoro tlio worse meiibcrs of his Civil Set", vice, by way of punishment;' he would -borrow ' ten of Our best Indian atid- nivo thorn, control' of tho'island, he-'Srould' Siia it sifi pnil;prosperous in' ten' yoats* timo'.'' :- : 'j;! ; (j. , . Looking'bafck'on liis oivn Iri6h'homo train- , lng, Professor Mahaffy continues i • canYiot' hut feel'ConviHced that it was infinitely puperlor ;to tho training of men such as'- Slgnir'!; Ferrcro' aro: likely to havo; had, i; The ::possiInlities of field sports do not seeiiv: to: oxifetfor tho middle classes in tho Latin races, iiliL as'Tegatds 1 their, schools', iV is to : point out the superiority, of the 'English sys-'. 1 tern, for all French- and Italian authoritos on education' are constantly deploring: it. -Even the' Germans; who'pay attention to gymnastics,' ' ,distilictly,.ovor>rci(!htin'g'.the', niero l :''books '' training oftheir-, youth, tind ' still -neslefitihg '' jvot only the physical, hut tho moral,'i values Of thoso , school epbrts and exercises which -are controlled /by, the .lioys themselves,, fthd' tonstituto; almost important impcriutn ,'in im-pctjo-a /dGmobratiO: socifcty which , oljedienco to its unwritten law with iproinnfc, and '.soverei pnuishriient. ■ ' . .. -'-/'-i .: "Boys, brought up .in droves never Tiavo 'tho ? opportunities of .that higher and i education which 'they receive in .a. truly. cul-V tiyated-' homo.; That-,' is - the educationi-whioh »U; our girls' that;,belonged tb,./. the ; Ibisu'red , wages get, and it:mado them far;,mofe i bUltivated than ttur; schoolboys,-and. perfoctly i fitted !to 4 their duties in after-life. ■.: '.- •... j V it is surely .better ,to educato' and icOn- ''- trol^pnoj' natural .instincts thtun ;to: oxtirpntii! '.them; ; The. modern democratic ideal of cducation,. which: regards .only. tho develcpmonfr of tlio ( intellect, ■ exempli Cos tho 'same; kind of ns. tlie miedicyal ideal' of (isceticifm, 1 1 think that .modern democracies or demo- ' cratio Societies ar« not unlikely •to develop (or ;degonerate) into ' a;.tyt»' of man that thinks tho politician,, thb author,■ even 1 the journnlist, a higher typo, than., that which ' w» AngloSaxons, .cultivate. . ! 'fl have little doubt that ' were ,1 to invite Signpr-Jrerrero to wado breast-dbep in. a .rapid. - hope of .hooking a'.salmbn,' or' to ,wado ' a wet bog- ih„,purfuit of: shipe,'- ho ' wb'a!d : ro : ' gard me n*no{\6iily:;B fool-but a''barbarian:.' ' >And •• yot _ I can , appreciate'. his : brilliant i* searches, in: .history,. Ms. intellectual;'Oonyetf.v.; t)on, his artistio: tastos,' alt perhaps cxcopt 'hi* speculations oil religion and'., philofeophv.v hnd tliose not, because.. they. •are"uhintelligiblo*;to: me, but becauiiOil' imagine' that I have teaclicid - flfleis'ifex'fiWssi'Ott/bf pehofln,>: yamtv. Th<fn'Vi6wkl;olinfevw f eal subjebtS whichjie'has, propounded are'thosol identified with Epicurus. 'think;; with ' «t>°' mtifjmufiuih' nil' gei'ierosuiri sapit/ i I'l li'■ somo respcts I profiSss'tb" tike a.-.higheri Wandpoint:-than!his,-' on', another- I tato one- which; hb } mll think far, lower'. "'II ' 1 were to regard physical pleasures- dS' the summurn bonuni of life, then-1 , will',confess that eTon_if t or day { wlien 'I, am old, aiijxiae wero jo. offer m© the 1 choioe 6f,! spendinc'• tomorrow m':a. noblo picture gallery,-' splendid conoert/ or m an; antique, oity/ vith its palaces and churches, -or. of Roing out' iu • pursuit - of sea-trout or salmon,, .or : snipe. ; Or . 8994 > h °P° sucoesf—though the pleasures; ivould : he-to mo a'certainty which; I'havo. been trained, all thtdugh a- long life to,understand' and enjoy; though" tho sport 1 must be an uncertainty 'arid:might result in a ' blank da.v-I should at once take the day's sport lh. tho country.. •' :>..; ; * ;i ;; ■ : ir rll S s l . i n.' mn> ' . b °,. s;ii<l ' in contemptuous reply,'.that;the:majority of the; old Irish gen-' try ~nere stieh,. and; that they.'.valued riothiiiif' .else., . The. books !. hav<v written will save mo ' from- being .opunUd; a ;maro.' meriiber. of ..this class, v, Eut, my ■ genera tion.. ,hsid-' an' > enormous ", adyantago-* over that of the' present day. Thfe lksser-gontry of. Ireland and' Scotland had od-' 1 portuuities for'sport .now. denied ,fo all hut the noble and, the■ noli;A-man'.witli, '- ini tho country,;, thou could obmhia'nd ; sp'btt which>, man:,with; :a< year' cilntiot now, - '."And. this..-is. not > the smallest teason. tftfr from ; this.; class—the smaller proprietors, including the clergy; of the Established. Churcli ' there;,went-.out; :men who have, done - more thiin any Other class: on section of the race for th6;safety,' iindJlio splendour;; of;the Bri- .' Writers,:':bratorSj : warriors, stdtesmen, could.look back to their' early swrt- ' ing- days in tho frugal lifo of their. CoUntrK homes f 1 ! ''It will be , said ~,that. this; oducatiok 'wifts; ' after "-.all, ,au. aristocrdtio 'o'du'eation. ;■ i Itnuc' mnrided ' leisure■ it 'V>asV not ; condemned -' to make' ready for,, early This I : atfi ' qui to; ready, to admit; but, after all,' isinot every higher. speoies;:of .e!lucatioii;nristocratibP : . It is the one thing; where; tlio poor cannot compoto inth tho rieh—those' of the ; $od with those of the mansion. Thv ouitjpotitive system;, invented' to -.givo/cquat 1 'ohances'.to• great and small, only increased tho chances of tlio rich, against, those of high, birth, for, tho;'co«t' of. preparation .increased,- and tho best,is be- . yond tho , reach 1 of tlio :poor. -' No systom' of Socialism - oin. destroy l : this privilege' of:-'.' the classes oxcept; by; reducing.'them to . tho masses; ~ ■ ,'Even.; then,., from, tho masses ■' thO. 'classes will- always''.omergo ilhd,.''constitute thom«elve» •; an aristocracy in which; wealth, if; not high' traditions, will procure leisure arid good edu- ;.' 'cation.,Thcn .the; educatibn Avhioht teauiree' . years,of, :care -and, much .relaxation;-" in- . the" midst of ! work will again bec'oinp'the'oondition'' of; a-higher 'tind better; life. So;essentially true.is it. that men arc,not born,"equal in,the sight: of/God,"; ;v. •..,