THE NEW PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5489, 14 February 1896, Page 4

THE NEW PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH.

(Prom the Lyttelton Times.) J As far as can be judged at this dietance, the committee appointed to select a gentleman to fill the vacant chair of English Literature and j History at Canterbury College has chosen a very suitable man tor the position. As a matter of fact it would besingulariftheyhad not, considering that out of the hundreds of trained and talented men who every year pass through the English universities, there are quite certain to be j a large proportion who would be willing and anxious to accopt even the reduced salary now offered by the Board of Governors. Mr Mathew is to be congratulated on his appoint- j ment, more especially as there were j forty-seven besides himself who had an eye on these distant fields. In la few weeks he will have entered upon his duties, and many ofthoße who sat under his predecessor will have an opportunity of comparing the methods and ideas of Professor Mathew with those adopted by Professor Brown. Until that time arrives, and until the results of the change" have beep tested in the. crucible of time it would, of course^ be premature to congratulate the students of . Canterbury College on their .new instructor, or the English committee .on the wisdom of their choice. It may be said, however, that the new Professor comes here under very favourable auspices. He has youth on his side, is gifted with a' very pleasing manner, and has excellent powers of address. These qualifications, which are certainly not always associated with the position of a university don will probably go a long way to make Professor Mathew, popular with his students, and- to assist him in influencing them in the right direction. The additional fact that he is unmarried will possibly give him an added I interest in the eyes of at least half of J the students, provided only that he does justice to his amiable qualities arid does, not hide under the unsightly garb of the pedagoguetheadvantageswhichNature appears to have bestowed upon him. For the rest, Professor Mathew haa qualifications, both in the way of ability and inclination, to successfully carry on his work. The, fact that be has carried off the University members' prize for English essay may be taken to show that he will attach very great importance to this branch of his duties. It is becoming pretty generally recognised nowaday* that the first essential of an English education is to write one'B own. language with, accuracy and fluency, not to speak of some degree of artistic skill ;, and it is to be , hoped that the new Professor will do his best to maintain this view. . Professor Mathew has also carried off the Latham prize fbisEnglish literature—a fact which speaks a great deal for his judgment in the selection of books, and the importance he is likely to attach to a thorough knowledge of the best English authors. As for the other departments under his care — tne philology and Anglo-Saxon, the Greek and Latin cognates and the other branches. of English which ( the modern student is expected to cram up — he will, it is to be hoped, give them nomoreconsiderationthan is demanded by a due regard for his examination results. It must be remembered that the successful teaching of the English language and literature at our universities demands no small amount of judgment and ability, and that it is on such teaching that the literary future of the colony in a large measure depends. Professor Mathew will have no reason to be discouraged, and the Board of Governors will have no ground for dissatisfaction, if he should only succeed in maintaining the standard attained in these subjects at Canterbury College. .