Lyra Frivola | Page 4

his tributary stream);?"Don't you know the Joy of Living is in honourably Striving, Don't you know the Chase of Pleasure is a vain delusive Dream? When they toil and when they shiver in the tempests on the River, When they're faint and spent and weary, and they have
to pull it through,?'Tis in Action stern and zealous that they truly find a Telos, [1] Though a moment's relaxation be afforded them by you!"
Said the Cherwell to the Isis, "When the trees are clad in greenness, When the Eights are fairly over, and it's drawing near Commem., It is Ver and it is Venus that shall judge the case between us, And I think for all your maxims that you won't compete with them! Then despite their boasted virtue shall your athletes all desert you (Come to me for information if you don't know where they are): For it's ina scholaxomen [2] that's the proper end of Woman And of Man--at least in summer," said the easy-going Cher.
[1. Transcriber's note: The word "Telos" was transliterated from the Greek characters Tau, epsilon, lambda, omicron, and sigma.]
[2. Transcriber's note: The two words "ina scholaxomen" were transliterated from Greek as follows: "ina"--iota (possibly accompanied by the rough-breathing diacritical), nu, alpha; "scholaxomen"--sigma, chi, omicron, lambda, alpha (possibly with the soft-breathing diacritical), xi, omega, mu, epsilon, nu.]
PEDAGOGY
Our fathers on the pedagogue held sentiments irrational,?Curricula for training him 'twas never theirs to know,?And when he taught the way he ought, by genius educational, They gave their thanks to Providence, who made him do it so. But our developed intellect and keener perspicacity?Has all reduced to system now and a priori rule:?We've altogether ceased to trust in natural capacity,?And pin alone our faith upon a Pedagogy School.
Don't talk to me of knowledge gained by base experience practical (A thing that's wholly obsolete and laid upon the shelf): Don't waste your time in aiming at exactitude syntactical, Or hold that he who teaches Greek should know that Greek himself: For if you wish to face the truth, and fact no more to see awry-- Who strives to wake the dormant mind of unreceptive imps Need only read the works of Rein on Education's Theory?And study the immortal tomes of Ziegler and De Guimps!
Whene'er of old a boy was dull or quite adverse to knowledge, he Was set an imposition or corrected with a switch:?Far different our practice is, who reign by Methodology?And guide the dunce by precepts learnt from Landon or from Fitch: 'Twas difficult by rule of thumb to check unseemly merriment, To make your class their pastor treat with proper due regard-- 'Tis easy quite for specialists in Juvenile Temperament,?Who know the books on Punishment and also on Reward!
There's no demand for authors now of erudite opuscula,?For Wranglers or for Science men or linguists of repute: No cricketers can gain a post by mere distinction muscular, No Socker Blues can hope to teach the young idea to Shoot: Read Lange his Psychology--Didactics of Comenius--?By works like these and only these your prudent mind prepare: For if you've nought but scholarship or independent genius You'd better far adopt the Bar and make your fortune there!
O all ye ancient dominies whose names are writ in history-- Shade of the late Orbilius, and ghost of Dr Parr,?Howe'er you got your fame of old--the reason's wrapt in mystery-- Where'er you be, I hope you see how obsolete you are!?'Tis Handbooks make the Pedagogue: O great, eternal verity! O fact of which our ancestors could ne'er obtain a glimpse! But we'll proclaim the truth abroad and noise it to posterity, Our watchword a curriculum--our shibboleth DE GUIMPS!
SONG FOR THE NAVY LEAGUE
(Dedicated without permission to LORD CHARLES BERESFORD.)
O where be all those mariners bold
who used to control the sea,?The Admiral great and the bo'sun's mate
and the skipper who skipped so free??O what has become of our midshipmites,
the terror of every foe,?And the captain brave who dares the wave
when the stormy winds do blow?
CHORUS
_For the tar may roam, but the tar comes home
to wherever his home may be,?With a Yo, heave ho, and a o e to, [1] and a
Master of Arts Degree_!
They have gone to imbibe the classical lore
of Learning's ancient seat?(They are sadly at sea in the classics as
yet, though classis is Latin for fleet),?It is there you will find those naval men,
by the Isis and eke the Cher.,?For Scholarship is the only ship that is fit
for a bold Jack Tar.
He has bartered his rum for a coach and a
crib, at the First Lord's stern decree,?And he learns the use of the rocket and
squib (which are useful as lights at sea):?And they train him in part of the nautical
art, as much as a landsman can,?For they teach him to paddle the gay canoe,
and to row the rash randan.
Should he e'er be inclined his