There are three causes which tend to strengthen an attachment to the dead languages：桾he first is， the utility which they formerly possessed.At the revival of letters， there was nothing to learn but Latin and Greek， and nothing could be learnt but by Latin and Greek.
The period when this utility ceased having never been fixed， custom has led us to regard it as still subsisting.
A second reason is， the time and trouble expended by so many persons in learning them.
The price of anything is regulated not only by its utility， but also by the labour expended in procuring it.
Few would be willing to acknowledge that they had spent a large por tion of their life in learning that which， when learnt， as not worth knowing.
There are many individuals who have learnt Latin and Greek， but have learned nothing else.Can it be expected that they should acknowledge these languages are useless？ As well might a knight-errant have been expected to acknowledge that his mistress was ugly！
The third cause is， their reputed necessity.This necessity， though purely conventional， is not the less real.Public opinion has attached a degree of importance to an acquaintance with them， and be who should be known to be entirely ignorant of them， would be branded with disgrace.So long as this law subsists it must be obeyed.A single individual is seldom able to withstand or change that law established by public opinion.
As the public mind becomes enlightened， these laws will change of themselves.A sovereign may， however， hasten these changes if he believe them useful， and if he consider the attempt worth the trouble.
He may reward individuals for teaching the arts and science and thus establish a new public opinion， which shall at first compete with， and at length ultimately subdue， the previous prejudice.
He may also attain the same end by another less costly， but more startling method.He may prescribe an attendance upon different scientific lectures， as a necessary condition to the holding of certain offices， and particularly of all honorary employments.To those who have completed their course of attendance， an honorary diploma may be given， which upon all occasions of public ceremony shall entitle those who possess it to a certain precedence.
In the times of feudal barbarism， when war was the only occupation of those who did not belong to the commonality or the clergy， the upper ranks in society were necessarily military.The knight was the warrior who could afford to fight on horseback； the squire was one who， not being so rich as the knight， could afford to be his principal attendant， and this constituted their nobility.
In future times， when other occupations shall be pursued and other manners established， it is possible that knowledge may confer rank in Europe， as the appearance of it has for a long time past in China.Wealth， independently of any convention， possesses real power， and will always mingle with everything which tends to confer respect.The philosopher， to his title of honour， will unite the idea of an individual sufficiently wealthy to have supported the expense of a learned education.
Knowledge， whether true or presumptive， might thus become a mark of distinction， as the length of the nails is in China.
But it may be said， that something more than attendance upon a course of scientific lectures is necessary， if anything is to be learned； and that the law which should bestow honour upon attendance would not insure study.If it were necessary to have a nobility composed of real philosophers， other methods must be pursued； but when the object in view is merely to change the species of knowledge in which they are to be instructed， from what is useless to what is useful， what more need be required？ When interesting objects of study are substituted for those which are uninteresting， they would not study less.
I know that public examinations are powerful means for exciting emulation， but I have no desire to place additional obstacles in the way of a plan whose novelty alone would render it but too alarming：
a project， which to many will appear romantic， need not be accompanied by an accessory whose aspect is alarming， and whose utility is problematic.
The most stupid and inattentive could scarcely attend upon a long course of instruction without gaining some advantage：
they would at least be familiarized with the terms of art， which constitute not only the first， but the greatest difficulty； they would form some idea of the principal divisions of the country they traversed； and should they ever be desirous of directing a more particular examination to any particular division， they will at least know in what direction to seek for it.As all the world would then be occupied with the study of the sciences， they would pretend thus to employ themselves， and would be ashamed to be entirely ignorant of those things which were the subjects of general conversation.
Russia is an instance of the ease with which a new direction may be given to the opinions of a whole people.Nobility of birth is but little respected：梠fficial rank is the only ground of distinction.This change has been effected by a few simple regulations.Unless he be an officer， no individual， how rich or nobly born soever be may be， can vote.or even sit， in the assembly of the nobility.
The consequence has been， that all classes have pressed into the service of the state.If they do not intend to make it their profession， they quit it when they have attained the rank which confers this privilege.{Concluding note by Dumont}
