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Eastern and Western Ideals. IN the course of his presidential address at the last annual meeting of the Calcutta University Institute, H. E. Lord Ronaldshay said:- Now, gentlemen, there are a few worls, if you will bear with me, which I should like to You, the students of salcutta, are the trustees of posterity. say upon the subject of your studies. You, the students of to-day, will be the citizens of tomorrow. You, the heirs of the civilization of the East, are being given through the agency of the Western tongue an education which is the product of the civilization of the West. Now it is, perhaps, rather rash to generalise in matters of this kind but I don't think I should be far wrong if I were to say that when Western education was first introduced into Bengal there was a tendency for those who came under its immediate influence to adopt, without discrimination, not only the teachings but also the ways and modes of life of Europe. After a time re-action against this excessive westernisation of the East took place and there are in Bengal, I believe, to-day Indian gentlemen who have themselves enjoyed the benefits of Western education but who look with dism ly, indeel, do not think I should be wide of the mark now if I said, look with horror upon the prispect of a further westernisation of Bengal. Let me quate here in the words of a speech which I was reading not very long ago and which are typical of that point of view. The gentleman in question spoke thus:-'Western education has given rise to a kind of soulless culture in our midst-a culture that is powerless for good but is ambitions of much. . . . Mimie Anglicism has become am obcession with us; we find its black footprint in every walk and endeavour of ouη life. We have become hybrid in dress, in thought, in senti ment and culture, and are making frantie attempts to become hybrid even in blood.' Now, gentlemen, this is an extreme view. It is an exaggerated view and I think it is a wrong view. But while I think it is a wrong think I can the frame of mind of the man who spoke these view, I understand words. In his opinion the westernisation of Bengal means the destruction of the genius of Bengal, and the genius of engal is a very real and a very precious thing. It is a spiritual force of great potentiality which has been fashioned by the hind of lestiny in the glowing crucible of time. The culture of Bengal has been fashioned by forces which are different from the forces which have fashioned the culture of the West, and in his opinion the Indian who adopts in toto the culture, the thought, the ways and modes of life of the West is something artificial-a mere mimic of a man, whose soul has beco. me a trophied leaving a nere empty" husk. Now, gentlemen, as I have said, Ithink that view is a very wrong view, but there is : moral to be drawn fr. In it which I would cominend to your careful attention and that is this : that you should bring to be r upon the Western teaching that you receive, a discerning and discriminating mind. You may benefit enormously by the arts and the science of the West, but believe me, it is not necessary in order that you should so benefit you should cut yourselves entirely adrift from your own paths. Let me give you an example of what I mean. It is not necessary to adopt all the customs of Europe because you desire to benefit from the fruits of your European teaching. luet us take a quite simple example :-the drinking of wines or spirits is a common custom