As he himself had attained solid knowledge in his youth, he was also anxious that his pupils should be well grounded in the various branches of knowledge. He was therefore not ashamed to instruct young men in the rudiments of the dead languages. For this purpose he wrote a Greek and a Latin grammar, which were used in the schools until the beginning of the last century. He was instrumental in securing cheap editions of the Greek and Roman authors. But he did not confine himself entirely to the study of languages; he also devoted himself to other branches of knowledge, particularly History. He was very anxious to direct greater attention to German History. A number of excellent scholars were prepared under Melanchthon's superintendence, one of whom, Valentine Friedland, called TROTZENDORF, became very distinguished.
We will not enter into the consideration of his services in Philosophy, the promotion of Eloquence, Ethics, Psychology, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy, but shall merely say a few words more of the influence he exerted upon true _Theology_.
He was mainly instrumental in introducing the knowledge of the Greek language among the Protestants, and also in encouraging them to study the Hebrew, because he saw that a knowledge of the original languages was absolutely essential in order to understand the Holy Scriptures properly. Besides this, as we have heard before, he wrote critical expositions of most of the books of the Bible. His Latin comments upon the Gospel lessons appointed to be read in the Churches, were delivered before the Hungarians, who did not understand the German language. CHRISTOPHER PEZEL informs us of their origin: "When the University was re-established after the war of Smalkald, Philip Melanchthon began to explain the Gospels for Sundays and festival days, in his own house, for the sake of a number of Hungarians, who were not able to understand the German sermons in the churches. As a large number of other persons also began to attend these lectures or sermons, in which he explained the principal truths of his text in a familiar conversational manner, he was obliged to hold them in the public Lecture-Room. As he was very skilful in instructing youth, and thoroughly supplied with every kind of learning, he was careful to suit his explanations to the capacities of his hearers, the greater part of whom were young men, and many of them boys."