Bautain’slittlebookonextemporaneousspeaking，asthebesttreatiseonthesubjectIhadeverseen，IremindedmystudentsthatthesefamouslecturesofGuizot，whichhadopenedanewepochinmodernhistoricalinvestigationandinstruction，weregiven，asregardsphrasing，extemporaneously，butthat，asregardsmatter，theywerecarefullypreparedbeforehand，havingwhatBautaincallsa``self—
developingorder’’;andIstatedthatIwouldallowanymemberofmyclasswhomightvolunteerforthepurposetogive，inhisownphrasing，thesubstanceofanentirelecture。ForayoungmanthustostandupandvirtuallydeliveroneofGuizot’slecturesrequiredgreatconcentrationofthoughtandconsiderablefacilityinexpression，butseveralstudentsavailedthemselvesofthepermission，andacquittedthemselvesadmirably。Thisseemedtomeanexcellenttrainingforeffectivepublicspeaking，andseveralofmyoldstudents，whohavesincedistinguishedthemselvesinpubliclife，haveconfessedtomethattheyfounditso。
Mynextandhighestdutywasgivinglecturestotheseniorclassandstudentsfromthelawschool。IntothisIthrewmyselfheartily，andsoonhadthesatisfactionofseeingmylargelecture—roomconstantlyfull。Thefirstofthesecourseswasonthe``DevelopmentofCivilizationduringtheMiddleAges’’;and，asIfollowedthelogicalratherthanthechronologicalorder，——takingupthesubject，notbyarecitalofevents，butbyadiscussionofepochsandsubjects，——Ithoughtitbesttolecturewithoutmanuscriptorevennotes。Thiswas，forme，aboldventure。Ihadneverbeforeattemptedanythinginthewayofextendedextemporaneousspeaking;and，asIenteredtheoldchapeloftheuniversityformyfirstlecture，andsawitfullofstudentsofallclasses，IavowedmytrepidationtoPresidentTappan，who，havingcometointroduceme，wasseatedbymyside。Hewasanadmirableextemporaneousspeakerinthebestsense，andhethenandtheregavemeabitofadvicewhichprovedofrealvalue。Hesaid:``Letme，asanoldhand，tellyouonething:neverstopdead;keepsayingsomething。’’Thiscourseoflectureswasfollowedbyothersonmodernhistory，oneofthesebeingon``GermanHistoryfromtheRevivalofLearningandtheReformationtoModernTimes，’’
anotheron``FrenchHistoryfromtheConsolidationoftheMonarchytotheFrenchRevolution，’’andstillanotheronthe``FrenchRevolution。’’TothislattercourseIgavespecialattention，thefoundationhavingbeenlaidforitinFrance，whereIhadvisitedvariousinterestingplacesandtalkedwithinterestingmenwhorecalledeventsandpeopleoftheRevolutionaryandNapoleonicperiods。Foratext—bookfoundationIreadwithmylowerclassesMignet’s``HistoryoftheRevolution，’’whichstillremainedwhatCarlylepronouncedit——thebestshortsummaryofthatgreatperiod。
Tofurthertheworkofmystudentsinthelecture—room，Ipublishedaninterleavedsyllabusofeachcourse，andwas，Ithink，thefirstpersoninourcountrywhoeverdidthisinconnectionwithhistoricallectures。Itisamatterofwondertomethatsofewprofessorsinthesedaysresorttothissimplemeansofstrengtheningtheirinstruction。
Itoughttoberequiredbyuniversitystatutes。Itseemstomeindispensabletoanythinglikethoroughwork。A
syllabus，properlyinterleaved，furnishestoastudentbyfarthebestmeansoftakingnotesoneachlecture，aswellasofreviewingthewholecourseafterward，andtoaprofessorthebestmeansoftestingthefaithfulnessofhisstudents。Asregardsmyselfpersonally，therecametomefrommysyllabusanespecialadvantage;for，asIhaveshowninmypoliticalexperiences，itgainedformethefriendshipofCharlesSumner。
Ihavestatedelsewherethatmyzealinteachinghistorywasbynomeanstheresultofamerelikingforthatfieldofthought。Greataswasmyloveforhistoricalstudies，therewassomethingIprizedfarmore——andthatwastheopportunitytopromoteabettertraininginthoughtregardingourgreatnationalproblemsthenrapidlyapproachingsolution，thegreatestofallbeingthequestionbetweenthesupportersandopponentsofslavery。
Inorderthatmyworkmightbefairlywellbased，Ihad，duringmycollegedaysandmyfirststayabroad，beguncollectingtheprivatelibrarywhichhasaddedcertainlytothepleasures，andprobablytotheusefulness，ofmylife。BookswhicharenowcostlyraritiescouldthenbeboughtintheEuropeancapitalsforpettysums。ThereishardlyanyoldEuropeancitywhichhasnotbeen，atsometime，oneofmyhappyhunting—groundsinthechaseforrarebooksbearinguponhistory;evennow，whenmycollection，ofwhichthegreaterparthasbeentrans—
ferredtoCornellUniversity，numbersnotfarshortoffortythousandvolumes，theoldpassionstillflamesupattimes;andduringtheinditingofthischapterIhavesecuredtwoseriesofmanuscriptsofverygreatvalueinillustratingtheevolutionofmoderncivilization。Myreasonforsecuringsuchoriginalmaterialwasnotthedesiretopossessraritiesandcuriosities。Ifoundthatpassagesactuallyreadfromimportantoriginalsduringmylecturesgavearealityandvividnesstomyinstructionwhichwereotherwiseunattainable。AcitationoftheipsissimaverbaofErasmus，orLuther，orMelanchthon，orPeterCanisius，orLouisXIV，orRobespierre，orMarat，interestedmystudentsfarmorethananyquotationatsecondhandcoulddo。Norhetoriccouldimpressonaclasstherealspiritandstrengthofthemiddleagesascouldoneofmyilluminatedpsaltersormissals;nodeclamationupontheboldnessofLuthercouldimpressthinkingyoungmenasdidcitationsfromhis``ErfurtSermon，’’which，byweakeninghissafe—conduct，puthimvirtuallyatthemercyofhisenemiesattheDietofWorms;nostatementsastothefatuityofRobespierrecouldequalcitationsfromanoriginalcopyofhis``ReportontheMoralandReligiousConsiderationswhichOughttoGoverntheRepublic’’;allspecificationsofthefollyofMaratpaledbeforetheravingsintheoriginalcopiesofhisnewspaper，``L’AmiduPeuple’’;nostatisticsregardingthepaper—moneycrazeinFrancecouldsoimpressitsactualityonstudentsasdidtheseeingandhandlingofFrenchrevolutionaryassignatsandmandats，manyofthemwithregistrationnumbersclearlyshowingtheenormousquantitiesofthiscurrencythenissued;noillustration，atsecondhand，ofthemethodsoftheFrenchgeneralsduringtheRevolutionaryperiodcouldproducetheimpressiongivenbyasimpleexhibitionofthebroadsidesissuedbytheproconsulsofthatperiod;nodescriptionofthecollapseofthetriumvirateandtheReignofTerrorcouldequalahalf—hour’sreadingfromthe``Moniteur’’;
andallaccountsoftheEmpireweredimcomparedtograndiosestatementsreadfromtheoriginalbulletinsofNapoleon。
Inthiswayalonecanhistorybemaderealtostudents。
Bothatmylecturesandinthesocialgatheringsatmyhouse，Ilaidoutformyclassesthemostimportantoriginalsbearingupontheircurrentwork;anditwasnosmallpleasuretopointouttherelationsofthesetotheeventswhichhadformedthesubjectofourstudiestogether。I
say``ourstudiestogether，’’becausenooneofmystudentsstudiedmorehoursthanmyself。Theystimulatedmegreatly。Mostofthemwereverynearmyownage;severalwereolder。Asarule，theywerebright，inquiring，zealous，andamongthemweresomeofthebestmindsI
haveeverknown。Fromamongthemhavesincecomesenators，membersofCongress，judges，professors，lawyers，headsofgreatbusinessenterprises，andforeignministers。OneofthembecamemysuccessorintheprofessorshipintheUniversityofMichiganandthepresidencyofCornell，and，inonefield，theleadingAmericanhistorianofhistime。AnotherbecamemypredecessorintheembassytoGermany。ThoughIhadwhatmightbefairlycalled``agoodstart’’ofthesemen，itwasnecessarytoworkhardtomaintainmyposition;butsuchlaborwasthenpleasure。
Norwasmyworkconfinedtohistoricalteaching。Afterthefashionofthattime，Iwascalledupontoheartheessaysanddiscussionsofcertaindivisionsoftheupperclasses。Thisdemandedtwoeveningsaweekthroughtwotermsineachyear，andontheseeveningsIjoyfullywenttomylecture—room，notinfrequentlythroughdriftsofsnow，and，havingmyselfkindledthefireandlightedthelamps，awaitedthediscussion。Thissubsidiarywork，whichinthesedegeneratedaysisdonebyjanitors，ismentionedhereasshowingthesimplicityofabygoneperiod。ThediscussionsthusheldwereofahigherrangethananyIhadknownatYale，andsomeweredecidedlyoriginal。Onedeservesespecialmention。AcontroversyhavingariseninMassachusettsandspreadthroughoutthecountryregardingtheerectionofastatueofDanielWebsterinfrontoftheStateHouseatBoston，andbitteroppositionhavingbeenarousedbyhisseventh—of—Marchspeech，twogroupsofmystudent—disputantsagreedtotakeupthissubjectandmodeltheirspeechesuponthoseofDemosthenesandAeschinesonthecrown，whichtheywerethenreadingintheoriginal。Itwasahappythought，andwellcarriedout。
CHAPTERXVI
UNIVERSITYLIFEINTHEWEST——1857—1864
Itmustbeconfessedthatallwasnotplainsailinginmynewposition。Onedifficultyarosefrommyveryyouthful，nottosayboyish，appearance。Iwas，indeed，theyoungestmemberofthefaculty;butattwenty—fouryearsonehastherighttobetakenforaman，anditwasvexatioustobetakenforayouthofseventeen。AtmyfirstarrivalintheuniversitytownInoticed，asthetraindrewuptothestation，anumberofstudents，evidentlyawaitingthecomingofsuchfreshmenasmightbeeligibletothevariousfraternities;
and，onlanding，Iwasatonceapproachedbyasophomore，whoaskedifIwasabouttoentertheuniversity。ForaninstantIwasgrievouslyabashed，butpullingmyselftogether，answeredinasortofaffirmativeway;andatthishebecameexceedinglycourteous，takingpainstopilotmetoahotel，givingmemuchexcellentadvice，andeveninsistingoncarryingaconsiderableamountofmybaggage。
Othermembersoffraternitiesjoinedus，allmostcourteousandkind，andthednouementcameonlyattheregistrationofmynameinthehotelbook，whentheyrecognizedinme``thenewprofessor。’’Imustsaytotheircreditthat，althoughtheywereforatimelaughedatthroughouttheuniversity，theyremainedmywarmpersonalfriends。
ButafterIhaddischargedthedutiesofmyprofessorshipforaconsiderableperiod，thissamedifficultyexisted。
Onashootingexcursion，anoldfriendandmyselfcame，and，beingveryhungry，askedforbreadandmilk。Mycompanionbeingdelayedoutside，cleaningtheguns，thefarmer’swifeleftmeandwentouttotalkwithhim。I
continuedeatingmybreadandmilkvoraciously，andshortlyafterwardtheyentered，helaughingheartilyandshelookingrathershamefaced。Onmyaskingthecausehedeclinedforatimetostateit，butatlengthsaidthatshehadcomeouttowarnhimthatifhedidnotcomeinprettysoon``thatboywouldeatupallthebreadandmilkinthehouse。’’Thisstoryleakedout，andevenappearedinalocalpaper，butnever，Ithink，didmeanyharm。
Anotheroccurrence，shortlyafterward，seemedlikelyforatimetobemoreserious。Thesophomoreclass，exuberantandinventiveasever，wereevidentlydeterminedto``tryiton’’theiryoungprofessor——infact，totreatmeastheyhadtreatedtheirtutors。Anymistakemadebyastudentataquizelicitedfromsundrybenchesexpressionsofregretmuchtooplaintive，orejaculationsofcontemptmuchtooexplosive;andfromtheseandvarioussimilardemonstrationswhichgreweverydayamongacertainsetinmyclass—room，itwaseasytoseethatatrialofstrengthmustsooncome，anditseemedtomebesttoforcethefighting。LookingovertheseobstreperousyouthsInoticedonetall，black—beardedmanwithakeentwinkleinhiseye，whowasevidentlytheleader。Therewasn...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：