NoristhishappychangeseenatCornellalone。Thesamecauses，——mainlytheincreaseintherangeofstudiesandfreedomofchoicebetweenthem，haveproducedsimilarresultsinalltheleadinginstitutions。RecallingthestudentbrawlattheHarvardcommonswhichcostthehistorianPrescotthissight，andtheriotattheHarvardcommencementwhichblockedthewayofPresidentEverettandtheBritishminister;recallingthefatalwoundingofTutorDwight，themaimingofTutorGoodrich，andthekillingoftwotownriotersbystudentsatYale;andrecallingthemonstrousindignitiestothepresidentandfacultyatHobartofwhichIwasmyselfwitness，aswellasthestateofthingsatvariousothercollegesinmyowncollegedays，Icantestify，ascansomanyothers，tothevastimprovementintheconductandaimsofAmericanstudentsduringthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcentury。
CHAPTERXXI
DIFFICULTIESANDDANGERSATCORNELL——1868—1872
Thefirstbusinessafterformallyopeningtheuniversitywastoputinoperationthevariouscoursesofinstruction，andvitallyconnectedwiththesewerethelecturesofournon—residentprofessors。FromtheseIhadhopedmuchandwasnotdisappointed。IthadlongseemedtomethatagreatlackinourAmericanuniversitieswasjustthatsortofimpulsewhichnon—residentprofessorsorlecturersofahighordercouldgive。AtYaletherehadbeen，inmytime，veryfewlecturesofanysorttoundergraduates;theworkinthevariousclasseswascarriedon，asarule，withouttheslightestenthusiasm，andwasconsideredbythegreatbodyofstudentsaboretobeabridgedoravoidedasfaraspossible。Hencesuchpranksascuttingoutthetongueofthecollegebell，ofwhichtwoorthreetonguesstillpreservedinuniversityclub—roomsarereminders;hence，also，theeffortmadebymembersofmyownclasstofillthecollegebellwithcement，whichwouldsetinashorttime，andmakeanycalltomorningprayersandrecitationsforadayortwoimpossible——aperformancewhichcausedalongsuspensionofseveralofthebestyoungfellowsthateverlived，someofthemgoodscholars，andallofthemmenwhowouldhavewalkedmilestoattendareallyinspiringlecture。
Andyet，oneortwoexperiencesshowedmewhatmightbedonebyarousinganinterestinregularclasswork。
ProfessorThacher，theheadofthedepartmentofLatin，whoconductedmyclassthroughthe``Germania’’and``Agricola’’ofTacitus，wasanexcellentprofessor;butheyieldedtothesystemthendominantatYale，andthewholethingwasbutwearyplodding。Hardlyeverwasthereanythingintheshapeofexplanationorcomment;
butattheendofhisworkwithushelaiddownthebook，andgaveusadmirablythereasonswhythestudyofTacituswasofvalue，andwhywemightwellrecurtoitinafteryears。Thencamepainfullyintomymindthethought，``Whatapitythathehadnotsaidthisatthebeginningofhisinstructionratherthanattheend！’’
Stillworsewasitwithsomeofthetutors，whotookusthroughvariousclassicalworks，butneverwithaparticleofappreciationforthemasliteratureorphilosophy。I
havetoldelsewherehowmyclassmateSmalleyfoughtitoutwithoneofthese。Noinstructionfromoutsidelectureswasprovided;butinmysenioryeartherecametoNewHavenJohnLordandGeorgeWilliamCurtis，theformergivingacourseonmodernhistory，thelatteroneuponrecentliterature，andbotharousingmyearnestinterestintheirsubjects。Itwasinviewoftheseexperiencesthatinmy``planoforganization’’Idweltespeciallyuponthevalueofnon—residentprofessorsinbringingtousfreshlifefromtheoutside，andinthuspreventingacertainprovincialismandwoodennesswhichcomewhenthereareonlyresidentprofessors，andtheseselectedmainlyfromgraduatesoftheinstitutionitself。
Theresultoftheworkdonebyournon—residentprofessorsmorethanansweredmyexpectations。ThetwentylecturesofAgassizdrewlargenumbersofourbrightestyoungmen，gavethemhigherinsightintovariousproblemsofnaturalscience，andstimulatedamongmanyazealforspecialinvestigation。ThusresultedanenthusiasmwhichdevelopedoutofourstudentbodyseveralscholarsinnaturalsciencewhohavesincetakenrankamongtheforemostteachersandinvestigatorsintheUnitedStates。So，too，thelecturesofLowellonearlyliteratureandofCurtisonlaterliteraturearousedgreatinterestamongstudentsofamoreliteraryturn;whilethoseofTheodoreDwightontheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesandofBayardTayloruponGermanliteratureawakenedalargenumberofactivemindstothebeautiesofthesefields。ThecomingofGoldwinSmithwasanespecialhelptous。Heremainedlongerthantheothers;infact，hebecamefortwoorthreeyearsaresidentprofessor，exercising，bothinhislecture—roomandoutofit，agreatinfluenceuponthewholelifeoftheuniversity。
Atalaterperiod，thecomingofGeorgeW。GreeneaslectureronAmericanhistory，ofEdwardA。Freeman，regiusprofessoratOxford，asalectureronEuropeanhistory，andofJamesAnthonyFroudeinthesamefield，arousednewinterest。Someofourexperienceswiththetwogentlemenlastnamedwerecurious。Freemanwasaroughdiamond——inhisfitsofgoutveryroughindeed。Atsomeofhislecturesheappearedcladinashooting—jacketandspokesitting，hisfootswathedtomitigatehissufferings。FromNewHavencameacharacteristicstoryofhim。Hehadbeeninvitedtoattendaneveninggathering，afteroneofhislectures，atthehouseofoneoftheprofessors，perhapsthefinestresidenceinthetown。Withtheexceptionofhimself，thegentlemenallarrivedineveningdress;heappearedinashooting—jacket。Presentlytwoprofessorsarrived;andoneofthem，glancingthroughtherooms，andseeingFreemanthusattired，askedtheother，``Whatsortofacostumedoyoucallthat？’’Theanswercameinstantly，``Idon’tknow，unlessitisthecostumeofaSaxonswineherdbeforetheConquest。’’InviewofFreeman’sstudiesontheSaxonandNormanperiodsandthefamoustoastofthedeanofWells，``InhonorofProfessorFreeman，whohasdonesomuchtorevealtoustherudemannersofourancestors，’’theYaleprofessor’sanswerseemedmuchtothepoint。
ThelecturesofFroudewereexceedinglyinteresting;
buteverydayhebeganthemwiththewords``Ladiesandgentlemen，’’inthemostcomicalfalsettoimaginable，——
asortofLordDundrearymanner，——sothat，sittingbesidehim，Ialwaysnoticedarippleoflaughterrun—
ningoverthewholeaudience，whichinstantlydisappearedashesettledintohiswork。Hehadawayofgivingcolortohislecturesbycitingbitsofhumoroushistory。ThusitwasthathethrewavividlightonthehorrorsofcivilwarinIrelandduringthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies，whenhegavethepleaofanIrishchieftainontrialforhightreason，oneofthechargesagainsthimbeingthathehadburnedtheCathedralofCashel。Hispleawas:``Melords，IniverwouldhaveburnedthecathaydralbutthatIsupposedthathisgracethelordarchbishopwasinside。’’
Speakingofthestrengthoftheclanspirit，hetoldmeastoryofthelateDukeofArgyll，asfollows:Atabanquetofthegreatclanofwhichthedukewaschief，asplendidsnuff—boxbelongingtooneoftheclansmen，havingattractedattention，waspassedroundthelongtableforinspection。Byandbyitwasmissing。Allattemptstotraceitwereinvain，andthepartybrokeupindisgustanddistressatthethoughtthatoneoftheirnumbermustbeathief。
Somedaysafterward，theduke，puttingonhisdress—coat，foundtheboxinhispocket，andimmediatelysentfortheownerandexplainedthematter。``Iknewyehadit，’’saidtheowner。``Howdidyeknowit？’’saidtheduke。``Sawyetak’it。’’``Thenwhydidn’tyetellme？’’askedtheduke。``Ithochtyewantedit，’’wastheanswer。
Speakingofuniversitylife，FroudetoldthestoryofanOxfordundergraduatewho，onbeingexaminedinPaley，wasaskedtonameanyinstancewhichhehadhimselfnoticedofthegoodnessandforethoughtoftheAlmightyasevidencedinhisworks:towhichtheyoungmananswered，``Theformationoftheheadofabulldog。Itsnoseissodrawnbackthatitcanhangonthebullandyetbreathefreely;butforthis，thebulldogwouldsoonhavetoletgoforwantofbreath。’’
WalkingonedaywithFroude，Ispoketohimregardinghis``NemesisofFaith，’’whichIhadreadduringmyattachshipatSt。Petersburg，andwhichhadbeengreatlyobjectedtobyvariousOxforddons，oneofwhomissaidtohaveburnedacopyofitpubliclyinoneofthecollegequadrangles。Heseemedsomewhatdismayedatmyquestion，andsaid，inanervoussortofway，``Thatwasayoungman’sbook——ayoungman’sfolly，’’andpassedrapidlytoothersubjects。
Fromthestimulusgivenbythenon—residentprofessorstheresidentfacultyreapedmuchadvantage。Itmightwellbesaidthattheformershookthebushandthelattercaughtthebirds。WhatismosttruthfullystatedonthetablettoProfessorAgassizintheCornellMemorialChapeloftheuniversitymight，ingreatpart，besaidofalltheothers。Itrunsasfollows:
``TothememoryofLouisAgassiz，LL。D。Inthemidstofgreatlaborsforscience，throughouttheworld，heaidedinlayingthefoundationsofinstructionatCornellUniversity，and，byhisteachingshere，gaveanimpulsetoscientificstudies，whichremainsapreciousheritage。Thetrustees，ingratitudeforhiscounselsandteachings，erectthismemorial。1884。’’
Anincidentalbenefitofthesystemwasitshappyinfluenceupontheresidentprofessors。Comingfromabroad，andofrecognizedhighposition，thenon—residentsbroughtaveryhappyelementtooursociallife。Noveteranofourfacultyislikelytoforgetthecharmtheydiffusedamongus。TomeetAgassizsociallywasadelight;
norwasitlessapleasuretositattablewithLowellorCurtis。OfthemanygoodstoriestoldusbyLowell，I
rememberoneespecially。DuringastayinParishedinedwithSainte—Beuve，andtookoccasiontoaskthatmosteminentofFrenchcriticswhichhethoughtthegreaterpoet，LamartineorVictorHugo。Sainte—Beuve，shrugginghisshoulders，replied:``Ehbien，charlatanpourcharlatan，jeprefreLamartine。’’Thisprovokedanotherstory，whichwasthat，beingaskedbyanAmericanprofessorwhetherinhisopiniontheEmpireofNapoleonIIIwaslikelytoendure，Sainte—Beuve，whowasasalariedsenatoroftheEmpire，answeredwithashrug，``Monsieur，jesuispaypourlecroire。’’Agassizalsointerestedmebyshowingmethefriendly，confidential，andfamiliarletterswhichhewasthenconstantlyreceivingfromtheEmperorofBrazil，DomPedro——lettersinwhichnotonlymattersofsciencebutofcontemporaryhistorywerediscussed。BayardTayloralsodelightedusall。
Nothingcouldexceed，asaprovocativetomirth，hisrecitationsofsundrypoemswhoseinspirationwasinferiortotheirambition。Oneespeciallybroughtdownthehouse——
``TheEonxofRuby，’’byapoetwhohadreadPoeandBrowninguntilheneverhesitatedtocoinanyword，nomatterhownonsensical，whichseemedlikelytohelphisjingle。InmanyrespectsthemostcharmingofallthenewcomerswasGoldwinSmith，whosestories，observations，reflections，deeplysuggestive，humorous，andwitty，wereespeciallygratefulatthecloseofdaysfullofworkandcare。Hisfundofanecdoteswaslarge。Oneofthemillustratedthefactthateventhosewhoarebestacquaintedwithalanguagenottheirownareinconstantdangerofmakingthemselvesridiculousinusingit。TheDucd’Aumale，whohadlivedlonginEngland，andwassupposedtospeakEnglishlikeanEnglishman，presidingatadinneroftheBritishAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience，gaveatoastasfollows:``Detreeofscience，mayitsheddownpeaseupondenations。’’
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