ALEXIS CASWELL. 309 



teaclier, president, trustee, or fellow : and in each and all of the«e rela- 

 tions he had reflected back all the honors which he had received as a 

 favorite son. Earnest, devoted, and generous himself, he had the 

 power and the disposition to enlist others, of larger means, in the same 

 cause. None of its distinguished children has exceeded him, perhaps 

 none has equalled him, in length of service and fidelity to its sacred 



tl"US*S. 



The special function and the liiirh deliiiht of Dr. Caswell were those 

 of an educator. When lie began his profession of teacher, he shared 

 the fate of his contemporaries in older and richer universities in a new 

 country. He was responsible for all the instruction given in mathe- 

 matics and natural philosophy ; in face, he alone represented the scien- 

 tific side of the institution to which he was attached. Afterwards, a 

 professor of chemistry, and at a much later period professors of natu- 

 ral pliilosophy or mathematics, were associated with him; so that, in 

 1850, his own duties were restricted to astronomy, from 1851 to 1855 

 to mathematics and astronomy, and after 1855 to natural philosophy 

 and astronomy. It could not be expected of any man who was 

 required to scatter his energies over a variety of subjects, which in a 

 well appointed university would tax the best efforts of half a dozen 

 professors, that he should have much leisure or dispositioii for original 

 investigation in one direction. It was enougii, and more than enough, 

 for the most laborious and ambitious teacher tliat he should maintain 

 a high standard of scholarship in the wide field which circumstances 

 forced him to cultivate. Much has been written durino; the last few 

 years in regard to the endowment of scientific research. But this is a 

 luxury of which no one dreamed in Dr. Caswell's day ; and its strong- 

 est advocates at the present time are not in agreement as to the best 

 way of accomplishing the desirable result. Mr. Huxley may be cor- 

 rect in Iiis opinion that a moderate amount of teaching will not check 

 but stimulate the zeal of the original explorer. But no one will think 

 that a mind, wearied by excessive teaching, distracted by a multiplicity 

 of topics, and prevented from rising in his instruction to tiie Alpine 

 heights of science by the dulness or indifference of the average stu- 

 dent who despairs even of reaching the table-land, is a congenial soil 

 for advancing human knowledge. Under such circumstances, one of two 

 things must happen, — either the work of teaching will be neglected, 

 or that of original research will be left to men more favorably 

 placed. 



It must not be inferred from these remarks that Dr. Caswell was 

 contented to remain stationary. At no time, since his scientific life 



