AUGUSTUS LOWELL. G4U 



Of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences he was made a mein- 

 her in 1886. He was first the treasurer and then the vice-president. On 

 the death of Professor Cooke, deeming it fitting that the post of presi- 

 dent should be filled by a man of science, he secured the election of 

 Agassiz. When the change into sections was made he became the vice- 

 president of his section, — jurisprudence and literature. He was also a 

 member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science from 

 1898; of the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1900; of the Colonial 

 Society of Massachusetts from 1898. He died on June 22, 1901. 



Such, in brief, was what Mr. Lowell did. Quite as important is what 

 he was. For the man was always behind his measures, as the whole in- 

 cludes the part. His actions were but parcel of himself. Not always is 

 this the case. Some men become noteworthy for what they do, while 

 being notorious for what they are. But with him the act was outcome 

 of the man. He said what he meant and meant what he said. In this 

 unity lay one element of his force. To those with whom he came in con- 

 tact this oneness with one's self made itself felt. To the world at large, 

 which sees the works but not the workings, his hand in matters which he 

 had brought about often escaped notice. For a certain ingrained aver- 

 sion to publicity prevented him from putting himself forward. Nothing, 

 however, restrained him from pushing his measures. In consequence, 

 many as were the acts one can point to in his unusually active life, those 

 which actuated others without appearing themselves were more; in con- 

 sequence also, the world remained in ignorance of the motive cause. For 

 he acted for results ; and what is to take effect does not need to make it. 



Effect indeed was the very opposite of what Mr. Lowell was in 

 thought or word or deed ; and very refreshing it is, like a cool breath of 

 pure air in the artificial heat and closeness of a crowded room, to consider 

 such a character in these days of blatant, forth-putting mediocrity. 

 When to seem is at a premium, and to be at a discount, it is invigorating 

 to turn to a life which owed nothing to adventitious or meritricious aid; 

 a life which not only was fine, but escaped the soiling consequent upon 

 too much mental fingering by the world at large. To be generally in 

 evidence means a loss of that delicacy of distinction, if it means nothing 

 more, which is for so much in beauty of character. But it means usually 

 very much more ; it leads inevitably to a substitution of superficiality for 

 solidity, of appearance for reality, of a sinking to a level of one's audience 

 instead of a rising superior to applause. To say that a man owed nothing 

 to effect is to say of him the best that can possibly be said. The natural 

 forces with which we daily come in contact owe nothing to such cause; 



