XV 



respect to this was to acquire a correct pronunciation of the lan- 

 guage, in which he was remarkably successful, his instructer being 

 a native of France, and particularly pleased to give him the atten- 

 tion which he desired. He had, indeed, a peculiar facility, in all 

 the foreign tongues which he studied, in acquiring ease and correct- 

 ness of pronunciation. His delicately tuned ear was in this an ex- 

 cellent guide. Thorough and complete knowledge was sought by 

 him in all his studies. Hence he accustomed himself to the prac- 

 tice of writing in the principal languages he acquired, — a prac- 

 tice which he commenced at college in the French, and continued 

 afterwards in the Portuguese, Italian, Latin, Greek, and some other 

 tongues. No intellectual labor was irksome to him which looked 

 to the increase or improvement of his knowledge. 



Though Mr. Pickering had no thought of ever becoming a medi- 

 cal student, yet, in pursuance of the principle to avail himself of all 

 opportunities of acquiring valuable information, he attended, in his 

 Senior year. Dr. Warren's lectures on anatomy, and Dr. Dexter's 

 on chemistry. With the former he was greatly delighted, as af- 

 fording him both instruction and entertainment in a high degree. 

 The latter, from the nature of the subject, were far less interestbg ; 

 yet he was stimulated by them to unite with several of his class- 

 mates in pursuing the study by themselves, making such experi- 

 ments as with their small apparatus were in their power. 



The peculiar delicacy of Mr. Pickering's mind and feelings ex- 

 posed him, in early life, to no little suffering from diffidence, which 

 it required all his resolution and sense of duty to overcome, and 

 which, perhaps, he never entirely subdued. Yet few ever exceed- 

 ed him in dignity of mind, strength of character, and firm, uncom- 

 promising principle. From his modest reluctance to speak in pub- 

 lic, he would have gladly avoided his first college honor, a part in 



