514 Affairs in General. ’ [Nov. 
‘mania for publishing lectures is quite alarming, and it will grow too— 
‘not a man among this new batch of professors—how many scores are 
‘there—one (not one score) for every pupil—but will publish at least 
his introductory, if not his whole course. Defend us from the inundation. 
A new book upon botany, for which there could be no earthly occasion, 
abounding as such books do, met our eyes the other day, by somebody 
never heard of before, who styled himself professor of botany to the 
London University. Then again there is King’s College, before a brick 
is laid, or the money subscribed for, or a professor appointed, has already 
_ begun to print, though the secretary, it seems-— we do not know why—dis- 
claims the book.—Good ! The results will soon be horribly annoying—re- 
chauffées already meet us on every side, and nothing of course is to be ex- 
‘pected but new rechauffées from a set of persons, who apparently think 
‘themselves bound ez officio to publish a book, and shew they can write. 
‘One consolation is left us—writers will soon be more numerous than 
readers, and then the evil will work its own remedy. The medical lecturers 
have 130 pupils attending them—that is among them. Who suffers we 
have not yet learnt, but some of course: the hospitals, or the private 
teachers. No new medical pupils can be created by the University ; all 
who before wanted medical instruction, could get it abundantly. The 
New University has no extraordinary facilities for dissection ; and as to 
professors, the old ones, are at least equal in name, practice, and ex- 
perience to the new, be they as respectable as they may. It becomes,in 
fact, merely a rival shop—a new medical school was the thing in Lon- 
don the least demanded—a company running down the private dealers ; 
companies have, however, one termination. 
To represent the University, as the prospectuses do, as possessing 
superior means of communicating instruction—as aiding in any uncom- 
mon respect the diffusion of classical, or even of scientific knowledge— 
as instituted for the benefit of science, and the progress of education— 
is all obviously stuff, and would never have been swallowed by any 
other nation, or by this, in any other age. Those who know any thing 
of lectures, know that it is not by lectures that a language will be 
learnt, or science or philosophy be understood. If the le¢turer can give 
any individual attention—it will be the quicker lads who will engross 
it—the duller can have no chance of it, and to them the lecture must o. 
course be utterly useless. Next week a score or two more professors 
will be ready to commence—whether they will have any pupils we have 
not yet learnt. The new Latin professor has got some friend to adver- 
tise hs course. It is, we observe, as nearly as possible, the one sug- 
gested and announced by Mr. Williams, the professor first appointed— 
so that this must be considered the prescription of the council. Why 
did Mr. Williams withdraw ? 
In the new number of the Edinburgh we find an article—the writer 
nobody will mistake—written in a tone of the fullest and most satisfied 
conviction, and anticipating the most complete success for this New 
University—to the utmost extent of the most sanguine expectation. 
King’s College, for which, by the way, the subscriptions are lagging at 
Jast very remarkably, the writer doubts whether he shall call it a 
“‘younger sister,” or the “ first-born child.” The fulness of his satis- 
faction prompts.a novel effusion of good will towards the old institutions, 
and he is confident both the patrons and the depreciators of the New 
