FOUR COURSES OF LOWELL LECTURES. 389 



January 17 th, Friday. The interest appears to increase. 

 Some people come at six o'clock, at the opening of the 

 door, and therefore remain three hours ; and curious indi 

 viduals remain half an houp* longer after the lecture to ex 

 amine the specimens, which are explained by my son and 

 Dr. Wyman, as I always retire at once to my room. After 

 half an hour's rest, I resume my reading for an hour or two. 

 My voice served me well at the last lecture. I have already 

 mentioned my deep sense of responsibility in introducing 

 to the public a splendid institution. It is the greatest honor 

 I ever received, to be selected for such a service, when 

 there are so many able men of their own here and in this 

 vicinity. I am therefore very anxious to discharge my duty 

 with decided ability, that the institution may not fail in my 

 hands ; and I need not say that a failure would be most 

 unhappy, and to me calamitous. 



January 19, Sabbath. In the morning, at the Marlboro' 

 Chapel to hear President Mahan preach on perfection 

 ism. In the afternoon, with Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, we at 

 tended their place of worship, Dr. Channing's and Mr. 

 Gannett's. The latter gentleman's subject was, "A double- 

 minded man is unstable in all his ways." He urged fer 

 vently the duty of immediate repentance, and exposed 

 very forcibly the sin and misery of being half in earnest. 

 These ministers are fervent and devout men ; in doctrine 

 they are Unitarian, in spirit, Christian 



January 31. In a morning which was bright after the 

 rain, Mr. John Lowell, father of Mr. John A. Lowell, the 

 trustee, called in his carriage, and took us both to his coun 

 try-seat in Roxbury, where he kindly entertained us for 

 more than an hour, by explaining to us in his beautiful 

 green-house some of the more rare plants, among which 

 were the Pandanus or screw pine, the Auracaria pine, the 

 Dracena or dragon-plant, many palms, the Ficus elastica 

 or elastic gum-plant, some of the Orchidice, and many more. 

 Most of these, in relation to their fossil analogues, pos 

 sessed for me a high degree of interest. 



