LECTURES IX SOUTHERN CITIES. O 



human society, both moral and physical. These topics, 

 with some aid from the charts, enabled me to speak with 

 freedom and evident effect. If I may judge from the 

 notices in the Baltimore prints, the first impression was 

 very favorable. " A large and highly respectable audience 

 greeted the distinguished Northern Professor at his intro 

 ductory lecture. His high reputation rendered it no easy 

 task to meet the expectations of such an auditory ; but they 

 were more than realized. The discourse was so philosoph 

 ical, yet so perspicuous and intelligible ; the style so un 

 affected, so easy, graceful, and impressive, as to rivet the 

 attention to the very moment of the conclusion. The lec 

 ture was, moreover, illustrated by a large collection of ex 

 ceedingly beautiful and instructive paintings, which added 

 greatly to the interest of every topic. " He dwelt on the 

 physical history of the earth as it is indelibly written in 

 the rocks ; on the means of inspecting the interior of the 

 globe, and of inferring its structure far below the visible 

 surface ; the changes wrought by physical laws, from one 

 epoch to another, having fitted the earth first for the least 

 perfect of beings, then for those of a higher order, and 

 finally, after ages have passed, it became a fit abode for 

 man." Another writer says : " The discourse last night 

 was of surpassing eloquence and interest, and clearly dem 

 onstrated that the study of Nature tends to impress us with 

 suitable ideas of the power and attributes of the Creator. 

 Who did not feel a thrilling sensation as the lecturer elu 

 cidated with such simplicity the remote and proximate 

 causes of earthquakes and volcanoes ? " I have condensed 

 and softened these citations, omitting the most eulogistic 



parts 



The success of the course was early decided. In a let 

 ter home, dated March 10, after lecture fourth, I remark : 

 " I am very well, and all anxiety as to the respectable prog 

 ress of the lectures is over. People who come for once, 

 stay. A lady came to oblige her husband, but was sure 



