100 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [18^9. 



was obliged to leave at once to hear a lecture from 

 Professor Wilson, the famous Christopher North, one 

 of the most extraordinary men living, very eccentric, 

 a gifted genius, and a man of the most wonderful ver- 

 satility of powers. The subject to-day was the Asso- 

 ciation of Ideas. The lecture was rather striking, 

 original in manner, with a few flights of that peculiar 

 eloquence which you would expect from Christopher 

 North. Next heard Dr. Monro (Anatomy) ; very 

 prosy ; the class behaved shockingly, even for medical 

 students ! Lastly I heard Professor Jameson, 1 a 

 stiff, ungainly, forbidding-looking man, who gave us 

 the most desperately dull, doleful lecture I ever heard. 

 It was just like a copious table of contents to a book, 

 just about as interesting as reading a table of con- 

 tents for an hour would be; I may add just as in- 

 structive ! Dined in a quiet way with Dr. Pardie, a 

 young physician to whom I brought a letter from 

 James Hogg ; his wife is a cousin of James ; went 

 from the table to the college to hear a botanical lecture 

 from Professor Graham ; returned to tea and spent the 

 evening. I found I had quite unexpectedly met with 

 profitable acquaintance, as Dr. and Mrs. Pardie were 

 active and ardent Christians, of the Baptist persua- 

 sion, and people of a very delightful spirit. They 

 were well acquainted with Mr. Cheever of Salem, who 

 spent some time in Edinburgh previous to his journey 

 to Palestine. I passed a very pleasant evening, and 

 promised to call on them again before leaving town. 

 Returned in the midst of a violent snowstorm to Dr. 

 Greville's, where I am now domesticated, having sent 

 up my baggage from the hotel. 



1 Robert Jameson, 1774-1854 ; professor of natural history in the 

 University of Edinburgh. 



