210 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



for a few words about myself, and then I will fill the rest 

 of my letter with anything which may amuse you. I left 

 London about the middle of November, and went first to 

 Cambridge. I had letters to the gentlemen of the Univer- 

 sity, and was constantly 'among them, dining, supping, 

 walking, &c., for two days. I was a kind of phenome- 

 non, an American Professor is a kind of personage not 

 often on this side the water, and of course 1 was not a 

 little stared at. How little my external man came up to 

 the gravity and vastitude of those associations which the 

 European world connect with a Professor, (not to mention 

 more important matters,) I leave you to judge. I cannot 

 now say much of Cambridge, for want of space and time ; 

 but I will fully satisfy you if we live to meet again. I was 

 however gratified and instructed, and on the whole, I was 

 treated with great kindness. The University gentlemen 

 of England are rather more convivial than we are in our 

 American colleges. They push the bottle briskly, and I 

 was urged to take a rubber at whist with a party composed 

 of Masters and Professors. At York I saw Lindley Mur- 

 ray, and was greatly gratified with the interview. He was 

 pleased at hearing that his grammar is a text-book with 

 us. I am finely situated for study in Edinburgh. The 

 medical professors are able men, and Dr. Hope gives us 

 chemistry in high style. I have heard Dugald Stewart 

 lecture. He is the first man in the University, and is 

 really a fine example of a highly enriched and polished 

 mind, with manly and impressive elqquence. I sup with 

 him on Friday evening. At last I have realized our old 

 project of keeping bachelor's hall. Dr. Gorham and Mr. 

 Codman, two fine young men, from Boston, with myself, 

 occupy a house, and live in all the comfort, independence, 

 economy, and quiet which can be imagined. Our land- 

 lady does everything that we say; we have everything in 

 good order, and I never lived more comfortably. Query 

 If I should live to return, and you should remain unmar- 



