384 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



a codicil added at the Arabic village of Luxor, the whole 

 of which is situated on the remains of an ancient palace. 

 In this codicil he gives his kinsman, Mr. John A. Lowell, 

 detailed directions for the administration of his trust. 



Governor Everett announced to the audience the name 

 of the individual who would have the honor of opening the 

 Institution, by giving the first course of lectures. He re- 

 marked thus : " The first course of lectures is now about 

 to commence on the subject of Geology, to be delivered by 

 a gentleman Professor Silliman of Yale College whose 

 reputation is too well established in this department of 

 science, both in Europe and America, and is too well known 

 to the citizens of Boston to need an attestation on my part. 

 It would be arrogant in me to speak farther of his qualifi- 

 cations as a lecturer on this foundation. The great crowd 

 assembled this evening, consisting as it does of a moiety 

 only of those who have received tickets of admission to the 

 course, sufficiently evinces the desire which is felt by the 

 citizens of Boston, again to enjoy the advantages of his 

 instruction, while it affords a new proof, if further proof 

 were wanting, that our liberal founder did not mistake the 

 disposition of the community to avail themselves of the 

 benefit of an institution of this character." (p. 383.) The 

 Orator added : " The few sentences, penned with a tired 

 hand by our fellow-citizen on the top of a palace of the 

 Pharaohs, will do more for human improvement than, for 

 aught that appears, was done by all of that gloomy dynasty 



that ever reigned." I thought it was proper, in 



opening the course, to acknowledge, in guarded language, 

 Governor Everett's generous announcement of myself; and 

 I therefore pronounced the following exordium : 



" Ladies and Gentlemen, By invitation of the trustee 

 and director of the Lowell Institute, I have the honor to 

 stand before you this evening, charged with the fulfilment 

 of an important duty. We have all listened with de- 

 lighted attention to the history of the origin of this Insti- 



