LECTURES IN 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 



