THE MOKAL PHILOSOPHY CnAIR. 22.°, 



greatcoat — to announce that his hour had come. Pulling out his 

 watch, the unsympathizing anatomist addressed him : "Sir, it's past 

 one o'clock, and my students are at the door; you must conclude." 

 The orator, thus rudely cut short, had some difficulty in preserving 

 his self-possession, and, after a few sentences more, sat down. 



The first lecture and those which followed amply justified the 

 expectations of friends, and completely silenced enemies. Even 

 the unfriendly critic above referred to, while attempting to dispar- 

 age this first display of his powei's, patronizingly assured the new 

 Professor that if he made the exertions he had promised, and de- 

 meaned himself as became the successor of Ferguson, Brown, and 

 Stewart, his past errors might be forgotten, and he might obtain 

 that public confidence which was essential to his success as a 

 teacher. No such exhortations were needed to make Wilson feel 

 the gravity of his position, and stimulate him to maintain the glory 

 of the University, on which for the next thirty-one years he reflected 

 so much lustre. When he uttered the confident prediction, " ] 

 shall be professor to my dying day," it was in no boastful spirit. 

 lie had made up his mind to devote his full strength to the duties 

 of the office, and with all his distrust of his own metaphysical 

 capacity, he had a reasonable confidence in his ability to make the 

 Moral Philosophy class-room, as it had been before him, a place of 

 high and ennobling influence. To himself personally the change of 

 position brought with it a consolidation of character and aims 

 which imparted new dignity to his life and at the same time in- 

 creased his happiness. In assuming the Professor's gown he did 

 not indeed think it necessary, had that been possible, to divest him- 

 self of his proper characteristics, to be less fond of sport, less lively 

 with his pen. His literary activity and influence increased in the 

 years that followed this, for " Christopher North" was as yet but 

 a dimly-figured personage. But from this time " The Professor" is 

 his peculiar, his most prized title ; the Chair is the place where he 

 feels his highest work to be. I believe the prejudices and hostility 

 which obstructed his way to it, however triumphantly overcome, 

 threw their shadows forward more than is generally supposed. 

 For, Avhile no one could gainsay the fidelity with which he dis- 

 charged his duty, and the altogether unrivalled eloquence of his lec- 

 tures, I believe there were always some people who believed that 

 he was nothing more than a splendid declaimer, and that his course 



