221 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



of lectures contained more poetry than philosophy. He was him- 

 self aware of this, and refers to it in a letter to De Quincey, in 

 which he naively asks his friend to describe him as " thoroughly 

 logical and argumentative," which, he says, " is true ; not a rhetori- 

 cian, as fools aver." The truth is, his poetical and literary fame in- 

 jured him in this respect as a lecturer ; commonplace people think- 

 ing it impossible that a man could be both logical and eloquent, an 

 acute metaphysician as well as a brilliant humorist. But among 

 his own students generally there was but one opinion of " The Pro- 

 fessor;" to them he was truly Der Elnzige. Other professors 

 enjoyed their respect and esteem ; Wilson took their hearts as well 

 as their imaginations by storm. They may have before this read 

 and argued about philosophy ; they were now made to feel it as a 

 power. " The mental faculties" were no mere names ; the passions 

 and affections, and the dread mysteries of conscience, ceased to be 

 abstract matters of speculation, and were exhibited before them as 

 living and solemn realities mirrored in their own kindling breasts ; 

 and when they found that that formidable personage, of whom they 

 had heard so much, and whose aspect, as he stood before them (he 

 never sat), did not belie his fame, was in private the most accessible, 

 frank, and kindly of men, their admiration was turned into enthusi- 

 astic love. There are few who listened to him, whether in the 

 palmy days of his prime, or in the evening of life, when he came to 

 be spoken of as " the old man eloquent," that do not speak of him 

 with glowdng cheek and sparkling eye, as they recall the cherished 

 recollections of his moving eloquence, his irresistible humor, his 

 eager interest in their studies and their welfare, his manly freedom 

 of criticism, and his large-hearted generosity. The readiness with 

 which he grasped at any question put to him gave his manner a 

 quickness and animation of expression that at first was somewhat 

 startling. While he had a terrible faculty for snubbing any display 

 of conceit or forwardness, diffident talent w T as set at ease in his 

 presence by the winning sympathy of his look and manner, which at 

 once infused confidence and hope. But I am anticipating what will 

 form the subject of a special chapter, and shall now close this with 

 a brief letter, addressed to his friend Mr. Smith, on Christmas day, 

 1820:— 



" My dear Sir: — If you can send me instantly, i. e., by the re- 



