NEED OF A LIBERAL UNIVERSITY. 25 



foundations arose, and the disappearance of crime and 1827. 

 ignorance under the work which the College had to do. 

 The love of fiction was strong enough in the candidate's 

 mind to make him forget his interest in what was going 

 on, and he had run through the volume before a whisper 

 reached his ears as to the result of the election. 



In looking at the past history of an institution it is 

 useful to trace not only the successes, but the mistakes 

 which have caused failure and disturbance; for even in 

 cases where present prosperity may lead to imitation, a 

 statement of errors committed and corrected will be as a 

 chart of the rocks to be avoided hereafter. I shall try to 

 give a truthful sketch of the early history of the College ; 

 not entirely omitting those elements in its formation which 

 created discord in the first years, and which had some 

 share long after in the disastrous termination of my hus- 

 band's connection with it. Had he lived long enough he 

 would have himself done this, far better than any one else. 

 His pen was held for a time by consideration for con- 

 temporaries, most of whom are now gone. Circumstances 

 connected with his memory have arisen since he was 

 taken from us which make it imperative on me to do the 

 work which he left undone. 



To learn this history fairly we must look back to the state of 

 state of education, and to the needs and disabilities which a t this time. 

 led to the foundation of the London University. These 

 disabilities and needs were felt, not so much by highly 

 educated academical men wishing for a cheap school for 

 their sons, as by the great body of enlightened Jews and 

 Dissenters, held back by religious tests from sharing in 

 University advantages, but intelligent enough to perceive 

 the value of what they lost, and rich enough to supply 

 the want for themselves. The wealth of this party was 

 of course represented by commercial men. To these must 

 be added some parents living in London and the neigh- 

 bourhood who could not aiford to send their sons to 

 college, and to whom the attendance on daily lectures 



