88 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IT. 



still upon him. The corrupting breath of the world had not 

 tainted his freshness, or its cold touch chilled him. His eager 

 eyes looked forth on a rich and boundless future. Young men 

 of genius and tastes like his own had become his attached 

 friends. Seniors of the highest repute welcomed him as a 

 pupil. Libraries and museums of the greatest value were open 

 to him daily. His shortest walks were through the streets of a 

 city which delighted his artist-eye, and had a strange fascina- 

 tion for him." 1 



"September \Wi, 1837. I have entered on the third week 

 since I passed the portal of Surgeons' Hall, and am long tired 

 of my dignity, if, in truth, I ever esteemed it one, which I never 

 much did. In my sight it was rather an ordeal to be under- 

 gone than a triumph to be achieved, and I looked forward to it 

 for a long time with a feeling of carelessness, which prevented 

 me from seriously preparing for it ; and in addition, through 

 the bygone summer, I was so thoroughly occupied with chemical 

 speculations, that anything in the shape of anatomy or surgery 

 filled me with disgust. If anybody gave the degree of chemist 

 I would not mind how stiff an examination I got, and proud I 

 certainly should be of such a title. As it was, I had resolved, 

 if rejected, for ever to give up the notion of Surgeons' Hall, and 

 I believe my friends would have striven in vain to have induced 

 a second trial, although by such refusal I should certainly have 

 deprived myself of a very beautiful patent lever, jewelled and 

 caped silver watch, which my good, kind uncle Peter had in 

 reserve for me. Fortunately I passed without any difficulty, in 

 truth I may say with flying colours, for I only missed a few 

 trivial questions, and they made me a flattering speech, when I 

 was dubbed surgeon. In short, I found it a great deal easier 

 than I at all anticipated ; yet I never felt more distrust in my 

 own powers, more want of confidence in my abilities, than just 

 before I stepped into the examining chambers. I felt a strong 

 wish to walk home and give up the idea of confronting them, 

 and the great probability of rejection for a thousand reasons 

 arose before my anxious and troubled mind. The inordinate 



1 ' Life of Edward Forbes,' chap. iv. 



