iS75 HIS EDINBURGH COURSE 



477 



I know that you will be dying to hear how my lecture went 

 off to-day — so I sit down to send you a line, though you did 

 hear from me to-day. 



The theatre was crammed. I am told there were 600 audi- 

 tors, and I could not have wished for more thorough attention. 

 But I had to lecture in gown and Doctor's hood and the heat 

 was awful. The Principal and the chief Professors were pres- 

 ent, and altogether it was a state affair. I was in great force, 

 although I did get up at six this morning and travelled all the 

 way from Barmoor. But I won't do that sort of thing again, it's 

 tempting Providence. 



May 5. — Fanny and her sisters and the Governess flit to 

 Barmoor to-day and I shall be alone in my glory. I shall be 

 very comfortable and well cared for, so make your mind easy, 

 and if I fall ill I am to send for Clark. He expressly told me to 

 do so as I left him ! 



I gave my second lecture yesterday to an audience filling 

 the theatre. The reason of this is that everybody who likes — 

 comes for the first week and then only those who have tickets 

 are admitted. How many will become regular students I don't 

 know yet, but there is promise of a big class. The Lord send 

 three extra — to make up for ... (a sudden claim upon his 

 purse before he left home). 



And he writes of this custom to Professor Baynes on 

 June 12 : — 



My class is over 350 and I find some good working material 

 among them. Parsons mustered strong in the first week, but 

 I fear they came to curse and didn't remain to pay. 



He was still Lord Rector of Aberdeen University, and 

 on May 10 writes how he attended a business meeting 

 there : — 



I have had my run to Aberdeen and back — got up at 5, 

 started from Edinburgh at 6.25, attended the meeting of the 

 Court at I. Then drove out with Webster to Edgehill in a great 

 storm of rain and was received with their usual kindness. I 

 did not get back till near 8 o'clock last night and, thanks to The 

 Virginians and a good deal of Virginia, I passed the time pleas- 

 antly enough. . . . There are 270 tickets gone up to this date, 

 so I suppose I may expect a class of 300 men. 300 X 4^ 1200. 

 Hooray. 



