a great number. There are, already, about thirty individuals who will certainly meet to pay me the compliment of drinking my health; but my friends are ambitious to make it a more public matter, and to wait for the arrival of some persons, now absent from Hamburgh, whose presence would give importance to the entertainment. I am not sure, however, whether I shall be able to wait for this latter distinction-nor shall I know of what nature the entertainment will be, till I get to Hamburgh." "Berlin is now as empty as London-the King at Parisand none but Vulgarians in town. I have a vulgar taste, however, and have been very glad to find that some of the Hof-raths and well born Herren-to whom I had introductions-are in the country. Among the few professors whom I have found, I have met with great civility. The librarian of the University, in particular, Dr. Spiker, has sent me every book to my lodgings that I wanted to consult. I begin to speak German-so as to be able to support conversation; but still there are many inconveniences that a stranger feels, from incomplete acquaintance with the language of a place. These I should have felt in many instances, had I not fortunately met with a couple of my countrymen, who are studying medicine here, although they have actually entered the London College of Surgeons. These young men make me feel very old, for they pay me such attention that I think I must appear in their eyes as venerable as Nestor! They regulate their business for the day, so as to keep themselves at my service-as they phrase it-whenever they can be useful; so that I have no trouble but to eat and drink, and go about to see sights! From anybody, such attention would excite a kindly feeling; but from young men of most respectable attainments, and gentlemanlike manners, it is even flattering. I am not suffered to carry my own cloak or umbrella, nor to bring anything for myself that I want; and they offered even to write out a translation of some difficult German, which I have had to get through, to the amount of sixty very largesized and small-printed quarto pages. As they are in very good circumstances, the offer was perfectly gratuitous-but I thought it would be unfair to allow them to sacrifice so much time from their own proper studies. Finally, my devoted friends have taken out their places for Hamburgh, in order to be present at the dinner to be given me, whether it shall prove public or priThis is more zeal than I would show for Tom Campbell myself!-for, unless I were obliged to return by way of Hamburgh, I would not undergo the thumping of a German coach vate. ET. 48.] BERLIN-UNIVERSITY—SONNTAG-WACH. 173 four hundred miles-to hear Tom Campbell's health drunk, for the whole city of Hamburgh. "Berlin is a handsome town, on the whole; and the University is just such a building as I would wish for the London one. It was the Palace of Prince Henry-the brother of Frederick the Great-and was the private property of the present King, when he gave it to the noble Institution which he had endowed. The sight of it made me, for the first time in my life, envy a king. By the way, the more that I see of Prussia, and hear of the King's character, I am inclined the more to respect him, and to regret that he belongs to the 'Holy Alliance.' He has become an alarmist about reformation of late, as well as his minister, Hardenberg; but the good which Hardenberg did, whilst he was himself a state reformer, ought to cover all his faults, and make posterity his debtor. At one blow he emancipated the whole peasantry and feudal holders of Prussia-an event, I think, parallel in importance with the Magna Charter in England. "Berlin is, like all the world, uncomfortable if you compare it with London. The unpaved streets make you hobble along most wretchedly; and the furniture, carriages, and all productions of manufactures, are miserable, in comparison with ours. But, in one respect, it is a glorious place—at least to my taste, and that is for cookery! It is a positive fact, my dear M., that the Berlin carbonado, or veal-cutlet--yea, start not even the beefsteak is better than our own; and the carp, the eels, and the wild pork are delicious, and scientifically cooked! In London, it is impossible to get a tolerable dinner at a coffee-house under half-a-guinea. Here, I go to the royal restaurateur's, and get soup, stewed eel, carbonado, and half-a-pint of Barsac, for three shillings. "I have been at the Opera, and been greatly delighted with Madlle. Sonntag's singing. A Mrs. Stück, also, who is at the head of their tragic actresses, appeared to me very lively and interesting in Schiller's 'Marie Stuart-but the piece itself is so dull, that I could scarcely sit it out. The best painter here -a Mr. Wach-gets two thousand dollars, i. e., 300l., for his portraits. I was introduced to him yesterday, and saw one which he had just finished of the Crown-princess, who is a beautiful woman, and makes, to my taste, an admirable picture -though, with all Wach's finish and labor, one misses the sport and grace of Lawrence. Yet, excepting Lawrence, I think he matches any of our artists. You have not heard of the sculptor Rauch, I dare say; and, in revenge, the Berlin people are profoundly ignorant of Chantrey. I went yesterday to see his chef-d'œuvre-the full-length image of the late queen, in a sleeping attitude. Away with comparisons-I have patted Chantrey's little cherubs so often, and with such delight, that I cannot bear to say anything comes near them. But certainly, this sleeping-beauty is a very touching work-I could not help kissing it.' Among the noted characters of the place, he says:— "A famous linguist appears so like a barber, that he was called off the street one day by an officer who wore a long queue, and ordered--after a sharp reprimand for stopping so long-to come in and cut the gentleman's hair instantly! The Professor -to humor the joke-said he had forgot his scissors. He was furnished with a pair, and, before the officer was aware, cropped his head close to the skull. He then retired from the forlorn 'croppy,' advising him never again, while he lived, to trust his head in the hands of a Greek Professor!" "I trust to being in London by the 20th, which will be just in time for me to see some of the sheets of the New Monthly,' before they go to press. If this reaches you in time enough to admit of a letter reaching me, you may address 'to the care of Anthony MacCann, Esq., (Exile of Erin), Altona, near Hamburgh.' I shall be there on the eleventh. T. C." The two Englishmen* alluded to in this letter, are both ornaments of the profession which they were then studying at Berlin; and through their kindness I am enabled to insert the following particulars-a "recital of the general impression left in the writer's mind :" "I was introduced to Mr. Campbell," says Mr. Spry, "at the Royal Library, by Dr. Spiker, and was very much struck by his enfeebled appearance. I could not help feeling surprise, that a person, in his delicate health, should have undertaken so long and wearisome a journey, without some strong motive, or urgent necessity-neither of which, in his case, appeared WILLIAM COULSON, Esq., London, Editor of Blumenbach's Comparative Anatomy, &c., &c.; and E. J. SPRY, Esq., of Truro. ET. 48.] REMINISCENCES OF THE POET, 175 to exist. He was very glad to obtain the assistance of an English medical student; and, during his stay at Berlin, we spent several hours daily in each other's company. His spirits were, at times, very buoyant; and he endeavored to persuade himself that he was young enough to live over again the student life he once enjoyed in the South of Germany, and of which he delighted to narrate various anecdotes. But his physical powers were unequal to the task. He found the labor of sauntering about the Libraries and Museum, sufficiently fatiguing; and did not attend any of the levees of the leading professors. As far as I could learn, he wished to refresh his recollections of the German system of teaching, in reference to its adoption in the London University. "My friend Coulson and I had arranged a visit to Göttingen, before the commencement of the regular classes, in the winter semestre; and as Mr. Campbell had accepted an invitation to an entertainment, from the English residents at Hamburgh, we thought it would be an act of kindness to accompany him, and render him that medical aid, which we much feared he would require.... He supported the fatigues of the journey* much better than could have been expected, and was warmly welcomed on his arrival. .. Mr. Canning, our Consul, presided at the feast. . . .” "I left him at the Schulter Blatt at Altona, much recruited in mind and body; but I parted from him, with sincere regret at the too certain approach of premature decay. . . . For any little attention shown him, he was exceedingly grateful; and I should say that the impression he left on the minds of those with whom he came into familiar intercourse was, that he possessed a benevolent disposition and a warm heart. When I called with him to take leave of Dr. Spiker, he inscribed in the Doctor's album these lines: "To live in hearts we leave behind "The literati of Berlin evinced considerable curiosity to see, and to be introduced to, the author of the 'Pleasures of Hope,' in which character he was best known to them; but they all appeared to share the surprise experienced by myself at his decrepid appearance. "TRURO, August 26th, 1847." "E. J. SPRY." With respect to the public dinner given him at Hamburgh, I find but a very brief notice in one of his letters :-" Oct. 14th.-I have been invited to a public dinner by the English residents of Hamburgh, to the number of above eighty. The managers of the entertainment tell me they could make it a much more numerous meeting, but are anxious to have it select. . . . The day is to be Thursday next; and on Friday I shall embark for * In pleasing confirmation of this, Campbell, writing from Hamburgh, October 14, says, " Except a rap on the knee by a fall on the iron steps, I may say it was a pleasant journey. The carriage, on this occasion, was remarkably well hung and stuffed; and I had my amusing young doctorsCoulson and Spy-for my fellow travellers." See Poems. Ode, "Hallowed Ground," page 225. England. In the meantime I am at two entertainments every day, and have to study every morning the extempore verses which I am to insert in the Ladies' Albums. Not one of them lets me escape without inscribing my name; and, of course, I must add something loving and complimentary. . . This idle life, however, tires me; and in the midst of gaiety, I am tilled with uneasiness. My fears conjure up what I trust will turn out to be phantoms.* T. C." "Oct. 28th.-I have just reached town from Harwich, after a stormy passage, but a short one. Though I have been travelling nine hours in a post-chaise, I still feel the motion of the ship, as if I were balancing on the slack-rope. In one and the same morning, I have ascertained the joyous news that Thomas is tolerably well, and that my Sydenham friends are so likewise. At present I write with all my heart, but none of my head; yet the journey has certainly done me good.-T. C." At a public meeting, held at Freemasons' Tavern on the 10th of November, Campbell appeared among the strenuous supporters of the Western Literary and Scientific Institution; and, in a speech that called forth repeated bursts of applause, thus alluded to the grand object of his late efforts in the cause of literature: “... Since I first heard of the proposed Institution, I have never ceased for one moment to consider it at once commendable in its motives, and practicable in its objects; and I am much deceived if I am wrong in hailing it as a prognostic of advantages that will outlive our own generation. It is a fresh mark that the desire of knowledge is germinating fast, and widely, in the field of public opinion. It is one of the vernal promises of an intellectual harvest, that will ultimately cover the whole domain of society.... I am loth to intermix a single remark, personally regarding myself, with the opinions I express on a subject of so much public importance. But my motive for doing so, is my anxiety to show, that my ardent good wishes, for the success of this establishment, are perfectly consistent with opinions which I uttered, before I knew that your institution was contemplated; and I throw myself on your momentary indulgence for making this explanation. In urging the plan of a London University-and if it succeeds, I shall ask for no better epitaph on my grave, than to have been one of its successful instigators-I declared my belief that institutions, of the kind now proposed, could never constitute the sufficient means of public education for youth. No: the truth only amounts to this, that such institutions cannot answer the purposes of universities, not being in their nature intended to be available for such purposes. The education of an university ought to be adapted to the management of youth, who cannot manage themselves. It implies authority, and responsibility, and the power of ex *In allusion to apprehensions respecting his son's recovery. |