ET. 48.]

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at this day, to peruse the clever and often caustic arguments by which his claims were vindicated "against all comers." The enthusiasm called forth on the occasion was shared by most of the young talent in the University; and, though tinctured with much amiable extravagance, the speeches, in praise, or in defence of Campbell, were often eloquent, and in every instance triumphant. Every hour the tide flowed more strongly in his favor; every meeting brought new volunteers to his standard"hoisting counter placards, and shouting their Io-paans over the College Green." One of the ardent leaders, when called upon to record his vote, threw himself into a theatrical attitude, and, at the top of his voice, thundered out "Campbell!" His example was followed by nearly the whole body; and "this show of hearts," as the Rector observed, "made his election a flattering distinction-a sunburst in his experience of life-for he loved the College of Glasgow, as the home and birth-place of intellect."

"Dec. 1st.-I had notice from Glasgow several days ago that I may go and be installed in my Rectorship* whenever I please; so, I think, I shall delay until I can steam it in April. It may be some time before the Magazine allows me to be at Sydenham. Oh, if I had but a thousand a year, and the best horse in all Tipperary, you should not see me editor of this olla-podrida that sickens and enslaves me every month.

T. C."

In a letter from the late Rev. Dr. Finlayson to a brother minister, we find some further particulars of the election :

"Dec. 4th.-You would be happy to learn that our old friend Campbell was lately elected by a most triumphant majority over Mr. Canning and Sir Thomas Brisbane... I hope you will reserve your visit until the Installation, when it would give me the greatest pleasure that we should pay our respects to him. I learnt from the Principal that the students were so numerous, that they had not been in the habit of giving free admissions, as in days of yore, at the Installation; and if any strangers came, that they were to be admitted as the Rector's personal friends. I mentioned to some Glasgow friends the propriety of giving him a public din

*The function of Rector was originally that of Judge in serious matters of Academic discipline. Quarrels between students, and between professors and students, could be settled only in the Rector's Court.-This is the case still. Any severe sentence-such as rustication or expulsion could be pronounced only by the Rector-who is styled Lord Magnificus in the old charters.-The Rector is also a visiter and auditor of accounts, and in that capacity has a negative control over the College funds as well as a right of interference-not very well defined-in the general management of the University.-Note by a Graduate of Glasgow College.

ner, and it will be carried into effect... Tam's visit to G. will be to him, considering all that is past, most highly gratifying;-I do most sincerely rejoice in the prospect of it.

J. F."

*

*

To a

In the meantime, Campbell found abundant occupation in preparing to meet his young constituents in Glasgow. friend, inquiring what progress he had made, he replies:"LONDON, February 20th, 1827.

"At intervals of leisure, very few and far between, I am reading for matter to make out a sketch of the History of Learning, in two discourses, which I mean to deliver to the Students of Glasgow. How much I wish I were at Sydenham, to read this forthcoming thing to you by portions-to talk over the subjects with you; to have my Scotch pronunciationalism corrected! But, alas! this is mere wishing; it is uncertain whether I may be able to get to S. for a single day, before I go to Scotland; because the Royal Commissioners in Glasgow, whom I wish to meet, are yet uncertain as to time. Their arrival will be announced to me by the students; and in three days from the time of my receiving the announcement, I shall be in Glasgow. When this business is over, I really look forward to be oftener at this place, of all places the most interesting to my mind; to sit on the chair where I first read 'Gertrude' to you; to take down the MS. volumes which you bound; to walk past the wall to which I looked up to M. and you, and told you the news of my Highland legacy! T. C."

Respecting the public dinner, with which it was proposed to "welcome the new Lord Rector," he writes in terms alike honorable to himself and his constituents :

"LONDON, February 22d, 1827.

แ "By all means, my dear Gray, prevent any political dinner being offered to me; for it would be a satire upon my political non-consequence, and a disservice to the cause itself. Besides, nobody can suspect my being a staunch rank-and-file Whig; though anything in the world but a political leader. It is an unnecessary jealousy of my politics to prevent my dining in public with any Tories, who may wish to meet me, and a cruelty both to them and me. A dinner from my Townsmen, and friends, will be an affecting and overcoming honor to me. A Whig dinner would be a burlesque, and I could not accept the invitation. Take the matter, therefore, into your own hands;

ET. 48.]

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do not distress yourself about the éclat of this or that great or rich man's being with you or not; it is the prospect of meeting my fellow-citizens that warms my gratitude for the proposers of this mark of civic kindness. T. C."

In a letter to his favorite sister, acccepting her generous offer of pecuniary assistance to meet "the extra expenses of a Lord Rector's outfit," he says:—

"LONDON, March 7th, 1827.

"I trust this will find you, my dearest sister, well and able to enjoy the approaching meeting, which will be to me, if I find you in tolerable health, a very great consolation. I shall set out from hence on the 7th of April; and, please God, after delivering my inaugural discourse, as Rector of the University, I shall be in Edinburgh next day to see you. Matilda is to be with me; and as the month of April approaches, I begin to sympathize with her apprehensions of the weather being yet unsettled, and other accidents to which steamboats are liable: so that, if I could afford it, I should like to go by land. I am at present, however, a good deal embarrassed by the anticipation of extra expenses, to which this crowning honor of my life must expose me. I have been disappointed a good deal in my accounts with my bookseller. The motive that made me decline accepting your proffered gift, still holds good with me. . . I would as soon think of taking the pillow from under your head, as of appropriating to myself any of the spare money which you ought, for your own tranquility, to be sure of having about you at a time when you require every possible comfort. But if you can give me the loan of the sum you mentioned, only till Midsummer, I can promise you its return for a certainty.

"I intend to give two lectures to the students, independent of my speech at the installation; and those I mean to print at Glasgow, to distribute gratis to the students. . . and to sell, as I trust I shall, a number of copies more-the profits of which will revert to me at Midsummer. You would not, I know, like to see your brother perform the only high part, as to station, which he ever played in life, in a so-so manner; and will not blame me for not selling my lectures to the brave lads that elected me. The citizens of Glasgow, also, talk of giving me a public dinner. I have written to implore that it may not be a political one. Your most affectionate brother, T. C."

"P. S.-This London University causes me to write reams of answers to correspondents."

The public dinner being objected to, in consequence of the mercantile distress still prevalent in the country, he wrote to Mr. Gray as follows:

"LONDON, March 24th, 1827. "You much relieve my mind, my dear Gray, by what you say of the distress in Glasgow having abated. Rumor, with its usual exaggeration, had represented our poor citizens as absolutely dying of hunger. Heaven knows, unless it were for the sake of duty, I should decline the pleasure of lecturing; but of that let us talk when I arrive. If my wishing the dinner-day to be still left unsettled, were likely to give the slightest umbrage, by all means fix it for the 16th; but, otherwise, I should like to be on the spot before the day is decided on. I mean to write to the Principal, about my installation-day, very soon. I think of setting off, at the very latest, this day fortnight; so that, whether by sea or land, we may reach you on Tuesday evening. If we go by Auld Reekie, we shall bolt through it as fast as shot out of a shovel! I doubt, however, if we shall go that way after all. Give our kindest regards to your family; and my thanks to our excellent friend, Kirkman Finlay-not forgetting dear HT. C."

66

"April 2d.-We have determined at last to go by land, and are to set out on Friday evening next. We shall therefore be with you on Monday the 9th of April."

From his letters to various correspondents, after the installation ceremony, I select the following extracts-preceded by a note from Joseph Finlayson, his old travelling companion to Mull:

66

April 8th.... The Installation dinner is to take place on Thursday next. There has been a good deal of discussion on the principle on which it is proposed to have a public entertainment. It was wished, at first, that the meeting should be of a literary character, to the exclusion of politics, John Douglas, however, and some of his party, insist that it shall be purely a political meeting, and that too of Whigs. If the Tories choose to come, they may; but they are to be only subordinates. In this state the matter at present rests; it is a pity there should have been such differences of opinion, as they may knock the dinner on the head.* J. F."

*The Rev. J. Finlayson to the Rev. Hamilton Paul.

ET. 48.] INAUGURAL ADDRESS—ARRIVAL AT GLASGOW.

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On the 12th of April, Campbell delivered his Inaugural Address to an overflowing assembly of Professors, students and citizens, among whom, however divided in political sentiment, there was but one feeling of admiration.* This was "the crisis;" and the following day, he thus alludes to it in one of his letters:

GLASGOW, April 13, 1827. Excited as I am by friendship here, yours can have no rivalship; nay, I think you would like me the better for seeing how attached my fellow-citizens show themselves to me. Yesterday was the crisis! I rose this morning at seven, rejoicing that it went off so well; and am going out, in a sweet sunny morning, to stroll about the haunts of my boyhood.

"What a change from this day week; when I was really setting off sick-vexed that I had not got to Sydenham, and struck to the heart by a letter from ***, who has been interfering in my concerns in Glasgow. Something like erysipelas on my arm, which extended partially to my face, and affected my sight, afflicted me on my journey; while Matilda, having brought seventy parcels of baggage, kept me uneasy with the fear of losing them! I reached Glasgow on Monday evening. Four students, who came into the coach, twenty miles from Glasgow, relieved me a good deal about * * *'s affair. They recognized their Rector, and said it would be an era in their lives to have been the first to shake me by the hand. They told me that Whigs and Tories had been equally disgusted by ***'s letter in the Glasgow paper, forbidding any Tories to come to the dinner, at which the Magistrates and principal Professors intended to be stewards; but that no one had supposed him author

"I was a student then, and like others, was charmed with his Inaugural Address. We have had the most distinguished men of the day succes sively elected to the office of Rector; Sir Robert Peel, Lord Stanley, Lord Brougham, Lord Jeffrey, Sir James Mackintosh, and many more celebrated in oratory, science and general literature. I have heard all their addresses; but none of them came up to that of Thomas Campbell. Perhaps we were disposed to be enthusiastic, knowing that he was an old gownsman of our own; but, whatever the pre-disposition might have been, the streams of eloquence issued from him and carried us onward in admiration and applause until poetry itself poured on us like a whelming flood: a flood that carried the soul captive in its resistless power. To say we applauded, is to say nothing. We evinced every symptom of respect and admiration from the loftiest tribute, even our tears-drawn forth by his eloquent recollections of olden times-down to escorting him with boisterous noise along the public streets."-Reminiscenses of a Student.