lay morals-第23节

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laughter；　　whose　active　feet　in　the　'College　Anthem'　have　beguiled　so　　many　weary　hours　and　added　a　pleasant　variety　to　the　strain　　of　close　attention。　　But　even　these　are　too　evidently　　professional　in　their　antics。　　They　go　about　cogitating　puns　　and　inventing　tricks。　　It　is　their　vocation；　Hal。　　They　are　　the　gratuitous　jesters　of　the　class…room；　and；　like　the　clown　　when　he　leaves　the　stage；　their　merriment　too　often　sinks　as　　the　bell　rings　the　hour　of　liberty；　and　they　pass　forth　by　　the　Post…Office；　grave　and　sedate；　and　meditating　fresh　　gambols　for　the　morrow。

This　is　the　impression　left　on　the　mind　of　any　observing　　student　by　too　many　of　his　fellows。　　They　seem　all　frigid　old　　men；　and　one　pauses　to　think　how　such　an　unnatural　state　of　　matters　is　produced。　　We　feel　inclined　to　blame　for　it　the　　unfortunate　absence　of　UNIVERSITY　FEELING　which　is　so　marked　　a　characteristic　of　our　Edinburgh　students。　　Academical　　interests　are　so　few　and　far　between　…　students；　as　students；　　have　so　little　in　common；　except　a　peevish　rivalry　…　there　is　　such　an　entire　want　of　broad　college　sympathies　and　ordinary　　college　friendships；　that　we　fancy　that　no　University　in　the　　kingdom　is　in　so　poor　a　plight。　　Our　system　is　full　of　　anomalies。　　A；　who　cut　B　whilst　he　was　a　shabby　student；　　curries　sedulously　up　to　him　and　cudgels　his　memory　for　　anecdotes　about　him　when　he　becomes　the　great　so…and…so。　　Let　　there　be　an　end　of　this　shy；　proud　reserve　on　the　one　hand；　　and　this　shuddering　fine　ladyism　on　the　other；　and　we　think　　we　shall　find　both　ourselves　and　the　College　bettered。　　Let　　it　be　a　sufficient　reason　for　intercourse　that　two　men　sit　　together　on　the　same　benches。　　Let　the　great　A　be　held　　excused　for　nodding　to　the　shabby　B　in　Princes　Street；　if　he　　can　say；　'That　fellow　is　a　student。'　　Once　this　could　be　　brought　about；　we　think　you　would　find　the　whole　heart　of　the　　University　beat　faster。　　We　think　you　would　find　a　fusion　　among　the　students；　a　growth　of　common　feelings；　an　　increasing　sympathy　between　class　and　class；　whose　influence　　（in　such　a　heterogeneous　company　as　ours）　might　be　of　　incalculable　value　in　all　branches　of　politics　and　social　　progress。　　It　would　do　more　than　this。　　If　we　could　find　some　　method　of　making　the　University　a　real　mother　to　her　sons　…　　something　beyond　a　building　of　class…rooms；　a　Senatus　and　a　　lottery　of　somewhat　shabby　prizes　…　we　should　strike　a　death…　blow　at　the　constrained　and　unnatural　attitude　of　our　　Society。　　At　present　we　are　not　a　united　body；　but　a　loose　　gathering　of　individuals；　whose　inherent　attraction　is　　allowed　to　condense　them　into　little　knots　and　coteries。　　Our　　last　snowball　riot　read　us　a　plain　lesson　on　our　condition。　　　There　was　no　party　spirit　…　no　unity　of　interests。　　A　few；　　who　were　mischievously　inclined；　marched　off　to　the　College　　of　Surgeons　in　a　pretentious　file；　but　even　before　they　　reached　their　destination　the　feeble　inspiration　had　died　out　　in　many；　and　their　numbers　were　sadly　thinned。　　Some　followed　　strange　gods　in　the　direction　of　Drummond　Street；　and　others　　slunk　back　to　meek　good…boyism　at　the　feet　of　the　Professors。　　　The　same　is　visible　in　better　things。　　As　you　send　a　man　to　　an　English　University　that　he　may　have　his　prejudices　rubbed　　off；　you　might　send　him　to　Edinburgh　that　he　may　have　them　　ingrained　…　rendered　indelible　…　fostered　by　sympathy　into　　living　principles　of　his　spirit。　　And　the　reason　of　it　is　　quite　plain。　　From　this　absence　of　University　feeling　it　　comes　that　a　man's　friendships　are　always　the　direct　and　　immediate　results　of　these　very　prejudices。　　A　common　　weakness　is　the　best　master　of　ceremonies　in　our　quadrangle：　　a　mutual　vice　is　the　readiest　introduction。　　The　studious　　associate　with　the　studious　alone　…　the　dandies　with　the　　dandies。　　There　is　nothing　to　force　them　to　rub　shoulders　　with　the　others；　and　so　they　grow　day　by　day　more　wedded　to　　their　own　original　opinions　and　affections。　　They　see　through　　the　same　spectacles　continually。　　All　broad　sentiments；　all　　real　catholic　humanity　expires；　and　the　mind　gets　gradually　　stiffened　into　one　position　…　becomes　so　habituated　to　a　　contracted　atmosphere；　that　it　shudders　and　withers　under　the　　least　draught　of　the　free　air　that　circulates　in　the　general　　field　of　mankind。

Specialism　in　Society　then　is；　we　think；　one　cause　of　our　　present　state。　　Specialism　in　study　is　another。　　We　doubt　　whether　this　has　ever　been　a　good　thing　since　the　world　　began；　but　we　are　sure　it　is　much　worse　now　than　it　was。　　　Formerly；　when　a　man　became　a　specialist；　it　was　out　of　　affection　for　his　subject。　　With　a　somewhat　grand　devotion　he　　left　all　the　world　of　Science　to　follow　his　true　love；　and　he　　contrived　to　find　that　strange　pedantic　interest　which　　inspired　the　man　who


'Settled　HOTI'S　business　…　let　it　be　…　Properly　based　OUN　…　Gave　us　the　doctrine　of　the　enclitic　DE；　Dead　from　the　waist　down。'


Nowadays　it　is　quite　different。　　Our　pedantry　wants　even　the　　saving　clause　of　Enthusiasm。　　The　election　is　now　matter　of　　necessity　and　not　of　choice。　　Knowledge　is　now　too　broad　a　　field　for　your　Jack…of…all…Trades；　and；　from　beautifully　　utilitarian　reasons；　he　makes　his　choice；　draws　his　pen　　through　a　dozen　branches　of　study；　and　behold　…　John　the　　Specialist。　　That　this　is　the　way　to　be　wealthy　we　shall　not　　deny；　but　we　hold　that　it　is　NOT　the　way　to　be　healthy　or　　wise。　　The　whole　mind　becomes　narrowed　and　circumscribed　to　　one　'punctual　spot'　of　knowledge。　　A　rank　unhealthy　soil　　breeds　a　harvest　of　prejudices。　　Feeling　himself　above　others　　in　his　one　little　branch　…　in　the　classification　of　　toadstools；　or　Carthaginian　history　…　he　waxes　great　in　his　　own　eyes　and　looks　down　on　others。　　Having　all　his　sympathies　　educated　in　one　way；　they　die　out　in　every　other；　and　he　is　　apt　to　remain　a　peevish；　narrow；　and　intolerant　bigot。　　　Dilettante　is　now　a　term　of　reproach；　but　there　is　a　certain　　form　of　dilettantism　to　which　no　one　can　object。　　It　is　this　　that　we　want　among　our　students。　　We　wish　them　to　abandon　no　　subject　until　they　have　seen　and　felt　its　merit　…　to　act　　under　a　general　interest　in　all　branches　of　knowledge；　not　a　　commercial　eagerness　to　excel　in　one。

In　both　these　directions　our　sympathies　are　constipated。　　We　　are　apostles　of　our　own　caste　and　our　own　subject　of　study；　　instead　of　being；　as　we　should；　true　men　and　LOVING　students。　　　Of　course　both　of　these　could　be　corrected　by　the　students　　themselves；　but　this　is　nothing　to　the　purpose：　it　is　more　　important　to　ask　whether　the　Senatus　or　the　body　of　alumni　　could　do　nothing　towards　the　growth　of　better　feeling　and　　wider　sentiments。　　Perhaps　in　another　paper　we　may　say　　something　upon　this　head。

One　other　word；　however；　before　we　have　done。　　What　shall　we　　be　when　we　grow　really　old？　　Of　yore；　a　man　was　thought　to　　lay　on　restrictions　and　acquire　new　deadweight　of　mournful　　experience　with　every　year；　till　he　looked　back　on　his　youth　　as　the　very　summer　of　impulse　and　freedom。　　We　please　　ourselves　with　thinking　that　it　cannot　be　so　with　us。　　We　　would　fain　hope　that；　as　we　have　begun　in　one　way；　we　may　end　　in　another；　and　that　when　we　are　in　fact　the　octogenarians　　that　we　SEEM　at　present；　there　shall　be　no　merrier　men　on　　earth。　　It　is　pleasant　to　picture　us；　sunning　ourselves　in　　Princes　Street　of　a　morning；　or　chirping　over　our　evening　　cups；　with　all　the　merriment　that　we　wanted　in　youth。



COLLEGE　PAPERS　CHAPTER　III　…　DEBATING　SOCIETIES



A　DEBATING　society　is　at　first　somewhat　of　a　disappointment。　　　You　do　not　often　find　the　youthful　Demosthenes　chewing　his　　pebbles　in　the　same　room　with　you；　or；　even　if　you　do；　you　　will　probably　think　the　performance　little　to　be　admired。　　As　　a　general　rule；　the　members　speak　shamefully　ill。　　The　　subjects　of　debate　are　heavy；　and　so　are　the　fines。　　The　　Ballot　Question　…　oldest　of　dialectic　nightmares　…　is　often　　found　astride　of　a　somnolent　sederunt。　　The　Greeks　and　　Romans；　too；　are　reserved　as　sort　of　GENERAL…UTILITY　men；　to　　do　all　the　dirty　work　of　illustration；　and　they　fill　as　many　　functions　as　the　famous　waterfall　scene　at　the　'Princess's；'　　which　I　found　doing　duty　on　one　evening　as　a　gorge　in　Peru；　a　　haunt　of　German　robbers；　and　a　peaceful　vale　in　the　Scottish　　borders。　　There　is　a　sad　absence　of　striking　argument　or　real　　lively　discussion。　　Indeed；　you　feel　a　growing　contempt　for　　your　fellow…members；　and　it　is　not　until　you　rise　yourself　to　　hawk　and　hesitate　and　sit　shamefully　down　again；　amid　　eleemosynary　applause；　that　you　begin　to　find　your　level　and　　value　others　rightly。　　Even　then；　even　when　failure　has　　damped　your　critical　ardour；　you　will　see　many　things　to　be　　laughed　at　in　the　deportment　of　your　rivals。

Most　laughable；　perhaps；　are　your　indefatigable　strivers　　after　eloquence。　　They　are　of　those　who　'pursue　with　　eagerness　the　phantoms　of　hope；'　and　who；　since　they　expect　　that　'the　deficiencies　of　last　sentence　will　be　supplied　by　　the　next；'　have　been　recommended　by　Dr。　Samuel　Johnson　to　　'attend　to　the　History　of　Rasselas；　Prince　of　Abyssinia。'　　　They　are　characterised　by　a　hectic　hopefulness。　　Nothing　　damps　them。　　They　rise　from　the　ruins　of　one　abortive　　sentence；　to　launch　forth　into　another　with　u