The day has been highly interesting, teeming with new and
interesting events all of which I shall I fear be unable to relate. Early in
the morning the class repaired to recitation room of the
President
who in consequence of the indoposition of the
Professor of
Rhetoric
. This recitation was decidedly the most
entertaining that we have yet had. I marked the contrast.
Dr Green
, although a verry good and
pious man, is considered but verry ordinary in intellectual capacity When his
mind takes hold of a subject to investigate it, it seems that it restricts the
view to one point. The author of these lectures for an instance appears to
disadvantage under the instruction of
Page 4
of this man.
3
When I go in the recitation I have impressed upon my mind in a clear light the
views of the author, the view is regular and consistant, perspicuous and
closely divided. The connection is permanently marked between the parts
subjects or ends of the lecture. But when we have
Dr Green
to labor on it, our view is
drawn to one or two points, they may be however more prominent. But instead of
this
Gov.
Swain
when he ceases a subject, with elastic wing his mind springs above
its common level, he lays before you a view at first large grand and beautiful,
he talkes on and your vision is extended. H[e] seems to scan the landscape and
horizen. He talkes on new beauties before unseen rise up to view. We seem to be
surrounded by a landscape of thought, and all dispersed over its uneven surface
the bold features of
pmountains and
hills of wide spread forest and extended planes of fields. It is singular that
two minds should place any thing in such different postures. The hour for
second recitation in the day was taken for composition, we were highly
entertained with the reading of these. But
in the hour which afforded still more delight was that of the
third recitation.
Gov.
Swain
instead of making the lesson in Rhetoric the subject of the
recitation, took occasion to read to us a portion of the address delivered by
Judge Gaston
at this place together with a sermon
delivered by
Dr Wm Hooper
, late
Professor of Languages in the
University upon the force of habit.
4 It
were useless to attempt to give any thing else with regard to this than a bare
mention. Twould do them injustice were I to attempt the delineation of a single
thought which they express. They are almost inimitable. I can get a copy of the
sermon I will take it with me when I leave College, and as for
Gaston's
address I expect always to keep one. We had a
highly interesting meeting this evening. The question was debated at
considerable length
5
Some of the gentlemen, however
who are
6
prone to bombast and vain show was
7
verry disgusting.