New-York tribune., 1841-04-14
PROFESSOR WILSON.


Professor WI on IN the opinion Of * nan, me seaes, Nv
m a-,o,r of the Edinburgh University A. r'eiahy--
iar perhaps ne rank with his predecessor II ''e
Moral Philosophy hair Dr.. brown but 20 'te genera" "
der Wi<ors Far ;e b"st known name deeu; "io =
here NJ av prcteuso> letters or iaSte VINO IA, o'
non, before The shrine of hi eenus-vhoSe heart has not iei'
h- deep thrilling pa,hos-y!o has not luXated Il; ihe never
tiiar oul; OF fancy-n the brilliant imaginative powers
poured forth with the lavish Proisaly OF one VINO reels Ms
stores inexlarblc What Scotsman i there whose spirit
M M, rrr,d within him when. with words that ring
Ike trumpet sounds he discourSe ot his countr-iis rlVerS
IL mountains heroe, In what corner o ih World "eIe
r to1 -pokeris not Nagao be ioUnd-an who / there
II whose mouth the redobei Christopher North l. not a.
household word For some time back lie has been resting
on is tch and sad the blank in the pages OF EooNp
when hi, rcu Idle. Let hope. however ihat ne "a aa
70 came forth Ike giant refreshed and r-a>>e nm 10 De
the first writer i. the first magazine in the world In
these latter day< then. when personal In;ona'n about en-
n; men j. 80 much in rs1ucsi abeii Nr. De Gilncey has
characterised the t;-c NsySb.) and when sketches
rrr random! r-collccorS and forth rife, per
ap our reader, ay feel Interested in few intti'sS from
the no,c-took o old student descriptive .; tc author OF
the Ise OF Palms, and thc lights and Shadows OF Scottish
Life.
The Professor i, decidedly man Of thew and shows
salvarh buirdly ch.. OF TX teot and upward and wh
depth chest and breadth %; shoulders that woui do credit
10 an athlete In hi; Younger DAYS ne great among
the fancy as tc crnt lie ran cap"d and boxed
a, we'll a. wrote and exc believe pidcd himself a much
on the one score the other; ami though advancing
nuIt>He tilc u>lll
an increasing bells and decreasing leg ne has we may
Judge from the aaty prngy step with which he PAGES the
streets the OF nearer I'VE than tour miles m hour
enough OF the elasticity OF youth still in him to make most
people who might be ioo-harly enough TO get into row
wh him ind right speedily thar ,hey had caught artar
The Professor does cultivate the good but ne can
well afford be eccentric. His clothes Go use common
cxpcson) very much the appearance OF having been
thrown ut him with pchork; he frequently gives his razor
holiday and the locks-few. alas. which time has lett HIM
stream over his ample shoulders. guites apparently OF
brush or comb Wilson's face is decidedly intellectual midi
eating that rn ant decision OF character whcn
he has aWays maiiesed the features strongly marked
and his CLEANS from beneath the penthouse ot the I'D
with fire that seems To look into your very soul.
There is Professor popular in the University and
many are the admrng gaucc he encounters ne crosses
the quadrangle with his brace Of terriers at his heels His
class generally crowded and there Is frequently tar
sprnkng of strangers who think that the lions o Edinburgh
would be- but half visited had they not heard and seen the
old man eloquent About FIVE minutes after the bell
has rng the Professor strides. with formidable steps, from
his retiring rooms his desk his flying out straight be-
hind him. like the tail ot comet and bearing in his hnld 4
bundle of papers all taered and torn and of every posi-
BE size and shape from which he purposes ne best can
dccvpher his lecture About his lectures he does not Is
said put himself any great trouble and we have frequent
heard him deliver evidently purely ertempors he
course il rather indefinite he makes nc scrupe o
branching OF the main subject into suggested by IT.
and indeed many attend his class fully much for the Pur
pose of listening Professor wilson of going through
strict course Of moral philosophy. His reading i slow and
neutrality-suspicious. the handwriting before him Is not dis
,inct For close abstract reasoning and dry netaPh'ica
ANALYSIS he seems though logical acutens
to have no great RELISH evidently uphill work He loves
better TO dwell upon the ard effects OF the passions
and affections than obery dsscc and trace them TO Their
he delights consider the subject a. poet rather
than as mctaphvScan; but when the theme l. ono when
gves scope TO- and harnoniScs with, his glowing and cn
siastc mndwhcn he riot in the ullneSs and lux
of h- inagnaonthen 1t i that sc filings aside nj
papers and strains of the thrilling eoquence por
forth hi. thoughts ursdcd md unsousht for but yelling
freshly ND from the fnes of hi, heart During these bursts
and they neither far betwecr Wilson looks like
one inspired His eye in fine phrcnzy rolling acualy
scams-h> features. always commanding, appear douby
when lighted up by the conscious fire OF senius--hc
for the time perfectly carried by the strength of his feel
;ngS-pecctv oevcy thing but the absorb
ing topic On such occasions hi, language is perfect roeA
and. indeed. thoughts frequently flow from him which pro-
uce an alnos, electrical effect upon his class. Who that
heard him viii forget k SAYING. after the death of his
ladv an event which affected him dceply in apology
for delay the prize exercises Gentlemen
could read them in the vale OF the shadow OF
death p Tho thought may be quaint but very beautiful
and very touching.
Iii high ,rca to hear Wilson repeat poetry. True, his
cnuncation owing tho loss Of front teeth. rather
nd.nct; but any effect of eocution that pro-
ducc, the effect hs recital poetry always mas Il ha been
said that YOU wish YOUR hearcr. weep you first weep
Yourself, and the deep colig of the beauty the
bnIy the passage he Is repeating, manifest IN himself
that communicates itself others Long after hearing him
magnificent passage from Milton. have the deep mu-
,cal tones OF hi voice continued TO haunt u
Wilson, however. can be gay well -eriou- and he not
uneqrenry hi nearer, BY hi, quaar, dry
touches OF hur1r delivered style Of the irresistible
drocry Sometimes he torches, but only touches perhaps
by word Indirect auSiou upon political topic OF
the DAY. but far oitener had good-humore4 Joke, per-
haps upon essay before him. upon az. e incident
which might have occurred IN the cia-S.
To hi students. Professor Wilson j. uniformly kind and
courteous; encouraging them to appy him and always
ready with his advice and assistance. Indeed. few. VINO
have attended ~ lectures ater years look back with
feelings of the deepest admiration for their u>triou-
,trctor treasrinc up the pleasant remembrance Of kind
and senenanly bearing toward themselves the knowledge
and enthusiasm he impaired and those agtatng outbreaks
o.: e.oqucncc, under the witchery Of which
There ,yas silence deep as death,
And the bo.desi held his breath
F'o- time.
CocKSErs AT Sal remember two cockneys with whom
=.