The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-06-21
ALFRED SANDERS, EDITOR
LITERARY MEN OF GERMANY.
BERLIN, March, l640.
NEANDER rnE CHURCH HISTORIAN.

seeing the celebrated Professor NEANDER.
] first went in the morning TO the Univer-
~ to hear him deliver an cxegctical lecture,
on chapter in the New Testament. His
personal appearance was ~ singular a. his
manner Of addressing his audience was ex-
trsordinary. His forehead, broad and high,
was almost covered BY his long uncombed
black hair, and ito base was bounded by a
massive ridge, ju,ting far outwards, and
surrounded BY thick shaggy eyebrows
His eyes werc 20 deeply sunken, and con-
ceoled BY his half closed eyelids, that nci-
Their their color nor their form were discern
able. His nose and his mouth were rudely
shipped, and bis complexion was ofthat dark,
dry, sallow cast, tina, marks years ofintense
study and reflection. His form was thin,
bent, aud loosely knit, and his carriage and
attitude the most careless and graceless
possible. He had on white cravnt, and >
grayish frock coat reaching below his knees
Fancy such man, standing on slightly
elevated platform his left arm resting on
the corner Of desk four fec, high, his left
hand shading his eyes from the light, his
right hand holding within three or four
inches Of bis face large..yped Greek Tcs-
lament, from which be never withdraws his
intense iook--snd further, fancy him with
the whole upper half Of his person bent
over in an anglo Of nearly forty five de.
grscs, balancing the desk upon ito two
black legs, and with his left foot kept con.
stantly crossed over his right except when
occasionally, either through caprice, or 10
he n eI.x L. ~..l
denly retracts il as if nLou, 10 take dcs-
perate loap, and % suddenly replaces it.
and still further. fancy him perfectly ab-
sorbed in his subject. and spenking with
slow mon0tOnous uttcrance, interrupted on
ly by pnuse when he Inns 10 ask from one
Of the students vord which he cannot re-
cognizo on account If imperfect sight and
you have faithful picture of the most phi
losophical historian and perhaps the most
profound theologinn living, in ropporfmcnf
with his young disciples. When his in
structions are not exegc,ical, and do not
require q book, you will have 10 vary the
picture by imagining him leciuring extern
poraneously, mud all the while engaged in
pulling a quill 10 pieces, previously given
him by his attendants Tor this specia! pur-
pose. ! mention these things 10 interest
but NOT TO divert you; for il IL only nar-
row and vulgar mind that can find in the
inhrmi,ies or ecccntrici,ies Of great mnn
matter for ridicuIc. No.wi,hs,a nding all
his pecnliaritics, the students, oi whom
there were some 90 or 20 present, seemed
10 regnrd him with a reverence approach
ing 10 homage, and 20 catch ~ treasure ev-
cry word thnt fell from his lips.
Alter dinner, in company with one ri the
students called upon Member nj his resi-
dcnce. We found him in his study, rolled
in his study gown, and surrounded with a
large library of we'll worn hosks. lie re.
ceivod us with the most unaffected kindness
and warmth, md directly began 10 talk
with mo in my native tongue. lie spoke
English with t0lerablc correctness end "a.
cilisy, but 40 10 the case with most foreign
scholars, lie had much better coinman nd oc
Latin than Of tho Saxon element or &c our
language. He highly commended Prof
Robinson's American work on Palestine,
and also our Andover Quarterly, the BIB-
LIoTICA SACRA, several numbers Of which
noticed in bis library. lie spoke in terms
thigh praise Of CoIeridgo and DR.. Arnold,
and referred with great satisfaction to the
little progress TINT pantheism has made in
Tho western world. His whole soul SEEM
cd 10 be wrapped in The great struggle,
now going OH he, wccE faith and unbeliei,
between experimentation aud raiionalism,
q battle he said. fraught with more momen.
ious consequences than any other Of the
sge. Vast 40 aro this great mans acquire.
menis, end cspacious aud profound ~ is
his intellect, every word and every move.
ment evineed complete unconsciolssess Of
self, and perfectly child-like gcntlemesa
and simplicity Of heart. Uocul.ivatsd o
are his manners, aud odd 40 are his ways,
by his greatness 10 commands your reve
renee, sud BY his goodness no wins your
love.
Neander Is sixty years Of sge, and he 10
bachelor, aud his sister 10 housckeeper.
Two years ago, he suddenly and wi,hou,
sny apparent immediate cause, almost en-
,;rely lost his eyesigh,; he now sees 20 in.
distinctly that il il imprudent for him 10
venture into street alone. Yet no daily
delivers at tho University three lectures,
each On hour in length, ono IN Church his
tory, anoshsr on Christian Ethics, and the
third Of IN cxegetical character. He pur-
sues his studies and researches with the
help IT little knot Of students 10 keeps
around bin, and be dictates all Of his writ.
ten productions TO = amsnuensis. His
Church History, the first part Of which has
been n admirably translated BY Pro. Tor
roy Of shs University Of Vermont, has not
yet beea brought down lower than the
foustesssh csot0ry. Had bin >, . continu
q Sas6, 4 would bs6oro this tims hsvs