New-York tribune., 1900-09-08

was always nimble of mind, though his literary
studies were not always those enforced by the
curriculum. IF I ever have TO ask question out
side the lesson" said one of his instructors at
Rugby "I can count upon you for an answer
Pearson's autobographical chapters present a
picture of DR. Arnold's famous school. which Is
curiousy unlike that put together from the
memories of other well known Rugby men. He
declares that Arnold's pupils lived in an atmos-
phere of priggishness. that they were taught to
be always feeling their moral muscles. always
careful about their schoofellows morality and
always mindful OF the high mission which they
took with them into the world as Rugby boys.
The precepts he adds. were more weighty than
boys could assimilate without incessant preten-
tiousness. and before long Rugby was known at
oxford as the disagreeable school. The sim
pie fact. however, is that Rugby men were no
better than the best set from any good public
school-Eton Harrow Winchester. The diff
ference was that the Rugbeians self-con-
sciously moral and this difference to their
disadvantage of the world" Pearson
looked back with dissatisfaction also on the in
struction at Rugby, the pupils studies being
superficial and the mathematical training bad.
He thought the list of eminent men turned out
in fourteen years of scholastic activity was but
small In short, his opinion of Rugby was far
from marching with that OF tom" Hughes.
Some of the most interesting pages of these
photographed chapters deal with the pupils
and masters Of the school famous in after days.
There is an amusing glimpse of "Cockeyed Law
renee the author of Guy Livingston'-a book
which everybody read in its day, though proba-
bly, nobody knows it now. Lawrence was clever
and athlete, like his muscular hero and he
gave himself airs of precocious men-of-th
Oxford and known to many Americans
was a master at Rugby in Pearson's time, and
his pupils references TO him are entertaining:
AS teacher he was superb keeping his class
IN absolute control, and putting much fire and
vivacity into the wearisome details of grammar
and philosophy that the dry bones seemed to
nrise and live under his voice. Too rest
less to sit still for five minutes together he used
to prowl up and down the classroom, keeping
every scholar under a separate and hawklike
scrutiny, and gesticulating in way that we
would have laughed at if we dared, as he
mingled question and explanation with vivid
His impetuosity was so great that
his sentences often ended in incoherent jum-
bic Of words. No one, by the by, would have
been more astonished to hear this account of
him than himself; for, I discovered in after
life, he believed that he had particularly quiet
brought the present Lord Stanley to his bear
ings Stanley, it seems, coming from Eton,
where he had been treated more respectfully.
demurred to being set to construe and construe
again till he found out his own mistakes. and
Price remembered himself speaking with all
the good nature that he really had and infinitely
dear Stanley said I, in my quietest tones' and
the story ended with description OF a sulky
youth irresistibly charmed into good temper,
while the fact undoubtedly was that danger
Gus mutineer was cowed and reduced to abso-
lutte submission Still, despotic Price very
properly was in the classroom, he was neither a
bully nor a tyrant and was deservedly loved
by his old pupils for his genuine and unfailing
kindliness
Pearson's recollections of student life at Ok
ford are vivid and suggestive. He Joined in the
debates Of the Union, and probably laid the
foundations of his opinion, expressed after
knocking about a good deal in the world, that |
English gentlemen are the worst material
Of speakers to be found anywhere. "Overcrit- |
cal for their powers of expression, and just
enough educated TO be aware that there are two
sides of question, they perpetually hesi- |
tating what to say. and how adequately to |
express their thought
Leaving the university with a fellowship, |
Pearson became a professor at Kings College, |
London, and a much esteemed contributor to
periodicals like "The Spectator and The Sat
urday Review" He lecturer of great |
ability modern history, preparing his dis |
courses with extraordinary care, and enchanting |
the attention of his pupils. He declared that |
he knew no work which demanded such inces- |
SAINT toll lecturing history, that the pro- |
fessoI must go over the same ground Halam |
turn, or he will not be listened to. During his |
life in London he was the friend of many of |
the eminent men of his day, and among these |
was Lord Macaulay-who was, indeed, his con- |
nection by marriage He found the general /
complaint against Macaulay-that he allowed no |
one to speak except himself-ridiculously untrue |
so far as their conversations were concerned.
He insisted my taking part and never |
interrupted or bore me down, though his |
answers were often rhetorically vehement. With |
the exception Of Professor Conington I have |
never known any one who had such memory |
as Macaulay. He seemed to know the Bible |
and the leading classical authors by heart Once |
remember when We were discussing how far |
Christian morality was anticipated in Pagan |
autnors l quoted the thirteenth satire of Ju- |
venal as an instance, in which a heather had |
forgiveness Of injuries. Macauay at |
once repeated the passage, and denied indig |
nantly that the satrist's sentiment was Chris |
tan. ''It is what I have often felt myself" he |
said, that I could safely leave a man disiked |
to the punishment OF his own character but it |
Isn't that forgave him, didn't solace myself |
with the idea that he would ultimately be pun
shed" In the discussions On modern literature |
remember ne expressed a very unfavora BILE |
opinion Of Buckle, who, S he said, generalized |
most wildly, arguing, for instance as if the |
Bengalee who lives in a country as fiat as Hol-
IF the Hmalayas
Pearson's travels in the United States were
lot extensive, but they were full of enjoyment;
and he records his conversion to his friend
Acland's opinion that the society to be met in
Boston could not be surpassed anywhere in the
world. That was more than thirty years ago
He was strongly impressed by Mr. Emerson
whose lecture at sort of free thinking seance
where everybody else talked nonsense made
him seem like a prophet in a madhouse" The
ravellers conclusion, his departure from
America, was that we'll bred American is gen
rally pleasanter than a well bred Englshman
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