The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-21
RUSKIN AT OXFORD.

a writer, signing himself AN old Cor
pus Man" contributes to the Manchester
Guardian. his reminiscence Of Ruekln at
oxford. Speaking OF the change which
came over the philosophy OF the university
with the advent OF Thomas Green, he
says:
= remember walking home with VII
son from one of Ruskin's lectures IN 1872,
when we had been listening. a. usual,
to an exquisite harangue containing quite
ga much OF ethics as OF art. Wilson sud
denly turned to me and said: Il wonder
ii he has ever read Comte? The ethics OF
bis lecture are identical with the 'Pohtl-
que Positive But then his mind IS so
wonderful that he would assimliate such
ideas upon the slightest suggestion; after
all, such thoughts are IN the arr Now
that the most brilliant exponent and critic
OF Ruskin's best ethics with the human
Harrison, has noted this general harmony
Of Ruskin's best ethics With the HUMANE
tarianism of Comte, II IS interesting to re
call this remark of thirty years ago
Upon the contemporaries at Oxford he
seems to have made an impression OF ex-
traordinary universally. The Guardian
article continues:
profound as was the impression made
upon our minds by the ethical lervor OF
Ruskin's lectures-wherein his Interchange
of tenderness and invective and his daring
felicity OF illustration reminded one OF
nothing less than the New Testament
what most struck US, in living and con-
versing with him day by day, was the as
tonishing genius of the man. He seemed
to have read all literature, and to be at
home with every author. Whatever he
had read he remembered, and he remem
bered in NJ mere mechanical way, bu'
critically and with a power OF analysis
wherein reason and recollection went hanc
in hand. He seemed to have seen almost
all beautiful places, and so often as tt
know them by heart; he knew all galleries
and pictures; he had entered INTO every
) kind of innocent pleasure, and could an
) alyze its peculiar sources and conditions
) OF delight. He had studied. tor the JOY o.
them. all forms and colors and variation
} of cloud and sky, OF sunshine and storm
} of woodland and greensward, and plough
ing. He knew the sea and the river, tn
cathedral and the cottage, each kind an
: color of cliff and rock, and every form an
: tint Of precious stone or of flower IN 1T
5 range, and he entered TO cN"rythlni
: with the keenest relish. 1t was the sam
with every beautiful thing III the world
: high or low; he had seen it, he had telt !
all he could describe it with eXqulslt
delicacy and ease. His extraordinary pow
wers in this kline amazed us; one coul
h ONLY say it was genius The word eH
f planned nothing, but it expressed our wor
der
h OF his manner of living at Oxford W
II are told:
q "Ruskin's habits were very early an
very regular; he husbanded every hour {
q his time. In winter and summer allk'
It before was up, [ used to hear his ma
servant before six a. M, lighting has III
: and making ready his masters study, tc
his rooms were on the floor below MIN
He told us that all his serious work an
II writing was done before midday. He VIZ
constant in daily attendance at Colleg
r Chapel at eight a. m, and equally regula
on Sunday, when he received the sacri
le ment with us all. Nothing could excee
lie his manifest devotion and reverence. "
q he was a keen critic of religion and of +
e hgious language. He never 1org(
the significance of the name of our co
i lege. which witnessed to our founders d
,d votion to the Blessed Sacrament. | spe1
n q haupv hour with him one day IN el
- deayoripg to devise q Latin INSCRIPTION II
q set of his works which he was presen
f. ine to the college library. We know no
Sc he loved symbolic language, and he wante
If to express in Latin the thought Gas
= said) that he was giving these books
the fellows and tutors who were here mi
Al istering to the body of Christ" | forg'
whether we found a phrase to satisfy u
But the idea found perfect expression
n his own life"