north america-1-第57章

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　four　years　with　a　small　amount　of　study。　　But　his　doing　so　does　not　insure　him　his　degree。　　If　he　have　utterly　wasted　his　time　he　is　plucked；　and　late　but　heavy　punishment　comes　upon　him。　　At　Cambridge；　in　Massachusetts；　the　daily　work　of　the　men　is　made　more　obligatory；　but　if　this　be　gone　through　with　such　diligence　as　to　enable　the　student　to　hold　his　own　during　the　four　years；　he　has　his　degree　as　a　matter　of　course。　　There　are　no　degrees　conferring　special　honor。　A　man　cannot　go　out　〃in　honors〃　as　he　does　with　us。　　There　are　no　〃firsts〃　or　〃double　firsts；〃　no　〃wranglers；〃　no　〃senior　opts〃　or　〃junior　opts。〃　　Nor　are　there　prizes　of　fellowships　and　livings　to　be　obtained。　　It　is；　I　think；　evident　from　this　that　the　greatest　incentives　to　high　excellence　are　wanting　at　Harvard　College。　There　is　neither　the　reward　of　honor　nor　of　money。　　There　is　none　of　that　great　competition　which　exists　at　our　Cambridge　for　the　high　place　of　Senior　Wrangler；　and；　consequently；　the　degree　of　excellence　attained　is　no　doubt　lower　than　with　us。　　But　I　conceive　that　the　general　level　of　the　university　education　is　higher　there　than　with　us；　that　a　young　man　is　more　sure　of　getting　his　education；　and　that　a　smaller　percentage　of　men　leaves　Harvard　College　utterly　uneducated　than　goes　in　that　condition　out　of　Oxford　or　Cambridge。　　The　education　at　Harvard　College　is　more　diversified　in　its　nature；　and　study　is　more　absolutely　the　business　of　the　place　than　it　is　at　our　universities。　The　expense　of　education　at　Harvard　College　is　not　much　lower　than　at　our　colleges；　with　us　there　are；　no　doubt；　more　men　who　are　absolutely　extravagant　than　at　Cambridge；　Massachusetts。　　The　actual　authorized　expenditure　in　accordance　with　the　rules　is　only　50l。　per　annum；　i。e。　249　dollars；　but　this　does　not；　by　any　means；　include　everything。　　Some　of　the　richer　young　men　may　spend　as　much　as　300l。　per　annum；　but　the　largest　number　vary　their　expenditure　from　100l。　to　180l。　per　annum；　and　I　take　it　the　same　thing　may　be　said　of　our　universities。　　There　are　many　young　men　at　Harvard　College　of　very　small　means。　　They　will　live　on　70l。　per　annum；　and　will　earn　a　great　portion　of　that　by　teaching　in　the　vacations。　There　are　thirty…six　scholarships　attached　to　the　university；　varying　in　value　from　20l。　to　60l。　per　annum；　and　there　is　also　a　beneficiary　fund　for　supplying　poor　scholars　with　assistance　during　their　collegiate　education。　　Many　are　thus　brought　up　at　Cambridge　who　have　no　means　of　their　own；　and　I　think　I　may　say　that　the　consideration　in　which　they　are　held　among　their　brother　students　is　in　no　degree　affected　by　their　position。　　I　doubt　whether　we　can　say　so　much　of　the　Sizars　and　Bible　clerks　at　our　universities。　At　Harvard　College　there　is；　of　course；　none　of　that　old…fashioned；　time…honored；　delicious；　medieval　life　which　lends　so　much　grace　and　beauty　to　our　colleges。　　There　are　no　gates；　no　porter's　lodges；　no　butteries；　no　halls；　no　battels；　and　no　common　rooms。　There　are　no　proctors；　no　bulldogs；　no　bursers；　no　deans；　no　morning　and　evening　chapel；　no　quads；　no　surplices；　no　caps　and　gowns。　　I　have　already　said　that　there　are　no　examinations　for　degrees　and　no　honors；　and　I　can　easily　conceive　that　in　the　absence　of　all　these　essentials　many　an　Englishman　will　ask　what　right　Harvard　College　has　to　call　itself　a　university。　I　have　said　that　there　are　no　honors；　and　in　our　sense　there　are　none。　　But　I　should　give　offense　to　my　American　friends　if　I　did　not　explain　that　there　are　prizes　givenI　think　all　in　money；　and　that　they　vary　from　fifty　to　ten　dollars。　　These　are　called　deturs。　The　degrees　are　given　on　Commencement　Day；　at　which　occasion　certain　of　the　expectant　graduates　are　selected　to　take　parts　in　a　public　literary　exhibition。　　To　be　so　selected　seems　to　be　tantamount　to　taking　a　degree　in　honors。　　There　is　also　a　dinner　on　Commencement　Day；　at　which；　however；　〃no　wine　or　other　intoxicating　drink　shall　be　served。〃　It　is　required　that　every　student　shall　attend　some　place　of　Christian　worship　on　Sundays；　but　he；　or　his　parents　for　him；　may　elect　what　denomination　of　church　he　shall　attend。　　There　is　a　university　chapel　on　the　university　grounds　which　belongs；　if　I　remember　aright；　to　the　Episcopalian　church。　　The　young　men；　for　the　most　part；　live　in　college；　having　rooms　in　the　college　buildings；　but　they　do　not　board　in　those　rooms。　　There　are　establishments　in　the　town；　under　the　patronage　of　the　university；　at　which　dinner；　breakfast；　and　supper　are　provided；　and　the　young　men　frequent　one　of　these　houses　or　another　as　they；　or　their　friends　for　them；　may　arrange。　　Every　young　man　not　belonging　to　a　family　resident　within　a　hundred　miles　of　Cambridge；　and　whose　parents　are　desirous　to　obtain　the　protection　thus　provided；　is　placed；　as　regards　his　pecuniary　management；　under　the　care　of　a　patron；　and　this　patron　acts　by　him　as　a　father　does　in　England　by　a　boy　at　school。　　He　pays　out　his　money　for　him　and　keeps　him　out　of　debt。　　The　arrangement　will　not　recommend　itself　to　young　men　at　Oxford　quite　so　powerfully　as　it　may　do　to　the　fathers　of　some　young　men　who　have　been　there。　　The　rules　with　regard　to　the　lodging　and　boarding　houses　are　very　stringent。　　Any　festive　entertainment　is　to　be　reported　to　the　president。　　No　wine　or　spirituous　liquors　may　be　used；　etc。　　It　is　not　a　picturesque　system；　this；　but　it　has　its　advantages。　There　is　a　handsome　library　attached　to　the　college　which　the　young　men　can　use；　but　it　is　not　as　extensive　as　I　had　expected。　　The　university　is　not　well　off　for　funds　by　which　to　increase　it。　　The　new　museum　in　the　college　is　also　a　handsome　building。　　The　edifices　used　for　the　undergraduates'　chambers　and　for　the　lecture…　rooms　are　by　no　means　handsome。　　They　are　very　ugly；　red　brick　houses；　standing　here　and　there　without　order。　　There　are　seven　such；　and　they　are　called　Brattle　House；　College　House；　Divinity　Hall；　Hollis　Hall；　Holsworthy　Hall；　Massachusetts　Hall；　and　Stoughton　Hall。　　It　is　almost　astonishing　that　buildings　so　ugly　should　have　been　erected　for　such　a　purpose。　　These；　together　with　the　library；　the　museum；　and　the　chapel；　stand　on　a　large　green；　which　might　be　made　pretty　enough　if　it　were　kept　well　mown；　like　the　gardens　of　our　Cambridge　colleges；　but　it　is　much　neglected。　Here；　again；　the　want　of　fundsthe　auqusta　res　domimust　be　pleaded　as　an　excuse。　　On　the　same　green；　but　at　some　little　distance　from　any　other　building；　stands　the　president's　pleasant　house。　The　immediate　direction　of　the　college　is　of　course　mainly　in　the　hands　of　the　president；　who　is　supreme。　　But　for　the　general　management　of　the　institution　there　is　a　corporation；　of　which　he　is　one。　　It　is　stated　in　the　laws　of　the　university　that　the　Corporation　of　the　University　and　its　Overseers　constitute　the　Government　of　the　University。　　The　Corporation　consists　of　the　President；　five　Fellows　so　called；　and　a　Treasurer。　　These　Fellows　are　chosen；　as　vacancies　occur；　by　themselves；　subject　to　the　concurrence　of　the　Overseers。　　But　these　Fellows　are　in　nowise　like　to　the　Fellows　of　our　colleges；　having　no　salaries　attached　to　their　offices。　　The　Board　of　Overseers　consists　of　the　State　Governor；　other　State　officers；　the　President　and　Treasurer　of　Harvard　College；　and　thirty　other　persons；　men　of　note；　chosen　by　vote。　　The　Faculty　of　the　College；　in　which　is　vested　the　immediate　care　and　government　of　the　undergraduates；　is　composed　of　the　President　and　the　Professors。　　The　Professors　answer　to　the　tutors　of　our　colleges；　and　upon　them　the　education　of　the　place　depends。　I　cannot　complete　this　short　notice　of　Harvard　College　without　saying　that　it　is　happy　in　the　possession　of　that　distinguished　natural　philosopher　Professor　Agassiz。　　M。　Agassiz　has　collected　at　Cambridge　a　museum　of　such　things　as　natural　philosophers　delight　to　show；　which　I　am　told　is　all　but　invaluable。　　As　my　ignorance　on　all　such　matters　is　of　a　depth　which　the　professor　can　hardly　imagine；　and　which　it　would　have　shocked　him　to　behold；　I　did　not　visit　the　museum。　　Taking　the　University　of　Harvard　College　as　a　whole；　I　should　say　that　it　is　most　remarkable　in　thisthat　it　does　really　give　to　its　pupils　that　education　which　it　professes　to　give。　　Of　our　own　universities　other　good　things　may　be　said；　but　that　one　special　good　thing　cannot　always　be　said。　Cambridge　boasts　itself　as　the　residence　of　four　or　five　men　well　known　to　fame　on　the　American　and　also　on　the　European　side　of　the　ocean。　　President　Felton's*　name　is　very　familiar　to　us；　and　wherever　Greek　scholarship　is　held　in　repute；　that　is　known。　　So　also　is　the　name　of　Professor　Agassiz；　of　whom　I　have　spoken。　Russell　Lowell　is　one　of　the　professors　of　the　collegethat　Russell　Lowell　who　sang　of　Birdofredum　Sawin；　and　whose　Biglow　Papers　were　edited　with　such　an　ardor　of　love　by　our　Tom　Brown；　Birdofredum　is　worthy　of　all　the　ardor。　　Mr。　Dana　is　also　a　Cambridge　manhe　who　was　〃two　years　before　the　mast；〃　and　who　since　that　has　written　to　us　of　Cuba。　　But　Mr。　Dana；　though　residing　at　Cambridge；　is　not　of　Cambridge；　and；　though　a　literary　man；　he　does　not　belong　to　literature。　　He　iscould　he　help　it？a　〃special　attorney。〃　　I　must　not；　however；　degrade　him；　for　in　the　States　barristers　and　attorneys　are　all　one。　　I　cannot　but　think　that　he　could　help　it；　and　that　he　should　not　give　up　to　law　what　was　meant　for　mankind。　　I　fear；　however；　that　successful　Law　has　caught　him　in　her　intolerant　clutches；　and　that　Literature；　who　surely　would　be　the　nobler　mistress；　must　wear　the　willow。　　Last　and　greatest　is　the　poet…laureate　of　the　West；　for　Mr。　Longfellow　also　lives　at　Cambridge。

*　Since　these　words　were　written　President　Felton　has　diedI；　as　I　returned　on　my　way　homeward；　had　the　melancholy　privilege　of　being　present　at　his　funeral。　　I　feel　bound　to　record　here　the　great　kindness　with　which　Mr。　Felton　assisted　me　in　obtaining　such　information　as　I　needed　respecting　the　institution　over　which　he　presided。

I　am　not　at　all　aware　whether　the　nature　of　the　manufacturing　corporation　of　Lowell　is　generally　understood　by　Englishmen。　　I　confess　that　until　I　made　personal　acquaintance　with　the　plan；　I　was　absolutely　ignorant　on　the　subject。　　I　knew　that　Lowell　was　a　manufacturing　town　at　which　cotton　is　made　into　calico；　and　at　which　calico　is　printedas　is　the　case　at　Manchester；　but　I　conceived　this　was　done　at　Lowell；　as　it　is　done　at　Manchester；　by　individual　enterprisethat　I　or　any　one　else　could　open　a　mill　at　Lowell；　and　that　the　manufacturers　there　were　ordinary　traders；　as　they　are　at　other　manufacturing　towns。　　But　this　is　by　no　means　the　case。　That　which　most　surprises　an　English　visitor　on　going　through　the　mills　at　Lowell　is　the　personal　appearance　of　the　men　and　women　who　work　at　them。　　As　there　are　twice　as　many　women　as　there　are　men；　it　is　to　them　that　the　attention　is　chiefly　called。　　They　are　not　only　better　dressed；　cleaner；　and　better　mounted　in　every　respect　than　the　girls　employed　at　manufactories　in　England；　but　they　are　so　infinitely　superior　as　to　make　a　stranger　immediately　perceive　that　some　very　strong　cause　must　have　created　the　difference。　　We　all　know　the　class　of　young　women　whom　we　generally　see　serving　behind　counters　in　the　shops　of　our　larger　cities。　　They　are　neat；　well　dressed；　careful；　especial