has won a notable place in Scottish annals, he was of humble birth. He was born in November, 1804, and byand-by was sent to school at Berwick-on-Tweed. When he had absorbed all that the Berwick Grammar School could impart, he turned his eyes northward to the generous portals of the Universities of Scotland. But the want of money kept him back. He had not enough to live on and to pay his fees. His was not, however, a nature to yield to wants and difficulties. He had learned the craft of boat-building. He built a boat and sold it, and with the price in his pocket started for St. Andrews. He entered College in the Session of 1824-5; and went regularly through the usual eight years' curriculum required of candidates for Holy Orders.

His course was brilliant and successful. In the classics he appears to have eclipsed all rivals. He took the first prize in the Senior Greek class; and in the Latin, or Humanity," was, as his professor's certificate bears, uniformly the first scholar; discovered an ardour of mind and a vigour of talent altogether uncommon; and obtained the highest honours."

66

Dr. Chalmers was in those days Professor of Moral Philosophy and Political Economy-two branches generally united in the Scottish Universities-and he testifies that Mr. Lee "soon reached a station of high and honourable eminence in the class and maintained it to the end, having distinguished himself greatly by his appearances at the oral examinations, and still more by the style and talent of his written compositions." He won the first prize for general eminence in Moral Philosophy; the first prize for an Essay on "The Origin, the Rights, and the

Advantages of Property;" and the first prize for an Essay on "the Use and Necessity of Endowments for the Support of Education."

which

Altogether, I find among his papers six essays are certified to have gained first prizes; besides a great number of disquisitions on divers subjects, literary, theological, and philosophical, prepared either for college use or for the sake of the intellectual exercise of composing them. All these are singularly free from bombast and juvenility; and both in thought and style are ripe and clear. From the beginning of his college life, the winters of which were spent at St. Andrews, and the summers, apparently (with the exception of one during which he lived in a family at Exeter), at or near Tweedmouth, he had the habit of keeping commonplace books-of which several remain, their contents bearing witness to an unusual amount of solid reading, and a still more unusual vitality and vivacity of intellect. In the absence of any other record of his life in these years at college, some extracts will be interesting:

"Feb. 5, 1828.-Intend to study more closely this winter than I have done hitherto. I believe my quick talents are a snare to me. If I took more time to learn my lessons I should certainly succeed better at last. Half the session is past, and I shall certainly gain far less honour than I have ever yet done.

"But is honour worth attaining? No: but knowledge is.

"The following plan must be tried:-To rise always before 8 A.M., and walk till 9. From 9 till 10, breakfast and preparation for Dr. J. From 10 till 1, at College.

has won a notable place in Scottish annals, he was of humble birth. He was born in November, 1804, and byand-by was sent to school at Berwick-on-Tweed.

When

he had absorbed all that the Berwick Grammar School could impart, he turned his eyes northward to the generous portals of the Universities of Scotland. But the want of money kept him back. He had not enough to live on and to pay his fees. His was not, however, a nature to yield to wants and difficulties. He had learned the craft of boat-building. He built a boat and sold it, and with the price in his pocket started for St. Andrews. He entered College in the Session of 1824-5; and went regularly through the usual eight years' curriculum required of candidates for Holy Orders.

he

His course was brilliant and successful. In the classics appears to have eclipsed all rivals. He took the first prize in the Senior Greek class; and in the Latin, or "Humanity," was, as his professor's certificate bears, "uniformly the first scholar; discovered an ardour of mind and a vigour of talent altogether uncommon; and obtained the highest honours."

Dr. Chalmers was in those days Professor of Moral Philosophy and Political Economy-two branches generally united in the Scottish Universities-and he testifies that Mr. Lee "soon reached a station of high and honourable eminence in the class and maintained it to the end, having distinguished himself greatly by his appearances at the oral examinations, and still more by the style and talent of his written compositions." He won the first prize for general eminence in Moral Philosophy; the first prize for an Essay on "The Origin, the Rights, and the

Advantages of Property;" and the first prize for an Essay on "the Use and Necessity of Endowments for the Support of Education."

Altogether, I find among his papers six essays which are certified to have gained first prizes; besides a great number of disquisitions on divers subjects, literary, theological, and philosophical, prepared either for college use or for the sake of the intellectual exercise of composing them. All these are singularly free from bombast and juvenility; and both in thought and style are ripe and clear. From the beginning of his college life, the winters of which were spent at St. Andrews, and the summers, apparently (with the exception of one during which he lived in a family at Exeter), at or near Tweedmouth, he had the habit of keeping commonplace books-of which several remain,-their contents bearing witness to an unusual amount of solid reading, and a still more unusual vitality and vivacity of intellect. In the absence of any other record of his life in these years at college, some extracts will be interesting:

"Feb. 5, 1828.-Intend to study more closely this winter than I have done hitherto. I believe my quick talents are a snare to me. If I took more time to learn my lessons I should certainly succeed better at last. Half the session is past, and I shall certainly gain far less honour than I have ever yet done.

"But is honour worth attaining? No: but knowledge is.

"The following plan must be tried:-To rise always before 8 A.M., and walk till 9. From 9 till 10, breakfast and preparation for Dr. J. From 10 till 1, at College.

From 1 till 3, mathematics. From 3 till 4, class. From 4 to 5, walking. From 5 to 6, engaged with M., H., &c. From 6 to 7, Greek. From 7 to 8, with Ferrier. Always to return home at 8, and study mathematics for two hours till 10. Then natural philosophy till 12. After that always read a chapter of the Bible and pray. Deus adsit."

This exhaustive programme (afterwards repeated with some modifications), in which time is not even left for dinner, does not seem to have been thoroughly carried out; but it evinces a resolute intention of hard study. The whole tone of these commonplace books shows that mental work absorbed in winter, at least, almost all his time and interest. While he is at St. Andrews there are but few entries of a lighter cast, although we have heard that in those days he was rather a dandy, and not insensible to the allurements of society. Only once or twice, a passing reference shows that he occasionally gave an hour or two to the fascinations of golf;-(and indeed the student who won't or can't play golf, should matriculate at some other university.) And once or twice, too, there is some such entry as this:-"Have not studied much this week too much out: 'verbum sat.' But such entries

are rare.

Probably no young man whatever, certainly no young man of genius, ever kept a journal or commonplace book without registering in its faithful pages a few, at least, of those tender experiences which seem to be inseparable from the earlier stages of manly life. This part of the record generally bursts the bands of honest prose, and effloresces into metre. Our student's chronicles.