The Curriculum in 1820
(Second Article on' Letters in Choate Family)
The editors of the MAGAZINE believe that some of theseChoate letters have been -published elsewhere, but they feelthat the alumni would be interested in reading them again.These compilations represent only a part of the enormousservices of the late Professor Foster to the College. Thefollowing letter, written by Washington Choate, student in1820, to his brother Rufus, gives a very, good idea of collegeintellectual pursuits at that time.
Han.—Oct. 8, 1820
Dear Brother R.—
Feeling, as I must, the want of your society at Han. you need not be told how I rejoiced at receiving the assurance that as far as it depended on yourself a correspondence between us shall regularly be kept up. You must not expect too much. You must not be disappointed if now and then you receive an epistle crudely and hurriedly thrown together and bearing evident marks of that waste and blank of the mind so often the consequence of severe intellectual exertion. I shall, oftener perhaps than you will wish, be disposed to tell you of my hopes or studies or success, and the feelings I shall disclose will too often be the feelings of one who spends much of his time in dwelling sorrowfully on the past or (which is quite as foolish) in dreaming about the future. But of these things I shall of course leave you to remind me—Si tu vales, bene! ego valeo. Dr. Mussey is quite sick and will very possibly continue unable to lecture for several weeks. Esq. Olcott's family and I believe all others whom you would be likely to enquire about are well. The Med. class consists of between 60 to 70. Dr. Oliver is getting to himself a great reputation by lecturing to them. Tutor Adams on the contrary (to whom we recite constantly) will never enjoy any superfluous popularity. He is so snail-like in all his movements and detains the class so unmercifully long, that he has 2 or 3 times only escaped a regular scraping! Would you believe it? Instead of mastering the recit.'s in Euclid his eyes are fixed stedfastly on the demonstration the whole time that we take in repeating it and on this account (I suppose), he censures the slightest devia- tion from the language of the author. It is, of course, advisable to say nothing about it—but he is an irrecoverably dull fellow. "Occupet extremum scabies" seems this term to be the wish of all my classmates. You would be astonished to see how Euclid and Horace are recited. We usually recite 3 prop's and review the same number. For this lesson I have hitherto found 1 hour sufficient. In Horace we have 110 lines. I cannot but observe that it is to me exceedingly difficult to enter with spirit into all my studies. Too much attention to one infallibly brings on a negligence with regard to another. What would I not give for a more enthusiastic love for each and all of them!
HANOVER IN 1820
I arrived in Han. Wed. evening—l have a reallyelegant room and a most excellent boarding place, am in every respect as well situated as it is possible to be and may study from 6 a. m. to 12 p. m. almost without interruption. The first 3 days I spent on Millot and read only to the downfall of the republic. The next 3 or 4 I wrote a defence of systematic study to be read in the society. It was a dispute with Clark. Since that time (i.e. since Wed. last) Terence and French have been my studies. In reading St. Real I am of course recalling, to great advantage, the history of Rome by Millot. On this study I am employed only from the 3 o'clock recitation till prayers. I am most happily disappointed in Terence. Did you not say that Schlegel speaks even contemptuously of him—how much he has borrowed I know not, nor do I know in what terms the German critic has delivered his sentiments, not having as yet been able to find his book, but for myself I am quite disposed to dissent from the opinion that the Comedies of Terence are wanting in intrinsic merit. I think indeed that the plot of the Heauton. is far too perplexed to keep up much interest in the play but what fault would a modern audience find with "the woman of Andros"* or especially "the Eunuch." It seems to me at least that a very considerable degree of talent for comic writing is exhibited in the delineation of such characters as Dorus, Thraso, Gnatho, and Cyrus. I hope to finish Terence this week, and if Plautus and Lucretius are not too difficult I shall endeavour to read both in a fortnight. There will then be 9 weeks to devote to the Epistles and Phil. Works with perhaps the Brutus of Cicero.
You see I am as much inclined as ever to dwell upon what I [left blank]. For english books I have Alison (on Taste) Taylors Sermons, Boetius, Tales [ ] etc., etc. In this respect to this kind of reading I have little hope of ever getting into anything like system—there are so many of them which must be read and which I believe Linnaeus himself would have been puzzled how to class.
Fail not to give me such advice about my studies etc. as you see I am most in need of. I have written most of this letter (after all you have said) in haste and carelessly. "Fac nos ames at Vale." W. C.
P. S. To comfort you after having fairly got through with the above, I will observe that of the 35 freshmen 11 only are Socials.—But it was all done before I came on. The library is opened twice a week and none are permitted to go in at any other time.
To: Mr. Rufus Choate, Cambridge, Mass.
*An interesting reference in view of Mr. Thornton Wilder's recent book.
