Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
On the 8th inst., Tuesday, I went immediately after breakfast to the
university and heard Professor Christison’s lecture, Materia Medica. He
is an excellent lecturer. I spent a half hour with him, in looking over
his cabinet of preparations, which contains a large number of fruits,
etc., preserved in strong brine instead of spirits. I acquired some
useful information concerning the best way to close the jars, for which
he has some very neat plans. Then I heard Professor Forbes again;
elegant as usual, but he did not succeed very well in his experiments.
The next hour I had a rich treat. I heard another lecture from Professor
Wilson, on the Association of Ideas, which on this occasion he noticed
in a more practical view than before. He recited, in his glowing
manner, several passages from Virgil, and a long one from Milton, and
gave a long and most eloquent analytic commentary upon each, far
exceeding anything of the kind I ever heard before. After visiting the
library of the university--a most magnificent room--I set out for
Holyrood House.... I bought one or two poor prints, a cast of the
seal-ring of Mary, plucked a bit of holly from a bush standing by the
place by the altar before which Mary was married to Bothwell, and
reluctantly took my leave. There was yet some time remaining, so I set
out to climb Arthur’s Seat, which rises abruptly behind Salisbury Crags
to the height of eight or nine hundred feet. I attained my wish, and had
a beautiful view, from the summit, of the city beneath my feet, and the
wide country around. I descended more rapidly than I went up, though at
some risk to my neck. Returned to Dr. Greville’s, where I dined and
spent all the evening.
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