To a man of his ability, this was a false and miserably cramped position; one, in fact, much better calculated for detecting faults, than for developing the best mode of amending them. As assistant surgeon, he had no emolument from the hospital: he had, therefore, a very reasonable inducement to set about doing that for which he felt himself especially fitted, and to which he had early directed his attention—namely, to teach his profession. The event showed that he had by no means miscalculated his powers. These proved well-nigh unrivalled. The appointment to St. Bartholomew's, besides other advantages, gave him an opportunity of lecturing with the _prestige_ usually afforded by connection with a large hospital. He did not, however, at first give his lectures at the hospital, but delivered them in Bartholomew Close. There was at this time, in fact, no school, properly so called, at St. Bartholomew's. Mr. Pott had been accustomed to give about twenty-four lectures, which, as short practical discourses, were first-rate for that period; but there were no other lectures, not even on anatomy; which are essentially the basis of a medical school. Dr. Marshall, who was a very remarkable man, and no less eminent for his general ability than for his professional acquirements, was at this time giving anatomical lectures, at his house, in Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn. In a biographical notice of him, in the "Gentleman's Magazine," in which we read that he was giving lectures about the year 1787, it is incidentally remarked, that "in all probability he derived little support from St. Bartholomew's Hospital; for that recently an ingenious young gentleman, Mr. Abernethy, had begun to give lectures in the neighbourhood." Abernethy, who seems to have been always seeking information, certainly attended some of Marshall's lectures; because he would occasionally refer to anecdotes he had heard there. He had thus listened to most of the best lecturers of his day—Sir William Blizard, Dr. Maclaurin, Mr. Pott, and Dr. Marshall. To the experience which he had thus acquired, and with the early intention of applying it, he added a remarkable natural capacity for communicating his ideas to others. We thus begin to perceive his _early cultivation_ of that aptitude for lecturing which no doubt greatly contributed to the excellence which he ultimately achieved in that mode of instruction. We desire to impress this feature in his education, because by and by it will, with other things, assist us in a rather difficult task: that is, an attempt to analyze the means by which he obtained such a power over his audience. He thus became a teacher at the age of twenty-three, at a large hospital where he was about to commence a school, of which he would be at first the sole support. This necessarily involved a fearful amount of labour, for an organization, active and energetic, but by no means of great physical power.