George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

‘ [503] myself.’ And what gives me great comfort is, that I have always found this spirit, to the full, in your kind and benevolent heart, and always ready to give credit for it in others. . . . .

November 9.—. . . . You wrote me, in your No. 45, of June the 5th, that you recite German to Dr. Schultze, and read aloud to him, in some book, as I desired, which requires some considerable exertion of the voice. This I like. I am pleased to learn it from you. I wish you, however, my son, in this part of your improvement, to understand me distinctly. It is not of so much importance for you to read aloud to a German, as it is that a German should read aloud to you. Select one of the finest oratorical readers in Gottingen, whose voice is round, and full, and melodious. Place yourself twenty feet from him, if possible. Request him to select and read aloud to you a pathetic oratorical piece in German. Such a piece, if possible, as will command all the powers of speech and eloquence. . . . Twenty pieces thus read to you by him, and in turn by you to him, in his tone of voice, would do you ten, twenty, yes, thirty times as much good as it would for you to read to him first, and in the common way, at common distance, and in common language. It is the tone of the voice, and the attitude of a polished German scholar, which you need, to be able to read and speak German well, like a German gentleman and scholar. Do the same in Paris, in Rome, in London, and what you will hear and see otherwise, at the bar, and from the pulpit, and in common conversation, without any particular exertion of your own, will be sufficient to answer all your purposes, and all my expectations, which are but few, although you may think they are many. . . . .

You may imagine, by my writing to you so much and so frequently on the improvement of time, and on the economy of your expenses, that I am not only very much concerned, but that I am very solicitous about you. If you have any such idea as this, you are greatly mistaken. I have no fear, except for your health and happiness. If you suppose Professor Stuart and I expect too much from you and Everett, you and he should not write such flattering accounts to Dr. Kirkland and Savage, of the advantages which Gottingen possesses over Cambridge and other universities in this country. So long as you and he draw such strong comparisons, and tell us that the University of Gottingen possesses ten times the advantages, and that a student can progress ten times as fast under her auspices as one can under those of our universities, what must be the fair expectations of those to whom you two young gentlemen write? That you ought