Memoir and Letters of Francis W. Newman

s of his day. So that when the authorities of University College secured him for th

He could put the whole matter in some absolutely new light-take it from an utterly different point of view; so that, while giving another chance to the slow-witted, he did not keep his whole class waiting. The quality of teaching is not strained. It is doubtful if it is capable of being learnt, if not in the first instance, in some measure, innate. Lying dormant in a man's bei

out for the first suggestion of the Spirit of Humour. Frank Newman was not quick at appreciating the quips and cranks, the-to others-irresistibly mirth- provoking sallies of humour. He was not quick at seeing a joke. And when middle age was well past with him, he did not always see when he had himself been provocative of an upset of gravity on the part of the students. He did not always discover in time the pranks and designs for diverting the course of true knowledge in which the average young Englishman loves to indulge. He had not a very close focus for this sort of thing, and probably the reason was, that he was so absolutely absorbed in the subject which he was teaching or upon which he was lecturing. But in teaching a mixed class of boys or young men it is a sine qua non that one possesses a "mind's eye" with easily adjustable focus, as in a photographic camera; otherwise one cannot k

any eccentricities which perpetually aroused their sense of humour. Sir Edward Fry tells me that his manner, when he himself was at college in 1848, was "somewhat nervous, perhaps even a little irr

ll, perhaps it has never been quite understood from what part of old and unfashionable attire the Spirit of Humour winks at one with such twinkling fun in the corner of its eye that laughter is irresistible. But none the less, few there are of us who have not-though it may be against our steadier and wiser judgment-at som

cap and gown." This, however, was not such a startling vagary of costume in a London street as was that of a certain professor of my acquaintance, very absent-minded and dreamy, who, int

rofound research, and that he took untiring trouble in explaining any difficulty which had arisen. If the difficulty had been that of some member of one of his classes, he would not keep the whole clas

to accustom his students to deal with Greek as a spoken language" [Footnote: It will be remembered that Francis Newman introduced the "new" pronunciation of Latin.] (a

on "Modern Latin" which Francis Newman wrote in 1862, because there is very

rate did accustom them to the reiteration of a small number of words expressed in very simple sentences, and conveying knowledge of immediate utility.... While I nevertheless believe that at most

me as being so much to the purpose as an imitation of the story of Robinson Crusoe, which brings in much that is technical to special occupations-as in nautical affairs-carpentering, fowling, pottery, basket-making, agriculture, etc.... If

buted by Sir Alfred Wills, of the professor in rel

o the Professorship of Latin in University College in 1846, and I entered the college in Octobe

was familiar from Mrs. Catlin's book published in 1841. His complexion was dark, his hair very black and with no tendency to curl, and

or eight inches were of black leather; and at another time, upon what occasion I forget, he took to walking from his house to the college and back in cap and gown. There was a 'Cap and Gown' movement among the students, or some of them, in the session 1847-8, but it was not upon that occasion, for I remember seeing him in the streets in cap and g

oom in which we assembled or in the breakfast room; and I have not often been colder. There was only one guest who was not a student, and he was a certain

of no interest to you; and besides, you would forget their names at once'; and then he went off at score with, 'I have never been able to understand, Herr Vukovich, how it is that you have never introduced the Bactrian came

great advantage of being, during my first session, in the senior class in both Latin and Greek, and we had for our Greek Professor Mr. Malden, who, I should think, was unsurpassed for sound and elegant scholarship, and in whose lectures I delighted from first to last during my two sessions (1846-7 and 1848-9), but certainly during the first session, Professor Newman's lectures were those which made upon me the deepest impression, which remains unimpaired to this day.

extent. And I felt throughout that session that much the best thing I got from it was the practice in writing Latin, which was always an important part of his teaching, and in which he was a master himself. I am sure it is true that days often passed without there being anything

ut it was simply from the natural effluence of a noble character, for we came rarely into anything like personal intimacy wi

It reveals Newman as a man with whom the pupil would not feel altogether at his ease-towards whom he would not be moved to get into close sympathy, and this

re very stimulating, leading one to infer that even if the delivery was not arresting or

ate, in his Oxford days, J. H. Newma

eight" he said to him: "Newman and I were very old colleagues, and I loved and respected him. But if I had been supposed to have any official knowledge of Newman's views about Christianity derived from my position as a Professor, I should have thrown up my situation long ago." And Mr. de Morgan adds: "This had reference to the

sics. Somehow I missed my chances, and I cannot now recall a single instance of my availing myself of the interviews he accorded so gladly to any attentive student to get at difficult passages, and so on. In my time I suspect his classes included a larger number than usual of bad and idle young scaramouches, who deserved to be turned out of the class, instead o

u to blow them outside the door.' Of course the results were awful! The young imps rushed out incessantly into the passage, and made noises like motor-cars. If the Professor committed an error of judgment in his first edict, he certainly made up fo

an passed by, and a heavy volley all but destroyed his umbrella, which he used as a shield. A few days after he came into the Common Room with a new umbrella. 'See what a beautiful present I've had

ponse to a request from me fo

t time he had not assumed a beard, and his clean-cut features were not obscured by hair, as in later life. His lectures were very interesting and sti

unusual excellence. Such was my memory, and this has been confirmed by a reference to my notebooks which I have made in consequence of your note. I think his estimate of character did not always agree with tha

; these he corrected, reading also to us his own version. Since your note I have looked

duate, such as myself, he seemed too little like other men. We did not understand his genius, and were too apt to judge him by peculiarities of garb and speech. Like many other scholars, he cou

also pupil of Fran

r, was not much better.... My recollections are confined to the peculiarities of his dress and manner: the rug with a hole in the middle for his head,

influence with the boys' by way of protecting him in future, and his recognition of their efforts next day, when he exhibited a new umbrella presented to him by the boys.... For dear old De Morgan [

eminiscence by Pr

rely went beyond the translation. I do not think I ever spoke to him (or others of his class). The memory of his teaching would, I think, be most valuable in correc

eaching at University College. Mrs. Kingsley Tarpey says she remembers him first in the summer of 1874

tion: FRA

IDDL

OHN DAVIES, WES

follows, Professor Newman's own views

spect, from the working of London University, which I think bad; and others must add, whether worst of all is, my own want of judgment in selecting subjects, and the mode of the treatment. Undeniable it is that my classes are smaller, that my half-dozen best scholars are decidedly below the half-dozen best I had in the first year or two. But if I am myself to blame, it is, I think, from the very reverse process of that implied in the words above quote

ch, nevertheless, candidates for honours at B.A. are liable to be examined. I conjecture that somebody has seen this announcement of mine in our prospectus, and imputes it to a relaxation of discipline in my pupils (indeed there is little enough, and always was, in the majority of mine; they only want to scrape through their degree, and the University kindly keeps its real demands at a minimum). On the contrary, it is an effort of mine to make the lectures less unworthy of my more advanced pup

ng in hand in one class a team of students- some eagerly desirous of going forward into the real stud

rpey's reminisce

ual Conference of the Vegetarian Society was held in Manchester later on, he stayed with us. This visit was the beginning of a very warm friendship with our family, which lasted close on twenty years. During that time my mother co

inion is coming into line with his so-called outrageous ideas of a generation ago. It would have given him keen pleasure, if he could have lived till now, to see the strides that have been made of late years in the Women's Suffrage movement, and the admission of women to public bodies. In social and moral reform, and in the Tempera

peech made him seem to us like a being from another world. We were at once fascinated and repelled, and I think he became at first the object of our constant, though fu

sting topic. Sometimes he would give us an account of the doings at the Conference during the day. I remember some curious facts about some of the members. One man ate nothing but apples, and considered them a complete and ideal food for man. Another varied his diet between roots and nuts. He carried assorted strange nuts with him in his pocket, and after his speech he presented some to the President. Our Professor brought them home with him and wished us to try them, but I am afraid that, with the conservative instinct of young

nding a portmanteau word that would convey vegetables, eggs, and milk. Professor Newman much disliked the idea of calling it the VEM Society (the name that was afterwards adopted, I think); his proposal was "Anti-creophagite," or "Anti

e language that resulted. But dialect words, or old words that lingered in some parts of the country, while they had dropped out of common speech, interested him greatly. One day a younger sister of mine brought him a footstool as

sock'? I wonder is that a Lancashire word, or does it come

uring "buffet" again, she ran away in extreme confusion. I am afraid "bussock"

Newman's and of my father's. The Professor was staying at Penrith, and the two friends had been walking up a

ly, "we are neither of us as ste

What are pins?" asked

open carriage. Dr. Nicholson remarked upon Lord Brougham wearing "goggles," and Professor Newman

n to the house, and he was followed by a crowd of little boys shouting "Who's your hatter?" which was a catch-phrase of the time. The Professor described to Dr. Nicholson what an ext

h, adds another story whi

John Brown and the battle of Bull's Run.' I said I was not very clear about it, so he began from the beginning, so to speak, and the story of John Brown lasted till we reached home again. I went into shops to make my purchases, and on each occasion as I cam

egetarian paper. There was a long and precise account of the services required for "the smallest possible family," and application was to be made by letter to "Emer. Prof. F. W. Newman," etc. We thought some

of beard were more liable to go bald early than those who had the hair on the face thin and scanty. He described this as a kind of landslip, I remember, and his idea was that hum

hare in some other crusades of his against alcohol, tobacco, vaccination, etc. etc. He sent her a great number of leaflets and pamphlets on all these subjects, but though my father was a non-smoker and almost a total abstainer, he was so from habit and inclination and not from any pledge, and I do not remember that the Professor made any convert except myself. I came acr

of the party who were taking the dogs out for a run, and I do not think two hours were ever spent by us in a more interesting and fascinating way. He had the rare and charming gift, in talking to young people, of making them feel that he regarded them as equals. And though he was imparting knowledge all the time, he h

eccentricities were entirely lovable, as we knew them, and even when he meant to be severe his unconsciously humorous way of putting things took away the sting, as

of those matters in our country home. I have a pleasant memory of his holding a skein of wool for me to wind one wet afternoon, and of his telling me the while of his observations of a family of bugs. He was travelling in the East, and at some place where he stayed was much distressed by vermin. At last he discovered that a procession of bugs came

ke him to read to them when they had work to do. I do not remember in the least what he read to us, though I am sure it was appropriate and instructi

then, and he often sent her articles he had written. In the last years of his life h

RIVATE LIFE BY MRS.

al friends of Newman's, consequently I saw

om locomotor ataxy. Professor Newman lived just across the road from our house: we could often see him walking about his garde

in to see him. He was sitting by the fire in large fur-lined boots made of felt, and wearing two coats (for he always found it difficult to keep sufficiently warm). When I stated my difficulty, he went to his shelves with his wonderful smile (the room was lined from floor to ceiling with books) and took out his translation of the Iliad, and read it to me. Then he

he said, and it was evident that he was at heart deeply religious. I mention this because in later

only. As my mother was ill at the time, I was invited to go with my father. I remember the delightful way in which he received us. He presented the "youngest lady" (myself) to the "oldest gentleman"- the late Professor Jarrett,

"I have had this coat twenty years and cannot match the cloth." This was not to be wondered at, for it was a long hairy one-quite green with age. Another day I came into the room and heard the Professor say to my mother quite seriously: "I never can

d and thin grey locks that came down over the high Gladstone collar which he always wore, and a black and white shepherd's-p

ent on attaining the same object. Great was his glee when at last I did overtake him (though I had some difficulty, for he ran

said very earnestly that women ought to ride "astride" (at that time this was a thing incompris in England). He de

uch a present was great. But that people should think of him in that way was a great surprise, for his humility as regarded his powers was a very noticeable fact about him always. The d

tion: FRA

ESSOR OF LOND

aph of the bronze bust

ulptor, of St. Ives, C

y College

e came in he said, "I don't know why your maid did not announce me-I see she is a stranger"; and then turning to my mother, who had been ill, he said, "My cook has made a new vegetarian dish for my lunch to-day, and I requested her to make some for you, as I am quite sure it will suit y

that we should treat all vegetable life as if

the Woman's Suffrage movement. At that time it was very unpopular, but wheneve

s very ill, I think I was the only visitor admitted; and as Hannah, his old servant, ushered me in with a smile of pleasure, I heard a curious sound. On looking back to the hall door I saw a huge netting ha

or modelling some flowers in clay on vases, with low relief panels. This pleased the Professor very much; and when, one day, I told him how keenly I wanted to model a bust of his head and shoulders, he smiled, and said,

one. The Professor insisted on my being very particular over the collar and the scarf. (His collars always had to be made for him, as he could not buy in shops the kind he wore.) In later years of hard student life that followed, for me,

S WILLI

of the

or of University

1805. Obiit Oct

great esteem and affec

, this bust (modell

resented to th

was first modelled, I still revere and reverence his memory and his truly beautiful life. Whatever he wrote, this is what his actual life and deeds expressed strongly

na Bai

l. St. Ives

IEW OF THE BUST IN UNIVE

, ON IT

INSMITH, SCULPTOR,

Mr. J. C. Douglas, of S

om the clay bef