Untitled - Electric Scotland

1842-50]
A. G. BUTLER S REMINISCENCES 143
theological, among themselves. This side of his teaching
was not, as may be imagined, satisfactory to the more
ardent minds ; but in the ferment of thought which he
found existing at Rugby, he doubtless thought it well to
allay rather than excite the fever. I can still remember
how, when one youthful and able essayist brought him an
essay of portentous length, he said in his gravest of
manners, after *
reading some few pages, Yes ;
there seems
a good deal of it. Needless to say that the performance
was not repeated. Much may doubtless be said against
such a mode of damping enthusiasm in ordinary cases, but
in the Rugby of that day a little cold water from time to
time, kindly administered, was not without its uses.
Stanley s Life had greatly excited us, and the danger was
that boy-life would lose all naturalness and unconscious
ness while straining prematurely after effect. It must not
be thought, however, that he was a quencher of enthusiasm
when rightly directed. When he heard of any boy or
boys contending against school evils, he would take
occasion to thank them earnestly and kindly, with just a
slight tremor in his deep voice, but careful not to excite
or exaggerate. He wished boys (so at least it always
struck me) to be above all simple and natural.
" And so things went on till the time of his great illness
in 1848, his teachings, sermons, government, all good and
sensible, but somewhat cold and repressive ; of a kind
rather to create respect and confidence than affection and
admiration. And yet behind his reserve and dignity there
was, we all felt, a deep fund of power and feeling, which it
only needed the occasion to bring forth. Even as it was,
the deeps were sometimes stirred. Thus, for instance, I
can still remember the delight of hearing him expound
Aristotle. For technical scholarship he had little taste,
but in the Politics all his instincts as a statesman and