Letters and Journals of James, Eighth Earl of Elgin | Page 4

and a half at Oxford. But he was so
far advanced in his studies, that we had very little in common to bring
us together; and I hardly remember any striking fact connected with
him, except one or two speeches at the Union Club, when in eloquence
and originality he far outshone his competitors.[2]
'I do not know whether Mr. Welland is still alive: he probably, better
than anyone, could give some sketch of his intellectual growth, and of

that beautiful trait in his character, the devotion and abnegation he
showed o poor Bruce[3] in his long and painful illness.
'He was always reserved about his own feelings and aspirations. Owing
to the shortness of his stay at Oxford, he had to work very hard; and his
friends, like Newcastle and Hamilton, were men who sought him for
the soundness of his judgment, which led them to seek his advice in all
matters. He always stood to them in the relation of a much older man.
He had none of the frailties of youth, and, though very capable of
enjoying its diversions, life with him from a very early date was
"sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought." Its practical aspect to him
was one of anxiety and difficulty, while his intellect was attracted to
high and abstract speculation, and took little interest in the every-day
routine which is sufficient occupation for ordinary minds. Like all men
of original mind, he lived a life apart from his fellows.
'He looked upon the family estate rather as a trust than as an
inheritance--as far more valuable than money on account of the family
traditions, and the position which in our state of society is given to a
family connected historically with the country. Elgin felt this deeply,
and he clung to it in spite of difficulties which would have deterred a
man of more purely selfish views.'
'It is melancholy to reflect,' adds Sir F. Bruce, 'how those have
disappeared who could have filled up this gap in his history.' It is a
reflection even more melancholy, that the loved and trusted brother,
who shared so many of his labours and his aspirations, no longer lives
to write that history, and to illustrate in his own person the spirit by
which it was animated.
The sense of the difficulties above referred to strongly impressed his
mind even before he went to Oxford, and laid the foundation of that
habit of self-denial in all personal matters, which enabled him through
life to retain a feeling of independence, and at the same time to give
effect to the promptings of a generous nature. 'You tell me,' he writes to
his father from college, 'I coin money. I uncoined your last order by
putting it into the fire, having already supplied myself.'

About the middle of his Oxford career, a studentship fell vacant, which,
according to the strange system then prevalent, was in the gift of Dr.
Bull, one of the Canons of Christ Church. Instead of bestowing it, as
was too commonly done, on grounds of private interest, Dr. Bull placed
the valuable prize at the disposal of the Dean and Censors, to be
conferred on the most worthy of the undergraduates. Their choice fell
on James Bruce. In announcing this to a member of the Bruce family,
Dr. Bull wrote: 'Dr. Smith, no less than the present college officers,
assures me that there is no young man, of whatever rank, who could be
more acceptable to the society, and none whose appointment as the
reward of excellent deportment, diligence, and right-mindedness,
would do more good among the young men.'
A letter written about this time to his father shows that the young
student, with a sagacity beyond his years, discerned the germs of an
evil which has since grown to a great height, and now lies at the root of
some of the most troublesome questions connected with University
Education.
In my own mind I confess I am much of opinion, that college is put off
in general till too late;[4] and the gaining of honours therefore,
becomes too severe to be useful to men who are to enter into
professions. It was certainly originally intended that the degrees which
require only a knowledge of the classics should be taken at an earlier
age, in order to admit of a residence after they were taken, during
which the student might devote himself to science or composition, and
those habits of reflection by which the mind might be formed, and a
practical advantage drawn from the stores of knowledge already
acquired. By putting them off to so late an age, the consequence has
been, that it has been necessary proportionably to increase the difficulty
of their attainment, and to mix up in college examinations