The life of James McCosh Author:James McCosh Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL. — LIFE AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY 1829-1834 '"THE magnet which drew young McCosh toward Edinburgh, as it did many other ambit... more »ious young Scotchmen, was the teaching of Dr. Thomas Chalmers, then professor of theology in the most famous of the Scotch universities. At the same time, there were other powerful attractions. Like a true patriot, he rejoiced in the ancient and beautiful capital of his nation, believing that with its imposing castle rock, with the picturesque mountain of Arthur's Seat which overlooks it, with the deep ravines which intersect it, with the quaint, historic palace of Holyrood, the massive university buildings, the ancient High Street, and the modern quarters of handsome dwellings, it was, all in all, the grandest city of the world. And this, as he sometimes quizzically said, in spite of the constant mists or the "eastern haar," that local March fog which, creeping up from the sea, searches the inhabitants through and through with chilliness. To live amid the scenes and associations of Edinburgh was justly felt by the young divinity student to be an educational influence of the highest value; for the associations were even more important than the natural beauties of the place. The city at that time was the home of manyeminent men, being a literary centre which rivalled London at its best, if, indeed, its brilliancy did not ontshine that of any other home of English thought and letters, earlier or later. Fortunately we have Dr. McCosh's own account of how the great masters of literature and learning impressed him: — Chief of these in the city was the " Great Unknown," as he was called, but now fast becoming known, not so much by his poetry, which was full of life, as by the wonderful novels he was then writing, which show a...« less