Locke's philosophy had been the reigning one for the last age or two.Mr.Vetch speaks of the " tradition of sensationalism, which the Scottish universities during the first half of the century, and up to the time of Reid, had in general dispensed in Scotland." This statement is too sweeping: for, first, Locke had given as high a place to reflection as to sensation; and, secondly, he had given a high office to intuition; while, thirdly, Locke's philosophy had not been received in Scotland without modification, or in its worst aspects, as it had been in France.Stewart, like Reid, entertained a high admiration of Locke, and was unwilling to separate from him, but he saw at the same time the defects of Locke, and that there were fundamental laws in the mind which Locke had overlooked, or only incidentally noticed.In Glasgow he must have felt the influence left behind by a train of eminent men.There Hutcheson had been the founder of the genuine Scottish school.In Glasgow, too, Adam Smith had expounded those original views which he afterwards published in his " Theory of Moral Sentiments "and his " Wealth of Nations." In order to estimate the character of the age, it must also be taken into account that there was a strong expectation that results were to follow, from the application of inductive science, to mental phenomena, similar to those which had flowed from its application to physics.Turnbull's aim was to " apply himself to the study of the human mind, in the same way as to that of the human body, or to any other part of natural philosophy." Catching this spirit, Reid was even now employing it to discover {280} principles deeper than any that had been systematically noticed by Locke, by Hutcheson, or any Scottish philosopher.To this same noble work Stewart now devoted himself; but seeking, meanwhile, to combine with the profound philosophy of Reid a literary excellence like that of Hume and Smith.
And this leads us to notice that we cannot form any thing like an adequate idea of the influences which combined to mould the character of Stewart, who cultivated literature as eagerly as he did philosophy, without taking into account that he lived in an age of great literary revival in Scotland.The union between Scotland and England being now compacted, it was seen that the old Scottish dialect must gradually disappear; and ambitious youths were anxious to get rid of their northern idioms, and even grave seniors, including noblemen and dignified doctors, like Robertson (as we learn from Lord Campbell's "Life of Loughborough"), had formed a society, in order to be delivered from their Scottish pronunciation.A company of authors had sprung up, determined to assert their place among the classical writers of England; and this had been already allowed to Hume, to Robertson and Smith, and was being allowed to Beattie.
Stewart had, no doubt, an ambition to take his place among the classical writers of Scotland.
While pursuing his studies at Glasgow, he read a paper on "Dreaming" before a literary society in connection with the university; and he subsequently read the same paper to a similar society in Edinburgh.The theory here started was afterwards embodied in his " Elements," and contains certainly not the whole truth on this mysterious subject, but still a truth, namely, that in dreaming the will is in abeyance, and the mind follows a spontaneous train.In the Edinburgh society he also read papers on " Taste," on "Cause and Effect," and " Scepticism." The fact that such topics were discussed is a sign of the spirit which prevailed among the youth of Scotland at that time.It is worthy of being noticed that at Glasgow he boarded in the same house with Mr.Alison, who afterwards, in his essay on " Taste," carried out the theory which had been started by Beattie in his " Dissertation on Imagination," as to the feeling of beauty being produced by the association of ideas.
Quitting his course of training, we may now view him as delivering his professorial lectures in the class-room in Edinburgh.{281} By far the liveliest account of him is by Lord Cockburn.It is worthy of being read again by those who may have seen it before.
" He was about the middle size, weakly limbed, and with an appearance of feebleness which gave an air of delicacy to his gait and structure.His forehead was large and bald; his eyebrows busily; his eyes gray and intelligent, and capable of conveying any emotion from indignation to pity, form serene sense to hearty humor, in which they were powerfully aided by his lips, which, though rather large perhaps, were flexible and expressive.The voice was singularly pleasing; and, as he managed it, a slight burr only made its tones softer.His ear both for music and for speech was exquisite; and he was the finest reader I have ever heard.His gesture was simple and elegant, though not free from a tinge of professional formality, and his whole manner that of an academic gentleman....He lectured standing, from notes which, with their successive additions, must, I suppose, at last have been nearly as full as his spoken words.His lecturing manner was professorial, but gentlemanlike, calm and expository, but rising into greatness, or softening into tenderness, whenever his subject required it.Aslight asthmatic tendency made him often clear his throat; and such was my admiration of the whole exhibition, that Macvey Napier told him not long ago that I had said there was eloquence in his very spitting, I Then,' said he, I am glad there was at least one thing in which I had no competitor.'..To me, his lectures were like the opening of the heavens.
