University of Vermont - Ariel Yearbook (Burlington, VT)

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studies which the position afforded him was of the greatest advantage to him, and was most diligently improved. He was able to enter upon the prosecution of those comprehensive plans of literary culture which he had already outlined for himself. Nlr. Nlarsh was then greatly interested in literature as an expression of the human mind. He entered upon a more profound study of the great products of ancient and of modern genius with the view to discover the pervading spirit of each. He was attracted also to the mediaeval period as containing within it the germ of modern cultivation. In all his inquiries into these subjects the philo- sophic breadth and penetration of Mr. Nlarsh's mind revealed itself, and indicated unmistakably that nature had designed him to be a scholar. On his return to Andover we rind him still carrying on, alongside the prescribed studies of the seminary course, these investigations into general literature. He was becoming well acquainted with several of the modern languages. ' During his last year in the seminary Mr. Nlarsh published in the c7lC01'ztb afIme1'z'mn qQ6'ZJl'E'w QJuly, 18225 a review of an Italian work by Gattinara di Breme. The article bears the title, Ancient and Modern Poetry. lt attempts to point out the distinguishing features of modern genius as compared with the ancient 3 and more particularly to show how much, in the peculiar character of modern art, is due to the influence of Christianity in giving a more spiritual direction to the powers of the human mind. Mr. Nlarsh was particularly prohcient in the German language. Nluch of his reading at that time and thereafter throughout life was in German authors. Before he left the Seminary he had begun, with a friend, the translation of the German work of Bellermann, on the Geography of the Scriptures, which task was afterward completed, so far as his own part was concerned, during an interval of leisure at home, when he dispatched, his biographer states, rave hundred pages in a fortnight. About two years after leaving the Seminary Nlr. Nlarsh received and accepted an appointment to the Professorship of the Biblical Languages and Literature in Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia. During the three years in which he held that office he began to translate from the Ger- man, Herder's f' Spirit of Hebrew Poetry, the first dialogues of which were published in the Christian Reposfforgf at Princeton. The transla- 6

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tion was afterwards completed and published in two volumes at Bur- lington, in 1833. ln October, 1826, Mr. Marsh was elected President of the University of Vermont. Five years before, while he was a student at Andover Theological Seminary, he had been consulted about becoming a candi- date for that position, but declined making any positive engagement. The affairs of the college at that time were not in a very hopeful condi- tion, nor were they much better when Mr. Marsh was called to the presidency. The year before, the college building had been destroyed by Ere. New buildings had just been erected, but the prospect was not very encouraging. The students were few in number, the funds not wholly free from embarrassment, the library and apparatus a mere name 5 and besides an impression seemed to prevail with many that an institution doomed to so many strange calamities, was never destined to succeed, and had better be given up by its friends. But in spite of the discouraging outlook, Mr. Marsh regarding his appointment as the call of duty, resolved to accept it. Almost immediately upon entering upon the duties of the office he laid before the Faculty of the institution his views upon the whole subject of collegiate education. They were broad and liberal, and, in several respects, in advance of the times. In some points, they anticipated present methods. Mr. Marsh thought that in the training of the mind account should be taken not only of its essential nature, but of its individual differences. He approved of a certain fixed course of studies for the majority of students, but con- sidered that even the best curriculum would not be suited to every capac- ity, nor afford the requisite means of development to special gifts. He therefore favored what came to be known as partial courses, for those who, for want of capacity or previous training, were unable to take the full collegiate course, and on the other hand, would encourage those students, whose mental gifts and inclination took that direction, to pursue additional studies, of their own choice under the guidance of their instructors. Such freedom was quite unusual, if not altogether unknown, in the colleges of that day. Though not identical with the present elective system, these measures look in that direction. Mr. Marsh also thought that instruction was too mechanical, too much a matter of routine, that too great importance was attached to text books. He would have not the book, but the subject, taught. He would break up 7