CHAPTER VIII - ESSAYS AT CAMBRIDGE—1853-1856

Summary

The description of Maxwell's life at Cambridge would be incomplete without some notice of the Essays written by him from time to time for the “Apostles'” Club. These range from the spring of 1853 to the summer of 1856. Thrown off, as such things are, in irresponsible gaiety of heart, mere “gardens of Adonis,” as Plato would call them, they contain real indications of the writer's speculative tendencies, and are most characteristic of the activity and fulness of his mind, of his ironical humour, and of his provoking discursiveness and indirectness of expression. He is not “upon his oath,” and often throws out tentatively a whole train of arguments or ideas.

“Decision.” Written in February 1853

Æt. 21.

After a humorous sketch of the distraction arising from the different associations of term and vacation time, the question is raised whether on the whole a learned education is unfavourable to decision of character and opinion. The answer pointed at, though not distinctly given, is that high education may often unsettle opinion, but ought to strengthen character. It must suffice here to quote a few of the most characteristic passages:—

“… In this charitable (holiday) frame of mind, we resolved to try the effect of our learning upon a mixed company.

“Not to dazzle them too much at first, we merely ventured to quote to an elderly lady a passage from Griffin on Presbyopic Vision.