328 PLATE PRESENTED BY THE PUPILS. Some of the most distinguished men had been of their number; and it would be gratifying to us to enumerate the very complimentary catalogue of eminent men who have been indebted for much of their eminence and success to the lessons of Abernethy; but as in so doing we might possibly, in our ignorance, omit some names which ought to be recorded, we forego, therefore, this pleasure, lest we should unintentionally appear to neglect any professional brother whom we ought to remember. The In 1812-13, the pupils had presented Mr. Abernethy with a piece of plate "as a testimony of their respect and gratitude." arrangement of the matter was confided chiefly to the present Sir James Eyre, Mr. Stowe of Buckingham, and Mr. William Bullen. In a very interesting letter, with which I have been favoured by Mr. Stowe, amongst other matters hereafter to be mentioned, it is stated that the plate was delivered at Abernethy's house on the 1st of April; and as he had no more entirely escaped such things than other medical men, he at first regarded it as a hoax; but when the PUPILS SUBSCRIBE FOR A PORTRAIT. 329 contents were exposed, and he discovered the truth, he became much affected. The regard of the pupils was always the thing nearest his heart. On meeting the class at the hospital, he essayed to express his feelings; but finding that he should only break down, he adopted the same course as he had employed on another memorable occasion, and wrote his acknowledgments, a copy of which was suspended against the wall of the theatre. It is due to our worthy and kind-hearted contemporary, Sir James Eyre, to add that Mr. Stowe observes in his letter, that of all others, Sir James was the most zealous promoter of a movement so creditable to all parties. Some years after this another subscription was commenced by the pupils for a portrait of Abernethy, which was painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence, and engraved by Bromley. Thomas, and the engraver after him, have been most successful. He has caught one of Mr. Abernethy's most characteristic expressions. We see him as he often stood when addressing the anatomical class. In his surgical lecture Sir 330 SUCCESS OF THE PORTRAIT. he was generally seated. We think it impossible to combine more of him in one view. We fancy we see his acute penetration, his thoughtful expression, his archness and humour, and his benevolence, all most happily delineated, whilst the general position and manner is eminently faithful. In 1815 he had been appointed surgeon to the hospital, after twenty-eight years tenure of the assistant-surgeoncy; a subject that we merely mention now, as we shall be obliged to revert to it when we consider the subject of the 'Hospital System." At the time to which we allude lecturing had become so easy as to appear little more than amusement to him, yet there were (we speak of about 1816) no signs of neglect or forgetfulness. His own interest in the subject was sustained throughout; but as his unrivalled lecturing will be more fully described, we must not anticipate. Few old pupils visited London without contriving to get to the hospital at lecture time. The drudgery of the early morning anatomical demonstration was taken MR. STANLEY'S DEMONSTRATION. 331 off his hands by Mr. Stanley, who performed his task with credit to himself, and with advantage to the pupils. Every morning, punctually at nine o'clock, would Mr. Stanley, in an amusingly declamatory tone, shout forth the dry but necessary truths of descriptive anatomy. His delivery was accompanied with not a little of metropolitan peculiarity, numerous facial gesticulations, and with occasional solemnities of tone which assorted oddly with the homely subject of the course of an artery. But this excited no satire; it was always received with smiles and good-nature, and gave room for a little fun which served to light up the foggy mornings of a London winter, and the occasionally not very lively details of an anatomical demon stration. If the style was faulty, the duty was well done. The endless, but perhaps necessary, repetitions, impressed the facts; a subordinate but important branch of the school was well supplied, and Mr. Stanley had a numerous and attentive class. Abernethy, at this time, in 332 PAINFUL IMPRESSIONS addition to a successful school, a large and attached class, a solid and world-wide reputation, was receiving numerous proofs that his principles were recognized, that however imperfectly adopted, they were gaining ground, and that if all his suggestions were not universally admitted, they were becoming axiomatic with some of the first surgeons, both in this and other countries. He had not, we think, as yet sustained the loss of any member of his family, nor hardly experienced any of those ordinary crosses from which few men's lives are free, and that sooner or later seldom fail to strew our paths with enough to convince us that perfect peace cannot be auspiciously sought in the conduct of human affairs. He was soon, however, to receive an impression of a painful nature, and from a quarter whence, whatever might have been his experience, he certainly little expected it. Long accustomed to be listened to by admiring and assenting audiences, whether in the theatre of the hospital, or in those clusters of pupils which never failed to crowd around |