Dialogue on George Santayana
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| George Santayana |
I think I took about every course that Santayana gave while I was an undergraduate. And they involved the history of philosophy, Greek philosophy — Greek philosophy at Harvard was a wonderful, exciting thing. He was then preparing The Life of Reason, and the course out of which it grew was called the Philosophy of History. It was given after-noons in Harvard Hall; we went up a flight of stairs, the side stairs — still standing. The platform was much higher than in Massachusetts Hall, and so he was raised very much above the audience. It was rare for a class to applaud at the end of a lecture, but usually once a week there would be a spontaneous outburst of applause.
He took my notes at the end of this two-term course; and as I had made side remarks and decorations, as well as recordings of what was said, I was a little disturbed; but they came back with pleasant comments. When I got through, I went to Princeton, and he went off also; the same two years that I was going to Princeton he was in Europe. And it was the first year, in 1904, that the first volume of The Life (13) Dialogue on Santayana of Reason came out: Reason in Common Sense.
The other volumes were produced soon after at intervals. He came back in 1906, and I, having been more or less kicked out of Princeton, came back too. Naturally, I gravitated in his direction. In the interval, Emerson Hall had begun to function. (Emerson Hall was set up in 1903.) There he was in the modern classroom way down in front, waiting for students to come to talk to him. I somehow recognized the back, the posture, the character of the head; but when he turned around, there was a beard.
A beaver. And the type of expression, the character and quality of the man were changed; there was something strange that didn't belong. He didn't carry that beard for more than half a term, but in the interval, Denman Ross, who was a great master of science — though perhaps not of the art of painting — made a portrait of him with the beard, the derby, the gloves and the stick. I don't know what has become of that portrait. It may be hanging in Emerson Hall, alongside Mrs Riebers's collocation of James, Palmer and Royce; but I am not sure.
For a long time Ross kept it at home. He was doing it in some particular Spanish style, I think he said in the manner of Velasquez. It would be difficult to (14) D also gue on S ant ay ana identify now, except that every time I think of that portrait there is something about the New England judgment of Santayana in it; and that judgment was not friendly. It was admiring but dubious, and he felt it very much. The kind of people that were around him I never could make much of. There was Pierre La Rose. Did you know him, Corliss? Was he there in your time?
the book details :Author: Corliss Lamont
Publication date: 1959
Company: New York,: Horizon Press
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the book details :
Download 2/2 MB