a and Abigail (Russell) Crosby, and was born at
Sandwich, N. H., October 13, 1810. Although less than twenty-three
years of age, his superior scholarship fully warranted the
appointment. After ably filling this chair several years, by a
division of labor he was permitted to confine himself exclusively to
the Greek language and literature. To his refined and sensitive nature
the stern old Roman was less attractive than the more polished Greek.
It is quite probable that Professor Crosby was more largely indebted
than he himself was aware to the moulding influence of his amiable and
excellent mother, for that particular type of mind and heart which
placed him among the foremost Grecian scholars of his time. Professor
Crosby's career as a linguist illustrated two distinct forms of
success. He excelled both as a _teacher_ and as an _author_. His
success as a teacher no one will question who had the privilege of
listening to his instructions, if only for a single hour. He
questioned the student with a critical eye and ear, but a womanly
gentleness. His translations might well be likened to celestial music,
long pent-up in foreign caves, but now finding rich and varied and
sweet expression, in the mother tongue. His success as an author is
sufficiently indicated by the extensive use of his text-books,
especially the "Greek Grammar."

His classmate, Rev. Dr. Tenney, says:

"It is very pleasant for me to bring back before me your brother as I
remember him at the commencement of our college life. He was, as you
know, a boy of twelve years, dressed in a boy's jacket with a ruffled
shirt, collar coming down over his shoulders, such as boys wore in
those days--playful as a kitten, and as innocent as the purest-minded
girl. He was probably the best fitted (as the phrase is) for college,
of any member of the class. He had, I believe, gone over all the
studies of the Sophomore year. Without any apparent effort he
maintained his pre-eminence through his entire college course, not only
in the Languages, but also in Mathematics and Mental Philosophy. My
recollection is that he had committed to memory all the Greek
primitives before he left college, yet with all his pre-eminence as a
scholar he never seemed to have the remotest consciousness that there
was anything remarkable about himself. We had ambitious men in the
class and some bitter rivalries, but no one ever thought of
questioning his position. In short he was both the pet and pr