ions such as might be, the
humor and creed of College Radicalism five-and-twenty years ago. Rather
horrible at that time; seen to be not so horrible now, at least to have
grown very universal, and to need no concealment now. The natural
humor and attitude, we may well regret to say,--and honorable not
dishonorable, for a brave young soul such as Sterling's, in those years
in those localities!

I do not find that Sterling had, at that stage, adopted the then
prevalent Utilitarian theory of human things. But neither, apparently,
had he rejected it; still less did he yet at all denounce it with the
damnatory vehemence we were used to in him at a later period. Probably
he, so much occupied with the negative side of things, had not yet
thought seriously of any positive basis for his world; or asked himself,
too earnestly, What, then, is the noble rule of living for a man?
In this world so eclipsed and scandalously overhung with fable and
hypocrisy, what is the eternal fact, on which a man may front the
Destinies and the Immensities? The day for such questions, sure enough
to come in his case, was still but coming. Sufficient for this day
be the work thereof; that of blasting into merited annihilation the
innumerable and immeasurable recognized deliriums, and extirpating or
coercing to the due pitch those legions of "black dragoons," of all
varieties and purposes, who patrol, with horse-meat and man's-meat, this
afflicted earth, so hugely to the detriment of it.

Sterling, it appears, after above a year of Trinity College, followed
his friend Maurice into Trinity Hall, with the intention of taking
a degree in Law; which intention, like many others with him, came to
nothing; and in 1827 he left Trinity Hall and Cambridge altogether; here
ending, after two years, his brief University life.

CHAPTER V. A PROFESSION.

Here, then, is a young soul, brought to the years of legal majority,
furnished from his training-schools with such and such shining
capabilities, and ushered on the scene of things to inquire practically,
What he will do there? Piety is in the man, noble human valor, bright
intelligence, ardent proud veracity; light and fire, in none of their
many senses, wanting for him, but abundantly bestowed: a kingly kind of
man;--whose "kingdom," however, in this bewildered place and epoch of
the world will probably be difficult to find and conquer!

For, alas, the world, as we said, already stands convicted to this