Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 1

[289] some time with me at my room yesterday, during which we talked much of you.

As ever affectionately,

C. S.

Since writing this, I have spent a long evening talking with Bravard, Professor of Commercial Law and the successor of Pardessus.

To Professor Simon Greenleaf.

Paris, May 6, 1838.

my dear friend,—I think you have hardly yet lost your interest in inaugurations, particularly of law-professors. I will, therefore, tell you how this affair is ordered in France. Another professorship, in addition to the fifteen already existing in the School of Law, has just been established to treat of comparative penal legislation; and M. Ortolan has been chosen professor. His first or inaugural lecture took place last week. Now the inaugural lecture is nothing more than the first lecture of the course, in which the professor salutes his audience and gives an outline of his subject. I presented myself in proper season at the door of the lecture room, and was refused entrance by the janitor because I had no ticket, which was required on this occasion from some motives of police, but which could have been procured beforehand. Determined not to lose the inaugural, I stepped into the porter's lodge, demanded a morsel of paper, and wrote something like the following: ‘M. Sumner, avocat des Etats-Unis, a l'honneur de saluer Monsieur Ortolan, et de lui exprimer son empressement à entendre la premiere lecon de M. Ortolan aujourd'hui. M. S. attendra chez le concierge un billet d'entree.’ I handed this note to the porter, and asked him to carry it to the professor, who was then in his robing-room, just assuming the red gown and cap. The porter at once returned with M. Ortolan's compliments to me, and ushered me into the robing-room of the professor, who received me with great distinction; and astonished me by saying that he had been apprised beforehand of my intention to honor his lecture by my presence, and directed the attendant to show me into the lecture room by the professors' entrance; and I soon found myself seated in the circle of the great lawyers of France, near Dupin, the Procureur-General, Troplong, the continuator of Toullier, &c. Soon, the professor entered,—a short, modest, dark-haired man of thirty-five or forty. His countenance trembled with anxiety; but his entrance was received with a shout from the students. He took his seat, and then, ex cathedra, delivered his lecture, putting on his hat immediately after the utterance of the first sentence. In his lecture he discussed the importance of comparative penal legislation, and gave an outline of the manner in which he proposed to treat the subject. Several times was he interrupted by a shout of applause from the students; and when he ceased the shout was redoubled. He immediately left the room, and so ended the inauguration.¹ You see that an inauguration