Edinburgh.
3rd November, 1869
My Dear Father,
I have got through my board[2] and in the main I think decently. I have been hardly able to improve myself this week at all partly from my Hebrew Class[3] and partly because I have had headache and my nerves making me unable to work.[4] Yesterday I felt very ill but am better today and no worse I think of my exam.
My only serious trouble is about the Latin Paper. Three questions of four were not on Latin at all but on the matter of Turretin.[5] This is an innovation and none of us had prepared for it. I rose and mentioned this and Laing[6] said that in that case we should state this and not attempt the questions.
Bell however though hot in protesting against the questions rose presently and proposed to try them at least. This I and others would not do as it would have taken away our right to protest and not have made all equal. I could I am sure from common sense and general information have guessed a good deal of what Turretin would say on the subjects asked about but did not do this. Bell stuck out on his side and most men weakly followed him though they really had nothing but guesses to put down.
The class however is very angry at Bell who this frustrated the plan which Laing himself approved and would have justified to the board.
I can explain his conduct only by supposing that he thus hopes to steal a march on Maclean[7], myself, etc., who were consistent.
Laing was clearly puzzled by Bell’s manoeuvre though he told me afterwards that he thought me right and had himself regarded the questions as unfair all along.
This is very awkward, but I think I have taken the honourable course and that which will be recognised as such. Duns tells me that I can’t get a Cunningham[8] anyway while holding Tait’s place.
The College Committee is to give me a grant for the Hebrew class besides the fees. The latter have come of course to 14 guineas. The former I suppose will be £10.
Alice and Ellen well.
Your affectionate Son,
W.R. Smith
[1] CUL ADD 7449 C123 TS
[2] Examinations set by the College Examination Board.
[3] Smith was now tutoring the first year students in Hebrew. It is suggested by his biographers (B&C p.115) that this was at the idea of Professor A. B. Davidson in order to “promote the interests of his favourite pupil”. Whether there was a direct link with the death in September of Sachs the Aberdeen Free Church College professor of Hebrew, remains uncertain.
[4] This is the first recorded mention by WRS of personal stress as opposed to physical illness.
[5] Under “Turretin” in EB9 three Calvinist theologians of that name are cited, Benoit, François and Jean Alphonse. The reference is probably to the last of these figures, who occupied the chair of church history at Geneve from 1697 until his death in 1737. No explanation for the curious intrusion of questions on Turretin within the Latin paper has been found but Smith’s account is an interesting example of his readiness to challenge the errors of those in authority.
[6] Laing, John (1809–1899): was Librarian at New College from 1855 and seemingly acted as invigilator at examinations.
[7] Maclean, Duncan (b.1846): was a fourth year student at New College in 1869.
[8] Cunningham Fellowships were “For students who have completed the four years’ curriculum in Edinburgh, passed the Examination Board, and stood as the first Seven (?) in comparative merit at the examination” (PFCA 1869).