h he had not
accomplished all he had hoped when he accepted his professorship, he
was able to look back upon an honorable and gratifying record so far
as the management of his own department was concerned.

After resigning his position in Cambridge he again went abroad in
1835, accompanied by his wife and family. It would take many pages to
give the reader an exact account, in however brief a form, of all
the interest of this journey. A few notes taken almost at random must
suffice. Of Southey, Mr. Ticknor notes: "His conversation was very
various, sometimes quite remarkable, but never rich or copious like
Wordsworth's, and never humorous or witty. It was rather abundant in
matters of fact, and often in that way quite striking and effective."
The first winter he spent in Dresden, meeting Tieck frequently, and
enjoying the agreeable and highly-cultivated society of the court.
The next summer, during a visit to Vienna, he had some interesting
conversations with Prince Metternich, which are given in full.
The winter of 1836-37 he passed in Rome, finding there Bunsen and
Thorwaldsen, whom he had seen on his first visit. The next winter
found him in Paris, where he saw Thierry, Lamartine, Thiers, Mignet,
Guizot and others. Of Lamartine he says: "Only two things struck
me--his complete ignorance of the present English literature, and the
strong expression of his poetical faith that the recent improvements
in material life, like steam and railroads, have their poetical sides,
and will be used for poetical purposes with success." In the spring
he crossed to England, where he roamed from one interesting spot to
another, seeing every one of whom one cares to hear, and putting down
in his journal faithful accounts of all that he saw and heard.

He returned to this country in June, 1838, and began at once to
occupy himself busily with the preparation of his _History of Spanish
Literature_. After this book had been published he began to busy
himself with a very important scheme--namely, preparing the Public
Library of his native city. As soon as Mr. Bates had made his generous
gift, which secured the establishment of the library, Mr. Ticknor,
with the aid of experts in the different professions, prepared a list
of forty thousand books which were needed as the foundation. He was
absent in Europe for fifteen months in 1856-57 busy with choosing and
buying books for this institution. The debt which the city of Boston
owes him is a gr