University College
London
16th April 1867
Dear Sir,
Will you allow me to introduce to you my friend Wm. R. Smith, on his way to pass the Summer-Semester at Tübingen? He is a student of Theology, but he has also given great attention to Philosophy and will be glad to converse with you on philosophical subjects.
I shall be much obliged to you if you will give him any information about Tübingen, and can introduce him to any of the Professors there. I ought properly not to need to trouble you in this way, for when I parted from you in Bonn nearly two years ago, you gave me a note of introduction to, I think, Dr. Pauli[4] in Tübingen. I was, however, prevented at that time from carrying out my intention of visiting Baur[5] [at] Tübingen, and am thus forced to fall back again upon your kindness.
I am now resident in London, having been appointed Professor of Philosophy in University College here within the last few month. If ever you should come to London, I hope you will not forget to visit me.
I have seen a short notice of your magnum opus on Plato[6] in one of the London papers — the Saturday Review. It was a simple announcement of the name and aim of the book, among a number of the foreign publications, but I was glad to learn from it that you had brought to an end the investigations you were engaged upon when I saw you. I had your “John of Salisbury”[7] ordered for our University Library in Aberdeen about a year ago, and read it with great interest in connection with the study I was then making of the most important Scholastics.
Pray, remember me to Frau Schaarschmidt. Do you recollect that on parting from you, I promised to visit her father and mother in Wiesbaden on my way up the Rhine? I did call on them, but found them not at home.
I am yours faithfully
G Croom Robertson
Herr Dr. Schaarschmidt
[1] ULB Bonn Autographensammlung
[2] Robertson, George Croom (1842–1892): was a longstanding acquaintance rather than a close friend of WRS. Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and Marischal College, Croom Robertson assisted Bain (in Logic) and then Geddes (in Greek) at Aberdeen University before obtaining the chair of mental philosophy and logic at University College London. Cf. B&C p.110.
[3] Schaarschmidt, Carl (1822–1910): teacher, mentor and friend to WRS, studied under Böckh, Trendelenburg, Schelling. From 1859 he was Professor of Philosophy at Bonn University and from 1882 Director of Bonn University Library. WRS stayed with Schaarschmidt’s family during his first stay in Germany and the latter’s hospitality may have influenced Smith’s decision not to go to Tübingen. WRS was introduced to Schaarschmidt through this letter of recommendation from G. C. Robertson, who had known the Bonn philosopher since 1865. (see The letters of William Robertson Smith in Bonn University Library. By Bernhard Maier, AUR LXI (2) 2005).
[4] Probably Reinhold Pauli (1823–1882): historian and philosopher with main emphasis on English history. He lectured in Tübingen and in Göttingen from 1870 to 1882.
[5] Baur, Ferdinand Christian (1792–1860): the noted German theologian whose Hegelian stance and radical biblical criticism led to the formation of the highly controversial “Tübingen School”.
[6] Carl Schaarschmidt, Die Sammlung der platonischen Schriften, Bonn 1866.
[7] A monograph by C. Schaarschmidt: Johannes Saresberiensis nach Leben und Studien, Schriften und Philosophie, Leipzig, 1862.