HIS PARENTAGE AND EARLY EDUCATION. 163 had said on the subject. From the same authority we come to learn that, while Ram Gopal was "barely .14* years old," he was promoted to the second class of the Hindu College, of which "one Mr. Halifax was then the teacher." It was about this time, viz., perhaps in the year 1829, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was appointed a teacher of the College. Every student of history knows what moral revolution this model teacher effected in the minds of his distinguished pupils among whom, Bengal is proud to reckon such good and moral men like Babu. Ram Tonoo Lahiry, the late Rev. K. M. Banerjea, Ram Gopal Ghose, Rusik. Kristo Mulik and others. Babu Koilash Chunder rightly said that, "under the guidance of Derozio, they laid the foundation of that solid learning and ability J' and we should add, of that moral stamina "of which they made the best possible use in after-life." He carried them through the pages of Locke, Reid, and Stewart with consummate skill," so that— "he inocu- lated them with large and liberal ideas. '*" One day Ram Gopal, while reading Locke with Derozio, gave expression to a felicitous remark. "Locke," he said "has written his Conduct of the Understanding, with the head of an old man, but with the tongue of a child" meaning thereby that he .had been able to ex- press the highest truths of philosophy, in language which a child could understand." "Ram Copal's highest studies within the College-walls were Locke's and Ste- wart's philosophy, Russel's Modern Europe, Shakes- peare's plays, and the elements of Natural philosophy." And further more we learn from the same authority, that Ram Gopal was deficient in mathematics. This is the brief summary of his great scholastic career which, afterwards blossomed forth in all its political and ora^ torical grandeur and beauty.
