Petty Piracy

To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

You may well imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find a lecture which I heard this morning, duplicated word for word, quotation for quotation, but with some careful attention given to selection, from the preface of an English writer's works. My professor, doubtless a scholarly man and much taken up with his pen, writing and editing books, simply lifted the lecture.

Notwithstanding, it must be said that it was interesting. Maybe more interesting because of it, since the material was admirably chosen and the selections were stimulating--full of humor and dash. However, I am of the opinion that the lecture might have been even more refreshing, although not so unified, if at least two or three introductions by different men to the same writer's works has been mixed up a bit. At least it would have been more of a game for the student to locate and tag the lecture.

In honorable defense, we must make allowances for some of our men of letters. They do have to maintain their reputation most zealously. And how can they do so but by surpassing each other in writing long books, or editing the works of others? This all in event one forgets demands time, Much time.

However, there may be a slight harm in this procedure. I am thinking of the earnest student who copies the lectures word for word and before finals underscores the statements in red ink, that they may suppose this is scholasticism and hand in to their professors similar regurgitations. Anyone with any imagination can see where this would end. Even the professors would in time take exception to it. Cambridge, February 17.   (Name withheld by request).

(Ed. Note: The CRIMSON is in possession of the name of the professor, the date of the lecture; and the preface, from a well-known series, which was used as a basis for the lecture).