The three professors who wrote letters of recommendation for Bernard seem to have anticipated difficulties in his application for a Parker Fellowship (cat. BB.II.3). David Lyon, professor of Hebrew, wrote that Bernard is “still very young, which perhaps accounts for an apparent change in the direction of his studies, from philological to literary … I regard him as a man of unusual ability and of brilliant promise.” For Adams Sherman Hill, professor of rhetoric, “Mr. Berenson is still immature, but he promises to attain distinction as a man of letters.” Crawford Howell Toy, professor of Arabic, referred to the “general, somewhat undefined character of his proposed work,” but “[m]y knowledge of Mr. Berenson leads me to believe that he would do something brilliant.”

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                                                                                                Cambridge, Apr. 25, 1887

Dear Prof. Child,

                        The only man in the list of candidates for scholarships whom I know well enough to write about is Bernhard Berenson. He is still very young, which perhaps accounts for an apparent change in the direction of his studies, from philological to literary. I regard him as a man of unusual ability and of brilliant promise. His standing, 83 ½ per cent, measure his work, largely philological, whereas his heart was in work of a different kind. If appointed he will, I think, make the best use of study abroad

                        Very truly yours,

                                    D. Y. Lyon.

                                                            over

I do not think that he can now have any intention to be a candidate for honors in Semitic

                                                                                                                        Cambridge

                                                                                                                        April 29 -87

Dear Mr. Child,

                        I wish to say a word on behalf of two of the applicants for fellowships – Mr. Yates and Mr. Berenson.

            Mr. Yates’s record is excellent both as student & as instructor. I well remember the marked literary taste he showed in the very good work he did in English Composition while in college. As reader of forensics, he has discharged his duties with steady faithfulness, & has brought to the work critical acumen & sound judgment. It will be exceedingly difficult to make good his loss, should he receive the appointment he desires.

            Mr. Berenson is still immature, but he promises to attain distinction as a man of letters. He is at home in several languages, has a wide knowledge of literature, has ideas of his own, & can express them in language usually effective & sometimes striking. It is not often that Harvard has an opportunity to lend a helping hand to a young man whose tastes & talents so strongly urge and so well fit him to pursue a literary career.

            I wish that both Mr. Yates & Mr. Berenson could get what they want.

                                    Yours very truly,

                                                A.S. Hill

                                                                                                Cambridge April 15, 1887

To the Committee on Parker Fellowships:

                        Gentlemen,

                                    In regard to Mr. Bernhard Berenson I beg to say that I believe he would be a creditable Parker fellow. During the two years that he has been with me, he has worked steadily & well. His natural gifts & his attainments appear to me to be uncommonly excellent, and I should hope for some very good result from his study abroad. Though he has given much time to Semitic languages, his work in Europe, as I understand from him, would not be in the grammar of these languages, nor wholly in their literature, but in the general field of literature. It seems to me that this general, somewhat undefined character of his proposed work is not objectionable, provided he does it well. We need a scientific study of general literature. My knowledge of Mr. Berenson leads me to believe that he would do something brilliant in that time. His reading is enormous without being superficial. He combines in a very unusual way acquaintance with Eastern & with Western literatures. His study would be earnest and intelligent, and I should expect it to be fruitful. I should hope that he would make some contribution to the comparative study of literatures.

                                    Yours very truly

                                                C. H. Toy