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Krunal S. Trivedi
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification Companion: Guide to
Prepare for the AI-900 Exam
Krunal S. Trivedi
Ahmedabad, India
Acknowledgments����������������������������������������������������������������������������xvii
Introduction���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xix
vii
Table of Contents
viii
Table of Contents
ix
Table of Contents
x
Table of Contents
Practical Labs���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������160
Creating a Custom Question-Answering Knowledge Base��������������������������161
Editing Your Knowledge Base����������������������������������������������������������������������170
Training and Testing the Knowledge Base���������������������������������������������������171
Creating an Informational Bot for the Knowledge Base������������������������������173
Introspective Test����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������177
Solutions to the Practice Test����������������������������������������������������������������������������179
References: Microsoft Learn�����������������������������������������������������������������������������179
Summary����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������180
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������181
xi
About the Author
Krunal S. Trivedi is a Microsoft Certified
Trainer and has been a Microsoft Azure
MVP for the past five years. He has provided
technical training on a variety of Microsoft and
non-Microsoft technologies to IT corporations
all over the world for the past 14 years. He is
an enthusiastic speaker, trainer, writer, and
author. Krunal is actively involved in project
architecting, building solutions using modern
edge technologies such as React, Angular,
Docker, and Microsoft Azure, in addition
to training. He has worked on numerous projects and products, from
requirement gathering to project deployment using the Agile methodology
and DevOps pipeline.
xiii
About the Technical Reviewer
Don Reamey is currently a Principal
Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft
Corporation. Previously, he worked at Apptio
Software as a Principal Software Engineer
Manager. Don also managed engineering
teams at TIBCO Software and Bank of
America. He enjoys learning and creating new
programming languages, creating web-based
applications, playing guitar, and weightlifting.
xv
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is one of the most challenging tasks I've undertaken, and it
gives me a great sense of accomplishment. Without the love and support
of many people, this would not be possible. To begin, I want to express my
gratitude to my loved ones.
The value of my loved ones' support to me is immeasurable. Mrs.
Nayna Sunil Trivedi, my late mother, was an avid reader. As early as I can
remember, mom instilled in me a love of reading, and later, while I was
pursuing a profession as an information technology trainer, she shared some
of her thoughts and shed some light on an idea I'd had to write a book.
When writing this book, I was always encouraged by my family: wife
Hina, son Aaditya, and father Mr. Sunil Trivedi.
Nelson D'Souza and Prashant Pavshe, two of my closest friends and
bosses, thank you for being the leaders in whom I have faith and who I truly
honor and respect. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to represent
you and SPAN LABS. I truly have no words to express my gratitude to you.
I will forever be thankful to the universe for connecting me to you. Thank
you for always being there for me through every trial and triumph.
The other side of the ocean is home to Peter De Tender, who has
changed the lives of many people through his work as an IT trainer,
mentor, cloud consultant, Microsoft MVP, and current Microsoft employee.
I will forever be thankful to the universe for connecting me to Peter. He has
been a huge source of inspiration for me during my time as an IT trainer.
Besides being an inspiration, I can always count on him to be there for
me, whether I have a question or need help with something technical. He
connected me with Jill Balzano, Mark Powers, and Smriti Sachdeva, and
the journey began.
xvii
Acknowledgments
xviii
Introduction
This book will be invaluable to anyone interested in learning more about
artificial intelligence (AI) and how to use Microsoft Azure's services to create
AI solutions. This book covers the fundamentals of Azure AI as well as more
advanced topics, so it should make learning about Azure AI a breeze. The
book has a hands-on, practical style that lets you see AI in action and try out
Azure AI services. You will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge
of Azure artificial intelligence by working through the lab exercises that are
included in each chapter of this book. These exercises correspond to specific
sections of the official Microsoft certification exam. This book is split into five
chapters, with each one covering a different module of the AI-900: Microsoft
Azure AI Fundamentals Examination. At the end of Chapters 2, 3, 4,
and 5, you will work through some multiple-choice questions to test the
knowledge that you have gained in the chapters and a few Microsoft Learn
reference links.
There is no actual coding on either the exam or the book.
Chapter 1 is the beginning, and it tells you about the AI-900:
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals exam. It talks about the exam overview,
prerequisites, how to sign up for the exam, exam cost, and exam format. It
also describes each module of the exam, along with their weightage.
Chapter 2 talks in detail about the fundamentals of artificial
intelligence. It talks about a number of AI tasks, like machine learning,
anomaly detection, computer vision, natural language processing, and
knowledge mining. It also walks you through the principles of responsible
AI. Later in this chapter, you will also learn how Microsoft Azure supports
artificial intelligence and various AI-related services.
xix
Introduction
xx
CHAPTER 1
Overview of AI-900
Exam Preparation
Greetings, readers! Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to
revolutionize many industries, including healthcare, finance, and
environmental protection, to name a few. The advent of artificial
intelligence has enabled endeavors that seemed impossible even a
day ago.
If you’re just getting started in the field of AI, I am confident that this
book will give you a leg up by covering the basics of the field and the main
ideas behind AI. This book will teach you how to use Microsoft Azure AI-
related services to create AI solutions, and it will appeal to anyone curious
about artificial intelligence.
To help you certify for the AI-900 exam, this book dives deep into all
the modules and scenarios that will be tested. To help you see AI in action
and experiment with Azure AI services, the book takes a practical, hands-
on approach in addition to a detailed explanation of the theory.
Exam Overview
The AI-900 exam is designed to assess your understanding of fundamental
AI and machine learning concepts, as well as your familiarity with the
relevant Microsoft Azure services. By learning the basics of AI, you’ll be
well on your way to a successful career and ready to explore Azure’s many
technical options.
Not only does the exam cover broad AI and ML topics, but it also tests
how well people know the features of different Azure AI services.
Like the exam, this book is meant to give you an overview of artificial
intelligence and how it can be used, as well as the most common AI
services in Microsoft Azure.
This book goes over every significant topic that will be on the exam.
2
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
Practice Test
If you would like, you can put your knowledge to the test by taking the
official practice exam before you take the real one:
https://in.mindhub.com/ai-900-microsoft-azure-ai-
fundamentals-microsoft-official-practice-test/p/MU-AI-900?utm_
source=microsoft&utm_medium=certpage&utm_campaign=msoffici
alpractice
If you have never taken a Microsoft exam before, you will need to
make a certification profile after clicking “Schedule the Exam.” If you
have already taken a Microsoft exam, you will be taken to your account’s
profile page.
When you show up for the exam, you’ll need to bring a copy of some
sort of official identification. According to the Pearson Vue website, the
following identification documents are accepted:
• Passport
• Driver’s license
3
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
Tip 1 If you’re creating a profile for the first time, make sure your
name matches your ID. If not, your sign-in may be challenged.
You will be taken to the “Exam Discount” page after verifying your
profile. This is where you will be able to enter any discount codes you have
received. Now, it’s time to schedule the exam.
4
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
Exam Format
The Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) examination includes
between 40 and 60 questions. The following are examples of the different
types of questions that could be on the Microsoft Azure AI-900 exam:
• Multiple-choice questions
5
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
Module Description
In this section, you’ll look at each module closely and try to figure out how
it fits into the whole experience.
6
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
7
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
8
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
9
Chapter 1 Overview of AI-900 Exam Preparation
Summary
In this chapter, we have learned about the core modules tested for the
AI-900 exam and their weightage. We also learned about the exam
overview, exam format, and how to register for the exam. In the next
chapter, you will learn about the basics of AI and the main tasks that it
is used for. We will also learn about the principles of responsible AI and
how to use Microsoft Azure for the AI and AI services that Microsoft
Azure offers.
10
CHAPTER 2
Fundamentals
of Artificial
Intelligence
With the help of AI, we can create machines that can learn and reason
just like humans. So, artificial intelligence (AI) needs to look into how the
human brain learns and makes decisions as it works to solve problems and
do tasks. The main AI tasks covered in this chapter are machine learning,
finding out when something isn’t right, computer vision, natural language
processing, and knowledge mining. When making an AI tool, you have to
work hard to make sure it follows the ethical rules for AI that are explained
in this chapter. This chapter will explain what artificial intelligence is
and the different types of AI, such as strong AI and weak AI. You will also
learn about various AI workloads and the main principles of responsible
AI. Later in the chapter, you’ll learn about artificial intelligence in
Microsoft Azure and the various AI-related services it provides.
The other two broad categories into which we fall are weak artificial
intelligence (also known as “narrow AI” or “specialized AI”) and strong
artificial intelligence (also known as “artificial general intelligence”).
Strong AI
An AI system that can mimic human behavior and capabilities is
considered “strong.” Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is intelligent in
the same ways that humans are, able to figure out solutions to problems
and pick up new abilities quickly. A strong AI is able to generalize its
knowledge and apply it to new situations, anticipate future events based
on the available data, and adjust to new circumstances. Because AGI
doesn’t exist yet, the only true examples are in science fictions like Star
Trek: The Next Generation, WALL-E, and Her, and they usually depict a
futuristic or fictional version.
12
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Weak AI
Weak AI is often referred to as “specialized AI” due to its limited
capabilities and focus on a narrow set of tasks. When referring to these
AI systems, the word “weak” can give the impression that they lack the
power to complete practical tasks, which is not the case. So far, all of the
AI applications we’ve seen are examples of narrow AI. Weak AI is able to
outperform humans at a single task because it is narrowly focused and
operates under more restrictions than even the most basic form of human
intelligence. Its limited abilities make it perfect for automating that specific
task, and its laser-like focus has led to many technological advances in
recent years. Deep Blue, an IBM computer, beat world chess champion
Garry Kasparov in 1997. (Kasparov won their first match a year earlier.)
Deep Blue chose from hundreds of millions of moves and “saw” 20 moves
ahead of its opponent, a feat no human has yet accomplished.
Examples of Weak AI
• Google Maps
• Apple autocorrect
• Chatbots
• Smart assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Cortana
Understanding Artificial
Intelligence Workloads
Some of the common AI-related workloads are as follows:
13
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
The question then is how do machines learn?
The answer can be gleaned from the data. As we go about our lives in
today’s world, we generate enormous amounts of data. This data can be
used in a variety of ways. We produce a massive amount of information
14
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
every day, from the texts, emails, and social media posts that we send
to the photographs and videos that we take on our phones. Millions of
sensors built into our homes, cars, cities, public transportation systems,
and factories continue to produce more data.
Machine learning relies heavily on algorithms. These huge amounts of
data are fed into machine learning algorithms so that they can learn from
them. In general, the more data that is provided to a machine learning
algorithm, the higher the level of accuracy that it achieves.
Anomaly Detection
Imagine that you are making a piece of software that will track the
purchases made with credit cards and look for any strange patterns of
use that could be signs of fraud. Such a type of anomaly is known as a
“point anomaly.” When one observation stands out from the rest of the
data points being looked at, this is called a “contextual anomaly.” For
example, say you have hundreds of pictures of famous buildings, and your
machine learning model filters out a picture of mountains that was added
to the set by mistake. This occurred because the mountains were in the
wrong dataset. When it comes to these kinds of anomalies, something
that is considered an anomaly in one context might not be considered an
anomaly in another context.
Computer Vision
The branch of artificial intelligence known as “computer vision” focuses on
the processing of images. Let’s investigate a few of the many opportunities
that come with using computer vision.
15
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
16
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Knowledge Mining
“Knowledge mining” is the process of creating a searchable store of
information. This word is also used to talk about ways to get information
out of a lot of unstructured data.
Azure Cognitive Search is one of these knowledge mining solutions.
It is a private enterprise search solution that includes tools for building
indexes. The indexes can then be used for internal purposes only or to
make content searchable on Internet assets that the public can see.
When it comes to performing knowledge mining on documents, Azure
Cognitive Search is able to make use of the built-in AI capabilities of Azure
Cognitive Services. Some of these skills are image processing, content
extraction, and processing of natural language. The product’s artificial
intelligence lets it index documents that couldn’t be searched before and
quickly pull insights from large amounts of data and show them on the
surface.
17
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Principles of Responsible AI
Microsoft uses a set of six rules to make decisions about how to build
software with artificial intelligence. These rules are meant to make sure
that AI applications give great answers to hard problems and don’t have
any unintended bad effects.
The following are the six principles of responsible AI:
• Fairness
• Inclusiveness
• Transparency
• Accountability
Fairness
All people ought to be treated equally by AI systems. Take, for example,
the case where you create a machine learning model to help a bank’s loan
approval application. Without favoritism, the model should decide if the
loan application should be accepted or turned down. This bias could be
based on gender, race, or anything else that leads to unfair advantages or
disadvantages for certain groups of applicants.
Azure Machine Learning gives you the ability to understand models
and measure how much each part of the data affects the model’s
prediction. Data scientists and developers can use this feature to figure out
where the model is biased and take steps to fix it.
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Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Transparency
AI systems must be easy to understand, even for people who have never
used a computer before. Users are responsible for making sure they have
a full understanding of not only how the system works but also how it
works but also what kinds of limits they should be ready for when using
it. This understanding isn’t just about how the system works; it includes
everything about the system. This comprehension is not restricted to
merely focusing on the operation of the system.
19
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Accountability
People must be held accountable for the decisions made by artificial
intelligence systems. When designing and developing their products,
designers and developers of AI-based solutions should do so within the
context of a governance and organizational principles framework. This will
ensure that, even though artificial intelligence is still in its early stages, this
should be the case. For the best results, you should do these steps within
the limits of an AI-based solution.
20
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Data Storage
Azure Storage is a cloud-based service that provides highly available,
scalable, and secure storage for a wide variety of data objects.
Compute
The cloud computing service from Microsoft Azure gives users an
infrastructure that lets them run applications and change the amount of
capacity based on their needs.
There are four primary compute types available in Azure ML:
• Compute instances
• Compute clusters
• Inference clusters
• Attached compute
21
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Compute Instances
Azure Compute instances give you fully managed virtual machines that
already have most of the important frameworks and libraries for doing
machine learning and data science experiments. This saves you time
because you don’t have to set up your local computer for ML experiments.
Compute Clusters
When compared to compute instances, compute clusters can have more
than one compute node. We can customize the hardware specs of these
compute nodes to suit our needs. A compute cluster may need to be set
up for hyperparameter tuning, GPU-based complex computations, and
running multiple machine learning models in parallel. You will need a
compute cluster to run computations when using Azure ML for automated
machine learning experiments.
Inference Clusters
Azure Machine Learning web services can be set up as REST endpoints in
one of two ways:
22
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
Attached Compute
Azure Machine Learning isn’t just about computing on compute clusters.
You can use Azure Databricks, Data Lake Analytics, HDInsight, or a VM
you already have as a computing resource for your workspace. Keep
in mind that Azure Machine Learning only works with Ubuntu virtual
machines. Azure Machine Learning will not manage these compute
targets. Because of this, you might need to take some extra steps to make
sure they work with your experiments.
Services
Azure’s services follow a pay-as-you-go business model and are made
available to customers over the Internet. Servers, storage, databases,
networking, software, analytics, and a variety of services are available
for the AI and ML category, including Azure Cognitive Services, Azure
Machine Learning service, Azure Cognitive Search, and Azure Bot
Services, to name a few.
23
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
• Cognitive Services
24
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
25
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
• Vision
• Computer Vision
• Custom Vision
• Face
• Speech
• Speech service
• Language
• Language Service
• Translator
• QnA Maker
• Decision
• Anomaly detector
• Content moderator
• Personalizer
26
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
27
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence
service with cutting-edge AI features. It can quickly and easily pull out the
most important information from all of your content, making it the best
service you can get.
When you combine Azure Cognitive Services and Bot Services in your
applications, you have the potential to deliver experiences that are light
years ahead of your competitors. You will have access to the best AI models
in the business, which are used in powerful Microsoft products like Office
365, Bing, and Xbox. These models are leaders in their respective fields.
You can change each model so that it fits the needs of your project. You can
also add your own data to the models and use them wherever you want in
your own environment.
Azure has been put through a lot of tests to make sure that you will get
a product that will give your project the boost it needs to be successful.
This guarantee has been made in order to provide you with peace of mind.
Your data may be put to use in the process of modifying the AI models that
are a part of Cognitive Services. Cognitive Services are a collection of AI
models that are tailored to specific domains. Because these AI models have
already been built and trained, all you have to do is enter the differences.
Then you can sit back and watch the AI do its thing. Bot Service is an
environment for the development of bots that comes with prebuilt
templates that are ready to use immediately and can be modified to meet
your specific requirements. These templates can be accessed through the
Bot Service dashboard. With Azure AI, you have access to all the tools and
resources you need to improve the overall quality of your projects even
more than before.
The Azure AI platform gives you the ability to improve your project
in a variety of ways, such as by improving the application creation, data
analysis, or machine learning capabilities of your project. Azure AI can
help you improve your work in a lot of different ways, and it also has a
lot of customizable options that you can use to make these services fit
your needs.
28
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
revolution as the duty of honest men. The Free-Soilers soon after
renominated Dr. John Gorham Palfrey for a seat in Congress, and in
his campaign Mr. Emerson delivered this speech in several
Middlesex towns. In Cambridge he was interrupted by young men
from the college, Southerners, it was said, but it appears that the
disturbance was quite as much due to “Northern men who were
eager to keep up a show of fidelity to the interest of the South,” as a
Southern student said in a dignified disclaimer. Mr. Cabot in his
Memoir gives an interesting account by Professor James B. Thayer
of Mr. Emerson’s calm ignoring of the rude and hostile
demonstration.
Writing to Carlyle, in the end of July, 1857, Mr. Emerson said: “In
the spring, the abomination of our Fugitive Slave Bill drove me to
some writing and speech-making, without hope of effect, but to clear
my own skirts.”
This was the reaction which could not but be felt by him where he
had been forced to descend into the dust and conflict of the arena
from the serene heights. He wrote in his journal next year:—
“Philip Randolph [a valued friend] was surprised to find me
speaking to the politics of anti-slavery in Philadelphia. I suppose
because he thought me a believer in general laws and that it was a
kind of distrust of my own general teachings to appear in active
sympathy with these temporary heats. He is right so far as it is
becoming in the scholar to insist on central soundness rather than on
superficial applications. I am to give a wise and just ballot, though no
man else in the republic doth. I am to demand the absolute right,
affirm that, and do that; but not push Boston into a showy and
theatrical attitude, endeavoring to persuade her she is more virtuous
than she is. Thereby I am robbing myself more than I am enriching
the public. After twenty, fifty, a hundred years, it will be quite easy to
discriminate who stood for the right, and who for the expedient.”
Yet however hard the duty of the hour might be, Mr. Emerson
never failed in his duty as a good citizen to come to the front in dark
days.
“In spite of all his gracefulness and reserve and love of the
unbroken tranquillity of serene thought, he was by the right of
heredity a belligerent in the cause of Freedom.”
Page 181, note 1. Shadrach was hurried to Concord after his
rescue, and by curious coincidence Edwin Bigelow, the good village
blacksmith who there harbored him and drove him to the New
Hampshire line, was one of the jurors in the trial of another rescue
case.
Page 183, note 1. Mr. Emerson wrote in his journal, after Mr.
Hoar’s return:—
“The position of Massachusetts seems to me to be better for Mr.
Hoar’s visit to South Carolina in this point, that one illusion is
dispelled. Massachusetts was dishonored before, but she was
credulous in the protection of the Constitution, and either did not
believe, or affected not to believe in that she was dishonored. Now
all doubt on that subject is removed, and every Carolina boy will not
fail to tell every Massachusetts boy whenever they meet how the fact
stands. The Boston merchants would willingly salve the matter over,
but they cannot hereafter receive Southern gentlemen at their tables
without a consciousness of shame.”
Page 192, note 1. Apparently from Vattel, book i., ch. i., p. 79.
Page 201, note 1.
Shakspeare said,—
Page 236, note 2. This is the important key to the essay on Self-
Reliance.
Page 238, note 1. In the “Sovereignty of Ethics” Mr. Emerson
quotes an Oriental poet describing the Golden Age as saying that
God had made justice so dear to the heart of Nature that, if any
injustice lurked anywhere under the sky, the blue vault would shrivel
to a snake-skin, and cast it out by spasms.
Page 240, note 1. There seems to be some break in the
construction here probably due to the imperfect adjustment of
lecture-sheets. It would seem that the passage should read: “Liberty
is never cheap. It is made difficult because freedom is the
accomplishment and perfectness of man—the finished man; earning
and bestowing good;” etc.
Page 241, note 1. See Lectures and Biographical Sketches, pp.
246 and 251.
Page 242, note 1. The occasion alluded to was Hon. Robert C.
Winthrop’s speech to the alumni of Harvard College on
Commencement Day in 1852. What follows is not an abstract, but
Mr. Emerson’s rendering of the spirit of his address.
CHARLES SUMNER
Clean, self-poised, great-hearted man, noble in person,
incorruptible in life, the friend of the poor, the champion of the
oppressed.
Of course Congress must draw from every part of the
country swarms of individuals eager only for private interests,
who could not love his stern justice. But if they gave him no
high employment, he made low work high by the dignity of
honesty and truth. But men cannot long do without faculty and
perseverance, and he rose, step by step, to the mastery of all
affairs intrusted to him, and by those lights and upliftings with
which the spirit that makes the Universe rewards labor and
brave truth. He became learned, and adequate to the highest
questions, and the counsellor of every correction of old errors,
and of every noble reform. How nobly he bore himself in
disastrous times. Every reform he led or assisted. In the
shock of the war his patriotism never failed. A man of varied
learning and accomplishments.
He held that every man is to be judged by the horizon of his
mind, and Fame he defined as the shadow of excellence, but
that which follows him, not which he follows after.
Tragic character, like Algernon Sydney, man of conscience
and courage, but without humor. Fear did not exist for him. In
his mind the American idea is no crab, but a man incessantly
advancing, as the shadow of the dial or the heavenly body
that casts it. The American idea is emancipation, to abolish
kingcraft, feudalism, black-letter monopoly, it pulls down the
gallows, explodes priestcraft, opens the doors of the sea to all
emigrants, extemporizes government in new country.
Sumner has been collecting his works. They will be the
history of the Republic for the last twenty-five years, as told by
a brave, perfectly honest and well instructed man, with social
culture and relation to all eminent persons. Diligent and able
workman, with rare ability, without genius, without humor, but
with persevering study, wide reading, excellent memory, high
stand of honor (and pure devotion to his country), disdaining
any bribe, any compliances, and incapable of falsehood. His
singular advantages of person, of manners, and a
statesman’s conversation impress every one favorably. He
has the foible of most public men, the egotism which seems
almost unavoidable at Washington. I sat in his room once at
Washington whilst he wrote a weary procession of letters,—
he writing without pause as fast as if he were copying. He
outshines all his mates in historical conversation, and is so
public in his regards that he cannot be relied on to push an
office-seeker, so that he is no favorite with politicians. But
wherever I have met with a dear lover of the country and its
moral interests, he is sure to be a supporter of Sumner.
It characterizes a man for me that he hates Charles
Sumner: for it shows that he cannot discriminate between a
foible and a vice. Sumner’s moral instinct and character are
so exceptionally pure that he must have perpetual magnetism
for honest men; his ability and working energy such, that
every good friend of the Republic must stand by him. Those
who come near him and are offended by his egotism, or his
foible (if you please) of using classic quotations, or other bad
tastes, easily forgive these whims, if themselves are good, or
magnify them into disgust, if they themselves are incapable of
his virtue.
And when he read one night in Concord a lecture on
Lafayette we felt that of all Americans he was best entitled by
his own character and fortunes to read that eulogy.
Every Pericles must have his Cleon: Sumner had his
adversaries, his wasps and back-biters. We almost wished
that he had not stooped to answer them. But he
condescended to give them truth and patriotism, without
asking whether they could appreciate the instruction or not.
A man of such truth that he can be truly described: he
needs no exaggerated praise. Not a man of extraordinary
genius, but a man of great heart, of a perpetual youth, with
the highest sense of honor, incapable of any fraud, little or
large; loving his friend and loving his country, with perfect
steadiness to his purpose, shunning no labor that his aim
required, and his works justified him by their scope and
thoroughness.
He had good masters, who quickly found that they had a
good scholar. He read law with Judge Story, who was at the
head of the Law School at Harvard University, and who
speedily discovered the value of his pupil, and called him to
his assistance in the Law School. He had a great talent for
labor, and spared no time and no research to make himself
master of his subject. His treatment of every question was
faithful and exhaustive, and marked always by the noble
sentiment.
THEODORE PARKER
Theodore Parker, worn by his great work in defence of liberal
religion and in every cause of suffering humanity, had succumbed to
disease and died in Florence in May, 1860, not quite fifty years of
age. Born in the neighbor town of Lexington when Emerson was
seven years old, they had been friends probably from the time when
the latter, soon after settling in Concord, preached for the society at
East Lexington, from 1836 for two years. Parker was, during this
period, studying divinity, and was settled as pastor of the West
Roxbury church in 1837. In that year he is mentioned by Mr. Alcott as
a member of the Transcendental Club and attending its meetings in
Boston. When, in June, 1838, Mr. Emerson fluttered the conservative
and the timid by his Divinity School Address, the young Parker went
home and wrote, “It was the most inspiring strain I ever listened to....
My soul is roused, and this week I shall write the long-meditated
sermons on the state of the church and the duties of these times.”
Mr. Parker was one of those who attended the gathering in Boston
which gave birth to the Dial, to which he was a strong contributor.
Three years after its death, he, with the help of Mr. James Elliot
Cabot and Mr. Emerson, founded the Massachusetts Quarterly
Review, vigorous though short-lived, of which he was the editor.
Parker frequently visited Emerson, and the two, unlike in their
method, worked best apart in the same great causes. Rev. William
Gannett says, “What Emerson uttered without plot or plan, Theodore
Parker elaborated to a system. Parker was the Paul of
transcendentalism.”
Mr. Edwin D. Mead, in his chapter on Emerson and Theodore
Parker,[J] gives the following pleasant anecdote:—
“At one of Emerson’s lectures in Boston, when the storm against
Parker was fiercest, a lecture at which a score of the religious and
literary leaders of the city were present, Emerson, as he laid his
manuscript upon the desk and looked over the audience, after his
wont, observed Parker; and immediately he stepped from the
platform to the seat near the front where Parker sat, grasping his
hand and standing for a moment’s conversation with him. It was not
ostentation, and it was not patronage: it was admiring friendship,—
and that fortification and stimulus Parker in those times never failed
to feel. It was Emerson who fed his lamp, he said; and Emerson said
that, be the lamp fed as it might, it was Parker whom the time to
come would have to thank for finding the light burning.”
Parker dedicated to Emerson his Ten Sermons on Religion. In
acknowledging this tribute, Mr. Emerson thus paid tribute to Parker’s
brave service:—
“We shall all thank the right soldier whom God gave strength to
fight for him the battle of the day.”
When Mr. Parker’s failing forces made it necessary for him to drop
his arduous work and go abroad for rest, Mr. Emerson was
frequently called to take his place in the Music Hall on Sundays. I
think that this was the only pulpit he went into to conduct Sunday
services after 1838.
It is told that Parker, sitting, on Sunday morning, on the deck of the
vessel that was bearing him away, never to return, smiled and said:
“Emerson is preaching at Music Hall to-day.”
Page 286, note 1. Mr. Emerson wrote in his journal:—
“The Duc de Brancas said, ‘Why need I read the Encyclopédie?
Rivarol visits me.’ I may well say it of Theodore Parker.”
Page 290, note 1. Richard H. Dana wrote in his diary, November
3, 1853:—
“It is now ten days since Webster’s death.... Strange that the best
commendation that has appeared yet, the most touching, elevated,
meaning eulogy, with all its censure, should have come from
Theodore Parker! Were I Daniel Webster, I would not have that
sermon destroyed for all that had been said in my favor as yet.”
Page 293, note 1. I copy from Mr. Emerson’s journal at the time of
Mr. Parker’s death these sentences which precede some of those
included in this address:—
“Theodore Parker has filled up all his years and days and hours. A
son of the energy of New England; restless, eager, manly, brave,
early old, contumacious, clever. I can well praise him at a spectator’s
distance, for our minds and methods were unlike,—few people more
unlike. All the virtues are solitaires. Each man is related to persons
who are not related to each other, and I saw with pleasure that men
whom I could not approach, were drawn through him to the
admiration of that which I admire.”
AMERICAN CIVILIZATION
On January 31, 1862, Mr. Emerson lectured at the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington on American Civilization. Just after the
outbreak of war in the April preceding, he had given a lecture, in a
course in Boston on Life and Literature, which he called “Civilization
at a Pinch,” the title suggesting how it had been modified by the
crisis which had suddenly come to pass. In the course of the year
the flocking of slaves to the Union camps, and the opening vista of a
long and bitter struggle, with slavery now acknowledged as its root,
had brought the question of Emancipation as a war-measure to the
front. Of course Mr. Emerson saw hope in this situation of affairs,
and when he went to Washington with the chance of being heard by