domain material from the ,google ,print project47 ,,personal ,,recollections1 ,,from ,,early ,,life ,,to ,,old ,,age1 ,,of ,,mary ,,somerville4 ,,with ,selections from her ,correspondence4 ,,by ,,her ,,daughter1 ,,martha ,,somerville4 ,,fifth ,,thousand4 ,,london3 ,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street1 #ahgd4 ,the ,right of ,translation is reserved4 ,,works ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,heavens4 #hvo4 #ahca4 ,,the ,,connection ,,of ,,the ,,physical ,,sciences4 #ith ,edition4 ,post #hvo4 #is4 #aheh4 ,,physical ,,geography4 #fth ,edition4 ,post #hvo4 #is4 #ahgj4 ,,molecular ,,and ,,microscopic ,,science4 #b vols4 ,post #hvo4 #bas4 #ahfi4 ,transcriber's ,note3 commentary by the author1 with the exception of her opening and closing words are enclosed in square brackets4 ,in the original text1 only an open square bracket was used4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,,introduction--,,parentage--,,life ,,in ,,scotland ,,in ,,the ,,last ,,century--,,early ,,education--,,school #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,freedom--,,religious ,,education--,,jedburgh #bd ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,edinburgh--,,youthful ,,studies ,,and ,,amusements--,,politics--,,the ,,theatres ,,of ,,the ,,time #da ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,edinburgh ,,supper ,,parties--,,tour ,,in ,,the ,,highlands--,,mutiny ,,in ,,the ,,fleet--,,battle ,,of ,,camperdown #fa ,,chapter ,v4 ,,first ,,marriage 7#ahjd7--,,widowhood--,,studies--,,secon d ,,marriage #gc ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,somerville ,,family--,,dr4 ,,somerville',s ,,character--,,letters--,,journey ,,to ,,the ,,lakes--,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,william ,,fairfax--,,reminiscences ,,of ,,sir ,,walter ,,scott #hc ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,life ,,in ,,hanover ,,square--,,visit ,,to ,,france--,,arago--,,cuvier--,,rome #ajd ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,education ,,of ,,daughters--,,dr4 ,,wollaston--,,dr4 ,,young--,,the ,,herschels #abg ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,society ,,in ,,london--,,coronation ,,of ,,george ,,iv4--,,letter ,,to ,,dr4 ,,somerville #adj ,,chapter ,x4 ,,death ,,of ,,margaret ,,somerville--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,somerville--,,life ,,at ,,chelsea--,,the ,,napiers--,,maria ,,edgeworth--,,tour ,,in ,,germany #aeb ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham--,,writes ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,heavens--,,anecdote ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,improvisatrice--,,letters ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,and ,,professor ,,whewell--,,elected ,,hon4 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society--,,notice ,,in ,,the ,,acad,,mie ,,des ,,sciences1 ,,and ,,letter ,,from ,m4 ,,biot--,,pension--,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,robert ,,peel--,,begins ,,to ,,write ,,on ,,the ,,connection ,,of ,,the ,,physical ,,sciences--,,visit ,,to ,,cambridge--,,letters ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick ,,and ,,laplace #afa ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,paris--,,arago1 ,,lafayette1 ,,mm4 ,,bouvard1 ,,poisson1 ,,lacroix1 ,c41 ,,marquise ,,de ,,laplace1 ,,dupin1 ,f4 ,,cooper--,,legitimiste ,,society--,,majendie--,,visit ,,baron ,,louis--,,letter ,,from ,,lafayette #ahc ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,return ,,to ,,england--,,letter ,,from ,,hallam--,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,form ,,and ,,rotation ,,of ,,the ,,earth ,,and ,,planets--,,second ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,connexion ,,of ,,the ,,physical ,,sciences--,,letters ,,from ,,maria ,,edgeworth1 ,,miss ,,berry1 ,,lord ,,brougham1 ,,mrs4 ,,marcet1 ,,admiral ,,smyth--,,double ,,stars--,,eclipse ,,of ,,double ,,stars--,,letter ,,from ,,admiral ,,smyth--,,sir ,,william ,,herschel--,,nebul--,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,rosse--,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel--,,sir ,,james ,,south',s ,,observatory--,,mr4 ,,john ,,murray--,,miss ,,berry--,,lord ,,dudley--,,mr4 ,,bowditch ,,and ,,other ,,distinguished ,,americans--,,mrs4 ,,browning ,,washington--,,letter ,,from ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,tuckerman--,,sir ,,william ,,fairfax ,,attacked ,,by ,,highwaymen #aih ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,rome1 ,,naples1 ,,and ,,como--,,baden--,,winter ,,at ,,florence--,,siena--,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham--,,mr ,,mountstewart ,,elphinstone--,,life ,,at ,,rome--,,campagna ,,cattle #bcj ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,albano--,,popular ,,singing--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,gibson--,,perugia--,,com et ,,of #ahdc--,,summer ,,at ,,venice--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,and ,,miss ,,joanna ,,baillie--,,elected ,,associate ,,of ,,the ,,college ,,of ,,resurgenti ,,and ,r4,i4 ,,academy ,,of ,,science ,,at ,,arezzo #bdc ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,publishes ,,physical ,,geography--,,letter ,,from ,,humboldt--,,christmas ,,at ,,collingwood--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,faraday--,,letter ,,from ,,faraday--,,keith ,,johnston',s ,,maps--,,winter ,,at ,,munich--,,salzburg--,,lake ,,of ,,garda--,,miniscalchi--,,poem ,,by ,,caterina ,,brenzoni--,,letter ,,from ,,brenzoni--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,loge ,,by ,,miniscalchi--,,winter ,,at ,,turin--,,baron ,,plana--,,camillo ,,cavour--,,colline ,,near ,,turin--,,genoa--,,teresa ,,dovia--,,florence--,,miss ,f4,p4 ,,cobbe--,,vivisection--,,excursions ,,in ,,the ,,neighbourhood--,,cholera--,,misericord ia--,,pio ,,nono ,,in ,,tuscany--,,comet--,,tuscan ,,revolution--,,war ,,in ,,lombardy--,,entry ,,of ,,victor ,,emmanuel ,,into ,,florence--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,my ,,father',s ,,death--,,letter ,,from ,,miss ,,cobbe #bhf ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,spezia--,,genoa--,,begins ,,molecular ,,and ,,microscopic ,,science--,,turin--,,spezia--,,british ,,fleet--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,garibaldi--,,severe ,,illness--,,florence--,,my ,,brother',s ,,death--,,naples--,,eruption ,,of ,,vesuvius--,j4,s4 ,,mill--,,change ,,in ,,public ,,opinion ,,on ,,women',s ,,education--,,eighty-,,ninth ,,year--,,describes ,,her ,,own ,,character--,,thoughts ,,on ,a ,,future ,,life--,,progress ,,in ,,knowledge ,,of ,,geography--,,victoria ,,medal--,,medal ,,from ,,royal ,,italian ,,geographical ,,society--,,letter ,,from ,,menabrea--,,rome1 ,,capital ,,of ,,italy--,,aurora ,,borealis #cbi ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,eclipse--,,visits ,,of ,,scientific ,,men--,,life ,,at ,,naples--,,darwin',s ,,books--,,remarks ,,on ,,civilization--,,fine ,,aurora ,,borealis--,,death ,,of ,,herschel--,,summer ,,at ,,sorrento--,,bill ,,for ,,protection ,,of ,,animals--,,ninety-,,second ,,year--,,letter ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick--,,grand ,,eruption ,,of ,,vesuvius--,,last ,,summer ,,at ,,sorrento1 ,,plants ,,found ,,there--,,conclusion #ced ,,personal ,,recollections ,,of ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,introduction--,,parentage--,,life ,,in ,,scotland ,,in ,,the ,,last ,,century--,,early ,,education--,,school4 ,the life of a woman entirely devoted to her family duties and to scientific pursuits affords little scope for a biography4 ,there are in it neither stirring events nor brilliant deeds to record2 and as my ,mother was strongly averse to gossip1 and to revelations of private life or of intimate correspondence1 nothing of the kind will be found in the following pages4 ,it has been only after very great hesitation1 and on the recommendation of valued friends1 who think that some account of so remarkable and beautiful a character cannot fail to interest the public1 that ,i have resolved to publish some detached ,recollections of past times1 noted down by my mother during the last years of her life1 together with a few letters from eminent men and women1 referring almost exclusively to her scientific works4 ,a still smaller number of her own letters have been added1 either as illustrating her opinions on events she witnessed1 or else as affording some slight idea of her simple and loving disposition4 ,few thoughtful minds will read without emotion my mother's own account of the wonderful energy and indomitable perseverance by which1 in her ardent thirst for knowledge1 she overcame obstacles apparently insurmountable1 at a time when women were well-nigh totally debarred from education2 and the almost intuitive way in which she entered upon studies of which she had scarcely heard the names1 living1 as she did1 among persons to whom they were utterly unknown1 and who disapproved of her devotion to pursuits so different from those of ordinary young girls at the end of the last century1 especially in ,scotland1 which was far more old-fashioned and primitive than ,england4 ,nor is her simple account of her early days without interest1 when1 as a lonely child1 she wandered by the seashore1 and on the links of ,burntisland1 collecting shells and flowers2 or spent the clear1 cold nights at her window1 watching the starlit heavens1 whose mysteries she was destined one day to penetrate in all their profound and sublime laws1 making clear to others that knowledge which she herself had acquired1 at the cost of so hard a struggle4 ,it was not only in her childhood and youth that my mother's studies encountered disapproval4 ,not till she became a widow1 had she perfect freedom to pursue them4 ,the first person--indeed the only one in her early days--who encouraged her passion for learning was her uncle by marriage1 afterwards her father-in-law1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,somerville1 minister of ,jedburgh1 a man very much in advance of his century in liberality of thought on all subjects4 ,he was one of the first to discern her rare qualities1 and valued her as she deserved2 while through life she retained the most grateful affection for him1 and confided to him many doubts and difficulties on subjects of the highest importance4 ,nothing can be more erroneous than the statement1 repeated in several obituary notices of my mother1 that ,mr4 ,greig 7her first husband7 aided her in her mathematical and other pursuits4 ,nearly the contrary was the case4 ,mr4 ,greig took no interest in science or literature1 and possessed in full the prejudice against learned women which was common at that time4 ,only on her marriage with my father1 my mother at last met with one who entirely sympathised with her1 and warmly entered into all her ideas1 encouraging her zeal for study to the utmost1 and affording her every facility for it in his power4 ,his love and admiration for her were unbounded2 he frankly and willingly acknowledged her superiority to himself1 and many of our friends can bear witness to the honest pride and gratification which he always testified in the fame and honours she attained4 ,no one can escape sorrow1 and my mother1 in the course of her long life1 had her full share1 but she bore it with that deep feeling of trust in the great goodness of ,god which formed so marked a feature in her character4 ,she had a buoyant and hopeful spirit1 and though her affections were very strong1 and she felt keenly1 it was ever her nature to turn from the shadows to all that is bright and beautiful in mortal life4 ,she had much to make life pleasant in the great honours universally bestowed upon her2 but she found far more in the devoted affection of friends1 to say nothing of those whose happy lot it has been to live in close and loving intercourse with so noble and gentle a spirit4 ,she met with unbounded kindness from men of science of all countries1 and most profound was her gratitude to them4 ,modest and unpretending to excess1 nothing could be more generous than the unfeigned delight she shewed in recognising the genius and discoveries of others2 ever jealous of their fame1 and never of her own4 ,it is not uncommon to see persons who hold in youth opinions in advance of the age in which they live1 but who at a certain period seem to crystallise1 and lose the faculty of comprehending and accepting new ideas and theories2 thus remaining at last as far behind1 as they were once in advance of public opinion4 ,not so my mother1 who was ever ready to hail joyfully any new idea or theory1 and to give it honest attention1 even if it were at variance with her former convictions4 ,this quality she never lost1 and it enabled her to sympathise with the younger generation of philosophers1 as she had done with their predecessors1 her own contemporaries4 ,although her favourite pursuit1 and the one for which she had decidedly most aptitude1 was mathematics2 yet there were few subjects in which she did not take interest1 whether in science or literature1 philosophy or politics4 ,she was passionately fond of poetry1 her especial favourites being ,shakespeare and ,dante1 and also the great ,greek dramatists1 whose tragedies she read fluently in the original1 being a good classical scholar4 ,she was very fond of music1 and devoted much time to it in her youth1 and she painted from nature with considerable taste4 ,the latter was1 perhaps1 the recreation in which she most delighted1 from the opportunity it afforded her of contemplating the wonderful beauty of the world1 which was a never-failing source of intense enjoyment to her1 whether she watched the changing effects of light and shade on her favourite ,roman ,campagna1 or gazed1 enchanted1 on the gorgeous sunsets on the bay of ,naples1 as she witnessed them from her much-loved ,sorrento1 where she passed the last summers of her life4 ,all things fair were a joy to her--the flowers we brought her from our rambles1 the sea-weeds1 the wild birds she saw1 all interested and pleased her4 ,everything in nature spoke to her of that great ,god who created all things1 the grand and sublimely beautiful as well as the exquisite loveliness of minute objects4 ,above all1 in the laws which science unveils step by step1 she found ever renewed motives for the love and adoration of their ,author and ,sustainer4 ,this fervour of religious feeling accompanied her through life1 and very early she shook off all that was dark and narrow in the creed of her first instructors for a purer and a happier faith4 ,it would be almost incredible were ,i to describe how much my mother contrived to do in the course of the day4 ,when my sister and ,i were small children1 although busily engaged in writing for the press1 she used to teach us for three hours every morning1 besides managing her house carefully1 reading the newspapers 7for she always was a keen1 and1 ,i must add1 a liberal politician71 and the most important new books on all subjects1 grave and gay4 ,in addition to all this1 she freely visited and received her friends4 ,she was1 indeed1 very fond of society1 and did not look for transcendent talent in those with whom she associated1 although no one appreciated it more when she found it4 ,gay and cheerful company was a pleasant relaxation after a hard day's work4 ,my mother never introduced scientific or learned subjects into general conversation4 ,when they were brought forward by others1 she talked simply and naturally about them1 without the slightest pretension to superior knowledge4 ,finally1 to complete the list of her accomplishments1 ,i must add that she was a remarkably neat and skilful needlewoman4 ,we still possess some elaborate specimens of her embroidery and lace-work4 ,devoted and loving in all the relations of life1 my mother was ever forgetful of self4 ,indulgent and sympathising1 she never judged others with harshness or severity2 yet she could be very angry when her indignation was aroused by hearing of injustice or oppression1 of cruelty to man or beast1 or of any attack on those she loved4 ,rather timid and retiring in general society1 she was otherwise fearless in her quiet way4 ,i well remember her cool composure on some occasions when we were in great danger4 ,this she inherited from her father1 ,admiral ,sir ,william ,fairfax1 a gallant gentleman who distinguished himself greatly at the battle of ,camperdown4#a ,my mother speaks of him as follows among her ,recollections1 of which ,i now proceed to place some portions before the reader4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my father was very good looking1 of a brave and noble nature1 and a perfect gentleman both in appearance and character4 ,he was sent to sea as midshipman at ten years of age1 so he had very little education2 but he read a great deal1 chiefly history and voyages4 ,he was very cool1 and of instant resource in moments of danger4 ,one night1 when his little vessel had taken refuge with many others from an intensely violent gale and drifting snow in ,yarmouth ,roads1 they saw lights disappear1 as vessel after vessel foundered4 ,my father1 after having done all that was possible for the safety of the ship1 went to bed4 ,his cabin door did not shut closely1 from the rolling of the ship1 and the man who was sentry that night told my mother years afterwards1 that when he saw my father on his knees praying1 he thought it would soon be all over with them2 then seeing him go to bed and fall asleep1 he felt no more fear4 ,in the morning the coast was strewed with wrecks4 ,there were no life-boats in those days2 now the lives of hundreds are annually saved by the noble self-devotion of ,british sailors4 ,my mother was the daughter of ,samuel ,charters1 ,solicitor of the ,customs for ,scotland1 and his wife ,christian ,murray1 of ,kynynmont1 whose eldest sister married the great grandfather of the present ,earl of ,minto4 ,my grandmother was exceedingly proud and stately4 ,she made her children stand in her presence4 ,my mother1 on the contrary1 was indulgent and kind1 so that her children were perfectly at ease with her4 ,she seldom read anything but the ,bible1 sermons1 and the newspaper4 ,she was very sincere and devout in her religion1 and was remarkable for good sense and great strength of expression in writing and conversation4 ,though by no means pretty1 she was exceedingly distinguished and ladylike both in appearance and manners4 ,my father was constantly employed1 and twice distinguished himself by attacking vessels of superior force4 ,he captured the first1 but was overpowered by the second1 and being taken to ,france1 remained two years a prisoner on parole1 when he met with much kindness from the ,choiseul family4 ,at last he was exchanged1 and afterwards was appointed lieutenant on board a frigate destined for foreign service4 ,i think it was the ,north ,american station1 for the war of ,independence was not over till the beginning of #aghc4 ,as my mother knew that my father would be absent for some years1 she accompanied him to ,london1 though so near her confinement that in returning home she had just time to arrive at the manse of ,jedburgh1 her sister ,martha ,somerville's#b house1 when ,i was born1 on the #bfth ,december1 #aghj4 ,my mother was dangerously ill1 and my aunt1 who was about to wean her second daughter ,janet1 who married ,general ,henry ,elliot1 nursed me till a wetnurse could be found4 ,so ,i was born in the house of my future husband1 and nursed by his mother--a rather singular coincidence4 ,during my father's absence1 my mother lived with great economy in a house not far from ,burntisland which belonged to my grandfather1 solely occupied with the care of her family1 which consisted of her eldest son ,samuel1 four or five years old1 and myself4 ,one evening while my brother was lying at play on the floor1 he called out1 ,o1 mamma there's the moon rinnin' awa4 ,it was the celebrated meteor of #aghc4 ,some time afterwards1 for what reason ,i do not know1 my father and mother went to live for a short time at ,inveresk1 and thence returned to ,burntisland1 our permanent home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this place1 in which my mother's early life was spent1 exercised so much influence on her life and pursuits1 that ,i am happy to be able to give the description of it in her own words4 99 99 99 99 99 ,burntisland was then a small quiet seaport town with little or no commerce1 situated on the coast of ,fife1 immediately opposite to ,edinburgh4 ,it is sheltered at some distance on the north by a high and steep hill called the ,bin4 ,the harbour lies on the west1 and the town ended on the east in a plain of short grass called the ,links1 on which the townspeople had the right of pasturing their cows and geese4 ,the ,links were bounded on each side by low hills covered with gorse and heather1 and on the east by a beautiful bay with a sandy beach1 which1 beginning at a low rocky point1 formed a bow and then stretched for several miles to the town of ,kinghorn1 the distant part skirting a range of high precipitous crags4 ,our house1 which lay to the south of the town1 was very long1 with a southern exposure1 and its length was increased by a wall covered with fruit-trees1 which concealed a courtyard1 cow-house1 and other offices4 ,from this the garden extended southwards1 and ended in a plot of short grass covering a ledge of low black rocks washed by the sea4 ,it was divided into three parts by narrow1 almost unfrequented1 lanes4 ,these gardens yielded abundance of common fruit and vegetables1 but the warmest and best exposures were always devoted to flowers4 ,the garden next to the house was bounded on the south by an ivy-covered wall hid by a row of old elm trees1 from whence a steep mossy bank descended to a flat plot of grass with a gravel walk and flower borders on each side1 and a broad gravel walk ran along the front of the house4 ,my mother was fond of flowers1 and prided herself on her moss-roses1 which flourished luxuriantly on the front of the house2 but my father1 though a sailor1 was an excellent florist4 ,he procured the finest bulbs and flower seeds from ,holland1 and kept each kind in a separate bed4 ,the manners and customs of the people who inhabited this pretty spot at that time were exceedingly primitive4 ,upon the death of any of the townspeople1 a man went about ringing a bell at the doors of the friends and acquaintances of the person just dead1 and1 after calling out ,oyez6 three times1 he announced the death which had occurred4 ,this was still called by the name of the ,passing-bell1 which in ,catholic times invited the prayers of the living for the spirit just passed away4 ,there was much sympathy and kindness shown on these occasions2 friends always paid a visit of condolence to the afflicted1 dressed in black4 ,the gude wives in ,burntisland thought it respectable to provide dead-clothes for themselves and the gude man1 that they might have a decent funeral4 ,i once saw a set of grave-clothes nicely folded up1 which consisted of a long shirt and cap of white flannel1 and a shroud of fine linen made of yarn1 spun by the gude wife herself4 ,i did not like that gude wife2 she was purse-proud1 and took every opportunity of treating with scorn a poor neighbour who had had a misfortune1 that is1 a child by her husband before marriage1 but who made a very good wife4 ,her husband worked in our garden1 and took our cow to the ,links to graze4 ,the wife kept a little shop1 where we bought things1 and she told us her neighbour had given her mony a sair greet--that is1 a bitter fit of weeping4 ,the howdie1 or midwife1 was a person of much consequence4 ,she had often to go far into the country1 by day and by night1 riding a cart-horse4 ,the neighbours used to go and congratulate the mother1 and1 of course1 to admire the baby4 ,cake and caudle were handed round1 caudle being oatmeal gruel1 with sugar1 nutmeg1 and white wine4 ,in the poorest class1 hot ale and scons were offered4 ,penny-weddings were by no means uncommon in my young days4 ,when a very poor couple were going to be married1 the best man1 and even the bridegroom himself1 went from house to house1 asking for small sums to enable them to have a wedding supper1 and pay the town fiddler for a dance2 any one was admitted who paid a penny4 ,i recollect the prisoners in the ,tolbooth letting down bags from the prison windows1 begging for charity4 ,i do not remember any execution taking place4 ,men and old women of the lower classes smoked tobacco in short pipes1 and many took snuff--even young ladies must have done so2 for ,i have a very pretty and quaint gold snuff-box which was given to my grandmother as a marriage present4 ,licensed beggars1 called gaberlunzie men1 were still common4 ,they wore a blue coat1 with a tin badge1 and wandered about the country1 knew all that was going on1 and were always welcome at the farm-houses1 where the gude wife liked to have a crack 7gossip7 with the blue coat1 and1 in return for his news1 gave him dinner or supper1 as might be4 ,edie ,ochiltree is a perfect specimen of this extinct race4 ,there was another species of beggar1 of yet higher antiquity4 ,if a man were a cripple1 and poor1 his relations put him in a hand-barrow1 and wheeled him to their next neighbour's door1 and left him there4 ,some one came out1 gave him oat-cake or peasemeal bannock1 and then wheeled him to the next door2 and in this way1 going from house to house1 he obtained a fair livelihood4 ,my brother ,sam lived with our grandfather in ,edinburgh1 and attended the ,high ,school1 which was in the old town1 and1 like other boys1 he was given pennies to buy bread2 but the boys preferred oysters1 which they bought from the fishwives1 the bargain being1 a dozen oysters for a halfpenny1 and a kiss for the thirteenth4 ,these fishwives and their husbands were industrious1 hard-working people1 forming a community of their own in the village of ,newhaven1 close to the sea1 and about two miles from ,edinburgh4 ,the men were exposed to cold1 and often to danger1 in their small boats1 not always well-built nor fitted for our stormy ,firth4 ,the women helped to land and prepare the fish when the boats came in1 carried it to town for sale in the early morning1 kept the purse1 managed the house1 brought up the children1 and provided food and clothing for all4 ,many were rich1 lived well1 and sometimes had dances4 ,many of the young women were pretty1 and all wore--and1 ,i am told1 still wear--a bright-coloured1 picturesque costume4 ,some young men1 amongst others a cousin of my own1 who attempted to intrude into one of these balls1 got pelted with fish offal by the women4 ,the village smelt strongly of fish1 certainly2 yet the people were very clean personally4 ,i recollect their keeping tame gulls1 which they fed with fish offal4 ,although there was no individual enmity between the boys of the old and of the new or aristocratic part of ,edinburgh1 there were frequent battles1 called bickers1 between them1 in which they pelted each other with stones4 ,sometimes they were joined by bigger lads1 and then the fight became so serious that the magistrates sent the city guard--a set of old men with halberds and a quaint uniform--to separate them2 but no sooner did the guard appear1 than both parties joined against them4 ,strings of wild geese were common in autumn1 and ,i was amused on one occasion to see the clumsy tame fat geese which were feeding on the ,links rise in a body and try to follow the wild ones4 ,as the grass on the plot before our house did not form a fine even turf1 the ground was trenched and sown with good seed1 but along with the grass a vast crop of thistles and groundsel appeared1 which attracted quantities of goldfinches1 and in the early mornings ,i have seen as many as sixty to eighty of these beautiful birds feeding on it4 ,my love of birds has continued through life1 for only two years ago1 in my extreme old age1 ,i lost a pet mountain sparrow1 which for eight years was my constant companion3 sitting on my shoulder1 pecking at my papers1 and eating out of my mouth2 and ,i am not ashamed to say ,i felt its accidental death very much4 ,before the grass came up on this plot of ground1 its surface in the evening swarmed with earthworms1 which instantly shrank into their holes on the approach of a foot4 ,my aunt ,janet1 who was then with us1 and afraid even to speak of death1 was horrified on seeing them1 firmly believing that she would one day be eaten by them--a very general opinion at that time2 few people being then aware that the finest mould in our gardens and fields has passed through the entrails of the earthworm1 the vegetable juices it contains being sufficient to maintain these harmless creatures4 ,my mother was very much afraid of thunder and lightning4 ,she knew when a storm was near from the appearance of the clouds1 and prepared for it by taking out the steel pins which fastened her cap on4 ,she then sat on a sofa at a distance from the fire-place1 which had a very high chimney1 and read different parts of the ,bible1 especially the sublime descriptions of storms in the ,psalms1 which made me1 who sat close by her1 still more afraid4 ,we had an excellent and beautiful pointer1 called ,hero1 a great favourite1 who generally lived in the garden1 but at the first clap of thunder he used to rush howling indoors1 and place his face on my knee4 ,then my father1 who laughed not a little at our fear1 would bring a glass of wine to my mother1 and say1 ,drink that1 ,peg2 it will give you courage1 for we are going to have a rat-tat-too4 ,my mother would beg him to shut the window-shutters1 and though she could no longer see to read1 she kept the ,bible on her knee for protection4 ,my mother taught me to read the ,bible1 and to say my prayers morning and evening2 otherwise she allowed me to grow up a wild creature4 ,when ,i was seven or eight years old ,i began to be useful1 for ,i pulled the fruit for preserving2 shelled the peas and beans1 fed the poultry1 and looked after the dairy1 for we kept a cow4 ,on one occasion ,i had put green gooseberries into bottles and sent them to the kitchen with orders to the cook to boil the bottles uncorked1 and1 when the fruit was sufficiently cooked1 to cork and tie up the bottles4 ,after a time all the house was alarmed by loud explosions and violent screaming in the kitchen1 the cook had corked the bottles before she boiled them1 and of course they exploded4 ,for greater preservation1 the bottles were always buried in the ground2 a number were once found in our garden with the fruit in high preservation which had been buried no one knew when4 ,thus experience is sometimes the antecedent of science1 for it was little suspected at that time that by shutting out the air the invisible organic world was excluded--the cause of all fermentation and decay4 ,i never cared for dolls1 and had no one to play with me4 ,i amused myself in the garden1 which was much frequented by birds4 ,i knew most of them1 their flight and their habits4 ,the swallows were never prevented from building above our windows1 and1 when about to migrate1 they used to assemble in hundreds on the roof of our house1 and prepared for their journey by short flights4 ,we fed the birds when the ground was covered with snow1 and opened our windows at breakfast-time to let in the robins1 who would hop on the table to pick up crumbs4 ,the quantity of singing birds was very great1 for the farmers and gardeners were less cruel and avaricious than they are now--though poorer4 ,they allowed our pretty songsters to share in the bounties of providence4 ,the shortsighted cruelty1 which is too prevalent now1 brings its own punishment1 for1 owing to the reckless destruction of birds1 the equilibrium of nature is disturbed1 insects increase to such an extent as materially to affect every description of crop4 ,this summer 7#ahgb71 when ,i was at ,sorrento1 even the olives1 grapes1 and oranges were seriously injured by the caterpillars--a disaster which ,i entirely attribute to the ruthless havoc made among every kind of bird4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my mother set me in due time to learn the catechism of the ,kirk of ,scotland1 and to attend the public examinations in the kirk4 ,this was a severe trial for me2 for1 besides being timid and shy1 ,i had a bad memory1 and did not understand one word of the catechism4 ,these meetings1 which began with prayer1 were attended by all the children of the town and neighbourhood1 with their mothers1 and a great many old women1 who came to be edified4 ,they were an acute race1 and could quote chapter and verse of ,scripture as accurately as the minister himself4 ,i remember he said to one of them--,peggie1 what lightened the world before the sun was made8 ,after thinking for a minute1 she said--',deed1 sir1 the question is mair curious than edifying4 ,besides these public examinations1 the minister made an annual visit to each household in his parish4 ,when he came to us1 the servants were called in1 and we all knelt while he said a prayer2 and then he examined each individual as to the state of his soul and conduct4 ,he asked me if ,i could say my ,questions--that is1 the catechism of the ,kirk of ,scotland--and asked a question at random to ascertain the fact4 ,he did the same to the servants4 ,when ,i was between eight and nine years old1 my father came home from sea1 and was shocked to find me such a savage4 ,i had not yet been taught to write1 and although ,i amused myself reading the ,arabian ,nights1 ,robinson ,crusoe1 and the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 ,i read very badly1 and with a strong ,scotch accent2 so1 besides a chapter of the ,bible1 he made me read a paper of the ,spectator aloud every morning1 after breakfast2 the consequence of which discipline is that ,i have never since opened that book4 ,hume's ,history of ,england was also a real penance to me4 ,i gladly accompanied my father when he cultivated his flowers1 which even now ,i can say were of the best quality4 ,the tulips and other bulbous plants1 ranunculi1 anemones1 carnations1 as well as the annuals then known1 were all beautiful4 ,he used to root up and throw away many plants ,i thought very beautiful2 he said he did so because the colours of their petals were not sharply defined1 and that they would spoil the seed of the others4 ,thus ,i learnt to know the good and the bad--how to lay carnations1 and how to distinguish between the leaf and fruit buds in pruning fruit trees2 this kind of knowledge was of no practical use1 for1 as my after-life was spent in towns1 ,i never had a garden1 to my great regret4 ,george the ,third was so popular1 that even in ,burntisland nosegays were placed in every window on the #dth of ,june1 his birthday2 and it occasionally happened that our garden was robbed the preceding night of its gayest flowers4 ,my father at last said to my mother1--,this kind of life will never do1 ,mary must at least know how to write and keep accounts4 ,so at ten years old ,i was sent to a boarding-school1 kept by a ,miss ,primrose1 at ,musselburgh1 where ,i was utterly wretched4 ,the change from perfect liberty to perpetual restraint was in itself a great trial2 besides1 being naturally shy and timid1 ,i was afraid of strangers1 and although ,miss ,primrose was not unkind she had an habitual frown1 which even the elder girls dreaded4 ,my future companions1 who were all older than ,i1 came round me like a swarm of bees1 and asked if my father had a title1 what was the name of our estate1 if we kept a carriage1 and other such questions1 which made me first feel the difference of station4 ,however1 the girls were very kind1 and often bathed my eyes to prevent our stern mistress from seeing that ,i was perpetually in tears4 ,a few days after my arrival1 although perfectly straight and well-made1 ,i was enclosed in stiff stays with a steel busk in front1 while1 above my frock1 bands drew my shoulders back till the shoulder-blades met4 ,then a steel rod1 with a semi-circle which went under the chin1 was clasped to the steel busk in my stays4 ,in this constrained state ,i1 and most of the younger girls1 had to prepare our lessons4 ,the chief thing ,i had to do was to learn by heart a page of ,johnson's dictionary1 not only to spell the words1 give their parts of speech and meaning1 but as an exercise of memory to remember their order of succession4 ,besides ,i had to learn the first principles of writing1 and the rudiments of ,french and ,english grammar4 ,the method of teaching was extremely tedious and inefficient4 ,our religious duties were attended to in a remarkable way4 ,some of the girls were ,presbyterians1 others belonged to the ,church of ,england1 so ,miss ,primrose cut the matter short by taking us all to the kirk in the morning and to church in the afternoon4 ,in our play-hours we amused ourselves with playing at ball1 marbles1 and especially at ,scotch and ,english1 a game which represented a raid on the debatable land1 or ,border between ,scotland and ,england1 in which each party tried to rob the other of their playthings4 ,the little ones were always compelled to be ,english1 for the bigger girls thought it too degrading4 ,lady ,hope1 a relative of my mother1 frequently invited me to spend ,saturday at ,pinkie4 ,she was a very ladylike person1 in delicate health1 and with cold manners4 ,sir ,archibald was stout1 loud1 passionate1 and devoted to hunting4 ,i amused myself in the grounds1 a good deal afraid of a turkey-cock1 who was pugnacious and defiant4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,sir ,william ,fairfax was the son of ,joseph ,fairfax1 ,esq41 of ,bagshot1 in the county of ,surrey1 who died in #aghc1 aged #gg1 having served in the army previous to #agde4 ,it is understood that his family was descended from the ,fairfaxes of ,walton1 in ,yorkshire1 the main branch of which were created ,viscounts ,fairfax of ,emly1 in the peerage of ,ireland 7now extinct71 and a younger branch ,barons ,fairfax of ,cameron1 in the peerage of ,scotland4 ,of the last-named was the great ,lord ,fairfax1 ,commander-in-,chief of the armies of the ,parliament1 #afde-ej1 whose title is now held by the eleventh ,lord ,fairfax1 a resident in the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,footnote #b3 ,wife of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,thomas ,somerville1 minister of ,jedburgh1 already mentioned 7p4 #b74 ,dr4 ,somerville was author of ,histories of ,queen ,anne and of ,william and ,mary1 and also of an autobiography4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,freedom--,,religious ,,education--,,jedburgh4 ,my mother remained at school at ,musselburgh for a twelvemonth1 till she was eleven years old4 ,after this prolonged and elaborate education1 she was recalled to ,burntisland1 and the results of the process she had undergone are detailed in her ,recollections with much drollery4 99 99 99 99 99 ,soon after my return home ,i received a note from a lady in the neighbourhood1 inquiring for my mother1 who had been ill4 ,this note greatly distressed me1 for my half-text writing was as bad as possible1 and ,i could neither compose an answer nor spell the words4 ,my eldest cousin1 ,miss ,somerville1 a grown-up young lady1 then with us1 got me out of this scrape1 but ,i soon got myself into another1 by writing to my brother in ,edinburgh that ,i had sent him a bank-knot 7note7 to buy something for me4 ,the school at ,musselburgh was expensive1 and ,i was reproached with having cost so much money in vain4 ,my mother said she would have been contented if ,i had only learnt to write well and keep accounts1 which was all that a woman was expected to know4 ,this passed over1 and ,i was like a wild animal escaped out of a cage4 ,i was no longer amused in the gardens1 but wandered about the country4 ,when the tide was out ,i spent hours on the sands1 looking at the star-fish and sea-urchins1 or watching the children digging for sand-eels1 cockles1 and the spouting razor-fish4 ,i made a collection of shells1 such as were cast ashore1 some so small that they appeared like white specks in patches of black sand4 ,there was a small pier on the sands for shipping limestone brought from the coal mines inland4 ,i was astonished to see the surface of these blocks of stone covered with beautiful impressions of what seemed to be leaves2 how they got there ,i could not imagine1 but ,i picked up the broken bits1 and even large pieces1 and brought them to my repository4 ,i knew the eggs of many birds1 and made a collection of them4 ,i never robbed a nest1 but bought strings of eggs1 which were sold by boys1 besides getting sea-fowl eggs from sailors who had been in whalers or on other northern voyages4 ,it was believed by these sailors that there was a gigantic flat fish in the ,north ,sea1 called a kraken4 ,it was so enormous that when it came to the surface1 covered with tangles and sand1 it was supposed to be an island1 till1 on one occasion1 part of a ship's crew landed on it and found out their mistake4 ,however1 much as they believed in it1 none of the sailors at ,burntisland had ever seen it4 ,the sea serpent was also an article of our faith4 ,in the rocks at the end of our garden there was a shingly opening1 in which we used to bathe1 and where at low tide ,i frequently waded among masses of rock covered with sea-weeds4 ,with the exception of dulse and tangle ,i knew the names of none1 though ,i was well acquainted with and admired many of these beautiful plants4 ,i also watched the crabs1 live shells1 jelly-fish1 and various marine animals1 all of which were objects of curiosity and amusement to me in my lonely life4 ,the flora on the links and hills around was very beautiful1 and ,i soon learnt the trivial names of all the plants4 ,there was not a tree nor bush higher than furze in this part of the country1 but the coast to the north-west of ,burntisland was bordered by a tree and brushwood-covered bank belonging to the ,earl of ,morton1 which extended to ,aberdour4 ,i could not go so far alone1 but had frequent opportunities of walking there and gathering ferns1 foxgloves1 and primroses1 which grew on the mossy banks of a little stream that ran into the sea4 ,the bed of this stream or burn was thickly covered with the freshwater mussel1 which ,i knew often contained pearls1 but ,i did not like to kill the creatures to get the pearls4 ,one day my father1 who was a keen sportsman1 having gone to fish for red trout at the mouth of this stream1 found a young whale1 or grampus1 stranded in the shallow water4 ,he immediately ran back to the town1 got boats1 captured the whale1 and landed it in the harbour1 where ,i went with the rest of the crowd to see the muckle fish4 ,there was always a good deal of shipbuilding carried on in the harbour1 generally coasting vessels or colliers4 ,we1 of course1 went to see them launched1 which was a pretty sight4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when the bad weather began ,i did not know what to do with myself4 ,fortunately we had a small collection of books1 among which ,i found ,shakespeare1 and read it at every moment ,i could spare from my domestic duties4 ,these occupied a great part of my time2 besides1 ,i had to shew 7sew7 my sampler1 working the alphabet from ,a to ,z1 as well as the ten numbers1 on canvas4 ,my mother did not prevent me from reading1 but my aunt ,janet1 who came to live in ,burntisland after her father's death1 greatly disapproved of my conduct4 ,she was an old maid who could be very agreeable and witty1 but she had all the prejudices of the time with regard to women's duties1 and said to my mother1 ,i wonder you let ,mary waste her time in reading1 she never shews 7sews7 more than if she were a man4 ,whereupon ,i was sent to the village school to learn plain needlework4 ,i do not remember how long it was after this that an old lady sent some very fine linen to be made into shirts for her brother1 and desired that one should be made entirely by me4 ,this shirt was so well worked that ,i was relieved from attending the school1 but the house linen was given into my charge to make and to mend4 ,we had a large stock1 much of it very beautiful1 for the ,scotch ladies at that time were very proud of their napery1 but they no longer sent it to ,holland to be bleached1 as had once been the custom4 ,we grew flax1 and our maids spun it4 ,the coarser yarn was woven in ,burntisland1 and bleached upon the links2 the finer was sent to ,dunfermline1 where there was a manufactory of table-linen4 ,i was annoyed that my turn for reading was so much disapproved of1 and thought it unjust that women should have been given a desire for knowledge if it were wrong to acquire it4 ,among our books ,i found ,chapone's ,letters to ,young ,women1 and resolved to follow the course of history there recommended1 the more so as we had most of the works she mentions4 ,one1 however1 which my cousin lent me was in ,french1 and here the little ,i had learnt at school was useful1 for with the help of a dictionary ,i made out the sense4 ,what annoyed me was my memory not being good--,i could remember neither names nor dates4 ,years afterwards ,i studied a ,memoria ,technica1 then in fashion1 without success2 yet in my youth ,i could play long pieces of music on the piano without the book1 and ,i never forget mathematical formul4 ,in looking over one of my ,,mss41 which ,i had not seen for forty years1 ,i at once recognised the formul for computing the secular inequalities of the moon4 ,we had two small globes1 and my mother allowed me to learn the use of them from ,mr4 ,reed1 the village schoolmaster1 who came to teach me for a few weeks in the winter evenings4 ,besides the ordinary branches1 ,mr4 ,reed taught ,latin and navigation1 but these were out of the question for me4 ,at the village school the boys often learnt ,latin1 but it was thought sufficient for the girls to be able to read the ,bible2 very few even learnt writing4 ,i recollect1 however1 that some men were ignorant of book-keeping2 our baker1 for instance had a wooden tally1 in which he made a notch for every loaf of bread1 and of course we had the corresponding tally4 ,they were called nick-sticks4 ,my bedroom had a window to the south1 and a small closet near had one to the north4 ,at these ,i spent many hours1 studying the stars by the aid of the celestial globe4 ,although ,i watched and admired the magnificent displays of the ,aurora1 which frequently occurred1 they seemed to be so nearly allied to lightning that ,i was somewhat afraid of them4 ,at an earlier period of my life there was a comet1 which ,i dreaded exceedingly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my father was ,captain of the ,repulse1 a fifty-gun ship1 attached to the ,northern fleet commanded by the ,earl of ,northesk4 ,the winter was extremely stormy1 the fleet was driven far north1 and kept there by adverse gales1 till both officers and crew were on short rations4 ,they ran out of candles1 and had to tear up their stockings for wicks1 and dip them into the fat of the salt meat which was left4 ,we were in great anxiety1 for it was reported that some of the ships had foundered2 we were1 however1 relieved by the arrival of the ,repulse in ,leith roads for repair4 ,our house on one occasion being full1 ,i was sent to sleep in a room quite detached from the rest and with a different staircase4 ,there was a closet in this room in which my father kept his fowling pieces1 fishing tackle1 and golf clubs1 and a long garret overhead was filled with presses and stores of all kinds1 among other things a number of large cheeses were on a board slung by ropes to the rafters4 ,one night ,i had put out my candle and was fast asleep1 when ,i was awakened by a violent crash1 and then a rolling noise over my head4 ,now the room was said to be haunted1 so that the servants would not sleep in it4 ,i was desperate1 for there was no bell4 ,i groped my way to the closet--lucifer matches were unknown in those days--,i seized one of the golf clubs1 which are shod with iron1 and thundered on the bedroom door till ,i brought my father1 followed by the whole household1 to my aid4 ,it was found that the rats had gnawed through the ropes by which the cheeses were suspended1 so that the crash and rolling were accounted for1 and ,i was scolded for making such an uproar4 ,children suffer much misery by being left alone in the dark4 ,when ,i was very young ,i was sent to bed at eight or nine o'clock1 and the maid who slept in the room went away as soon as ,i was in bed1 leaving me alone in the dark till she came to bed herself4 ,all that time ,i was in an agony of fear of something indefinite1 ,i could not tell what4 ,the joy1 the relief1 when the maid came back1 were such that ,i instantly fell asleep4 ,now that ,i am a widow and old1 although ,i always have a night-lamp1 such is the power of early impressions that ,i rejoice when daylight comes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at ,burntisland the sacrament was administered in summer because people came in crowds from the neighbouring parishes to attend the preachings4 ,the service was long and fatiguing4 ,a number of clergymen came to assist1 and as the minister's manse could not accommodate them all1 we entertained three of them1 one of whom was always the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,campbell1 father of ,lord ,campbell4 ,thursday was a day of preparation4 ,the morning service began by a psalm sung by the congregation1 then a prayer was said by the minister1 followed by a lecture on some chapter of the ,bible1 generally lasting an hour1 after that another psalm was sung1 followed by a prayer1 a sermon which lasted seldom less than an hour1 and the whole ended with a psalm1 a short prayer and a benediction4 ,every one then went home to dinner and returned afterwards for afternoon service1 which lasted more than an hour and a half4 ,friday was a day of rest1 but ,i together with many young people went at this time to the minister to receive a stamped piece of lead as a token that we were sufficiently instructed to be admitted to ,christ's table4 ,this ticket was given to the ,elder on the following ,sunday4 ,on ,saturday there was a morning service1 and on ,sunday such multitudes came to receive the sacrament that the devotions continued till late in the evening4 ,the ceremony was very strikingly and solemnly conducted4 ,the communicants sat on each side of long narrow tables covered with white linen1 in imitation of the last supper of ,christ1 and the ,elders handed the bread and wine4 ,after a short exhortation from one of the ministers the first set retired1 and were succeeded by others4 ,when the weather was fine a sermon1 prayers1 and psalm-singing took place either in the churchyard or on a grassy bank at the ,links for such as were waiting to communicate4 ,on the ,monday morning there was the same long service as on the ,thursday4 ,it was too much for me2 ,i always came home with a headache1 and took a dislike to sermons4 ,our minister was a rigid ,calvinist4 ,his sermons were gloomy1 and so long that he occasionally would startle the congregation by calling out to some culprit1 ,sit up there1 how daur ye sleep i' the kirk4 ,some saw-mills in the neighbourhood were burnt down1 so the following ,sunday we had a sermon on hell-fire4 ,the kirk was very large and quaint2 a stair led to a gallery on each side of the pulpit1 which was intended for the tradespeople1 and each division was marked with a suitable device1 and text from ,scripture4 ,on the bakers' portion a sheaf of wheat was painted2 a balance and weights on the grocers'1 and on the weavers'1 which was opposite to our pew1 there was a shuttle1 and below it the motto1 ,my days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle1 and are spent without hop job4 ,the artist was evidently no clerk4 ,my brother ,sam1 while attending the university in ,edinburgh1 came to us on the ,saturdays and returned to town on ,monday4 ,he of course went with us to the kirk on ,sunday morning1 but we let our mother attend afternoon service alone1 as he and ,i were happy to be together1 and we spent the time sitting on the grassy rocks at the foot of our garden1 from whence we could see a vast extent of the ,firth of ,forth with ,edinburgh and its picturesque hills4 ,it was very amusing1 for we occasionally saw three or four whales spouting1 and shoals of porpoises at play4 ,however1 we did not escape reproof1 for ,i recollect the servant coming to tell us that the minister had sent to inquire whether ,mr4 and ,miss ,fairfax had been taken ill1 as he had not seen them at the kirk in the afternoon4 ,the minister in question was ,mr4 ,wemyss1 who had married a younger sister of my mother's4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,i was about thirteen my mother took a small apartment in ,edinburgh for the winter1 and ,i was sent to a writing school1 where ,i soon learnt to write a good hand1 and studied the common rules of arithmetic4 ,my uncle ,william ,henry ,charters1 lately returned from ,india1 gave me a pianoforte1 and ,i had music lessons from an old lady who lived in the top story of one of the highest houses in the old town4 ,i slept in the same room with my mother4 ,one morning ,i called out1 much alarmed1 ,there is lightning6 but my mother said1 after a moment1 ,no2 it is fire6 and on opening the window shutters ,i found that the flakes of fire flying past had made the glass quite hot4 ,the next house but one was on fire and burning fiercely1 and the people next door were throwing everything they possessed1 even china and glass1 out of the windows into the street4 ,we dressed quickly1 and my mother sent immediately to ,trotter the upholsterer for four men4 ,we then put our family papers1 our silver1 c41 c41 into trunks2 then my mother said1 ,now let us breakfast1 it is time enough for us to move our things when the next house takes fire4 ,of its doing so there was every probability because casks of turpentine and oil were exploding from time to time in a carriage manufactory at the back of it4 ,several gentlemen of our acquaintance who came to assist us were surprised to find us breakfasting quietly as if there were nothing unusual going on4 ,in fact my mother1 though a coward in many things1 had1 like most women1 the presence of mind and the courage of necessity4 ,the fire was extinguished1 and we had only the four men to pay for doing nothing1 nor did we sacrifice any of our property like our neighbours who had completely lost their heads from terror4 ,i may mention here that on one occasion when my father was at home he had been ill with a severe cold1 and wore his nightcap4 ,while reading in the drawing-room one evening he called out1 ,i smell fire1 there is no time to be lost1 so1 snatching up a candle1 he wandered from room to room followed by us all still smelling fire1 when one of the servants said1 ,o1 sir1 it is the tassel of your nightcap that is on fire4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on returning to ,burntisland1 ,i spent four or five hours daily at the piano2 and for the sake of having something to do1 ,i taught myself ,latin enough from such books as we had1 to read ,csar's ,commentaries4 ,i went that summer on a visit to my aunt at ,jedburgh1 and1 for the first time in my life1 ,i met in my uncle1 ,dr4 ,somerville1 with a friend who approved of my thirst for knowledge4 ,during long walks with him in the early mornings1 he was so kind1 that ,i had the courage to tell him that ,i had been trying to learn ,latin1 but ,i feared it was in vain2 for my brother and other boys1 superior to me in talent1 and with every assistance1 spent years in learning it4 ,he assured me1 on the contrary1 that in ancient times many women--some of them of the highest rank in ,england--had been very elegant scholars1 and that he would read ,virgil with me if ,i would come to his study for an hour or two every morning before breakfast1 which ,i gladly did4 ,i never was happier in my life than during the months ,i spent at ,jedburgh4 ,my aunt was a charming companion--witty1 full of anecdote1 and had read more than most women of her day1 especially ,shakespeare1 who was her favourite author4 ,my cousins had little turn for reading1 but they were better educated than most girls4 ,they were taught to write by ,david ,brewster1 son of the village schoolmaster1 afterwards ,sir ,david1 who became one of the most distinguished philosophers and discoverers of the age1 member of all the scientific societies at home and abroad1 and at last ,president of the ,university of ,edinburgh4 ,he was studying in ,edinburgh when ,i was at ,jedburgh2 so ,i did not make his acquaintance then2 but later in life he became my valued friend4 ,i did not know till after his death1 that1 while teaching my cousins1 he fell in love with my cousin ,margaret4 ,i do not believe she was aware of it4 ,she was afterwards attached to an officer in the army2 but my aunt would not allow her to go to that outlandish place1 ,malta1 where he was quartered2 so she lived and died unmarried4 ,steam has changed our ideas of distance since that time4 ,my uncle's house--the manse--in which ,i was born1 stands in a pretty garden1 bounded by the fine ancient abbey1 which1 though partially ruined1 still serves as the parish kirk4 ,the garden produced abundance of common flowers1 vegetables1 and fruit4 ,some of the plum and pear trees were very old1 and were said to have been planted by the monks4 ,both were excellent in quality1 and very productive4 ,the view from both garden and manse was over the beautiful narrow valley through which the ,jed flows4 ,the precipitous banks of red sandstone are richly clothed with vegetation1 some of the trees ancient and very fine1 especially the magnificent one called the capon tree1 and the lofty king of the wood1 remnants of the fine forests which at one time had covered the country4 ,an inland scene was new to me1 and ,i was never tired of admiring the tree-crowned scaurs or precipices1 where the rich glow of the red sandstone harmonized so well with the autumnal tints of the foliage4 ,we often bathed in the pure stream of the ,jed4 ,my aunt always went with us1 and was the merriest of the party2 we bathed in a pool which was deep under the high scaur1 but sloped gradually from the grassy bank on the other side4 ,quiet and transparent as the ,jed was1 it one day came down with irresistible fury1 red with the dbris of the sandstone scaurs4 ,there had been a thunderstorm in the hills up-stream1 and as soon as the river began to rise1 the people came out with pitchforks and hooks to catch the hayricks1 sheaves of corn1 drowned pigs1 and other animals that came sweeping past4 ,my cousins and ,i were standing on the bridge1 but my aunt called us off when the water rose above the arches1 for fear of the bridge giving way4 ,we made expeditions every day2 sometimes we went nutting in the forest2 at other times we gathered mushrooms on the grass parks of ,stewartfield1 where there was a wood of picturesque old ,scotch firs1 inhabited by a colony of rooks4 ,i still kept the habit of looking out for birds1 and had the good fortune to see a heron1 now a rare bird in the valley of the ,jed4 ,some of us went every day to a spring called the ,allerly well1 about a quarter of a mile from the manse1 and brought a large jug of its sparkling water for dinner4 ,the evenings were cheerful2 my aunt sang ,scotch songs prettily1 and told us stories and legends about ,jedburgh1 which had been a royal residence in the olden time4 ,she had a tame white and tawny-coloured owl1 which we fed every night1 and sometimes brought into the drawing-room4 ,the ,sunday evening never was gloomy1 though properly observed4 ,we occasionally drank tea with acquaintances1 and made visits of a few days to the ,rutherfurds of ,edgerton and others2 but ,i was always glad to return to the manse4 ,my uncle1 like other ministers of the ,scottish ,kirk1 was allowed a glebe1 which he farmed himself4 ,besides horses1 a cow was kept1 which supplied the family with cream and butter1 and the skimmed milk was given to the poor2 but as the milk became scarce1 one woman was deprived1 for the time1 of her share4 ,soon after1 the cow was taken ill1 and my uncle's ploughman1 ,will1 came to him and said1 ,sir1 gin you would give that carline ,tibby ,jones her soup o' milk again1 the coo would soon be weel eneugh4 ,will was by no means the only believer in witchcraft at that time4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,edinburgh--,,youthful ,,studies ,,and ,,amusements--,,politics--,,the ,,theatres ,,of ,,the ,,time4 ,my mother's next visit was to the house of her uncle1 ,william ,charters1 in ,edinburgh4 ,from thence she was enabled to partake of the advantages of a dancing-school of the period4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they sent me to ,strange's dancing school4 ,strange himself was exactly like a figure on the stage2 tall and thin1 he wore a powdered wig1 with cannons at the ears1 and a pigtail4 ,ruffles at the breast and wrists1 white waistcoat1 black silk or velvet shorts1 white silk stockings1 large silver buckles1 and a pale blue coat completed his costume4 ,he had a little fiddle on which he played1 called a kit4 ,my first lesson was how to walk and make a curtsey4 ,young lady1 if you visit the queen you must make three curtsies1 lower and lower and lower as you approach her4 ,so--o--o1 leading me on and making me curtsey4 ,now1 if the queen were to ask you to eat a bit of mutton with her1 what would you say8 ,every ,saturday afternoon all the scholars1 both boys and girls1 met to practise in the public assembly rooms in ,george's ,street4 ,it was a handsome large hall with benches rising like an amphitheatre4 ,some of the elder girls were very pretty1 and danced well1 so these practisings became a lounge for officers from the ,castle1 and other young men4 ,we used always to go in full evening dress4 ,we learnt the minuet de la cour1 reels and country dances4 ,our partners used to give us gingerbread and oranges4 ,dancing before so many people was quite an exhibition1 and ,i was greatly mortified one day when ready to begin a minuet1 by the dancing-master shaking me roughly and making me hold out my frock properly4 ,though kind in the main1 my uncle and his wife were rather sarcastic and severe1 and kept me down a good deal1 which ,i felt keenly1 but said nothing4 ,i was not a favourite with my family at that period of my life1 because ,i was reserved and unexpansive1 in consequence of the silence ,i was obliged to observe on the subjects which interested me4 ,three ,miss ,melvilles1 friends1 or perhaps relatives1 of ,mrs4 ,charters1 were always held up to me as models of perfection1 to be imitated in everything1 and ,i wearied of hearing them constantly praised at my expense4 ,in a small society like that of ,edinburgh there was a good deal of scandal and gossip2 every one's character and conduct were freely criticised1 and by none more than by my aunt and her friends4 ,she used to sit at a window embroidering1 where she not only could see every one that passed1 but with a small telescope could look into the dressing-room of a lady of her acquaintance1 and watch all she did4 ,a spinster lady of good family1 a cousin of ours1 carried her gossip so far1 that she was tried for defamation1 and condemned to a month's imprisonment1 which she actually underwent in the ,tolbooth4 ,she was let out just before the king's birthday1 to celebrate which1 besides the guns fired at the ,castle1 the boys let off squibs and crackers in all the streets4 ,as the lady in question was walking up the ,high ,street1 some lads in a wynd1 or narrow street1 fired a small cannon1 and one of the slugs with which it was loaded hit her mouth and wounded her tongue4 ,this raised a universal laugh2 and no one enjoyed it more than my uncle ,william1 who disliked this somewhat masculine woman4 ,whilst at my uncle's house1 ,i attended a school for writing and arithmetic1 and made considerable progress in the latter1 for ,i liked it1 but ,i soon forgot it from want of practice4 ,my uncle and aunt generally paid a visit to the ,lyells of ,kinnordy1 the father and mother of my friend ,sir ,charles ,lyell1 the celebrated geologist2 but this time they accepted an invitation from ,captain ,wedderburn1 and took me with them4 ,captain ,wedderburn was an old bachelor1 who had left the army and devoted himself to agriculture4 ,mounted on a very tall but quiet horse1 ,i accompanied my host every morning when he went over his farm1 which was chiefly a grass farm4 ,the house was infested with rats1 and a masculine old maid1 who was of the party1 lived in such terror of them1 that she had a light in her bedroom1 and after she was in bed1 made her maid tuck in the white dimity curtains all round4 ,one night we were awakened by violent screams1 and on going to see what was the matter1 we found ,miss ,cowe in the middle of the room1 bare-footed1 in her night-dress1 screaming at the top of her voice4 ,instead of tucking the rats out of the bed1 the maid had tucked one in1 and ,miss ,cowe on waking beheld it sitting on her pillow4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was great political agitation at this time4 ,the corruption and tyranny of the court1 nobility1 and clergy in ,france were so great1 that when the revolution broke out1 a large portion of our population thought the ,french people were perfectly justified in revolting1 and warmly espoused their cause4 ,later many changed their opinions1 shocked1 as every one was1 at the death of the king and queen1 and the atrocious massacres which took place in ,france4 ,yet some not only approved of the revolution abroad1 but were so disgusted with our mal-administration at home1 to which they attributed our failure in the war in ,holland and elsewhere1 that great dissatisfaction and alarm prevailed throughout the country4 ,the violence1 on the other hand1 of the opposite party was not to be described1--the very name of ,liberal was detested4 ,great dissensions were caused by difference of opinion in families2 and ,i heard people previously much esteemed accused from this cause of all that was evil4 ,my uncle ,william and my father were as violent ,tories as any4 ,the ,liberals were distinguished by wearing their hair short1 and when one day ,i happened to say how becoming a crop was1 and that ,i wished the men would cut off those ugly pigtails1 my father exclaimed1 ,by ,g--1 when a man cuts off his queue1 the head should go with it4 ,the unjust and exaggerated abuse of the ,liberal party made me a ,liberal4 ,from my earliest years my mind revolted against oppression and tyranny1 and ,i resented the injustice of the world in denying all those privileges of education to my sex which were so lavishly bestowed on men4 ,my liberal opinions1 both in religion and politics1 have remained unchanged 7or1 rather1 have advanced7 throughout my life1 but ,i have never been a republican4 ,i have always considered a highly-educated aristocracy essential1 not only for government1 but for the refinement of a people4 ,after her winter in ,edinburgh1 my mother returned to ,burntisland4 ,strange to say1 she found there1 in an illustrated ,magazine of ,fashions1 the introduction to the great study of her life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was often invited with my mother to the tea-parties given either by widows or maiden ladies who resided at ,burntisland4 ,a pool of commerce used to be keenly contested till a late hour at these parties1 which bored me exceedingly1 but ,i there became acquainted with a ,miss ,ogilvie1 much younger than the rest1 who asked me to go and see fancy works she was doing1 and at which she was very clever4 ,i went next day1 and after admiring her work1 and being told how it was done1 she showed me a monthly magazine with coloured plates of ladies' dresses1 charades1 and puzzles4 ,at the end of a page ,i read what appeared to me to be simply an arithmetical question2 but on turning the page ,i was surprised to see strange looking lines mixed with letters1 chiefly ,x'es and ,y's1 and asked2 ,what is that8 ,oh1 said ,miss ,ogilvie1 it is a kind of arithmetic3 they call it ,algebra2 but ,i can tell you nothing about it4 ,and we talked about other things2 but on going home ,i thought ,i would look if any of our books could tell me what was meant by ,algebra4 ,in ,robertson's ,navigation ,i flattered myself that ,i had got precisely what ,i wanted2 but ,i soon found that ,i was mistaken4 ,i perceived1 however1 that astronomy did not consist in star-gazing1#c and as ,i persevered in studying the book for a time1 ,i certainly got a dim view of several subjects which were useful to me afterwards4 ,unfortunately not one of our acquaintances or relations knew anything of science or natural history2 nor1 had they done so1 should ,i have had courage to ask any of them a question1 for ,i should have been laughed at4 ,i was often very sad and forlorn2 not a hand held out to help me4 ,my uncle and aunt ,charters took a house at ,burntisland for the summer1 and the ,miss ,melville ,i have already mentioned came to pay them a visit4 ,she painted miniatures1 and from seeing her at work1 ,i took a fancy to learn to draw1 and actually wasted time in copying prints2 but this circumstance enabled me to get elementary books on ,algebra and ,geometry without asking questions of any one1 as will be explained afterwards4 ,the rest of the summer ,i spent in playing on the piano and learning ,greek enough to read ,xenophon and part of ,herodotus2 then we prepared to go to ,edinburgh4 ,my mother was so much afraid of the sea that she never would cross the ,firth except in a boat belonging to a certain skipper who had served in the ,navy and lost a hand2 he had a hook fastened on the stump to enable him to haul ropes4 ,my brother and ,i were tired of the country1 and one sunny day we persuaded my mother to embark4 ,when we came to the shore1 the skipper said1 ,i wonder that the leddy boats to-day1 for though it is calm here under the lee of the land1 there is a stiff breeze outside4 ,we made him a sign to hold his tongue1 for we knew this as well as he did4 ,our mother went down to the cabin and remained silent and quiet for a time2 but when we began to roll and be tossed about1 she called out to the skipper1 ,george6 this is an awful storm1 ,i am sure we are in great danger4 ,mind how you steer2 remember1 ,i trust in you6 ,he laughed1 and said1 ,dinna trust in me1 leddy2 trust in ,god ,almighty4 ,our mother1 in perfect terror1 called out1 ,dear me6 is it come to that8 ,we burst out laughing1 skipper and all4 ,nasmyth1 an exceedingly good landscape painter1 had opened an academy for ladies in ,edinburgh1 a proof of the gradual improvement which was taking place in the education of the higher classes2 my mother1 very willingly allowed me to attend it4 ,the class was very full4 ,i was not taught to draw1 but looked on while ,nasmyth painted2 then a picture was given me to copy1 the master correcting the faults4 ,though ,i spoilt canvas1 ,i had made some progress by the end of the season4#d ,mr4 ,nasmyth1 besides being a good artist1 was clever1 well-informed1 and had a great deal of conversation4 ,one day ,i happened to be near him while he was talking to the ,ladies ,douglas about perspective4 ,he said1 ,you should study ,euclid's ,elements of ,geometry2 the foundation not only of perspective1 but of astronomy and all mechanical science4 ,here1 in the most unexpected manner1 ,i got the information ,i wanted1 for ,i at once saw that it would help me to understand some parts of ,robertson's ,navigation2 but as to going to a bookseller and asking for ,euclid the thing was impossible6 ,besides ,i did not yet know anything definite about ,algebra1 so no more could be done at that time2 but ,i never lost sight of an object which had interested me from the first4 ,i rose early1 and played four or five hours1 as usual1 on the piano1 and had lessons from ,corri1 an ,italian1 who taught carelessly1 and did not correct a habit ,i had of thumping so as to break the strings2 but ,i learned to tune a piano and mend the strings1 as there was no tuner at ,burntisland4 ,afterwards ,i got over my bad habit and played the music then in vogue3 pieces by ,pleyel1 ,clementi1 ,steibelt1 ,mozart1 and ,beethoven1 the last being my favourite to this day4 ,i was sometimes accompanied on the violin by ,mr4 ,thomson1 the friend of ,burns2 more frequently by ,stabilini2 but ,i was always too shy to play before people1 and invariably played badly when obliged to do so1 which vexed me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the prejudice against the theatre had been very great in ,scotland1 and still existed among the rigid ,calvinists4 ,one day1 when ,i was fourteen or fifteen1 on going into the drawing-room1 an old man sitting beside my mother rose and kissed me1 saying1 ,i am one of your mother's oldest friends4 ,it was ,home1 the author of the tragedy of ,douglas4 ,he was obliged to resign his living in the kirk for the scandal of having had his play acted in the theatre in ,edinburgh1 and some of his clerical friends were publicly rebuked for going to see it4 ,our family was perfectly liberal in all these matters4 ,the first time ,i had ever been in a theatre ,i went with my father to see ,cymbeline4 ,i had never neglected ,shakespeare1 and when our great tragedians1 ,mrs4 ,siddons and her brother1 ,john ,kemble1 came for a short time to act in ,edinburgh1 ,i could think of nothing else4 ,they were both remarkably handsome1 and1 notwithstanding the ,scotch prejudice1 the theatre was crowded every night4 ,it was a misfortune to me that my mother never would go into society during the absence of my father1 nor1 indeed1 at any time1 except1 perhaps1 to a dinner party2 but ,i had no difficulty in finding a chaperone1 as we knew many people4 ,i used to go to the theatre in the morning1 and ask to see the plan of the house for the evening1 that ,i might know which ladies ,i could accompany to their boxes4 ,of course ,i paid for my place4 ,our friends were so kind that ,i saw these great artists1 as well as ,charles ,kemble1 ,young1 and ,bannister1 in ,hamlet1 ,macbeth1 ,othello1 ,coriolanus1 ,the ,gamester1 c4 ,it was greatly to the honour of the ,british stage that all the principal actors1 men and women1 were of excellent moral character1 and much esteemed4 ,many years afterwards1 when ,mrs4 ,siddons was an old woman1 ,i drank tea with her1 and heard her read ,milton and ,shakespeare4 ,her daughter told us to applaud1 for she had been so much accustomed to it in the theatre that she could not read with spirit without this expression of approbation4 ,my mother was pleased with my music and painting1 and1 although she did not go to the theatre herself1 she encouraged me to go4 ,she was quite of the old school with regard to the duties of women1 and very particular about her table2 and1 although we were obliged to live with rigid economy1 our food was of the best quality1 well dressed1 and neatly served1 for she could tell the cook exactly what was amiss when anything was badly cooked4 ,she thought besides that some of the comfort of married life depended upon the table1 so ,i was sent to a pastrycook for a short time every day1 to learn the art of cookery4 ,i had for companions ,miss ,moncreiff1 daughter of ,sir ,henry ,moncreiff ,wellwood1 a ,scotch baronet of old family4 ,she was older than ,i1 pretty1 pleasing1 and one of the belles of the day4 ,we were amused at the time1 and afterwards made jellies and creams for little supper parties1 then in fashion1 though1 as far as economy went1 we might as well have bought them4 ,on returning to ,burntisland1 ,i played on the piano as diligently as ever1 and painted several hours every day4 ,at this time1 however1 a ,mr4 ,craw came to live with us as tutor to my youngest brother1 ,henry4 ,he had been educated for the kirk1 was a fair ,greek and ,latin scholar1 but1 unfortunately for me1 was no mathematician4 ,he was a simple1 good-natured kind of man1 and ,i ventured to ask him about algebra and geometry1 and begged him1 the first time he went to ,edinburgh1 to buy me something elementary on these subjects1 so he soon brought me ,euclid and ,bonnycastle's ,algebra1 which were the books used in the schools at that time4 ,now ,i had got what ,i so long and earnestly desired4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,craw to hear me demonstrate a few problems in the first book of ,euclid1 and then ,i continued the study alone with courage and assiduity1 knowing ,i was on the right road4 ,before ,i began to read algebra ,i found it necessary to study arithmetic again1 having forgotten much of it4 ,i never was expert at addition1 for1 in summing up a long column of pounds1 shillings1 and pence1 in the family account book1 it seldom came out twice the same way4 ,in after life ,i1 of course1 used logarithms for the higher branches of science4 ,i had to take part in the household affairs1 and to make and mend my own clothes4 ,i rose early1 played on the piano1 and painted during the time ,i could spare in the daylight hours1 but ,i sat up very late reading ,euclid4 ,the servants1 however1 told my mother ,it was no wonder the stock of candles was soon exhausted1 for ,miss ,mary sat up reading till a very late hour2 whereupon an order was given to take away my candle as soon as ,i was in bed4 ,i had1 however1 already gone through the first six books of ,euclid1 and now ,i was thrown on my memory1 which ,i exercised by beginning at the first book1 and demonstrating in my mind a certain number of problems every night1 till ,i could nearly go through the whole4 ,my father came home for a short time1 and1 somehow or other1 finding out what ,i was about1 said to my mother1 ,peg1 we must put a stop to this1 or we shall have ,mary in a strait jacket one of these days4 ,there was ,x41 who went raving mad about the longitude6 99 99 99 99 99 ,in our younger days my brother ,sam and ,i kept various festivals3 we burnt nuts1 ducked for apples1 and observed many other of the ceremonies of ,halloween1 so well described by ,burns1 and we always sat up to hail the new year on ,new ,year's ,eve4 ,when in ,edinburgh we sometimes disguised ourselves as guisarts1 and went about with a basket full of ,christmas cakes called buns and shortbread1 and a flagon of het-pint or posset1 to wish our friends a ,happy ,new ,year4 ,at ,christmas time a set of men1 called the ,christmas ,wakes1 walked slowly through the streets during the midnight hours1 playing our sweet ,scotch airs on flageolets4 ,i remember the sound from a distance fell gently on my sleeping ear1 swelled softly1 and died away in distance again1 a passing breeze of sweet sound4 ,it was very pleasing2 some thought it too sad4 ,my grandfather was intimate with the ,boswells of ,balmuto1 a bleak place a few miles to the north of ,burntisland4 ,lord ,balmuto1 a ,scotch judge1 who was then proprietor1 had been a dancing companion of my mother's1 and had a son and two daughters1 the eldest a nice girl of my age1 with whom ,i was intimate1 so ,i gladly accepted an invitation to visit them at ,balmuto4 ,lord ,balmuto was a large coarse-looking man1 with black hair and beetling eyebrows4 ,though not vulgar1 he was passionate1 and had a boisterous manner4 ,my mother and her sisters gave him the nickname of the black bull of ,norr'away1 in allusion to the northern position of ,balmuto4 ,mrs4 ,boswell was gentle and ladylike4 ,the son had a turn for chemistry1 and his father took me to see what they called the ,laboratory4 ,what a laboratory might be ,i knew not1 as ,i had never heard the word before1 but somehow ,i did not like the look of the curiously-shaped glass things and other apparatus1 so when the son put a substance on the table1 and took a hammer1 his father saying1 ,now you will hear a fine report1 ,i ran out of the room1 saying1 ,i don't like reports4 ,sure enough there was a very loud report1 followed by a violent crash1 and on going into the room again1 we found that the son had been knocked down1 the father was trembling from head to foot1 and the apparatus had been smashed to pieces4 ,they had had a narrow escape4 ,miss ,boswell led a dull life1 often passing the winter with her mother in that solitary place1 ,balmuto2 and when in ,edinburgh1 she was much kept down by her father1 and associated little with people of her own age and station4 ,the consequence was that she eloped with her drawing-master1 to the inexpressible rage and mortification of her father1 who had all the ,scotch pride of family and pure blood4 ,this year we remained longer in the country than usual1 and ,i went to spend ,christmas with the ,oswalds of ,dunnikeir4 ,the family consisted of a son1 a colonel in the army1 and three daughters1 the youngest about my age1 a bold horsewoman4 ,she had talent1 became a good ,greek and ,latin scholar1 and was afterwards married to the ,earl of ,elgin4 ,more than seventy years after this ,i had a visit from the ,dean of ,westminster and ,lady ,augusta ,stanley1 her daughter2 a very charming person1 who told me about her family1 of which ,i had heard nothing for years4 ,i was very happy to see the ,dean1 one of the most liberal and distinguished members of the ,church of ,england1 and son of my old friend the late ,bishop of ,norwich4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,i returned to ,edinburgh ,mr4 ,nasmyth was much pleased with the progress ,i had made in painting1 for1 besides having copied several landscapes he had lent me1 ,i had taken the outline of a print and coloured it from a storm ,i saw at the end of our garden4 ,this picture ,i still possess4 ,dr4 ,blair1 minister of the ,high ,kirk of ,edinburgh1 the well-known author and professor of ,rhetoric and ,belles ,lettres in the ,university1 an intimate friend of my grandfather's1 had heard of my turn for painting1 and asked my mother to let him see some of my pictures4 ,a few of the best were sent to him1 and were returned after a few days accompanied by a long letter from the old gentleman1 pointing out what he admired most in each picture4 ,i was delighted with the letter1 and not a little vain of the praise4 ,,letter ,,from ,,dr4 ,,blair ,,to ,,mary ,,fairfax4 ,,my ,,dear ,,miss ,,fairfax1 ,this comes to return you a thousand thanks for the pleasure and entertainment ,i have had from your landscape paintings4 ,i had them placed in the best light ,i could contrive in my drawing-room1 and entertained myself a good while every day looking at them and admiring their beauties1 which always grew upon me4 ,i intend to return them to you to-morrow1 or rather on the beginning of next week2 and as they were taken particular care of1 ,i hope they shall not appear to have suffered any injury4 ,i have exhibited them to several people1 some of whom were excellent judges1 whom ,i brought on purpose to view them--,lady ,miller1 the ,solicitor and ,mrs4 ,blair1 his lady1 ,dr4 ,hill1 ,miss ,anne ,ker of ,nisbet1 and a variety of ladies4 ,all joined in praising them highly4 ,the penserosa figure caught the highest admiration of any1 from the gracefulness of the figure and attitude1 and the boldness and propriety of the scenery4 ,the two morning and evening views--one of ,lochness1 and the other of ,elcho ,castle--which make fine companions1 and which ,i always placed together1 were also highly admired4 ,each of them had their different partizans1 and ,i myself was for a good while undetermined which of them to prefer4 ,at last1 ,i found the placidity of the scene in ,elcho ,castle1 with the cottages among the trees1 dwelt most on my imagination1 though the gaiety and brightness of the morning sky in the other has also exquisite beauty4 ,on the whole1 ,i am persuaded that your taste and powers of execution in that art are uncommonly great1 and that if you go on you must excel highly1 and may go what length you please4 ,landscape painting has been always a great favourite with me2 and you have really contributed much to my entertainment4 ,as ,i thought you might wish to know my sentiments1 after your paintings had been a little considered1 ,i was led to write you these lines 7in which ,i assure you there is nothing flattering71 before sending back your pieces to you4 ,with best compliments to ,lady ,fairfax1 believe me1 ,your obliged and most obedient ,servant1 ,,hugh ,,blair4 ,,argyll ,,square1 #aath ,april 7probably7 #agif4 ,a day or two after this a ,mrs4 ,ramsay1 a rich proud widow1 a relation of my mother's1 came with her daughter1 who was an heiress1 to pay us a morning visit4 ,looking round the room she asked who had painted the pictures hung up on the walls4 ,my mother1 who was rather proud of them1 said they were painted by me4 ,i am glad1 said ,mrs4 ,ramsay1 that ,miss ,fairfax has any kind of talent that may enable her to win her bread1 for everyone knows she will not have a sixpence4 ,it was a very severe hit1 because it was true4 ,had it been my lot to win my bread by painting1 ,i fear ,i should have fared badly1 but ,i never should have been ashamed of it2 on the contrary1 ,i should have been very proud had ,i been successful4 ,i must say the idea of making money had never entered my head in any of my pursuits1 but ,i was intensely ambitious to excel in something1 for ,i felt in my own breast that women were capable of taking a higher place in creation than that assigned to them in my early days1 which was very low4 ,not long after ,mrs4 ,ramsay's visit to my mother1 ,miss ,ramsay went to visit the ,dons1 at ,newton ,don1 a pretty place near ,kelso4 ,miss ,ramsay and the three ,miss ,dons were returning from a long walk2 they had reached the park of ,newton ,don1 when they heard the dinner bell ring1 and fearing to be too late for dinner1 instead of going round1 they attempted to cross a brook which runs through the park4 ,one of the ,miss ,dons stumbled on the stepping-stones and fell into the water4 ,her two sisters and ,miss ,ramsay1 trying to save her1 fell in one after another4 ,the three ,miss ,dons were drowned1 but ,miss ,ramsay1 who wore a stiff worsted petticoat1 was buoyed up by it and carried down stream1 where she caught by the branch of a tree and was saved4 ,she never recovered the shock of the dreadful scene4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #c3 ,many people evidently think the science of astronomy consists entirely in observing the stars1 for ,i have been frequently asked if ,i passed my nights looking through a telescope1 and ,i have astonished the enquirers by saying ,i did not even possess one4 ,footnote #d3 ,nasmyth told a lady still alive who took lessons from him in her youth1 that the cleverest young lady he ever taught was ,miss ,mary ,fairfax4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,edinburgh ,,supper ,,parties--,,tour ,,in ,,the ,,highlands--,,mutiny ,,in ,,the ,,fleet--,,battle ,,of ,,camperdown4 ,by this time my mother was grown up1 and extremely pretty4 ,all those who knew her speak of her rare and delicate beauty1 both of face and figure4 ,they called her the ,rose of ,jedwood4 ,she kept her beauty to the last day of her life1 and was a beautiful old woman1 as she had been a lovely young one4 ,she used to say1 laughing1 that it was very hard no one ever thought of painting her portrait so long as she was young and pretty4 ,after she became celebrated1 various likenesses were taken of her1 by far the best of which are a beautiful bust1 modelled at ,rome in #ahdd by ,mr4 ,lawrence ,macdonald1 and a crayon drawing by ,mr4 ,james ,swinton1 done in ,london in #ahdh4 ,my mother always looked considerably younger than her age2 even at ninety1 she looked younger than some who were her juniors by several years4 ,this was owing1 no doubt1 principally to her being small and delicate in face and figure1 but also1 ,i think1 to the extreme youthfulness and freshness of both her heart and mind1 neither of which ever grew old4 ,it certainly was not due to a youthful style of dress1 for she had perfect taste in such matters1 as well as in other things2 and although no one spent less thought or money on it than she1 my mother was at all times both neatly and becomingly dressed4 ,she never was careless2 and her room1 her papers1 and all that belonged to her were invariably in the most beautiful order4 ,my mother's recollections of this period of her life are as follows3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,at that time ,edinburgh was really the capital of ,scotland2 most of the ,scotch families of distinction spent the winter there1 and we had numerous acquaintances who invited me to whatever gaiety was going on4 ,as my mother refused to go into society when my father was at sea1 ,i had to find a chaperon2 but ,i never was at a loss1 for we were somehow related to the ,erskine family1 and the ,countess of ,buchan1 an amiable old lady1 was always ready to take charge of me4 ,it was under ,lady ,buchan's care that ,i made my first appearance at a ball1 and my first dancing partner was the late ,earl of ,minto1 then ,mr4 ,gilbert ,elliot1 with whom ,i was always on very friendly terms1 as well as with his family4 ,many other ladies were willing to take charge of me1 but a chaperon was only required for the theatre1 and concerts1 and for balls in the public assembly rooms2 at private balls the lady of the house was thought sufficient4 ,still1 although ,i was sure to know everybody in the room1 or nearly so1 ,i liked to have some one with whom to enter and to sit beside4 ,few ladies kept carriages1 but went in sedan chairs1 of which there were stands in the principal streets4 ,ladies were generally attended by a man-servant1 but ,i went alone1 as our household consisted of two maid-servants only4 ,my mother knew1 however1 that the ,highlanders who carried me could be trusted4 ,i was fond of dancing1 and never without partners1 and often came home in bright daylight4 ,the dances were reels1 country dances1 and sometimes ,sir ,roger de ,coverley4 ,at this period1 although busily engaged in studying painting at ,nasmyth's academy1 practising the piano five hours a day1 and pursuing her more serious studies zealously1 my mother went a good deal into society1 for ,edinburgh was a gay1 sociable place1 and many people who recollect her at that time1 and some who were her dancing partners1 have told me she was much admired1 and a great favourite4 ,they said she had a graceful figure1 below the middle size1 a small head1 well set on her shoulders1 a beautiful complexion1 bright1 intelligent eyes1 and a profusion of soft brown hair4 ,besides the various occupations ,i have mentioned1 she made all her own dresses1 even for balls4 ,these1 however1 unlike the elaborate productions of our day1 were simply of fine ,india muslin1 with a little ,flanders lace4 ,she says of her life in ,edinburgh3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,girls had perfect liberty at that time in ,edinburgh2 we walked together in ,princes ,street1 the fashionable promenade1 and were joined by our dancing partners4 ,we occasionally gave little supper parties1 and presented these young men to our parents as they came in4 ,at these meetings we played at games1 danced reels1 or had a little music--never cards4 ,after supper there were toasts1 sentiments1 and songs4 ,there were always one or two hot dishes1 and a variety of sweet things and fruit4 ,though ,i was much more at ease in society now1 ,i was always terribly put out when asked for a toast or a sentiment4 ,like other girls1 ,i did not dislike a little quiet flirtation2 but ,i never could speak across a table1 or take a leading part in conversation4 ,this diffidence was probably owing to the secluded life ,i led in my early youth4 ,at this time ,i gladly took part in any gaiety that was going on1 and spent the day after a ball in idleness and gossiping with my friends2 but these were rare occasions1 for the balls were not numerous1 and ,i never lost sight of the main object of my life1 which was to prosecute my studies4 ,so ,i painted at ,nasmyth's1 played the usual number of hours on the piano1 worked and conversed with my mother in the evening2 and as we kept early hours1 ,i rose at day-break1 and after dressing1 ,i wrapped myself in a blanket from my bed on account of the excessive cold--having no fire at that hour--and read algebra or the classics till breakfast time4 ,i had1 and still have1 determined perseverance1 but ,i soon found that it was in vain to occupy my mind beyond a certain time4 ,i grew tired and did more harm than good2 so1 if ,i met with a difficult point1 for example1 in algebra1 instead of poring over it till ,i was bewildered1 ,i left it1 took my work or some amusing book1 and resumed it when my mind was fresh4 ,poetry was my great resource on these occasions1 but at a later period ,i read novels1 the ,old ,english ,baron1 the ,mysteries of ,udolpho1 the ,romance of the ,forest1 c4 ,i was very fond of ghost and witch stories1 both of which were believed in by most of the common people and many of the better educated4 ,i heard an old naval officer say that he never opened his eyes after he was in bed4 ,i asked him why8 and he replied1 ,for fear ,i should see something6 ,now ,i did not actually believe in either ghosts or witches1 but yet1 when alone in the dead of the night1 ,i have been seized with a dread of1 ,i know not what4 ,few people will now understand me if ,i say ,i was eerie1 a ,scotch expression for superstitious awe4 ,i have been struck1 on reading the life of the late ,sir ,david ,brewster1 with the influence the superstitions of the age and country had on both learned and unlearned4 ,sir ,david was one of the greatest philosophers of the day4 ,he was only a year younger than ,i2 we were both born in ,jedburgh1 and both were influenced by the superstitions of our age and country in a similar manner1 for he confessed that1 although he did not believe in ghosts1 he was eerie when sitting up to a late hour in a lone house that was haunted4 ,this is a totally different thing from believing in spirit-rapping1 which ,i scorn4 ,we returned as usual to ,burntisland1 in spring1 and my father1 who was at home1 took my mother and me a tour in the ,highlands4 ,i was a great admirer of ,ossian's poems1 and viewed the grand and beautiful scenery with awe2 and my father1 who was of a romantic disposition1 smiled at my enthusiastic admiration of the eagles as they soared above the mountains4 ,these noble birds are nearly extirpated2 and1 indeed1 the feathered tribes1 which were more varied and numerous in ,britain than in any part of ,europe1 will soon disappear4 ,they will certainly be avenged by the insects4 ,on coming home from the journey ,i was quite broken-hearted to find my beautiful goldfinch1 which used to draw its water so prettily with an ivory cup and little chain1 dead in its cage4 ,the odious wretches of servants1 to whose care ,i trusted it1 let it die of hunger4 ,my heart is deeply pained as ,i write this1 seventy years afterwards4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,fifeshire1 as elsewhere1 political opinions separated friends and disturbed the peace of families2 discussions on political questions were violent and dangerous on account of the hard-drinking then so prevalent4 ,at this time the oppression and cruelty committed in ,great ,britain were almost beyond endurance4 ,men and women were executed for what at the present day would only have been held to deserve a few weeks' or months' imprisonment4#e ,every liberal opinion was crushed1 men were entrapped into the army by promises which were never kept1 and press-gangs tore merchant seamen from their families1 and forced them to serve in the navy1 where they were miserably provided for4 ,the severity of discipline in both services amounted to torture4 ,such was the treatment of the brave men on whom the safety of the nation depended6 ,they could bear it no longer2 a mutiny broke out in the fleet which had been cruising off the ,texel to watch the movements of a powerful ,dutch squadron4 ,the men rose against their officers1 took the command1 and ship after ship returned to ,england1 leaving only a frigate and the ,venerable1 commanded by ,admiral ,duncan1 with my father as his flag-captain4 ,to deceive the ,dutch1 they continued to make signals1 as if the rest of the fleet were in the offing1 till they could return to ,england2 when1 without delay1 ,admiral ,duncan and my father went alone on board each ship1 ordered the men to arrest the ringleaders1 which was done1 and the fleet immediately returned to its station off the ,texel4 ,at last1 on the morning of the #aath ,october1 #agig1 the ,dutch fleet came out in great force1 and formed in line of battle2 that is1 with their broadsides towards our ships4 ,then ,admiral ,duncan said to my father1 ,fairfax1 what shall we do8--,break their line1 sir1 and draw up on the other side1 where they will not be so well prepared4--,do it1 then1 ,fairfax4 ,so my father signalled accordingly4 ,the circumstances of the battle1 which was nobly fought on both sides1 are historical4 ,nine ships of the line and two frigates were taken1 and my father was sent home to announce the victory to the ,admiralty4 ,the rejoicing was excessive2 every town and village was illuminated2 and the ,administration1 relieved from the fear of a revolution1 continued more confidently its oppressive measures4 ,when ,admiral ,duncan came to ,london1 he was made a ,baron1 and afterwards ,earl of ,camperdown2 and1 by an unanimous vote of the ,house of ,commons1 he received a pension or a sum of money1 ,i forget which2 my father was knighted1 and made ,colonel of ,marines4 ,earl ,spencer was ,first ,lord of the ,admiralty at the time1 and ,lady ,spencer said to my father1 ,you ask for the promotion of your officers1 but you never have asked a reward for yourself4 ,he replied1 ,i leave that to my country4 ,but his country did nothing for him2 and at his death my mother had nothing to live upon but the usual pension of an ,admiral's widow1 of seventy-five pounds a-year4 ,our friends1 especially ,robert ,ferguson1 junior1 of ,raith1 made various attempts to obtain an addition to it2 but it was too late3 ,camperdown was forgotten4 ,i remember one morning going to ,lord ,camperdown's house in ,edinburgh with my mother1 to see a very large painting1 representing the quarter-deck of the ,venerable1 ,admiral ,duncan1 as large as life1 standing upright1 and the ,dutch ,admiral1 ,de ,winter1 presenting his sword to my father4 ,another representation of the same scene may be seen among the numerous pictures of naval battles which decorate the walls of the great hall at ,greenwich ,hospital4 ,many years afterwards ,i was surprised to see an engraving of this very picture in the public library at ,milan4 ,i did not know that one existed4 ,at a great entertainment given to ,lord ,duncan by the ,east ,india ,company1 then in great power1 the ,president asked my father1 who sat at his left hand1 if he had any relation in ,india8 ,he replied1 ,my eldest son is in the ,company's military service4 ,then1 said the ,president1 he shall be a ,writer1 the highest appointment in my power to bestow4 ,i cannot tell how thankful we were2 for1 instead of a separation of almost a lifetime1 it gave hopes that my brother might make a sufficient fortune in a few years to enable him to come home4 ,there was a great review of the troops at ,calcutta1 under a burning sun2 my brother returned to the barracks1 sun-struck1 where he found his appointment1 and died that evening1 at the age of twenty-one4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my mother has often told us of her heart-broken parting with this brother on his going to ,india4 ,it was then almost for a lifetime1 and he was her favourite brother1 and the companion of her childhood4 ,he must have been wonderfully handsome1 judging from a beautifully-painted miniature which we have of him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,public events became more and more exciting every day1 and difficulties occurred at home4 ,there had been bad harvests1 and there was a great scarcity of bread2 the people were much distressed1 and the manufacturing towns in ,england were almost in a state of revolution2 but the fear of invasion kept them quiet4 ,i gloried in the brilliant success of our arms by land and by sea2 and although ,i should have been glad if the people had resisted oppression at home1 when we were threatened with invasion1 ,i would have died to prevent a ,frenchman from landing on our coast4 ,no one can imagine the intense excitement which pervaded all ranks at that time4 ,every one was armed1 and1 notwithstanding the alarm1 we could not but laugh at the awkward1 and often ridiculous1 figures of our old acquaintances1 when at drill in uniform4 ,at that time ,i went to visit my relations at ,jedburgh4 ,soon after my arrival1 we were awakened in the middle of the night by the ,yeomanry entering the town at full gallop4 ,the beacons were burning on the top of the ,cheviots and other hills1 as a signal that the ,french had landed4 ,when day came1 every preparation was made2 but it was a false alarm4 ,the rapid succession of victories by sea and land was intensely exciting4 ,we always illuminated our house1 and went to the rocky bank in our southern garden to see the illumination of ,edinburgh1 ,leith1 and the shipping in the ,roads1 which was inexpressibly beautiful1 though there was no gas in those times4 ,it often happened that balls were given by the officers of the ships of war that came occasionally to ,leith ,roads1 and ,i was always invited1 but never allowed to go2 for my mother thought it foolish to run the risk of crossing the ,firth1 a distance of seven miles1 at a late hour1 in a small open boat and returning in the morning1 as the weather was always uncertain1 and the sea often rough from tide and wind4 ,on one occasion1 my father was at home1 and1 though it was blowing hard1 ,i thought he would not object to accepting the invitation2 but he said1 ,were it a matter of duty1 you should go1 even at the risk of your life1 but for a ball1 certainly not4 ,we were as poor as ever1 even more so2 for my father was led into unavoidable expenses in ,london2 so1 after all the excitement1 we returned to our more than usually economical life4 ,no events worth mentioning happened for a long time4 ,i continued my diversified pursuits as usual2 had they been more concentrated1 it would have been better2 but there was no choice2 for ,i had not the means of pursuing any one as far as ,i could wish1 nor had ,i any friend to whom ,i could apply for direction or information4 ,i was often deeply depressed at spending so much time to so little purpose4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #e3 ,the late ,justice ,coltman told us1 when he and ,lady ,coltman came to see my father and mother at ,siena1 that he recollected when he first went the circuit seeing more than twenty people hanged at once at ,york1 chiefly for horse-stealing and such offences4--,,editor4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,first ,,marriage 7#ahjd7--,,widowhood--,,studies--,,secon d ,,marriage4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,greig was a distant relation of the ,charters family4 ,his father1 an officer in the ,british navy1 had been sent by our government1 at the request of the ,empress ,catharine1 to organize the ,russian navy4 ,mr4 ,greig came to the ,firth of ,forth on board a ,russian frigate1 and was received by the ,fairfaxes at ,burntisland with ,scotch hospitality1 as a cousin4 ,he eventually married my mother2 not1 however1 until he had obtained the ,russian consulship1 and settled permanently in ,london1 for ,russia was then governed in the most arbitrary and tyrannical manner1 and was neither a safe nor a desirable residence1 and my grandfather only gave his consent to the marriage on this condition4 ,my mother says3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,my cousin1 ,samuel ,greig1 commissioner of the ,russian navy1 and ,russian consul for ,britain1 came to pay us a visit1 and ultimately became my husband4 ,fortune ,i had none1 and my mother could only afford to give me a very moderate trousseau1 consisting chiefly of fine personal and household linen4 ,when ,i was going away she gave me twenty pounds to buy a shawl or something warm for the following winter4 ,i knew that the ,president of the ,academy of ,painting1 ,sir ,arthur ,shee1 had painted a portrait of my father immediately after the battle of ,camperdown1 and ,i went to see it4 ,the likeness pleased me1--the price was twenty pounds2 so instead of a warm shawl ,i bought my father's picture1 which ,i have since given to my nephew1 ,sir ,william ,george ,fairfax4 ,my husband's brother1 ,sir ,alexis ,greig1 who commanded the ,russian naval force in the ,black ,sea for more than twenty years1 came to ,london about this time1 and gave me some furs1 which were very welcome4 ,long after this1 ,i applied to ,sir ,alexis1 at the request of ,dr4 ,whewell1 ,master of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 and through his interest an order was issued by the ,russian ,government for simultaneous observations to be made of the tides on every sea-coast of the empire4 ,,letter ,,from ,,dr4 ,,whewell ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,university ,,club1 ,jan4 #e1 #ahch4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i enclose a memorandum respecting tide observations1 to which subject ,i am desirous of drawing the attention of the ,russian ,government4 ,nobody knows better than you do how much remains to be done respecting the tides1 and what important results any advance in that subject would have4 ,i hope1 through your ,russian friends1 you may have the means of bringing this memorandum to the notice of the administration of their navy1 so as to lead to some steps being taken1 in the way of directing observations to be made4 ,the ,russian ,government has shown so much zeal in promoting science1 that ,i hope it will not be difficult to engage them in a kind of research so easy1 so useful practically1 and so interesting in its theoretical bearing4 ,believe me1 dear ,mrs4 ,somerville1 ,very faithfully yours1 ,w4 ,,whewell4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my husband had taken me to his bachelor's house in ,london1 which was exceedingly small and ill ventilated4 ,i had a key of the neighbouring square1 where ,i used to walk4 ,i was alone the whole of the day1 so ,i continued my mathematical and other pursuits1 but under great disadvantages2 for although my husband did not prevent me from studying1 ,i met with no sympathy whatever from him1 as he had a very low opinion of the capacity of my sex1 and had neither knowledge of nor interest in science of any kind4 ,i took lessons in ,french1 and learnt to speak it so as to be understood4 ,i had no carriage1 so went to the nearest church2 but1 accustomed to our ,scotch ,kirk1 ,i never could sympathise with the coldness and formality of the service of the ,church of ,england4 ,however1 ,i thought it my duty to go to church and join where ,i could in prayer with the congregation4 ,there was no ,italian ,opera in ,edinburgh2 the first time ,i went to one was in ,london as chaperone to ,countess ,catharine ,woronzow1 afterwards ,countess of ,pembroke1 who was godmother to my eldest son4 ,i sometimes spent the evening with her1 and occasionally dined at the embassy2 but went nowhere else till we became acquainted with the family of ,mr4 ,thomson ,bonar1 a rich ,russian merchant1 who lived in great luxury at a beautiful villa at ,chiselhurst1 in the neighbourhood of ,london1 which has since become the refuge of the ex-,emperor ,napoleon the ,third and the ,empress ,eugnie4 ,the family consisted of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bonar1--kind1 excellent people1--with two sons and a daughter1 all grown up4 ,we were invited from time to time to spend ten days or a fortnight with them1 which ,i enjoyed exceedingly4 ,i had been at a riding school in ,edinburgh1 and rode tolerably1 but had little practice1 as we could not afford to keep horses4 ,on our first visit1 ,mrs4 ,bonar asked me if ,i would ride with her1 as there was a good lady's horse to spare1 but ,i declined4 ,next day ,i said1 ,i should like to ride with you4 ,why did you not go out with me yesterday8 she asked4 ,because ,i had heard so much of ,english ladies' riding1 that ,i thought you would clear all the hedges and ditches1 and that ,i should be left behind lying on the ground4 ,i spent many pleasant days with these dear good people2 and no words can express the horror ,i felt when we heard that they had been barbarously murdered in their bedroom4 ,the eldest son and daughter had been at a ball somewhere near1 and on coming home they found that one of the men-servants had dashed out the brains of both their parents with a poker4 ,the motive remains a mystery to this day1 for it was not robbery4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after three years of married life1 my mother returned to her father's house in ,burntisland1 a widow1 with two little boys4 ,the youngest died in childhood4 ,the eldest was ,woronzow ,greig1 barrister-at-law1 late ,clerk of the ,peace for ,surrey4 ,he died suddenly in #ahfe1 to the unspeakable sorrow of his family1 and the regret of all who knew him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was much out of health after my husband's death1 and chiefly occupied with my children1 especially with the one ,i was nursing2 but as ,i did not go into society1 ,i rose early1 and1 having plenty of time1 ,i resumed my mathematical studies4 ,by this time ,i had studied plane and spherical trigonometry1 conic sections1 and ,fergusson's ,astronomy4 ,i think it was immediately after my return to ,scotland that ,i attempted to read ,newton's ,principia4 ,i found it extremely difficult1 and certainly did not understand it till ,i returned to it some time after1 when ,i studied that wonderful work with great assiduity1 and wrote numerous notes and observations on it4 ,i obtained a loan of what ,i believe was called the ,jesuit's edition1 which helped me4 ,at this period mathematical science was at a low ebb in ,britain2 reverence for ,newton had prevented men from adopting the ,calculus1 which had enabled foreign mathematicians to carry astronomical and mechanical science to the highest perfection4 ,professors ,ivory and de ,morgan afterwards adopted the ,calculus2 but several years elapsed before ,mr4 ,herschel and ,mr4 ,babbage were joint-editors with ,professor ,peacock in publishing an abridged translation of ,la ,croix's ,treatise on the ,differential and ,integral ,calculus4 ,i became acquainted with ,mr4 ,wallace1 who was1 if ,i am not mistaken1 mathematical teacher of the ,military ,college at ,marlow1 and editor of a mathematical journal published there4 ,i had solved some of the problems contained in it and sent them to him1 which led to a correspondence1 as ,mr4 ,wallace sent me his own solutions in return4 ,mine were sometimes right and sometimes wrong1 and it occasionally happened that we solved the same problem by different methods4 ,at last ,i succeeded in solving a prize problem6 ,it was a diophantine problem1 and ,i was awarded a silver medal cast on purpose with my name1 which pleased me exceedingly4 ,mr4 ,wallace was elected ,professor of ,mathematics in the ,university of ,edinburgh1 and was very kind to me4 ,when ,i told him that ,i earnestly desired to go through a regular course of mathematical and astronomical science1 even including the highest branches1 he gave me a list of the requisite books1 which were in ,french1 and consisted of ,francoeur's pure ,mathematics1 and his ,elements of ,mechanics1 ,la ,croix's ,algebra1 and his large work on the ,differential and ,integral ,calculus1 together with his work on ,finite ,differences and ,series1 ,biot's ,analytical ,geometry and ,astronomy1 ,poisson's ,treatise on ,mechanics1 ,la ,grange's ,theory of ,analytical ,functions1 ,euler's ,algebra1 ,euler's ,isoperimetrical ,problems 7in ,latin71 ,clairault's ,figure of the ,earth1 ,monge's ,application of ,analysis to ,geometry1 ,callet's ,logarithms1 ,la ,place's ,mcanique ,cleste1 and his ,analytical ,theory of ,probabilities1 c41 c41 c4#f ,i was thirty-three years of age when ,i bought this excellent little library4 ,i could hardly believe that ,i possessed such a treasure when ,i looked back on the day that ,i first saw the mysterious word ,algebra1 and the long course of years in which ,i had persevered almost without hope4 ,it taught me never to despair4 ,i had now the means1 and pursued my studies with increased assiduity2 concealment was no longer possible1 nor was it attempted4 ,i was considered eccentric and foolish1 and my conduct was highly disapproved of by many1 especially by some members of my own family1 as will be seen hereafter4 ,they expected me to entertain and keep a gay house for them1 and in that they were disappointed4 ,as ,i was quite independent1 ,i did not care for their criticism4 ,a great part of the day ,i was occupied with my children2 in the evening ,i worked1 played piquet with my father1 or played on the piano1 sometimes with violin accompaniment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this was the most brilliant period of the ,edinburgh ,review2 it was planned and conducted with consummate talent by a small society of men of the most liberal principles4 ,their powerful articles gave a severe and lasting blow to the oppressive and illiberal spirit which had hitherto prevailed4 ,i became acquainted with some of these illustrious men1 and with many of their immediate successors4 ,i then met ,henry ,brougham1 who had so remarkable an influence on my future life4 ,his sister had been my early companion1 and while visiting her ,i saw her mother--a fine1 intelligent old lady1 a niece of ,robertson the historian4 ,i had seen the ,rev4 ,sydney ,smith1 that celebrated wit and able contributor to the ,review1 at ,burntisland1 where he and his wife came for sea-bathing4 ,long afterwards we lived on the most friendly terms till their deaths4 ,of that older group no one was more celebrated than ,professor ,playfair4 ,he knew that ,i was reading the ,mcanique ,cleste1 and asked me how ,i got on8 ,i told him that ,i was stopped short by a difficulty now and then1 but ,i persevered till ,i got over it4 ,he said1 ,you would do better to read on for a few pages and return to it again1 it will then no longer seem so difficult4 ,i invariably followed his advice and with much success4 ,professor ,playfair was a man of the most varied accomplishments and of the highest scientific distinction4 ,he was an elderly man when ,i first became acquainted with him1 by no means good-looking1 but with a benevolent expression1 somewhat concealed by the large spectacles he always wore4 ,his manner was gravely cheerful2 he was perfectly amiable1 and was both respected and loved1 but he could be a severe though just critic4 ,he liked female society1 and1 philosopher as he was1 marked attention from the sex obviously flattered him4 ,i had now read a good deal on the higher branches of mathematics and physical astronomy1 but as ,i never had been taught1 ,i was afraid that ,i might imagine that ,i understood the subjects when ,i really did not2 so by ,professor ,wallace's advice ,i engaged his brother to read with me1 and the book ,i chose to study with him was the ,mcanique ,cleste4 ,mr4 ,john ,wallace was a good mathematician1 but ,i soon found that ,i understood the subject as well as he did4 ,i was glad1 however1 to have taken this resolution1 as it gave me confidence in myself and consequently courage to persevere4 ,we had advanced but little in this work when my marriage with my cousin1 ,william ,somerville 7#ahab71 put an end to scientific pursuits for a time4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #f3 ,these books and all the other mathematical works belonging to my mother at the time of her death have been presented to the ,college for ,women1 at ,girton1 ,cambridge4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,somerville ,,family--,,dr4 ,,somerville',s ,,character--,,letters--,,journey ,,to ,,the ,,lakes--,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,william ,,fairfax--,,reminiscences ,,of ,,sir ,,walter ,,scott4 ,with regard to my father's family1 ,i cannot do better than quote what my grandfather1 the ,rev4 ,thomas ,somerville1 says in his ,life and ,times3--,i am a descendant of the ancient family of ,somerville of ,cambusnethan1 which was a branch of the ,somervilles of ,drum1 ennobled in the year #adbd4 ,upon the death of ,george ,somerville1 of ,corhouse1 fifty years ago1 ,i became the only male representative of the family4 ,there is a quaint old chronicle1 entitled ,memorie of the ,somervilles1 written by ,james1 eleventh ,lord ,somerville1 who died in #afij1 which was printed for private distribution1 and edited by ,sir ,walter ,scott1 and gives ample details of all the branches of our family4 ,although infinitely too prolix for our nineteenth century ideas1 it contains many curious anecdotes and pictures of ,scottish life4 ,my father was the eldest son of the minister of ,jedburgh1 and until his marriage with my mother1 had lived almost entirely abroad and in our colonies4 ,it was always a subject of regret to my mother that my father never could be induced to publish an account of his important travels in ,south ,africa1 for which he had ample materials in the notes he brought home1 many of which we still possess4 ,without being very deeply learned on any one special subject1 he was generally well-informed1 and very intelligent4 ,he was an excellent classical scholar1 and could repeat long passages from ,horace and other authors4 ,he had a lively interest in all branches of natural history1 was a good botanist and mineralogist1 and could take note of all the strange animals1 plants1 or minerals he saw in his adventurous journies in the countries1 now colonized1 but then the hunting-grounds of ,caffres and other uncivilized tribes4 ,he was the first white man who penetrated so far into the country1 and it was not without great risk4 ,indeed1 on one occasion he was sentenced to death by a ,caffre chief1 and only saved by the interposition of the chief's mother4 ,my father's style in writing ,english was singularly pure and correct1 and he was very fastidious on this topic--a severe critic1 whether in correcting the children's lessons or in reading over the last proof sheets of my mother's works previous to their publication4 ,these qualities would have fitted him very well to write the history of his travels1 but he disliked the trouble of it1 and1 never having the slightest ambition on his own account1 he let the time for publication slip by4 ,others travelled over the country he first explored1 and the novelty was at an end4 ,he was far happier in helping my mother in various ways1 searching the libraries for the books she required1 indefatigably copying and recopying her manuscripts1 to save her time4 ,no trouble seemed too great which he bestowed upon her2 it was a labour of love4 ,my father was most kindhearted1 and ,i have often heard my mother say how many persons he had assisted in life1 and what generous actions he had done1 many of them requited with ingratitude1 and with betrayal of confidence4 ,from the way my mother speaks of their life1 it can be seen how happy was their marriage and how much sympathy there was between them4 ,speaking of his son's marriage with my mother1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,somerville says1 in his ,life and ,times1 page #cij3 ,to myself this connection was on every account peculiarly gratifying4 ,miss ,fairfax had been born and nursed in my house2 her father being at that time abroad on public service4 ,she afterwards often resided in my family1 was occasionally my scholar1 and was looked upon by me and my wife as if she had been one of our own children4 ,i can truly say1 that next to them she was the object of our most tender regard4 ,her ardent thirst for knowledge1 her assiduous application to study1 and her eminent proficiency in science and the fine arts1 have procured her a celebrity rarely obtained by any of her sex4 ,but she never displays any pretensions to superiority1 while the affability of her temper1 and the gentleness of her manners afford constant sources of gratification to her friends4 ,but what1 above all other circumstances1 rendered my son's choice acceptable to me1 was that it had been the anxious1 though secret1 desire of my dear wife4 ,i have already said that this esteem and affection of her father-in-law was warmly responded to by my mother4 ,the following letter from her to him shows it vividly3-- ,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,,edinburgh1 #ast ,june1 #ahab4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1 ,i have this moment been gratified and delighted with your excellent and affectionate letter2 the intercourse we have so long enjoyed has always been a source of the purest pleasure to me1 and the kind interest you have taken from my infancy in my welfare was at all times highly flattering1 and much valued2 but now that the sacred name of ,father is added1 nothing is wanting to complete my happiness2 and you may rest assured that ,william is not more anxious to hasten our visit to ,jedburgh than ,i am4444 ,with the affectionate love of all here1 ,i remain your ever most affectionate daughter1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 ,p4,s4--,i am much flattered by the ,latin quotation1 and feel happy that your instructions have enabled me to read it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i will now proceed with the extracts from my mother's ,recollections3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,my husband had been present at the taking of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 and was sent by the authorities to make a treaty with the savage tribes on the borders of the colony1 who had attacked the boors1 or ,dutch farmers1 and carried off their cattle4 ,in this journey he was furnished with a waggon and accompanied by ,mr4 ,daniel1 a good artist1 who made drawings of the scenery1 as well as of the animals and people4 ,the savage tribes again became troublesome1 and in a second expedition my cousin was only accompanied by a faithful ,hottentot as interpreter4 ,they were both mounted1 and each led a spare horse with such things as were absolutely necessary1 and when they bivouacked where1 for fear of the natives1 they did not dare light a fire to keep off the wild beasts1 one kept watch while the other slept4 ,after many adventures and dangers1 my husband reached the ,orange ,river1 and was the first white man who had ever been in that part of ,africa4 ,he afterwards served in ,canada and in ,sicily at the head of the medical staff1 under his friend ,general ,sir ,james ,craig4 ,on returning to ,england he generally lived in ,london1 so that he was seldom with his family1 with whom he was not a favourite on account of his liberal principles1 the very circumstance that was an attraction to me4 ,he had lived in the world1 was extremely handsome1 had gentlemanly manners1 spoke good ,english1 and was emancipated from ,scotch prejudices4 ,i had been living very quietly with my parents and children1 so until ,i was engaged to my cousin ,i was not aware of the extreme severity with which my conduct was criticised by his family1 and ,i have no doubt by many others2 for as soon as our engagement was known ,i received a most impertinent letter from one of his sisters1 who was unmarried1 and younger than ,i1 saying1 she hoped ,i would give up my foolish manner of life and studies1 and make a respectable and useful wife to her brother4 ,i was extremely indignant4 ,my husband was still more so1 and wrote a severe and angry letter to her2 none of the family dared to interfere again4 ,i lived in peace with her1 but there was a coldness and reserve between us ever after4 ,i forgot to mention that during my widowhood ,i had several offers of marriage4 ,one of the persons whilst he was paying court to me1 sent me a volume of sermons with the page ostentatiously turned down at a sermon on the ,duties of a ,wife1 which were expatiated upon in the most illiberal and narrow-minded language4 ,i thought this as impertinent as it was premature2 sent back the book and refused the proposal4 ,my uncle1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,somerville1 was delighted with my marriage with his son1 for he was liberal1 and sincerely attached to me4 ,we were married by his intimate friend1 ,sir ,henry ,moncreiff ,wellwood1 and set off for the lakes in ,cumberland4 ,my husband's second sister1 ,janet1 resolved to go with us1 and she succeeded through the influence of my aunt1 now my mother-in-law--a very agreeable1 but bold1 determined person1 who was always very kind and sincerely attached to me4 ,we were soon followed by my cousin1 ,samuel ,somerville and his wife4 ,we had only been a day or two in the little inn at ,lowood when he was taken ill of a fever1 which detained us there for more than a month4 ,during his illness he took a longing for currant jelly1 and here my cookery was needed2 ,i made some that was excellent1 and ,i never can forget the astonishment expressed at my being able to be so useful4 ,somerville and ,i proceeded to ,london2 and we managed to obtain a good position near ,temple ,bar to see the ,emperor of ,russia1 the ,king of ,prussia and his sons1 ,blucher1 ,platoff1 the ,hetman of the ,cossacks1 c41 c41 enter the ,city4 ,there was a brilliant illumination in the evening1 and great excitement4 ,we often saw these noted persons afterwards1 but we did not stay long in ,london1 as my husband was appointed head of the ,army ,medical ,department in ,scotland1 so we settled in ,edinburgh4 ,as he was allowed to have a secretary1 he made choice of ,donald ,finlayson1 a young man of great learning and merit1 who was to act as tutor to my son1 ,woronzow ,greig1 then attending the ,high ,school1 of which ,mr4 ,pillans was master4 ,mr4 ,finlayson was a remarkably good ,greek scholar1 and my husband said1 ,why not take advantage of such an opportunity of improvement8 ,so ,i read ,homer for an hour every morning before breakfast4 ,mr4 ,finlayson joined the army as surgeon1 and distinguished himself by his courage and humanity during the battle of ,waterloo2 but he was lost in the march of the army to ,paris1 and his brother ,george1 after having sought for him in vain1 came to live with us in his stead4 ,he excelled in botany1 and here again1 by my husband's advice1 ,i devoted a morning hour to that science1 though ,i was nursing a baby at the time4 ,i knew the vulgar name of most of the plants that ,mr4 ,finlayson had gathered1 but now ,i was taught systematically1 and afterwards made a herbarium1 both of land plants and fuci4 ,this young man's hopeful career was early arrested by his love of science1 for he died of jungle fever in ,bengal1 caught while in search of plants4 ,professor ,playfair was now old1 and resigned his chair1 which ,mr4 ,leslie was perfectly competent to fill on account of his acknowledged scientific acquirements2 but1 being suspected of heretical opinions1 his appointment was keenly opposed1 especially on the part of the clergy1 and a violent contest arose1 which ended in his favour4 ,we became acquainted with him and liked him4 ,he was a man of original genius1 full of information on a variety of subjects1 agreeable in conversation and good natured1 but with a singular vanity as to personal appearance4 ,though one of the coarsest looking men ,i ever knew1 he talked so much of polish and refinement that it tempted ,mr4 ,william ,clerk1 of ,eldin1 to make a very clever clay model of his ungainly figure4 ,the professor's hair was grey1 and he dyed it with something that made it purple2 and1 as at that time the art was not brought to its present perfection1 the operation was tedious and only employed at intervals1 so that the professor's hair was often white at the roots and dark purple at the extremities4 ,he was always falling in love1 and1 to ,somerville's inexpressible amusement1 he made me his decoy duck1 inviting me to see some experiments1 which he performed dexterously2 at the same time telling me to bring as many young ladies as ,i chose1 especially ,miss----1 for he was sure she had a turn for science4 ,he was unfortunate in his aspirations1 and remained a bachelor to the end of his life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was the custom in ,edinburgh1 especially among the clergy1 to dine between the morning and evening service on ,sundays1 and to sup at nine or ten o'clock4 ,in no family were these suppers more agreeable or cheerful than in that of ,sir ,henry ,moncreiff ,wellwood1 minister of the ,west ,kirk4 ,there were always a few of the friends of ,sir ,henry and ,lady ,moncreiff present1 and we were invited occasionally4 ,there was a substantial hot supper of roasted fowls1 game1 or lamb1 and afterwards a lively1 animated conversation on a variety of subjects1 without a shade of austerity1 though ,sir ,henry was esteemed an orthodox preacher4 ,there was an idiot in ,edinburgh1 the son of a respectable family1 who had a remarkable memory4 ,he never failed to go to the ,kirk on ,sunday1 and on returning home could repeat the sermon word for word1 saying1 ,here the minister coughed1 ,here he stopped to blow his nose4 ,during the tour we made in the ,highlands we met with another idiot who knew the ,bible so perfectly that if you asked him where such a verse was to be found1 he could tell without hesitation1 and repeat the chapter4 ,the common people in ,scotland at that time had a kind of serious compassion for these harmless idiots1 because the hand of ,god was upon them4 ,the wise as well as the foolish are sometimes endowed with a powerful memory4 ,dr4 ,gregory1 an eminent ,edinburgh physician1 one of the cleverest and most agreeable men ,i ever met with1 was a remarkable instance of this4 ,he wrote and spoke ,latin fluently1 and ,somerville1 who was a good ,latinist1 met with a ,latin quotation in some book he was reading1 but not knowing from whence it was taken1 asked his friend ,dr4 ,gregory4 ,it is forty years since ,i read that author1 said ,dr4 ,gregory1 but ,i think you will find the passage in the middle of such a page4 ,somerville went for the book1 and at the place mentioned there it was4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had the grief to lose my dear father at this time4 ,he had served sixty-seven years in the ,british ,navy1 and must have been twice on the ,north ,american station1 for he was present at the taking of ,quebec by ,general ,wolfe1 in #agei1 and afterwards during the ,war of ,independence4 ,after the battle of ,camperdown he was made a ,colonel of ,marines1 and died1 in #ahac1 ,vice-,admiral of the ,red4 99 99 99 99 99 ,geology1 which has now been so far advanced as a science1 was still in its infancy4 ,professor ,playfair and ,mr4 ,hutton had written on the subject2 and in my gay young days1 when ,lady ,helen ,hall was occasionally my chaperone1 ,i had heard that ,sir ,james ,hall had taken up the subject1 but ,i did not care about it2 ,i am certain that at that time ,i had never heard the word ,geology4 ,i think it was now1 on going with ,somerville to see the ,edinburgh ,museum1 that ,i recognised the fossil plants ,i had seen in the coal limestone on the sands at the ,links of ,burntisland4 ,ultimately ,geology became a favourite pursuit of ours1 but then minerals were the objects of our joint study4 ,mineralogy had been much cultivated on the ,continent by this time1 especially in ,germany4 ,it had been established as a science by ,werner1 who was educated at an institution near the silver mines of ,friburg1 where he afterwards lectured on the properties of crystals1 and had many pupils4 ,in one of our tours on the ,continent1 ,somerville and ,i went to see these silver mines and bought some specimens for our cabinet4 ,the ,french took up the subject with great zeal1 and the ,abb ,hay's work became a standard book on the science4 ,cabinets of minerals had been established in the principal cities of ,great ,britain1 professors were appointed in the ,universities1 and collections of minerals were not uncommon in private houses4 ,while quite a girl1 ,i went with my parents to visit the ,fergusons of ,raith1 near ,kirkcaldy1 and there ,i saw a magnificent collection of minerals1 made by their son while abroad4 ,it contained gems of great value and crystallized specimens of precious and other metals1 which surprised and interested me2 but seeing that such valuable things could never be obtained by me1 ,i thought no more about them4 ,in those early days ,i had every difficulty to contend with2 now1 through the kindness and liberal opinions of my husband1 ,i had every encouragement4 ,he took up the study of mineralogy with zeal1 and ,i heartily joined with him4 ,we made the acquaintance of ,professor ,jameson1 a pupil of ,werner's1 whose work on mineralogy was of great use to us4 ,we began to form a cabinet of minerals1 which1 although small1 were good of their kind4 ,we were criticized for extravagance1 and1 no doubt ,i had the lion's share of blame2 but more of minerals hereafter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,abbotsford is only twelve miles distant from ,jedburgh1 and my father-in-law1 ,dr4 ,somerville1 and ,sir ,walter ,scott had been intimate friends for many years1 indeed through life4 ,the house at ,abbotsford was at first a mere cottage1 on the banks of the ,tweed2 my brother-in-law1 ,samuel1 had a villa adjacent to it1 and ,john1 ,lord ,somerville1 had a house and property on the opposite bank of the river1 to which he came every spring for salmon fishing4 ,he was a handsome1 agreeable man1 had been educated in ,england1 and as he thought he should never live in ,scotland1 he sold the family estate of ,drum1 within five miles of ,edinburgh1 which he afterwards regretted1 and bought the property on the ,tweed he then inhabited4 ,there was great intimacy between the three families1 and the society was often enlivened by ,adam ,ferguson and ,willie ,clerk1 whom we had met with at ,raith4 ,i shall never forget the charm of this little society1 especially the supper-parties at ,abbotsford1 when ,scott was in the highest glee1 telling amusing tales1 ancient legends1 ghost and witch stories4 ,then ,adam ,ferguson would sing the ,laird of ,cockpen1 and other comic songs1 and ,willie ,clerk amused us with his dry wit4 ,when it was time to go away all rose1 and1 standing hand-in-hand round the table1 ,scott taking the lead1 we sang in full chorus1 ,weel may we a' be1 ,ill may we never see2 ,health to the king ,and the gude companie4 ,at that time no one knew who was the author of the ,waverley ,novels4 ,there was much speculation and curiosity on the subject4 ,while talking about one which had just been published1 my son ,woronzow said1 ,i knew all these stories long ago1 for ,mr4 ,scott writes on the dinner-table4 ,when he has finished1 he puts the green-cloth with the papers in a corner of the dining-room2 and when he goes out1 ,charlie ,scott and ,i read the stories4 ,my son's tutor was the original of ,dominie ,sampson in ,guy ,mannering4 ,the ,memorie of the ,somervilles was edited by ,walter ,scott1 from an ancient and very quaint manuscript found in the archives of the family1 and from this he takes passages which he could not have found elsewhere4 ,although the work was printed it was never published1 but copies were distributed to the different members of the family4 ,one was of course given to my husband4 ,the ,burning of the ,water1 so well described by ,walter ,scott in ,redgauntlet1 we often witnessed4 ,the illumination of the banks of the river1 the activity of the men striking the salmon with the leisters1 and the shouting of the people when a fish was struck1 was an animated1 and picturesque1 but cruel scene4 ,sophia ,scott1 afterwards married to ,mr4 ,lockhart1 editor of the ,quarterly ,review1 was the only one of ,sir ,walter's family who had talent4 ,she was not pretty1 but remarkably engaging and agreeable1 and possessed her father's joyous disposition as well as his memory and fondness for ancient ,border legends and poetry4 ,like him1 she was thoroughly alive to peculiarities of character1 and laughed at them good-naturedly4 ,she was not a musician1 had little voice1 but she sang ,scotch songs and translations from the ,gaelic with1 or without1 harp accompaniment2 the serious songs with so much expression1 and the merry ones with so much spirit1 that she charmed everybody4 ,the death of her brothers and of her father1 to whom she was devotedly attached1 cast a shade over the latter part of her life4 ,mr4 ,lockhart was clever and an able writer1 but he was too sarcastic to be quite agreeable2 however1 we were always on the most friendly terms4 ,he was of a ,lanarkshire family and distantly related to ,somerville4 ,after the death of his wife and sons1 ,lockhart fell into bad health and lost much of his asperity4 ,scott was ordered to go abroad for health and relaxation4 ,somerville and ,i happened to be at the seaport where he embarked1 and we went to take leave of him4 ,he kissed me1 and said1 ,farewell1 my dear2 ,i am going to die abroad like other ,british novelists4 ,happy would it have been if ,god had so willed it1#g for he returned completely broken down1 and his hopes blighted4 ,in a few years his only remaining descendant was a grand-daughter1 the only surviving child of ,mrs4 ,lockhart1 ,charlotte who married ,mr4 ,james ,hope1 and soon died1 leaving an only daughter1 now the last descendant of ,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,thus the ,merry1 merry days that ,i have seen1 ended very sadly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when at ,jedburgh1 ,i never failed to visit ,james ,veitch1 who was ,laird of ,inchbonny1 a small property beautifully situated in the valley of the ,jed1 at a short distance from the manse4 ,he was a plough-wright1 a hard-working man1 but of rare genius1 who taught himself mathematics and astronomy in the evenings with wonderful success1 for he knew the motions of the planets1 calculated eclipses and occultations1 was versed in various scientific subjects1 and made excellent telescopes1 of which ,i bought a very small one2 it was the only one ,i ever possessed4 ,veitch was handsome1 with a singularly fine bald forehead and piercing eyes1 that quite looked through one4 ,he was perfectly aware of his talents1 shrewd1 and sarcastic4 ,his fame had spread1 and he had many visits1 of which he was impatient1 as it wasted his time4 ,he complained especially of those from ladies not much skilled in science1 saying1 ,what should they do but ask silly questions1 when they spend their lives in doing naething but spatting muslin8 ,veitch was strictly religious and conscientious1 observing the ,sabbath day with great solemnity2 and ,i had the impression that he was stern to his wife1 who seemed to be a person of intelligence1 for ,i remember seeing her come from the washing-tub to point out the planet ,venus while it was still daylight4 ,the return of ,halley's comet1 in #ahce1 exactly at the computed time1 was a great astronomical event1 as it was the first comet of long period clearly proved to belong to our system4 ,i was asked by ,mr4 ,john ,murray to write an article on the subject for the ,quarterly ,review4 ,after it was published1 ,i received a letter from ,james ,veitch1 reproaching me for having mentioned that a peasant in ,hungary was the first to see ,halley's comet1 and for having omitted to say that1 a peasant at ,inchbonny was the first to see the comet of #ahaa1 the greatest that had appeared for a century4 ,i regretted1 on receiving this letter1 that ,i either had not known1 or had forgotten the circumstance4 ,veitch has been long dead1 but ,i avail myself of this opportunity of making the amende honorable to a man of great mental power and acquirements who had struggled through difficulties1 unaided1 as ,i have done myself4 ,,letter ,,from ,,james ,,veitch ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,inchbonny1 #abth ,october1 #ahcf4 ,,dear ,,madam1 ,i saw in the ,quarterly review for ,december #ahhe page #baf that the comet #afhb was discovered by a ,peasent1 ,george ,palitzch residing in the neighbourhood of ,dresden on the #beth of ,december #ageh with a small ,telescope4 ,but no mention is made of the ,peasent at ,inchbonny who first discovered the beautiful comet #ahaa4 ,you will remember when ,dr4 ,wollaston was at ,inchbonny ,i put a difficult question to him that ,i could not solve about the focal distance of optic glasses when the ,dr4 got into a passion and said3 ,had he problems in his pocket ready to pull out in every occasion8 and with an angry look at me said1 ,you pretend to be the first that discovered the comet altho' it has been looked for by men of science for some time back4 ,now ,i never heard of such a thing and you will perhaps know something about it as the ,dr4 would not be mistaken4 ,after we got acquainted1 the ,dr4 was a warm friend of mine and ,i have often regretted that ,i had not improved the opportunity ,i had when he was here on many things he was master off4 ,what ever others had known or expected ,i knew nothing about1 ,but ,i know this1 that on the #bgth of ,august #ahaa ,i first saw it in the ,,nnw4 part of the ,heavens nigh the star marked #bf on the shoulder of the little ,lion and continued tracing its path among the fixed stars untill it disappeared and it was generally admitted that ,i had discovered it four days before any other person in ,britain4 ,however ,mr4 ,thomas ,dick on the ,diffusion of ,knowledge page #aja and #ajb has made the following observation ',the splendid comet which appeared in our hemisphere in #ahaa was first discovered in this country by a sawer4 ,the name of this ,gentleman is ,mr4 ,veitch and ,i believe he resides in the neighbourhood of ,kelso who with a ,reflecting telescope of his own construction and from his sawpit as an observatory1 descried that celestial visitant before it had been noticed by any other astronomer in ,north ,britain4' ,a strange story--a sawer and a gentleman2 and what is stranger still ,mr4 ,baily would not have any place but the sawpit for his observatory on the #aeth ,may last4 ,i am sorry to say with all the improvement and learning that we can boast of in the present day ,halley's comet the predictions have not been fulfilled1 either with respect to time or place4 ,thus on the #aj ,october1 at #ej minutes past #e in the evening the ,right ascension of the comet was #afc #cg'1 with #fc #ch' of north declination but by the nautical almanac for the #aj ,october its right ascension ought to have been #bbe #b' #f1 and its declination #bi #cc'4 ,hence the difference is no less than #fa in ,right ascension and #cd in declination4 ,when you have time1 write me4 ,dear ,madam1 ,i remain1 ,yours sincerely1 ,,james ,,veitch4 ,sir ,david ,brewster was many years younger than ,james ,veitch2 in his early years he assisted his father in teaching the parish-school at ,jedburgh1 and in the evenings he went to ,inchbonny to study astronomy with ,james ,veitch1 who always called him ,davie4 ,they were as much puzzled about the meaning of the word parallax as ,i had been with regard to the word algebra1 and only learnt what it meant when ,brewster went to study for the kirk in ,edinburgh4 ,they were both very devout2 nevertheless1 ,brewster soon gave up the kirk for science1 and he devoted himself especially to optics1 in which he made so many discoveries4 ,sir ,david was of ordinary height1 with fair or sandy-coloured hair and blue eyes4 ,he was by no means good-looking1 yet with a very pleasant1 amiable expression2 in conversation he was cheerful and agreeable when quite at ease1 but of a timid1 nervous1 and irritable temperament1 often at war with his fellow-philosophers upon disputed subjects1 and extremely jealous upon priority of discovery4 ,i was much indebted to ,sir ,david1 for he reviewed my book on the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 in the ,april number of the ,edinburgh ,review for #ahcd1 and the ,physical ,geography in the ,april number of the ,north ,british ,review1 both favourably4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #g3 ,sir ,walter died ,sept4 #ba1 #ahcb1 in the presence of his two sons and two daughters4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,life ,,in ,,hanover ,,square--,,visit ,,to ,,france--,,arago--,,cuvier--,,rome4 ,my father was appointed1 in #ahaf1 a member of the ,army ,medical ,board1 and it became necessary for him to reside in ,london4 ,he and my mother accordingly wished farewell to ,scotland1 and proceeded to take up their residence in ,hanover ,square4 ,my mother preserved the following recollections of this journey3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,on our way we stopped a day at ,birmingham1 on purpose to see ,watt and ,boulton's manufactory of steam engines at ,soho4 ,mr4 ,boulton showed us everything4 ,the engines1 some in action1 although beautifully smooth1 showed a power that was almost fearful4 ,since these early forms of the steam engine ,i have lived to see this all but omnipotent instrument change the locomotion of the whole civilized world by sea and by land4 ,soon after our arrival in ,london we became acquainted with the illustrious family of the ,herschels1 through the kindness of our friend ,professor ,wallace1 for it was by his arrangement that we spent a day with ,sir ,william and ,lady ,herschel1 at ,slough4 ,nothing could exceed the kindness of ,sir ,william4 ,he made us examine his celebrated telescopes1 and explained their mechanism2 and he showed us the manuscripts which recorded the numerous astronomical discoveries he had made4 ,they were all arranged in the most perfect order1 as was also his musical library1 for that great genius was an excellent musician4 ,unfortunately1 his sister1 ,miss ,caroline ,herschel1 who shared in the talents of the family1 was abroad1 but his son1 afterwards ,sir ,john1 my dear friend for many years1 was at home1 quite a youth4 ,it would be difficult to name a branch of the physical sciences which he has not enriched by important discoveries4 ,he has ever been a dear and valued friend to me1 whose advice and criticism ,i gratefully acknowledge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i took lessons twice a week from ,mr4 ,glover1 who painted landscapes very prettily1 and ,i liked him on account of his kindness to animals1 especially birds1 which he tamed so that they flew before him when he walked1 or else sat on the trees1 and returned to him when he whistled4 ,i regret now that ,i ever resumed my habit of painting in oil2 water-colours are much better suited to an amateur1 but as ,i had never seen any that were good1 ,i was not aware of their beauty4 ,i also took lessons in mineralogy from ,mrs4 ,lowry1 a ,jewess1 the wife of an eminent line engraver1 who had a large collection of minerals1 and in the evening ,somerville and ,i amused ourselves with our own1 which were not numerous4 ,our house in ,hanover ,square was within a walking distance of many of our friends1 and of the ,royal ,institution in ,albemarle ,street1 where ,i attended the lectures1 and ,somerville frequently went with me4 ,the discoveries of ,sir ,humphry ,davy made this a memorable epoch in the annals of chemical science4 ,at this time there was much talk about the celebrated ,count ,rumford's steam kitchen1 by which food was to be cooked at a very small expense of fuel4 ,it was adopted by several people1 and among others by ,naldi1 the opera singer1 who invited some friends to dine the first day it was to be used4 ,before dinner they all went to see the new invention1 but while ,naldi was explaining its structure1 it exploded and killed him on the spot4 ,by this sad accident his daughter1 a pretty girl and a good singer1 was left destitute4 ,a numerously-attended concert was given for her benefit1 at which ,somerville and ,i were present4 ,she was soon after engaged to sing in ,paris1 but ultimately married the ,comte de ,sparre1 a ,french gentleman1 and left the stage4 ,when ,,mm4 ,arago and ,biot came to ,england to continue the ,french arc of the meridian through ,great ,britain1 they were warmly received by the scientific men in ,london1 and we were always invited to meet them by those whom we knew4 ,they had been told of my turn for science1 and that ,i had read the works of ,la ,place4 ,biot expressed his surprise at my youth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one summer ,somerville proposed to make a tour in ,switzerland1 so we set off1 and on arriving at ,chantilly we were told that we might see the chteau upon giving our cards to the doorkeeper4 ,on reading our name1 ,mademoiselle de ,rohan came to meet us1 saying that she had been at school in ,england with a sister of ,lord ,somerville's1 and was glad to see any of the family4 ,she presented us to the ,prince de ,cond1 a fine-looking old man1 who received us very courteously1 and sent the lord-in-waiting to show us the grounds1 and especially the stables1 the only part of the castle left in its regal magnificence after the ,revolution4 ,the ,prince and the gentleman who accompanied us wore a gaudy uniform like a livery1 which we were told was the ,chantilly uniform1 and that at each palace belonging to the ,prince there was a different uniform worn by him and his court4 ,at ,paris we were received with the kindest hospitality by ,m4 and ,mme4 ,arago4 ,i liked her much1 she was so gentle and ladylike2 he was tall and good-looking1 with an animated countenance and black eyes4 ,his character was noble1 generous1 and singularly energetic2 his manners lively and even gay4 ,he was a man of very general information1 and1 from his excitable temperament1 he entered as ardently into the politics and passing events of the time as into science1 in which few had more extensive knowledge4 ,on this account ,i thought his conversation more brilliant than that of any of the ,french savants with whom ,i was acquainted4 ,they were living at the ,observatory1 and ,m4 ,arago showed me all the instruments of that magnificent establishment in the minutest detail1 which was highly interesting at the time1 and proved more useful to me than ,i was aware of4 ,m4 ,arago made us acquainted with the ,marquis de la ,place1 and the ,marquise1 who was quite an lgante4 ,the ,marquis was not tall1 but thin1 upright1 and rather formal4 ,he was distinguished in his manners1 and ,i thought there was a little of the courtier in them1 perhaps from having been so much at the court of the ,emperor ,napoleon1 who had the highest regard for him4 ,though incomparably superior to ,arago in mathematics and astronomical science1 he was inferior to him in general acquirements1 so that his conversation was less varied and popular4 ,we were invited to go early and spend a day with them at ,arcueil1 where they had a country house4 ,m4 ,arago had told ,m4 de la ,place that ,i had read the ,mcanique ,cleste1 so we had a great deal of conversation about astronomy and the calculus1 and he gave me a copy of his ,systme du ,monde1 with his inscription1 which pleased me exceedingly4 ,i spoke ,french very badly1 but ,i was less at a loss on scientific subjects1 because almost all my books on science were in ,french4 ,the party at dinner consisted of ,,mm4 ,biot1 ,arago1 ,bouvard1 and ,poisson4 ,i sat next ,m4 de la ,place1 who was exceedingly kind and attentive4 ,in such an assemblage of philosophers ,i expected a very grave and learned conversation4 ,but not at all6 ,everyone talked in a gay1 animated1 and loud key1 especially ,m4 ,poisson1 who had all the vivacity of a ,frenchman4 ,madame ,biot1 from whom we received the greatest attention1 made a party on purpose1 as she said1 to show us1 les personnes distingues4 ,madame ,biot was a well-educated woman1 and had made a translation from the ,german of a work1 which was published under the name of her husband4 ,the dinner was very good1 and ,madame ,biot was at great pains in placing every one4 ,those present were ,monsieur and ,madame ,arago1 ,monsieur and ,madame ,poisson1 who had only been married the day before1 and ,baron ,humboldt4 ,the conversation was lively and entertaining4 ,the consulate and empire of the first ,napoleon was the most brilliant period of physical astronomy in ,france4 ,la ,grange1 who proved the stability of the solar system1 ,laplace1 ,biot1 ,arago1 ,bouvard1 and afterwards ,poinsot1 formed a perfect constellation of undying names2 yet the ,french had been for many years inferior to the ,english in practical astronomy4 ,the observations made at ,greenwich by ,bradley1 ,maskelyne1 and ,pond1 have been so admirably continued under the direction of the present astronomer-royal1 ,mr4 ,airy1 the first practical astronomer in ,europe1 that they have furnished data for calculating the astronomical tables both in ,france and ,england4 ,the theatre was at this time very brilliant in ,paris4 ,we saw ,talma1 who was considered to be the first tragedian of the age in the character of ,tancrde4 ,i admired the skill with which he overcame the disagreeable effect which the rhyme of the ,french tragedies has always had on me4 ,notwithstanding his personal advantages1 ,i thought him a great artist1 though inferior to ,john ,kemble4 ,i am afraid my admiration of ,shakespeare1 my want of sympathy with the artificial style of ,french tragedy1 and perhaps my youthful remembrance of our great tragedian ,mrs4 ,siddons1 made me unjust to ,mademoiselle ,duchnois1 who1 although ugly1 was certainly an excellent actress and a favourite of the public4 ,i was so fond of the theatre that ,i enjoyed comedy quite as much as tragedy1 and was delighted with ,mademoiselle ,mars1 whom we saw in ,tartuffe4 ,some years later ,i saw her again1 when1 although an old woman1 she still appeared handsome and young upon the stage1 and was as graceful and lively as ever4 ,soon after our dinner party at ,arcueil1 we went to pay a morning visit to ,madame de la ,place4 ,it was late in the day2 but she received us in bed elegantly dressed4 ,i think the curtains were of muslin with some gold ornaments1 and the coverlet was of rich silk and gold4 ,it was the first time that ,i had ever seen a lady receive in that manner4 ,madame ,laplace was lively and agreeable2 ,i liked her very much4 ,we spent a most entertaining day with ,m4 and ,madame ,cuvier at the ,jardin des ,plantes1 and saw the ,museum1 and everything in that celebrated establishment4 ,on returning to the house1 we found several people had come to spend the evening1 and the conversation was carried on with a good deal of spirit2 the ,countess ,albrizzi1 a ,venetian lady1 of high acquirements1 joined in it with considerable talent and animation4 ,cuvier had a very remarkable countenance1 not handsome1 but agreeable1 and his manner was pleasing and modest1 and his conversation very interesting4 ,madame de ,stal having died lately1 was much discussed4 ,she was much praised for her good-nature1 and for the brilliancy of her conversation4 ,they agreed1 that the energy of her character1 not old age1 had worn her out4 ,cuvier said1 the force of her imagination misled her judgment1 and made her see things in a light different from all the world4 ,as a proof of this1 he mentioned that she makes ,corinne lean on a marble lion which is on a tomb in ,st4 ,peter's1 at ,rome1 more than twenty feet high4 ,education was very much discussed4 ,cuvier said1 that when he was sent to inspect the schools at ,bordeaux and ,marseilles1 he found very few of the scholars who could perform a simple calculation in arithmetic2 as to science1 history1 or literature1 they were unknown1 and the names of the most celebrated ,french philosophers1 famed in other countries1 were utterly unknown to those who lived in the provinces4 ,m4 ,biot had written home1 that he had found in ,aberdeen not one alone1 but many1 who perfectly understood the object of his journey1 and were competent to converse with him on the subject4 ,cuvier said such a circumstance constituted one of the striking differences between ,france and ,england2 for in ,france science was highly cultivated1 but confined to the capital4 ,it was at ,m4 ,cuvier's that ,i first met ,mr4 ,pentland1 who made a series of physical and geological observations on the ,andes of ,peru4 ,i was residing in ,italy when ,i published my ,physical ,geography and ,mr4 ,pentland#h kindly undertook to carry the book through the press for me4 ,from that time he has been a steady friend1 ever ready to get me information1 books1 or anything ,i wanted4 ,we became acquainted also with ,m4 ,gay-,lussac1 who lived in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 and with ,baron ,larrey1 who had been at the head of the medical department of the army in ,egypt under the first ,napoleon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at ,paris ,i equipped myself in proper dresses1 and we proceeded by ,fontainebleau to ,geneva1 where we found ,dr4 ,marcet1 with whom my husband had already been acquainted in ,london4 ,i1 for the first time1 met ,mrs4 ,marcet1 with whom ,i have ever lived on terms of affectionate friendship4 ,so many books have now been published for young people1 that no one at this time can duly estimate the importance of ,mrs4 ,marcet's scientific works4 ,to them is partly owing that higher intellectual education now beginning to prevail among the better classes in ,britain4 ,they produced a great sensation1 and went through many editions4 ,her ,conversations on ,chemistry1 first opened out to ,faraday's mind that field of science in which he became so illustrious1 and at the height of his fame he always mentioned ,mrs4 ,marcet with deep reverence4 ,through these kind friends we became acquainted with ,professors ,de ,candolle1 ,prevost1 and ,de la ,rive4 ,other distinguished men were also presented to us2 among these was ,mr4 ,sismondi1 author of the ,history of the ,italian ,republics4 ,madame ,sismondi was a ,miss ,allen1 of a family with whom we were very intimate4 ,some time after her return to ,england1 my mother1 desirous of continuing the study of botany1 in which she had already attained considerable proficiency1 wrote to ,m4 ,de ,candolle1 asking his advice1 and he sent her the following reply3-- ,,letter ,,from ,m4 ,,de ,,candolle ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,londres1 #e ,juin1 #ahai4 ,,madame1 ,vous avez pass les premires difficults de l'tude des plantes et vous me faites l'honneur de me consulter sur les moyens d'aller en avant2 connaissant votre got et votre talent pour les sciences les plus releves je ne craindrai point de vous engager sortir de la ,botanique lmentaire et vous lever aux considrations et aux tudes qui en font une science susceptible d'ides gnrales1 d'applications aux choses utiles et de liaison avec les autres branches des connaissances humaines4 ,pour cela il faut tudier non plus seulement la nomenclature et l'chafaudage artificiel qui la soutient1 mais les rapports des plantes entre elles et avec les lmens extrieurs1 ou en d'autres termes1 la classification naturelle et la ,physiologie4 ,pour l'un et l'autre de ces branches de la science il est ncessaire en premier lieu de se familiariser avec la structure des plantes considre dans leur caractre exacte4 ,vous trouverez un prcis abrg de ces caractres dans le #a;er vol4 de la ,flore franaise2 vous la trouverez plus dvelopp et accompagn de planches dans les ,elmens de ,botanique de ,michel4 ,quant la structure du fruit qui est un des points les plus difficiles et les plus importans1 vous allez avoir un bon ouvrage traduit et augment par un de vos jeunes et habiles compatriotes1 ,mr4 ,lindley--c'est l'analyse du fruit de ,m4 ,richard4 ,la traduction vaudra mieux que l'original4 ,outre ces lectures1 ce qui vous apprendra surtout la structure des plantes1 c'est de les analyser et de les dcrire vous-mme d'aprs les termes techniques2 ce travail deviendrait pnible et inutile faire sur un grand nombre de plantes1 et il vaut mieux ne le faire que sur un trs petit nombre d'espces choisies dans des classes trs distinctes4 ,quelques descriptions faites aussi compltes qu'il vous sera possible vous apprendra plus que tous les livres4 ,ds que vous connatrez bien les organes et concurremment avec cette tude vous devrez chercher prendre une ide de la classification naturelle4 ,je crains de vous paratre prsomptueux en vous engageant lire d'abord sous ce point de vue ma ,thorie lmentaire4 ,aprs ces tudes ou peu prs en mme temps pour profiter de la saison1 vous ferez bien de rapporter aux ordres naturels toutes les plantes que vous aurez recueillies4 ,la lecture des caractres des familles faites la plante la main et l'acte de ranger vos plantes en familles vous feront connatre par thorie et par pratique ces groupes naturels4 ,je vous engage dans cette tude1 surtout en le commencement1 ne donner que peu d'attention au systme gnral qui lie les familles1 mais beaucoup la connaissance de la physionomie qui est propre chacune d'elles4 ,sous ce point de vue vous pourrez trouver quelque intrt lire--#a les ,tableaux de la ,nature de ,m4 de ,humboldt2 #b mon essai sur les proprits des plantes compares avec leurs formes extrieures2 #c les remarques sur la gographie botanique de la ,nouvelle ,hollande et de l',afrique1 insrs par ,m4 ,robt4 ,brown la fin du voyage de ,finders et de l'expdition au ,congo4 ,quant l'tude de la ,physiologie ou de la connaissance des vgtaux considrs comme tres vivans1 je vous engage lire les ouvrages dans l'ordre suivant3 ,philibert1 ,elmens de ,bot4 et de ,phys41 #c vols42 la #b;de partie des principes lmentaires de la ,bot4 de la ,flore franaise4 ,vous trouverez la partie anatomique dans l'ouvrage de ,mirbel2 la partie chimique dans les recherches chimiques sur la ,veget4 de ,t4 de ,saussure2 la partie statique dans la statique des vgtaux de ,hales1 c4 c4 ,mais je vous engage surtout voir par vous-mme les plantes tous leurs ages1 suivre leur vgtation1 les dcrire en dtail1 en un mot vivre avec elles plus qu'avec les livres4 ,je dsire1 madame1 que ces conseils puissent vous engager suivre l'tude des plantes sous cette direction qui je crois en relve beaucoup l'importance et l'intrt4 ,je m'estimerai heureux si en vous l'indiquant je puis concourir vos succs futures et vous initier dans une tude que j'ai toujours regard comme une de celles qui peut le plus contribuer au bonheur journalier4 ,je vous prie d'agrer mes hommages empresss4 ,,de ,,candolle4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had made the ordinary short tour through ,switzerland1 and had arrived at ,lausanne on our way home1 when ,i was taken ill with a severe fever which detained us there for many weeks4 ,i shall never forget the kindness ,i received from two ,miss ,barclays1 ,quaker ladies1 and a ,miss ,fotheringham1 who1 on hearing of my illness1 came and sat up alternate nights with me1 as if ,i had been their sister4 ,the winter was now fast approaching1 and ,somerville thought that in my weak state a warm climate was necessary2 so we arranged with our friends1 the ,miss ,barclays1 to pass the ,simplon together4 ,we parted company at ,milan1 but we renewed our friendship in ,london4 ,we went to ,monza1 and saw the iron crown2 and there ,i found the ,magnolia grandiflora1 which hitherto ,i had only known as a greenhouse plant1 rising almost into a forest tree4 ,at ,venice we renewed our acquaintance with the ,countess ,albrizzi1 who received every evening4 ,it was at these receptions that we saw ,lord ,byron1 but he would not make the acquaintance of any ,english people at that time4 ,when he came into the room ,i did not perceive his lameness1 and thought him strikingly like my brother ,henry1 who was remarkably handsome4 ,i said to ,somerville1 ,is ,lord ,byron like anyone you know8 ,your brother ,henry1 decidedly4 ,lord ,broughton1 then ,sir ,john ,cam ,hobhouse1 was also present4 ,at ,florence1 ,i was presented to the ,countess of ,albany1 widow of ,prince ,charles ,edward ,stuart the ,pretender4 ,she was then supposed to be married to ,alfieri the poet1 and had a kind of state reception every evening4 ,i did not like her1 and never went again4 ,her manner was proud and insolent4 ,so you don't speak ,italian2 you must have had a very bad education1 for ,miss ,clephane ,maclane there who was close by speaks both ,french and ,italian perfectly4 ,so saying1 she turned away1 and never addressed another word to me4 ,that evening ,i recognised in ,countess ,moretti my old friend ,agnes ,bonar4 ,moretti was of good family2 but1 having been banished from home for political opinions1 he taught the guitar in ,london for bread1 and an attachment was formed between him and his pupil4 ,after the murder of her parents1 they were both persecuted with the most unrelenting cruelty by her brother4 ,they escaped to ,milan where they were married4 ,i was still a young woman2 but ,i thought myself too old to learn to speak a foreign language1 consequently ,i did not try4 ,i spoke ,french badly2 and now1 after several years' residence in ,italy1 although ,i can carry on a conversation fluently in ,italian1 ,i do not speak it well4 ,when my mother first went abroad1 she had no fluency in talking ,french1 although she was well acquainted with the literature4 ,to show how1 at every period of her life1 she missed no opportunity of acquiring information or improvement1 ,i may mention that many years after1 when we were spending a summer in ,siena1 where the language is spoken with great purity and elegance1 she engaged a lady to converse in ,italian with her for a couple of hours daily4 ,by this means she very soon became perfectly familiar with the language1 and could keep up conversation in ,italian without difficulty4 ,she never cared to write in any language but ,english4 ,her style has been reckoned particularly clear and good1 and she was complimented on it by various competent judges1 although she herself was always diffident about her writings1 saying she was only a self-taught1 uneducated ,scotchwoman1 and feared to use ,scotch idioms inadvertently4 ,in speaking she had a very decided but pleasant ,scotch accent1 and when aroused and excited1 would often unconsciously use not only native idioms1 but quaint old ,scotch words4 ,her voice was soft and low1 and her manner earnest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on our way to ,rome1 where we spent the winter of #ahag1 it was startling to see the fine church of ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli1 below ,assisi1 cut in two2 half of the church and half of the dome above it were still entire2 the rest had been thrown down by the earthquake which had destroyed the neighbouring town of ,foligno1 and committed such ravages in this part of ,umbria4 ,at that time ,i might have been pardoned if ,i had described ,st ,peter's1 the ,vatican1 and the innumerable treasures of art and antiquity at ,rome2 but now that they are so well known it would be ridiculous and superfluous4 ,here ,i gained a little more knowledge about pictures2 but ,i preferred sculpture1 partly from the noble specimens of ,greek art ,i saw in ,paris and ,rome1 and partly because ,i was such an enthusiast about the language and everything belonging to ancient ,greece4 ,during this journey ,i was highly gratified1 for we made the acquaintance of ,thorwaldsen and ,canova4 ,canova was gentle and amiable1 with a beautiful countenance1 and was an artist of great reputation4 ,thorwaldsen had a noble and striking appearance1 and had more power and originality than ,canova4 ,his bas-reliefs were greatly admired4 ,i saw the one he made of ,night in the house of an ,english lady1 who had a talent for modelling1 and was said to be attached to him4 ,we were presented to ,pope ,pius the ,seventh2 a handsome1 gentlemanly1 and amiable old man4 ,he received us in a summer-house in the garden of the ,vatican4 ,he was sitting on a sofa1 and made me sit beside him4 ,his manners were simple and very gracious2 he spoke freely of what he had suffered in ,france4 ,he said1 ,god forbid that he should bear ill-will to any one2 but the journey and the cold were trying to an old man1 and he was glad to return to a warm climate and to his own country4 ,when we took leave1 he said to me1 ,though a ,protestant1 you will be none the worse for an old man's blessing4 ,pius the ,seventh was loved and respected2 the people knelt to him as he passed4 ,many years afterwards we were presented to ,gregory the ,sixteenth1 a very common-looking man1 forming a great contrast to ,pius the ,seventh4 ,i heard more good music during this first visit to ,rome than ,i ever did after2 for besides that usual in ,st4 ,peter's1 there was an ,academia every week1 where ,marcello's ,psalms were sung in concert by a number of male voices1 besides other concerts1 private and public4 ,we did not make the acquaintance of any of the ,roman families at this time2 but we saw ,pauline ,borghese1 sister of the ,emperor ,napoleon1 so celebrated for her beauty1 walking on the ,pincio every afternoon4 ,our great geologist1 ,sir ,roderick ,murchison1 with his wife1 were among the ,english residents at ,rome4 ,at that time he hardly knew one stone from another4 ,he had been an officer in the ,dragoons1 an excellent horseman1 and a keen fox-hunter4 ,lady ,murchison1--an amiable and accomplished woman1 with solid acquirements which few ladies at that time possessed--had taken to the study of geology2 and soon after her husband began that career which has rendered him the first geologist of our country4 ,it was then that a friendship began between them and us1 which will only end with life4 ,mrs4 ,fairfax1 of ,gilling ,castle1 and her two handsome daughters were also at ,rome4 ,she was my namesake--,mary ,fairfax--and my valued friend till her death4 ,now1 alas6 many of these friends are gone4 ,there were such troops of brigands in the ,papal ,states1 that it was considered unsafe to go outside the gates of ,rome4 ,they carried off people to the mountains1 and kept them till ransomed2 sometimes even mutilated them1 as they do at the present day in the kingdom of ,naples4 ,lucien ,bonaparte made a narrow escape from being carried off from his villa1 ,villa ,ruffinella1 near ,frascati4 ,when it could be proved that brigands had committed murder1 they were confined in prisons in the ,maremma1 at ,campo ,morto1 where fever prevails1 and where they were supposed to die of malaria4 ,i saw ,gasperone1 the chief of a famous band1 in a prison at ,civita ,vecchia2 he was said to be a relative of ,cardinal ,antonelli1 both coming from the brigand village of ,sonnino1 in the ,volscian mountains4 ,in going to ,naples our friends advised us to take a guard of soldiers2 but these were suspected of being as bad1 and in league with the brigands4 ,so we travelled post without them2 and though ,i foolishly insisted on going round by the ruins of ancient ,capua1 which was considered very unsafe1 we arrived at ,naples without any encounter4 ,here we met with the son and daughter of ,mr4 ,smith1 of ,norwich1 a celebrated leader in the anti-slavery question4 ,this was a bond of interest between his family and me2 for when ,i was a girl ,i took the anti-slavery cause so warmly to heart that ,i would not take sugar in my tea1 or indeed taste anything with sugar in it4 ,i was not singular in this1 for my cousins and many of my acquaintances came to the same resolution4 ,how long we kept it ,i do not remember4 ,patty ,smith and ,i became great friends1 and ,i knew her sisters2 but only remember her niece ,florence ,nightingale as a very little child4 ,my friend ,patty was liberal in her opinions1 witty1 original1 an excellent horsewoman1 and drew cleverly2 but from bad health she was peculiar in all her habits4 ,she was a good judge of art4 ,her father had a valuable collection of pictures of the ancient masters2 and ,i learnt much from her with regard to paintings and style in drawing4 ,we went to see everything in ,naples and its environs together1 and she accompanied ,somerville and me in an expedition to ,pstum1 where we made sketches of the temples4 ,at ,naples we bought a beautiful cork model of the ,temple of ,neptune1 which was placed on our mineral cabinet on our return to ,london4 ,a lady who came to pay me a morning visit asked ,somerville what it was2 and when he told her1 she said1 ,how dreadful it is to think that all the people who worshipped in that temple are in eternal misery1 because they did not believe in our ,saviour4 ,somerville asked1 ,how could they believe in ,christ when ,he was not born till many centuries after8 ,i am sure she thought it was all the same4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there had been an eruption of ,vesuvius just before our arrival at ,naples1 and it was still smoking very much2 however1 we ascended it1 and walked round the crater1 running and holding a handkerchief to our nose an we passed through the smoke1 when the wind blew it to our side4 ,the crater was just like an empty funnel1 wide at the mouth1 and narrowing to a throat4 ,the lava was hard enough to bear us2 but there were numerous fumeroles or red-hot chasms1 in it1 which we could look into4 ,somerville bought a number of crystals from the guides1 and went repeatedly to ,portici afterwards to complete our collection of volcanic minerals4 ,they were excavating busily at ,pompeii2 at that time1 and in one of our many excursions there ,somerville bought from one of the workmen a bronze statuette of ,minerva1 and a very fine rosso antico ,terminus1 which we contrived to smuggle into ,naples2 and it now forms part of a small but excellent collection of antiques which ,i still possess4 ,the excavations at that period were conducted with little regularity or direction1 and the guides were able to carry on a contraband trade as mentioned4 ,since the annexation of the ,neapolitan provinces to the kingdom of ,italy1 the ,cavaliere ,fiorelli has organized the system of excavations in the most masterly manner1 and has made many interesting discoveries4 ,about one-third of the town has been excavated since it was discovered till the present day4 ,in passing through ,bologna1 we became acquainted with the celebrated ,mezzofanti1 afterwards ,cardinal4 ,he was a quiet-looking priest2 we could not see anything in his countenance that indicated talent1 nor was his conversation remarkable2 yet he told us that he understood fifty-two languages4 ,he left no memoir at his death2 nor did he ever trace any connection between these languages2 it was merely an astonishing power1 which led to nothing1 like that of a young ,american ,i lately heard of1 who could play eleven games at chess at the same time1 without looking at any chess-board4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #h3 ,joseph ,barclay ,pentland1 ,consul-,general in ,bolivia 7#ahcf-ci71 died in ,london1 ,july1 #ahgc4 ,he first discovered that ,illimani and ,sorata 7not ,chimborazo7 were the highest mountains in ,america4 7,see ,humboldt's ,kosmos47 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,education ,,of ,,daughters--,,dr4 ,,wollaston--,,dr4 ,,young--,,the ,,herschels4 ,when we returned to ,hanover ,square1 ,i devoted my morning hours1 as usual1 to domestic affairs2 but now my children occupied a good deal of my time4 ,although still very young1 ,i thought it advisable for them to acquire foreign languages2 so ,i engaged a ,french nursery-maid1 that they might never suffer what ,i had done from ignorance of modern languages4 ,i besides gave them instruction in such things as ,i was capable of teaching1 and which were suited to their age4 ,it was a great amusement to ,somerville and myself to arrange the minerals we had collected during our journey4 ,our cabinet was now very rich4 ,some of our specimens we had bought2 our friends had given us duplicates of those they possessed2 and ,george ,finlayson1 who was with our troops in ,ceylon1 and who had devoted all his spare time to the study of the natural productions of the country1 sent us a valuable collection of crystals of sapphire1 ruby1 oriental topaz1 amethyst1 c41 c4 ,somerville used to analyze minerals with the blowpipe1 which ,i never did4 ,one evening1 when he was so occupied1 ,i was playing the piano1 when suddenly ,i fainted2 he was very much startled1 as neither ,i nor any of our family had ever done such a thing4 ,when ,i recovered1 ,i said it was the smell of garlic that had made me ill4 ,the truth was1 the mineral contained arsenic1 and ,i was poisoned for the time by the fumes4 ,at this time we formed an acquaintance with ,dr4 ,wollaston1 which soon became a lasting friendship4 ,he was gentlemanly1 a cheerful companion1 and a philosopher2 he was also of agreeable appearance1 having a remarkably fine1 intellectual head4 ,he was essentially a chemist1 and discovered palladium2 but there were few branches of science with which he was not more or less acquainted4 ,he made experiments to discover imponderable matter2 ,i believe1 with regard to the ethereal medium4 ,mr4 ,brand1 of the ,royal ,institution1 enraged him by sending so strong a current of electricity through a machine he had made to prove electro-magnetic rotation1 as to destroy it4 ,his characteristic was extreme accuracy1 which particularly fitted him for giving that precision to the science of crystallography which it had not hitherto attained4 ,by the invention of the goniometer which bears his name1 he was enabled to measure the angle formed by the faces of a crystal by means of the reflected images of bright objects seen in them4 ,we bought a goniometer1 and ,dr4 ,wollaston1 who often dined with us1 taught ,somerville and me how to use it1 by measuring the angles of many of our crystals during the evening4 ,i learnt a great deal on a variety of subjects besides crystallography from ,dr4 ,wollaston1 who1 at his death1 left me a collection of models of the forms of all the natural crystals then known4 ,though still occasionally occupied with the mineral productions of the earth1 ,i became far more interested in the formation of the earth itself4 ,geologists had excited public attention1 and had shocked the clergy and the more scrupulous of the laity by proving beyond a doubt that the formation of the globe extended through enormous periods of time4 ,the contest was even more keen then than it is at the present time about the various races of prehistoric men4 ,it lasted very long1 too2 for after ,i had published my work on ,physical ,geography1 ,i was preached against by name in ,york ,cathedral4 ,our friend1 ,dr4 ,buckland1 committed himself by taking the clerical view in his ,bridgewater ,treatise2 but facts are such stubborn things that he was obliged to join the geologists at last4 ,he and ,mrs4 ,buckland invited ,somerville and me to spend a week with them in ,christchurch ,college1 ,oxford4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,murchison were their guests at the same time4 ,mr4 ,murchison 7now ,sir ,roderick7 was then rising rapidly to the pre-eminence he now holds as a geologist4 ,we spent every day in seeing some of the numerous objects of interest in that celebrated university1 venerable for its antiquity1 historical records1 and noble architecture4 ,somerville and ,i used frequently to spend the evening with ,captain and ,mrs4 ,kater4 ,dr4 ,wollaston1 ,dr4 ,young1 and others were generally of the party2 sometimes we had music1 for ,captain and ,mrs4 ,kater sang very prettily4 ,all kinds of scientific subjects were discussed1 experiments tried and astronomical observations made in a little garden in front of the house4 ,one evening we had been trying the power of a telescope in separating double stars till about two in the morning2 on our way home we saw a light in ,dr4 ,young's window1 and when ,somerville rang the bell1 down came the doctor himself in his dressing-gown1 and said1 ,come in2 ,i have something curious to show you4 ,astronomical signs are frequently found on ancient ,egyptian monuments1 and were supposed to have been employed by the priests to record dates4 ,now ,dr4 ,young had received a papyrus from ,egypt1 sent to him by ,mr4 ,salt1 who had found it in a mummy-case2 and that very evening he had proved it to be a horoscope of the age of the ,ptolemies1 and had determined the date from the configuration of the heavens at the time of its construction4 ,dr4 ,young had already made himself famous by the interpretation of hieroglyphic characters on a stone which had been brought to the ,british ,museum from ,rosetta in ,egypt4 ,on that stone there is an inscription in ,hieroglyphics1 the sacred symbolic language of the early ,egyptians2 another in the ,enchorial or spoken language of that most ancient people1 and a mutilated inscription in ,greek4 ,by the aid of some fragments of papyri ,dr4 ,young discovered that the ,enchorial language is alphabetical1 and that nine of its letters correspond with ours2 moreover1 he discovered such a relation between the ,enchorial and the hieroglyphic inscription that he interpreted the latter and published his discoveries in the years #ahae and #ahaf4 ,m4 ,champollion1 who had been on the same pursuit1 examined the fine collection of papyri in the museum at ,turin1 and afterwards went to ,egypt to pursue his studies on hieroglyphics1 to our knowledge of which he contributed greatly4 ,it is to be regretted that one who had brought that branch of science to such perfection should have been so ungenerous as to ignore the assistance he had received from the researches of ,dr4 ,young4 ,when the ,royal ,institution was first established1 ,dr4 ,young lectured on natural philosophy4 ,he proved the undulatory theory of light by direct experiment1 but as it depended upon the hypothesis of an ethereal medium1 it was not received in ,england1 the more so as it was contrary to ,newton's theory4 ,the ,french savants afterwards did ,young ample justice4 ,the existence of the ethereal medium is now all but proved1 since part of the corona surrounding the moon during a total solar eclipse is polarized--a phenomenon depending on matter4 ,young's ,lectures1 which had been published1 were a mine of riches to me4 ,he was of a ,quaker family2 but although he left the ,society of ,friends at an early age1 he retained their formal precision of manner to the last4 ,he was of a kindly disposition1 and his wife and her sisters1 with whom ,i was intimate1 were much attached to him4 ,dr4 ,young was an elegant and critical scholar at a very early age2 he was an astronomer1 a mathematician1 and there were few branches of science in which he was not versed4 ,when young1 his ,quaker habits did not prevent him from taking lessons in music and dancing4 ,i have heard him accompany his sister-in-law with the flute1 while she played the piano4 ,when not more than sixteen years of age he was so remarkable for steadiness and acquirements that he was engaged more as a companion than tutor to young ,hudson ,gurney1 who was nearly of his own age4 ,one spring morning ,young came to breakfast in a bright green coat1 and said in explanation of his somewhat eccentric costume for one who had been a ,quaker1 that it was suitable to the season4 ,one day1 on returning from their ride ,gurney1 leaped his horse over the stable-yard gate4 ,young1 trying to do the same1 was thrown2 he got up1 mounted1 and made a second attempt with no better success2 the third time he kept his seat1 then quietly dismounting1 he said1 ,what one man can do1 another may4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one bright morning ,dr4 ,wollaston came to pay us a visit in ,hanover ,square1 saying1 ,i have discovered seven dark lines crossing the solar spectrum1 which ,i wish to show you2 then1 closing the window-shutters so as to leave only a narrow line of light1 he put a small glass prism into my hand1 telling me how to hold it4 ,i saw them distinctly4 ,i was among the first1 if not the very first1 to whom he showed these lines1 which were the origin of the most wonderful series of cosmical discoveries1 and have proved that many of the substances of our globe are also constituents of the sun1 the stars1 and even of the nebul4 ,dr4 ,wollaston gave me the little prism1 which is doubly valuable1 being of glass manufactured at ,munich by ,fraunhofer1 whose table of dark lines has now become the standard of comparison in that marvellous science1 the work of many illustrious men1 brought to perfection by ,bunsen and ,kirchhoff4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sir ,william ,herschel had discovered that what appeared to be single stars were frequently two stars in such close approximation that it required a very high telescopic power to see them separately1 and that in many of these one star was revolving in an orbit round the other4 ,sir ,james ,south established an observatory at ,campden ,hill1 near ,kensington1 where he and ,sir ,john ,herschel united in observing the double stars and binary systems with the view of affording further data for improving our knowledge of their movements4 ,in each two observations are requisite1 namely1 the distance between the two stars1 and the angle of position1 that is1 the angle which the meridian1 or a parallel to the equator makes with the lines joining the two stars4 ,these observations were made by adjusting a micrometer to a very powerful telescope1 and were data sufficient for the determination of the orbit of the revolving star1 should it be a binary system4 ,i have given an account of this in the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 so ,i shall only mention here that in one or two of the binary systems the revolving star has been seen to make more than one revolution1 and that the periodical times and the elliptical elements of a great many other orbits have been calculated1 though they are more than #bjj1jjj times farther from the sun than we are4 ,after ,sir ,john ,herschel was married1 we paid him a visit at ,slough2 fortunately1 the sky was clear1 and ,sir ,john had the kindness to show me many nebul and clusters of stars which ,i had never seen to such advantage as in his #bj ft4 telescope4 ,i shall never forget the glorious appearance of ,jupiter as he entered the field of that instrument4 ,for years the ,british nation was kept in a state of excitement by the ,arctic voyages of our undaunted seamen in quest of a north-west passage from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,the idea was not new1 for a direct way to our ,eastern possessions had been long desired4 ,on this occasion the impulse was given by ,william ,scoresby1 captain of a whaler1 who had sailed on the east coast of ,greenland as high as the #hjth parallel of latitude1 and for two successive seasons had found that the sea between ,greenland and ,spitzbergen was free of ice for #ah1jjj square miles--a circumstance which had not occurred before in the memory of man4 ,scoresby was of rare genius1 well versed in science1 and of strict probity4 ,when he published this discovery1 the ,admiralty1 in the year #ahah1 sent off two expeditions1 one under the command of ,captains ,franklin and ,buchan to the east of ,greenland1 and another under ,captains ,ross and ,parry to ,baffin's ,bay4 ,such was the beginning of a series of noble adventures1 now the province of history4 ,i had an early passion for everything relating to the sea1 and when my father was at home ,i never tired asking him questions about his voyages and the dangers to which he had been exposed4 ,now1 when ,i knew something of nautical science1 ,i entered with enthusiasm into the spirit of these ,arctic voyages2 nor was my husband less interested4 ,we read ,scoresby's whaling voyages with great delight1 and we made the acquaintance of all the officers who had been on these northern expeditions4 ,sir ,edward ,parry1 who had brought us minerals and seeds of plants from ,melville ,island1 invited us to see the ships prepared for his third voyage1 and three years' residence in the ,arctic seas4 ,it is impossible to describe how perfectly everything was arranged3 experience had taught them what was necessary for such an expedition4 ,on this occasion ,i put in practice my lessons in cookery by making a large quantity of orange marmalade for the voyage4 ,when1 after three years1 the ships returned1 we were informed that the name of ,somerville had been given to an island so far to the north that it was all but perpetually covered with ice and snow4 ,notwithstanding the sameness which naturally prevails in the narratives of these voyages1 they are invested with a romantic interest by the daring bravery displayed1 and by the appalling difficulties overcome4 ,the noble endeavour of ,lady ,franklin to save her gallant husband1 and the solitary voyage of ,sir ,leopold ,mc,clintock in a small yacht in search of his lost friend1 form the touching and sad termination to a very glorious period of maritime adventure4 ,more than fifty years after these events ,i renewed my acquaintance with ,lady ,franklin4 ,she and her niece came to see me at ,spezia on their way to ,dalmatia4 ,she had circumnavigated the globe with her husband when he was governor in ,australia4 ,after his loss she and her niece had gone round the world a second time1 and she assured me that although they went to ,japan and ,china 7less known at that time than they are now71 they never experienced any difficulty4 ,seeing ladies travelling alone1 people were always willing to help them4 ,the ,french sent a ,polar expedition under ,captain ,gaimard in the years #ahch and #ahci2 and the ,united ,states of ,north ,america took an active part in ,arctic exploration4 ,whether ,dr4 ,kane's discovery of an open polar ocean will ever be verified is problematical2 at all events1 the deplorable fate of ,sir ,john ,franklin has put a stop to the chance of it for the present2 yet it is a great geographical question which we should all like to see decided4 ,captain ,sabine1 of the ,artillery 7now ,general ,sir ,edward ,sabine1 ,president of the ,royal ,society71 was appointed to accompany the first expedition under ,captains ,ross and ,parry on account of his high scientific acquirements4 ,the observations made during the series of ,arctic voyages on the magnetism of the earth1 combined with an enormous mass of observations made by numerous observers in all parts of the globe by sea and by land1 have enabled ,sir ,edward ,sabine1 after a labour of nearly fifty years1 to complete his marvellous system of terrestrial magnetism in both hemispheres4 ,during that long period a friendship has lasted between ,sir ,edward and me4 ,he has uniformly sent me copies of all his works2 to them ,i chiefly owe what ,i know on the subject1 and quite recently ,i have received his latest and most important publication4 ,sir ,edward married a lady of talent and scientific acquirements4 ,she translated ,cosmos from the ,german1 and assisted and calculated for her husband in his laborious work4 ,i do not remember the exact period1 but ,i think it was subsequent to the ,arctic voyages1 that the theory was discovered of those tropical hurricanes which cause such devastation by sea and land4 ,observations are now made on barometric pressure1 and warnings are sent to our principal seaports by telegraph1 as well as along both sides of the ,channel2 but notwithstanding numerous disastrous shipwrecks occur every winter on our dangerous coasts4 ,they were far more numerous in my younger days4 ,life-boats were not then invented2 now they are stationed on almost every coast of ,great ,britain1 and on many continental shores4 ,the readiness with which they are manned1 and the formidable dangers encountered to save life1 show the gallant1 noble character of the sailor4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,society ,,in ,,london--,,coronation ,,of ,,george ,,iv4--,,letter ,,to ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,we went frequently to see ,mr4 ,babbage while he was making his ,calculating-machines4 ,he had a transcendant intellect1 unconquerable perseverance1 and extensive knowledge on many subjects1 besides being a first-rate mathematician4 ,i always found him most amiable and patient in explaining the structure and use of the engines4 ,the first he made could only perform arithmetical operations4 ,not satisfied with that1 ,mr4 ,babbage constructed an analytical engine1 which could be so arranged as to perform all kinds of mathematical calculations1 and print each result4 ,nothing has afforded me so convincing a proof of the unity of the ,deity as these purely mental conceptions of numerical and mathematical science which have been by slow degrees vouchsafed to man1 and are still granted in these latter times by the ,differential ,calculus and the ,higher ,algebra1 all of which must have existed in that sublimely omniscient ,mind from eternity4 ,many of our friends had very decided and various religious opinions1 but my husband and ,i never entered into controversy2 we had too high a regard for liberty of conscience to interfere with any one's opinions1 so we have lived on terms of sincere friendship and love with people who differed essentially from us in religious views1 and in all the books which ,i have written ,i have confined myself strictly and entirely to scientific subjects1 although my religious opinions are very decided4 ,timidity of character1 probably owing to early education1 had a great influence on my daily life2 for ,i did not assume my place in society in my younger days2 and in argument ,i was instantly silenced1 although ,i often knew1 and could have proved1 that ,i was in the right4 ,the only thing in which ,i was determined and inflexible was in the prosecution of my studies4 ,they were perpetually interrupted1 but always resumed at the first opportunity4 ,no analysis is so difficult as that of one's own mind1 but ,i do not think ,i err much in saying that perseverance is a characteristic of mine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,somerville and ,i were very happy when we lived in ,hanover ,square4 ,we were always engaged in some pursuit1 and had good society4 ,general society was at that time brilliant for wit and talent4 ,the ,rev4 ,sidney ,smith1 ,rogers1 ,thomas ,moore1 ,campbell1 the ,hon4 ,william ,spencer1 ,macaulay1 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 ,lord ,melbourne1 c41 c41 all made the dinner-parties very agreeable4 ,the men sat longer at table than they do now1 and1 except in the families where ,i was intimate1 the conversation of the ladies in the drawing-room1 when we came up from dinner1 often bored me4 ,i disliked routs exceedingly1 and should often have sent an excuse if ,i had known what to say4 ,after my marriage ,i did not dance1 for in ,scotland it was thought highly indecorous for a married woman to dance4 ,waltzing1 when first introduced1 was looked upon with horror1 and even in ,england it was then thought very improper4 ,one season ,i subscribed to the ,concerts of ,ancient ,music1 established by ,george the ,third4 ,they seemed to be the resort of the aged2 a young face was scarcely to be seen4 ,the music was perfect of its kind1 but the whole affair was very dull4 ,the ,philharmonic ,concerts were excellent for scientific musicians1 and ,i sometimes went to them2 but for my part ,i infinitely preferred hearing ,pasta1 ,malibran1 and ,grisi1 who have left the most vivid impression on my mind1 although so different from each other4 ,somerville enjoyed a comic opera exceedingly1 and so did ,i2 and at that time ,lablache was in the height of his fame4 ,when ,somerville and ,i made the tour in ,italy already mentioned1 we visited ,catalani 7then ,madame ,valabrque7 in a villa near ,florence1 to which she retired in her old age4 ,she1 however1 died in ,paris1 of cholera1 some years later4 ,somerville liked the theatre as much as ,i did2 so we saw all the greatest actors of the day1 both in tragedy and comedy1 and the ,english theatre was then excellent4 ,young1 who was scarcely inferior to ,john ,kemble1 ,macready1 ,kean1 ,liston1 c41 and ,miss ,o',neill1 who after a short brilliant career entered into domestic life on her marriage with ,sir ,william ,beecher1 were all at the height of their fame4 ,it was then ,i became acquainted with ,lady ,beecher1 who was so simple and natural that no one could have discovered she had ever been on the stage4 ,a very clever company of ,french comedians acted in a temporary theatre in ,tottenham ,court ,road1 where we frequently went with a party of friends1 and enjoyed very pleasant evenings4 ,i think my fondness for the theatre depended to a certain degree on my silent disposition2 for unless among intimate friends1 or when much excited1 ,i was startled at the sound of my own voice in general conversation1 from the shyness which has haunted me through life1 and starts up occasionally like a ghost in my old age4 ,at a play ,i was not called upon to make any exertion1 but could enjoy at my ease an intellectual pleasure for the most part far superior to the general run of conversation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,among many others1 we were intimate with ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,baillie and his sisters4 ,joanna was my dear and valued friend to the end of her life4 ,when her tragedy of ,montfort was to be brought on the stage1 ,somerville and ,i1 with a large party of her relations and friends1 went with her to the theatre4 ,the play was admirably acted1 for ,mrs4 ,siddons and her brother ,john ,kemble performed the principal parts4 ,it was warmly applauded by a full house1 but it was never acted again4 ,some time afterwards ,the ,family ,legend1 founded on a ,highland story1 had better success in ,edinburgh2 but ,miss ,baillie's plays1 though highly poetical1 are not suited to the stage4 ,miss ,mitford was more successful1 for some of her plays were repeatedly acted4 ,she excelled also as a writer4 ,our ,village is perfect of its kind2 nothing can be more animated than her description of a game of cricket4 ,i met with ,miss ,austin's novels at this time1 and thought them excellent1 especially ,pride and ,prejudice4 ,it certainly formed a curious contrast to my old favourites1 the ,radcliffe novels and the ghost stories2 but ,i had now come to years of discretion4 ,among my ,quaker friends ,i met with that amiable but eccentric person ,mrs4 ,opie4 ,though a wet ,quakeress1 she continued to wear the peculiar dress4 ,i was told that she was presented in it at the ,tuileries1 and astonished the ,french ladies4 ,we were also acquainted with ,mrs4 ,fry1 a very different person1 and heard her preach4 ,her voice was fine1 her delivery admirable1 and her prayer sublime4 ,we were intimate with ,mr4 7now ,sir ,charles7 ,lyell1 who1 if ,i mistake not1 first met with his wife at our house1 where she was extremely admired as the beautiful ,miss ,horner4 ,until we lost all our fortune1 and went to live at ,chelsea1 ,i used to have little evening parties in ,hanover ,square4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was not present at the coronation of ,george the ,fourth2 but ,i had a ticket for the gallery in ,westminster ,hall1 to see the banquet4 ,though ,i went very early in the morning1 ,i found a wonderful confusion4 ,i showed my ticket of admission to one official person after another2 the answer always was ,i know nothing about it4 ,at last ,i got a good place near some ladies ,i knew2 even at that early hour the gallery was full4 ,some time after the ceremony in the ,abbey was over1 the door of the magnificent hall was thrown open1 and the king entered in the flowing curls and costume of ,henry the ,eighth1 and1 imitating the jaunty manner of that monarch1 walked up the hall and sat down on the throne at its extremity4 ,the peeresses had already taken their seats under the gallery1 and the king was followed by the peers1 and the knights of the ,garter1 ,bath1 ,thistle1 and ,st4 ,patrick1 all in their robes4 ,after every one had taken his seat1 the ,champion1 on his horse1 both in full armour1 rode up the hall1 and threw down a gauntlet before the king1 while the heralds proclaimed that he was ready to do battle with any one who denied that ,george the ,fourth was the liege lord of these realms4 ,then various persons presented offerings to the king in right of which they held their estates4 ,one gentleman presented a beautiful pair of falcons in their hoods4 ,while this pageantry and noise was at its height1 ,queen ,caroline demanded to be admitted4 ,there was a sudden silence and consternation1--it was like the handwriting on the wall6 ,the sensation was intense4 ,at last the order was given to refuse her admittance2 the pageantry was renewed1 and the banquet followed4 ,the noise1 heat1 and vivid light of the illumination of the hall gave me a racking headache2 at last ,i went out of the gallery and sat on a stair1 where there was a little fresh air1 and was very glad when all was over4 ,years afterwards ,i was present in ,westminster ,abbey at the coronation of our ,queen1 then a pretty young girl of eighteen4 ,placed in the most trying position at that early age1 by her virtues1 both public and private1 she has endeared herself to the nation beyond what any sovereign ever did before4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i1 who had so many occupations and duties at home1 soon tired of the idleness and formality of visiting in the country4 ,i made an exception1 however1 in favour of an occasional visit to ,mr4 ,sotheby1 the poet1 and his family in ,epping ,forest1 of which1 if ,i mistake not1 he was deputy-ranger2 at all events1 he had a pretty cottage there where he and his family received their friends with kind hospitality4 ,he spent part of the day in his study1 and afterwards ,i have seen him playing cricket with his son and grandson1 with as much vivacity as any of them4 ,the freshness of the air was quite reviving to ,somerville and me2 and our two little girls played in the forest all the day4 ,we also gladly went for several successive years to visit ,sir ,john ,saunders ,sebright at ,beechwood ,park1 ,hertfordshire4 ,dr4 ,wollaston generally travelled with us on these occasions1 when we had much conversation on a variety of subjects1 scientific or general4 ,he was remarkably acute in his observations on objects as we passed them4 ,look at that ash tree2 did you ever notice that the branches of the ash tree are curves of double curvature8 ,there was a comet visible at the time of one of these little journeys4 ,dr4 ,wollaston had made a drawing of the orbit and its elements2 but1 having left it in town1 he described the lines so accurately without naming them1 that ,i remarked at once1 ,that is the curtate or perihelion distance1 which pleased him greatly1 as it showed how accurate his description was4 ,he was a chess-player1 and1 when travelling alone1 he used to carry a book with diagrams of partially-played games1 in which it is required to give checkmate in a fixed number of moves4 ,he would study one of them1 and then1 shutting the book1 play out the game mentally4 ,although ,sir ,john was a keen sportsman and ox-hunter in his youth1 he was remarkable for his kindness to animals and for the facility with which he tamed them4 ,he kept terriers1 and his pointers were first rate1 yet he never allowed his keepers to beat a dog1 nor did he ever do it himself2 he said a dog once cowed was good for nothing ever after4 ,he trained them by tying a string to the collar and giving it a sharp pull when the dog did wrong1 and patting him kindly when he did right4 ,in this manner he taught some of his non-sporting dogs to play all sorts of tricks1 such as picking out the card chosen by any spectator from a number placed in a circle on the floor1 the signal being one momentary glance at the card1 c4 c4 ,sir ,john published a pamphlet on the subject1 and sent copies of it to the sporting gentlemen and keepers in the county1 ,i fear with little effect2 men are so apt to vent their own bad temper on their dogs and horses4 ,at one of the battues at ,holkham1 ,chantrey killed two woodcocks at one shot4 ,mr4 ,hudson ,gurney some time after saw a brace of woodcocks carved in marble in ,chantrey's studio2 ,chantrey told him of his shot and the difficulty of finding a suitable inscription1 and that it had been tried in ,latin and even ,greek without success4 ,mr4 ,gurney said it should be very simple1 such as3-- ,driven from the north1 where winter starved them1 ,chantrey first shot1 and then he carved them4 ,beechwood was one of the few places in ,great ,britain in which hawking was kept up4 ,the falcons were brought from ,flanders1 for1 except in the ,isle of ,skye1 they have been extirpated in ,great ,britain like many other of our fine indigenous birds4 ,sir ,john kept fancy pigeons of all breeds4 ,he told me he could alter the colour of their plumage in three years by cross-breeding1 but that it required fully six to alter the shape of the bird4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at some house where we were dining in ,london1 ,i forget with whom1 ,ugo ,foscolo1 the poet1 was one of the party4 ,he was extremely excitable and irritable1 and when some one spoke of a translation of ,dante as being perfect1 ,impossible1 shouted ,foscolo1 starting up in great excitement1 at the same time tossing his cup full of coffee into the air1 cup and all1 regardless of the china and the ladies' dresses4 ,he died in ,england1 ,i fear in great poverty4 ,he was a most distinguished classical scholar as well as poet4 ,his remains have been brought to ,italy within these few years1 and interred in ,sante ,croce1 in ,florence4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had a severe attack of what appeared to be cholera1 and during my recovery ,mrs4 ,hankey very kindly lent us her villa at ,hampstead for a few weeks4 ,there ,i went with my children1 ,somerville with some friends always coming to dinner on the ,sundays4 ,on one of these occasions there was a violent thunderstorm1 and a large tree was struck not far from the house4 ,we all went to look at the tree as soon as the storm ceased1 and found that a large mass of wood was scooped out of the trunk from top to bottom4 ,i had occasion in two other instances to notice the same effect4 ,dr4 ,wollaston lent me a sextant and artificial horizon2 so ,i amused myself taking the altitude of the sun1 the consequence of which was that ,i became as brown as a mulatto1 but ,i was too anxious to learn something of practical astronomy to care about the matter4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,death ,,of ,,margaret ,,somerville--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,somerville--,,life ,,at ,,chelsea--,,the ,,napiers--,,maria ,,edgeworth--,,tour ,,in ,,germany4 ,our happy and cheerful life in ,hanover ,square came to a sad end4 ,the illness and death of our eldest girl threw ,somerville and me into the deepest affliction4 ,she was a child of intelligence and acquirements far beyond her tender age4 ,the long illness and death of this young girl fell very heavily on my mother1 who by this time had lost several children4 ,the following letter was written by her to my grandfather on this occasion4 ,it shows her steadfast faith in the mercy and goodness of ,god1 even when crushed by almost the severest affliction which can wring a mother's heart3-- ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,,london1 ,october1 #ahbc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,father1 ,i never was so long of writing to you1 but when the heart is breaking it is impossible to find words adequate to its relief4 ,we are in deep affliction1 for though the first violence of grief has subsided1 there has succeeded a calm sorrow not less painful1 a feeling of hopelessness in this world which only finds comfort in the prospect of another1 which longs for the consummation of all things that we may join those who have gone before4 ,to return to the duties of life is irksome1 even to those duties which were a delight when the candle of the ,lord shone upon us4 ,i do not arraign the decrees of ,providence1 but even in the bitterness of my soul ,i acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of ,god1 and endeavour to be resigned to ,his will4 ,it is ungrateful not to remember the many happy years we have enjoyed1 but that very remembrance renders our present state more desolate and dreary--presenting a sad contrast4 ,the great source of consolation is in the mercy of ,god and the virtues of those we lament2 the full assurance that no good disposition can be lost but must be brought to perfection in a better world4 ,our business is to render ourselves fit for that blessed inheritance that we may again be united to those we mourn4 ,your affectionate daughter1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,somerville still held his place at the army medical board1 and was now appointed physician to ,chelsea ,hospital2 so we left our cheerful1 comfortable house and went to reside in a government house in a very dreary and unhealthy situation1 far from all our friends1 which was a serious loss to me1 as ,i was not a good walker1 and during the whole time ,i lived at ,chelsea ,i suffered from sick headaches4 ,still we were very glad of the appointment1 for at this time we lost almost the whole of our fortune1 through the dishonesty of a person in whom we had the greatest confidence4 ,all the time we lived at ,chelsea we had constant intercourse with ,lady ,noel ,byron and ,ada1 who lived at ,esher1 and when ,i came abroad ,i kept up a correspondence with both as long as they lived4 ,ada was much attached to me1 and often came to stay with me4 ,it was by my advice that she studied mathematics4 ,she always wrote to me for an explanation when she met with any difficulty4 ,among my papers ,i lately found many of her notes1 asking mathematical questions4 ,ada ,byron married ,lord ,king1 afterwards created ,earl of ,lovelace1 a college companion and friend of my son4 ,somerville had formed a friendship with ,sir ,henry ,bunbury when he had a command in ,sicily1 and we went occasionally to visit him at ,barton in ,suffolk4 ,i liked ,lady ,bunbury very much2 she was a niece of the celebrated ,charles ,fox1 and had a turn for natural history4 ,i had made a collection of native shells at ,burntisland1 but ,i only knew their vulgar names2 now ,i learnt their scientific arrangement from ,lady ,bunbury4 ,her son1 ,sir ,charles ,bunbury1 is an authority for fossil botany4 ,the first ,pinetum ,i ever saw was at ,barton1 and in #ahcg ,i planted a cedar in remembrance of one of our visits4 ,through ,lady ,bunbury we became intimate with all the members of the illustrious family of the ,napiers1 as she was sister of ,colonel1 afterwards ,general ,sir ,william ,napier1 author of the ,history of the ,peninsular ,war4 ,one day ,colonel ,napier1 who was then living in ,sloane ,street1 introduced ,somerville and me to his mother1 ,lady ,sarah ,napier4 ,her manners were distinguished1 and though totally blind1 she still had the remains of great beauty2 her hand and arm1 which were exposed by the ancient costume she wore1 were most beautiful still4 ,the most sincere friendship existed between ,richard ,napier and his wife and me through life2 ,i shall never forget their kindness to me at a time when ,i was in great sorrow4 ,all the brothers are now gone4 ,richard and his wife were long in bad health1 and he was nearly blind2 but his wife never knew it1 through the devoted attachment of ,emily ,shirriff1 daughter of ,admiral ,shirriff1 who was the comfort and consolation of both to their dying day4 ,maria ,edgeworth came frequently to see us when she was in ,england4 ,she was one of my most intimate friends1 warm-hearted and kind1 a charming companion1 with all the liveliness and originality of an ,irishwoman4 ,for seventeen years ,i was in constant correspondence with her4 ,the cleverness and animation as well as affection of her letters ,i cannot express2 certainly women are superior to men in letter-writing4 ,the following is an extract from a letter from ,maria ,edgeworth to a friend concerning my mother3-- ,,maria ,,edgeworth ,,to ,,miss 44444 ,,beechwood ,,park1 ,january #agth1 #ahbb4 ,we have spent two days pleasantly here with ,dr4 ,wollaston1 our own dear friend ,mrs4 ,marcet1 and the ,somervilles4 ,mrs4 ,somerville is the lady who1 ,laplace says1 is the only woman who understands his works4 ,she draws beautifully1 and while her head is among the stars her feet are firm upon the earth4 ,mrs4 ,somerville is little1 slightly made1 fairish hair1 pink colour1 small1 grey1 round1 intelligent1 smiling eyes1 very pleasing countenance1 remarkably soft voice1 strong1 but well-bred ,scotch accent2 timid1 not disqualifying timid1 but naturally modest1 yet with a degree of self-possession through it which prevents her being in the least awkward1 and gives her all the advantage of her understanding1 at the same time that it adds a prepossessing charm to her manner and takes off all dread of her superior scientific learning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while in ,london ,i had a ,french maid for my daughters1 and on coming to ,chelsea ,i taught them a little geometry and algebra1 as well as ,latin and ,greek1 and1 later1 got a master for them1 that they might have a more perfect knowledge of these languages than ,i possessed4 ,keenly alive to my own defects1 ,i was anxious that my children should never undergo the embarrassment and mortification ,i had suffered from ignorance of the common ,european languages4 ,i engaged a young ,german lady1 daughter of ,professor ,becker1 of ,offenbach1 near ,frankfort1 as governess1 and was most happy in my choice2 but after being with us for a couple of years1 she had a very bad attack of fever1 and was obliged to return home4 ,she was replaced by a younger sister1 who afterwards married ,professor ,trendelenburg1 ,professor of ,philosophy at the ,university of ,berlin4 ,though both these sisters were quite young1 ,i had the most perfect confidence in them1 from their strict conscientiousness and morality4 ,they were well educated1 ladylike1 and so amiable1 that they gained the friendship of my children and the affection of us all4 ,as we could with perfect confidence leave the children to ,miss ,becker's care1 ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 ,somerville and ,i made an excursion to the ,continent4 ,we went to ,brussels1 and what lady can go there without seeing the lace manufactory8 ,i saw1 admired1--and bought none6 ,we were kindly received by ,professor ,quetelet1 whom we had previously known1 and who never failed to send me a copy of his valuable memoirs as soon as they were published4 ,i have uniformly met with the greatest kindness from scientific men at home and abroad4 ,if any of them are alive when this record is published1 ,i beg they will accept of my gratitude4 ,of those that are no more ,i bear a grateful remembrance4 ,the weather was beautiful when we were at ,brussels1 and in the evening we went to the public garden4 ,it was crowded with people1 and very gay4 ,we sat down1 and amused ourselves by looking at them as they passed4 ,sir ,james was a most agreeable companion1 intimate with all the political characters of the day1 full of anecdote and historical knowledge4 ,that evening his conversation was so brilliant that we forgot the time1 and looking around found that everybody had left the garden1 so we thought we might as well return to the hotel2 but on coming to the iron-barred gate we found it locked4 ,sir ,james and ,somerville begged some of those that were passing to call the keeper of the park to let us out2 but they said it was impossible1 that we must wait till morning4 ,a crowd assembled laughing and mocking1 till at last we got out through the house of one of the keepers of the park4 ,at ,bonn we met with ,baron ,humboldt1 and ,m4 ,schlegel1 celebrated for his translation of ,shakespeare4 ,on going up the ,rhine1 ,sir ,james knew the history of every place and of every battle that had been fought4 ,a professor of his acquaintance in one of the towns invited us to dinner1 and ,i was astonished to see the lady of the house going about with a great bunch of keys dangling at her side1 assisting in serving up the dinner1 and doing all the duty of carving1 her husband taking no part whatever in it4 ,i was annoyed that we had given so much trouble by accepting the invitation4 ,in my younger days in ,scotland1 a lady might make the pastry and jelly1 or direct in the kitchen2 but she took no part in cooking or serving up the dinner1 and never rose from the table till the ladies went to the drawing-room4 ,however1 as we could not afford to keep a regular cook1 an ill-dressed dish would occasionally appear1 and then my father would say1 ,god sends food1 but the devil sends cooks4 ,in our tour through ,holland1 ,somerville was quite at home1 and amused himself talking to the people1 for he had learnt the ,dutch language at the ,cape of ,good ,hope4 ,we admired the pretty quaint costumes of the women2 but ,i was the only one who took interest in the galleries4 ,many of the pictures of the ,dutch school are very fine2 but ,i never should have made a collection exclusively of them as was often done at one time in ,england4 ,lord ,granville was ,british ,minister at the ,hague1 and dining at the ,embassy one day we met with a ,mrs4----1 who1 on hearing one of the attachs addressed as ,mr4 ,abercromby1#i said1 ,pray1 ,lord ,granville1 is that a son of the great captain whom the ,lord slew in the land of ,egypt8' ,i never met with ,madame de ,stal1 but heard a great deal about her during this journey from ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 who was very intimate with her4 ,at that time the men sat longer at table after dinner than they do now2 and on one occasion1 at a dinner party at ,sir ,james's house1 when ,lady ,mackintosh and the ladies returned to the drawing-room1 ,madame de ,stal1 who was exceedingly impatient of women's society1 would not deign to enter into conversation with any of the ladies1 but walked about the room2 then suddenly ringing the bell1 she said1 ,ceci est insupportable6 and when the servant appeared1 she said3 ,tell your master to come upstairs directly2 they have sat long enough at their wine4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #i3 ,afterwards ,sir ,ralph ,abercromby1 later ,lord ,dunfermline1 minister first at ,florence1 then at ,turin4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham--,,writes ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,heavens--,,anecdote ,,of ,,the ,,roman ,,improvisatrice--,,letters ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,and ,,professor ,,whewell--,,elected ,,hon4 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,astronomical ,,society--,,notice ,,in ,,the ,,acad,,mie ,,des ,,sciences1 ,,and ,,letter ,,from ,m4 ,,biot--,,pension--,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,robert ,,peel--,,begins ,,to ,,write ,,on ,,the ,,connection ,,of ,,the ,,physical ,,sciences--,,visit ,,to ,,cambridge--,,letters ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick ,,and ,,laplace4 ,after my mother's return home my father received the following letter from ,lord ,brougham1 which very importantly influenced the further course of my mother's life4 ,it is dated ,march #bgth1 #ahbg3-- ,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham ,,to ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1 ,i fear you will think me very daring for the design ,i have formed against ,mrs4 ,somerville1 and still more for making you my advocate with her2 through whom ,i have every hope of prevailing4 ,there will be sent to you a prospectus1 rules1 and a preliminary treatise of our ,society for ,diffusing ,useful ,knowledge1 and ,i assure you ,i speak without any flattery when ,i say that of the two subjects which ,i find it most difficult to see the chance of executing1 there is one1 which--unless ,mrs4 ,somerville will undertake--none else can1 and it must be left undone1 though about the most interesting of the whole1 ,i mean an account of the ,mcanique ,cleste2 the other is an account of the ,principia1 which ,i have some hopes of at ,cambridge4 ,the kind of thing wanted is such a description of that divine work as will both explain to the unlearned the sort of thing it is--the plan1 the vast merit1 the wonderful truths unfolded or methodized--and the calculus by which all this is accomplished1 and will also give a somewhat deeper insight to the uninitiated4 ,two treatises would do this4 ,no one without trying it can conceive how far we may carry ignorant readers into an understanding of the depths of science1 and our treatises have about #ajj to #hjj pages of space each1 so that one might give the more popular view1 and another the analytical abstracts and illustrations4 ,in ,england there are now not twenty people who know this great work1 except by name2 and not a hundred who know it even by name4 ,my firm belief is that ,mrs4 ,somerville could add two cyphers to each of those figures4 ,will you be my counsel in this suit8 ,of course our names are concealed1 and no one of our council but myself needs to know it4 ,yours ever most truly1 ,h4 ,,brougham4 ,my mother in alluding to the above says3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,this letter surprised me beyond expression4 ,i thought ,lord ,brougham must have been mistaken with regard to my acquirements1 and naturally concluded that my self-acquired knowledge was so far inferior to that of the men who had been educated in our universities that it would be the height of presumption to attempt to write on such a subject or indeed on any other4 ,a few days after this ,lord ,brougham came to ,chelsea himself1 and ,somerville joined with him in urging me at least to make the attempt4 ,i said1 ,lord ,brougham1 you must be aware that the work in question never can be popularized1 since the student must at least know something of the differential and integral calculi1 and as a preliminary step ,i should have to prove various problems in physical mechanics and astronomy4 ,besides1 ,la ,place never gives diagrams or figures1 because they are not necessary to persons versed in the calculus1 but they would be indispensable in a work such as you wish me to write4 ,i am afraid ,i am incapable of such a task3 but as you both wish it so much1 ,i shall do my very best upon condition of secrecy1 and that if ,i fail the manuscript shall be put into the fire4 ,thus suddenly and unexpectedly the whole character and course of my future life was changed4 ,i rose early and made such arrangements with regard to my children and family affairs that ,i had time to write afterwards2 not1 however1 without many interruptions4 ,a man can always command his time under the plea of business1 a woman is not allowed any such excuse4 ,at ,chelsea ,i was always supposed to be at home1 and as my friends and acquaintances came so far out of their way on purpose to see me1 it would have been unkind and ungenerous not to receive them4 ,nevertheless1 ,i was sometimes annoyed when in the midst of a difficult problem some one would enter and say1 ,i have come to spend a few hours with you4 ,however1 ,i learnt by habit to leave a subject and resume it again at once1 like putting a mark into a book ,i might be reading2 this was the more necessary as there was no fire-place in my little room1 and ,i had to write in the drawing-room in winter4 ,frequently ,i hid my papers as soon as the bell announced a visitor1 lest anyone should discover my secret4 ,my mother had a singular power of abstraction4 ,when occupied with some difficult problem1 or even a train of thought which deeply interested her1 she lost all consciousness of what went on around her1 and became so entirely absorbed that any amount of talking1 or even practising scales and solfeggi1 went on without in the least disturbing her4 ,sometimes a song or a strain of melody would recall her to a sense of the present1 for she was passionately fond of music4 ,a curious instance of this peculiarity of hers occurred at ,rome1 when a large party were assembled to listen to a celebrated improvisatrice4 ,my mother was placed in the front row1 close to the poetess1 who1 for several stanzas1 adhered strictly to the subject which had been given to her4 ,what it was ,i do not recollect1 except that it had no connection with what followed4 ,all at once1 as if by a sudden inspiration1 the lady turned her eyes full upon my mother1 and with true ,italian vehemence and in the full musical accents of ,rome1 poured forth stanza after stanza of the most eloquent panegyric upon her talents and virtues1 extolling them and her to the skies4 ,throughout the whole of this scene1 which lasted a considerable time1 my mother remained calm and unmoved1 never changing countenance1 which surprised not only the persons present but ourselves1 as we well knew how much she disliked any display or being brought forward in public4 ,the truth was1 that after listening for a while to the improvising1 a thought struck her connected with some subject she was engaged in writing upon at the time and so entirely absorbed her that she heard not a word of all that had been declaimed in her praise1 and was not a little surprised and confused when she was complimented on it4 ,i call this1 advisedly1 a power of hers1 for although it occasionally led her into strange positions1 such as the one above mentioned1 it rendered her entirely independent of outward circumstances1 nor did she require to isolate herself from the family circle in order to pursue her studies4 ,i have already mentioned that when we were very young she taught us herself for a few hours daily2 when our lessons were over we always remained in the room with her1 learning grammar1 arithmetic1 or some such plague of childhood4 ,any one who has plunged into the mazes of the higher branches of mathematics or other abstruse science1 would probably feel no slight degree of irritation on being interrupted at a critical moment when the solution was almost within his grasp1 by some childish question about tense or gender1 or how much seven times seven made4 ,my mother was never impatient1 but explained our little difficulties quickly and kindly1 and returned calmly to her own profound thoughts4 ,yet on occasion she could show both irritation and impatience--when we were stupid or inattentive1 neither of which she could stand4 ,with her clear mind she darted at the solution1 sometimes forgetting that we had to toil after her laboriously step by step4 ,i well remember her slender white hand pointing impatiently to the book or slate--,don't you see it8 there is no difficulty in it1 it is quite clear4 ,things were so clear to her6 ,i must here add some other recollections by my mother of this very interesting portion of her life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was a considerable time employed in writing this book1 but ,i by no means gave up society1 which would neither have suited ,somerville nor me4 ,we dined out1 went to evening parties1 and occasionally to the theatre4 ,as soon as my work was finished ,i sent the manuscript to ,lord ,brougham1 requesting that it might be thoroughly examined1 criticised and destroyed according to promise if a failure4 ,i was very nervous while it was under examination1 and was equally surprised and gratified that ,sir ,john ,herschel1 our greatest astronomer1 and perfectly versed in the calculus1 should have found so few errors4 ,the letter he wrote on this occasion made me so happy and proud that ,i have preserved it4 ,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i have read your manuscript with the greatest pleasure1 and will not hesitate to add1 7because ,i am sure you will believe it sincere17 with the highest admiration4 ,go on thus1 and you will leave a memorial of no common kind to posterity2 and1 what you will value far more than fame1 you will have accomplished a most useful work4 ,what a pity that ,la ,place has not lived to see this illustration of his great work6 ,you will only1 ,i fear1 give too strong a stimulus to the study of abstract science by this performance4 ,i have marked as somewhat obscure a part of the illustration of the principle of virtual velocities4444 ,will you look at this point again8 ,i have made a trifling remark in page #f1 but it is a mere matter of metaphysical nicety1 and perhaps hardly worth pencilling your beautiful manuscript for4 ,ever yours most truly1 ,j4 ,,herschel4 ,in publishing the following letter1 ,i do not consider that ,i am infringing on the rule ,i have followed in obedience to my mother's wishes1 that is1 to abstain from giving publicity to all letters which are of a private and confidential character4 ,this one entirely concerns her scientific writings1 and is interesting as showing the confidence which existed between ,sir ,john ,herschel and herself4 ,this great philosopher was my mother's truest and best friend1 one whose opinion she valued above all others1 whose genius and consummate talents she admired1 and whose beautiful character she loved with an intensity which is better shown by some extracts from her letters to be given presently than by anything ,i can say4 ,this deep regard on her part he returned with the most chivalrous respect and admiration4 ,in any doubt or difficulty it was his advice she sought1 his criticism she submitted to2 both were always frankly given without the slightest fear of giving offence1 for ,sir ,john ,herschel well knew the spirit with which any remarks of his would be received4 ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,slough1 ,feb4 #bcrd1 #ahcj4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 444 ,as you contemplate separate publication1 and as the attention of many will be turned to a work from your pen who will just possess quantum enough of mathematical knowledge to be able to read the first chapter without being able to follow you into its application1 and as these1 moreover1 are the very people who will think themselves privileged to criticise and use their privilege with the least discretion1 ,i cannot recommend too much clearness1 fulness1 and order in the expos of the principles4 ,were ,i you1 ,i would devote to this first part at least double the space you have done4 ,your familiarity with the results and formul has led you into what is extremely natural in such a case--a somewhat hasty passing over what1 to a beginner1 would prove insuperable difficulties2 and if ,i may so express it1 a sketchiness of outline 7as a painter you will understand my meaning1 and what is of more consequence1 see how it is to be remedied74 ,you have adopted1 ,i see1 the principle of virtual velocity1 and the principle of d',alembert1 rather as separate and independent principles to be used as instruments of investigation than as convenient theories1 flowing themselves from the general law of force and equilibrium1 to be first proved and then remembered as compact statements in a form fit for use4 ,the demonstration of the principle of virtual velocities is so easy and direct in ,laplace that ,i cannot imagine anything capable of rendering it plainer than he has done4 ,but a good deal more explanation of what is virtual velocity1 c41 would be advantageous--and virtual velocities should be kept quite distinct from the arbitrary variations represented by the sign ,greek3 d4 ,with regard to the principle of d',alembert--take my advice and explode it altogether4 ,it is the most awkward and involved statement of a plain dynamical equation that ever puzzled student4 ,i speak feelingly and with a sense of irritation at the whirls and vortices it used to cause in my poor head when first ,i entered on this subject in my days of studentship4 ,i know not a single case where its application does not create obscurity--nay doubt4 ,nor can a case ever occur where any such principle is called for4 ,the general law that the change of motion is proportional to the moving force and takes place in its direction1 provided we take care always to regard the reaction of curves1 surfaces1 obstacles1 c41 as so many real moving forces of 7for a time7 unknown magnitude1 will always help us out of any dynamical scrape we may get into4 ,laplace1 page #bj1 ,mc4 ,cl4 art4 #g1 is a little obscure here1 and in deriving his equation 7f7 a page of explanation would be well bestowed4 ,one thing let me recommend1 if you use as principles either this1 or that of virtual velocities1 or any other1 state them broadly and in general terms4444 ,you will think me1 ,i fear1 a rough critic1 but ,i think of ,horace's good critic1 ,fiet ,aristarchus3 nec dicet1 cur ego amicum ,offendam in nugis8 ,h nug seria ducent ,in mala1 and what we can both now laugh at1 and you may1 if you like1 burn as nonsense 7,i mean these remarks71 would come with a very different kind of force from some sneering reviewer in the plenitude of his triumph at the detection of a slip of the pen or one of those little inaccuracies which humana parum cavit natura4444 ,very faithfully yours1 ,j4 ,,herschel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about the same time my father received a letter from ,dr4 ,whewell1 afterwards ,master of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 dated #bnd ,november1 #ahca1 in which he says3-- ,i beg you to offer my best thanks to ,mrs4 ,somerville for her kind present4 ,i shall have peculiar satisfaction in possessing it as a gift of the author1 a book which ,i look upon as one of the most remarkable which our age has produced1 which would be highly valuable from anyone1 and which derives a peculiar interest from its writer4 ,i am charged also to return the thanks of the ,philosophical ,society here for the copy presented to them4 ,i have not thought it necessary to send the official letter containing the acknowledgment1 as ,mrs4 ,somerville will probably have a sufficient collection of specimens of such character4 ,i have also to thank her on the part of our ,college for the copy sent to the library4 ,i am glad that our young mathematicians in ,trinity will have easy access to the book1 which will be very good for them as soon as they can read it4 ,when ,mrs4 ,somerville shows herself in the field which we mathematicians have been labouring in all our lives1 and puts us to shame1 she ought not to be surprised if we move off to other ground1 and betake ourselves to poetry4 ,if the fashion of 'commendatory verses' were not gone by1 ,i have no doubt her work might have appeared with a very pretty collection of well-deserved poetical praises in its introductory pages4 ,as old customs linger longest in places like this1 ,i hope she and you will not think it quite extravagant to send a single sonnet on the occasion4 ,believe me1 ,faithfully yours1 ,w4 ,,whewell4 ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,,on ,,her ,,mechanism ,,of ,,the ,,heavens4 ,lady1 it was the wont in earlier days ,when some fair volume from a valued pen1 ,long looked for1 came at last1 that grateful men ,hailed its forthcoming in complacent lays3 ,as if the ,muse would gladly haste to praise ,that which her mother1 ,memory1 long should keep ,among her treasures4 ,shall such usage sleep ,with us1 who feel too slight the common phrase ,for our pleased thoughts of you1 when thus we find ,that dark to you seems bright1 perplexed seems plain1 ,seen in the depths of a pellucid mind1 ,full of clear thought1 pure from the ill and vain ,that cloud the inward light8 ,an honoured name ,be yours2 and peace of heart grow with your growing fame4 ,professor ,peacock1 afterwards ,dean of ,ely1 in a letter1 dated ,february #adth1 #ahcb1 thanked my mother for a copy of the ,mechanism of the ,heavens4 ,,letter ,,from ,,professor ,,peacock ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,i consider it to be a work which will contribute greatly to the extension of the knowledge of physical astronomy1 in this country1 and of the great analytical processes which have been employed in such investigations4 ,it is with this view that ,i consider it to be a work of the greatest value and importance4 ,dr4 ,whewell and myself have already taken steps to introduce it into the course of our studies at ,cambridge1 and ,i have little doubt that it will immediately become an essential work to those of our students who aspire to the highest places in our examinations4 ,on this my mother remarks3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,i consider this as the highest honour ,i ever received1 at the time ,i was no less sensible of it1 and was most grateful4 ,i was surprised and pleased beyond measure to find that my book should be so much approved of by ,dr4 ,whewell1 one of the most eminent men of the age for science and literature2 and by ,professor ,peacock1 a profound mathematician1 who with ,herschel and ,babbage had1 a few years before1 first introduced the calculus as an essential branch of science into the ,university of ,cambridge4 ,in consequence of this decision the whole edition of the ,mechanism of the ,heavens1 amounting to #gej copies1 was sold chiefly at ,cambridge1 with the exception of a very few which ,i gave to friends2 but as the preface was the only part of the work that was intelligible to the general reader1 ,i had some copies of it printed separately to give away4 ,i was astonished at the success of my book2 all the reviews of it were highly favourable2 ,i received letters of congratulation from many men of science4 ,i was elected an honorary member of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society at the same time as ,miss ,caroline ,herschel4 ,to be associated with so distinguished an astronomer was in itself an honour4 ,mr4 ,de ,morgan1 to whom ,i am indebted for many excellent mathematical works1 was then secretary of the society1 and announced to us the distinction conferred4 ,the council of the ,society ordered that a copy of the ,greenwich ,observations should be regularly sent to me4 ,the ,acadmie des ,sciences elected my mother's old friend ,m4 ,biot to draw up a report upon her ,mechanism of the ,heavens1 which he did in the most flattering terms1 and upon my mother writing to thank him1 replied as follows3-- ,,from ,m4 ,,biot ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,madame1 ,revenu de ,lyon depuis quelques jours1 j'ai trouv ,paris les deux lettres dont vous avez daign m'honorer1 et j'ai reu galement l'exemplaire de votre ouvrage que vous avez bien voulu joindre la dernire4 ,c'est tre mille fois trop bonne1 ,madame1 que de me remercier encore de ce qui m'a fait tant de plaisir4 ,en rendant compte de cet tonnant ,trait1 je remplissais d'abord un devoir1 puisque l',acadmie m'avait charg de le lire pour elle2 mais ce devoir m'offrait un attrait que vous concevriez facilement1 s'il vous tait possible de vous rappeler l'admiration vive et profonde que m'inspira il y a longtemps l'union si extraordinaire de tous les talens et de toutes les grces1 avec les connaissances sevres que nous autres hommes avions la folie de croire notre partage exclusif4 ,ce qui me charma alors1 ,madame1 je n'ai pas cess depuis de m'en souvenir2 et des rapports d'amiti qui me sont bien chers1 ont encore1 votre insu1 fortifi ces sentimens4 ,jugez donc1 ,madame1 combien j'tais heureux d'avoir peindre ce que je comprenais si bien1 et ce que j'avais vu avec un si vif intrt4 ,le plus amusant pour moi de cette rencontre1 c'tait de voir nos plus graves confrres1 par exemple1 ,lacroix et ,legendre1 qui certes ne sont pas des esprits lgers1 ni galans d'habitude1 ni faciles mouvoir1 me gourmander1 comme ils le faisaient chaque sance1 de ce que je tardais tant faire mon rapport1 de ce que j'y mettais tant d'insouciance et si peu de grce2 enfin1 ,madame1 c'tait une conqute intellectuelle complte4 ,je n'ai pas manqu de raconter cette circonstance comme un des fleurons de votre couronne4 ,je me suis ainsi acquitt envers eux2 et quant vous1 ,madame1 d'aprs la manire dont vous parlez vous-mme de votre ouvrage1 j'ai quelque esprance de l'avoir prsent sous le point de vue o vous semblez l'envisager4 ,mais1 en vous rendant ce juste et sincre hommage et en l'insrant au ,journal des ,savants1 je n'ai pas eu la prcaution de demander qu'on m'en mit part2 aujourd'hui que la collection est tire je suis aux regrets d'avoir t si peu prvoyant4 ,au reste1 ,madame1 il n'y a rien dans cet extrait que ce que pensent tous ceux qui vous connaissent1 ou mme qui ont eu une seule fois le bonheur de vous approcher4 ,vos amis trouveront que j'ai exprim bien faiblement les charmes de votre esprit et de votre caractre2 charmes qu'ils doivent apprcier d'autant mieux qu'ils en jouissent plus souvent2 mais vous1 ,madame1 qui tes indulgente1 vous pardonnerez la faiblesse d'un portrait qui n'a pu tre fait que de souvenir4 ,j'ai l'honneur d'tre1 avec le plus profond respect1 ,madame1 ,votre trs humble et trs obissant serviteur1 ,,biot4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was unanimously voted by the ,royal ,society of ,london1 that my bust should be placed in their great ,hall1 and ,chantrey was chosen as the sculptor4 ,soon after it was finished1 ,mr4 ,potter1 a great ship-builder at ,liverpool1 who had just completed a fine vessel intended for the ,china and ,india trade1 wrote to my friend1 ,sir ,francis ,beaufort1 hydrographer of the ,royal ,navy1 asking him if ,i would give him permission to call her the ,mary ,somerville1 and to have a copy of my bust for her figure-head4 ,i was much gratified with this1 as might be expected4 ,the ,mary ,somerville sailed1 but was never heard of again2 it was supposed she had foundered during a typhoon in the ,china sea4 ,i was elected an honorary member of the ,royal ,academy at ,dublin1 of the ,bristol ,philosophical ,institution1 and of the ,socit de ,physique et d',histoire ,naturelle of ,geneva1 which was announced to me by a very gratifying letter from ,professor ,prevost4 ,our relations and others who had so severely criticized and ridiculed me1 astonished at my success1 were now loud in my praise4 ,the warmth with which ,somerville entered into my success deeply affected me2 for not one in ten thousand would have rejoiced at it as he did2 but he was of a generous nature1 far above jealousy1 and he continued through life to take the kindest interest in all ,i did4 ,i now received the following letter from ,sir ,robert ,peel1 informing me in the handsomest manner that he had advised the ,king to grant me a pension of #bjjl4 a year3-- ,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,robert ,,peel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,whitehall ,,gardens ,march1 #ahce4 ,,madam1 ,in advising the ,crown in respect to the grant of civil pensions1 ,i have acted equally with a sense of public duty and on the impulse of my own private feelings in recognising among the first claims on the ,royal favour those which are derived from eminence in science and literature4 ,in reviewing such claims1 it is impossible that ,i can overlook those which you have established by the successful prosecution of studies of the highest order1 both from the importance of the objects to which they relate1 and from the faculties and acquirements which they demand4 ,as my object is a public one1 to encourage others to follow the bright example which you have set1 and to prove that great scientific attainments are recognised among public claims1 ,i prefer making a direct communication to you1 to any private inquiries into your pecuniary circumstances1 or to any proposal through a third party4 ,i am enabled to advise ,his ,majesty to grant to you a pension on the civil list of two hundred pounds per annum2 and if that provision will enable you to pursue your labours with less of anxiety1 either as to the present or the future1 ,i shall only be fulfilling a public duty1 and not imposing upon you the slightest obligation1 by availing myself of your permission to submit such a recommendation to the ,king4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,madam1 with the sincerest respect1 ,,robert ,,peel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was highly pleased1 but my pleasure was of short duration1 for the very next day a letter informed us that by the treachery of persons in whom we trusted1 the last remains of our capital were lost4 ,by the kindness of ,lord ,john ,russell1 when he was ,prime ,minister1 a hundred a-year was added to my pension1 for which ,i was very grateful4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the ,mechanism of the ,heavens was published1 ,i was thrown out of work1 and now that ,i had got into the habit of writing ,i did not know what to make of my spare time4 ,fortunately the preface of my book furnished me with the means of active occupation2 for in it ,i saw such mutual dependence and connection in many branches of science1 that ,i thought the subject might be carried to a greater extent4 ,there were many subjects with which ,i was only partially acquainted1 and others of which ,i had no previous knowledge1 but which required to be carefully investigated1 so ,i had to consult a variety of authors1 ,british and foreign4 ,even the astronomical part was difficult1 for ,i had to translate analytical formul into intelligible language1 and to draw diagrams illustrative thereof1 and this occupied the first seven sections of the book4 ,i should have been saved much trouble had ,i seen a work on the subject by ,mr4 ,airy1 ,astronomer-,royal1 published subsequently to my book4 ,my son1 ,woronzow ,greig1 had been educated at ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 and was travelling on the ,continent1 when ,somerville and ,i received an invitation from the ,principal1 ,dr4 ,whewell1 to visit the ,university4 ,mr4 ,airy1 then astronomer at ,cambridge1 now ,astronomer-,royal at ,greenwich1 and ,mrs4 ,airy kindly wished us to be their guests2 but as the ,observatory was at some distance from ,cambridge1 it was decided that we should have an apartment in ,trinity ,college itself2 an unusual favour where a lady is concerned4 ,mr4 ,sedgwick1 the geologist1 made the arrangements1 received us1 and we spent the first day at dinner with him4 ,he is still alive#aj--one of my few coevals--either in ,cambridge or ,england4 ,the week we spent in ,cambridge1 receiving every honour from the heads of the ,university1 was a period of which ,i have ever borne a proud and grateful remembrance4 ,professor ,sedgwick wrote as follows to my father3-- ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick ,,to ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,,trinity ,,college1 ,april1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,somerville1 ,your letter delighted us4 ,i have ordered dinner on ,thursday at #f-a_/b and shall have a small party to welcome you and ,mrs4 ,somerville4 ,in order that we may not have to fight for you1 we have been entering on the best arrangements we can think of4 ,on ,tuesday you will1 ,i hope1 dine with ,peacock2 on ,wednesday with ,whewell2 on ,thursday at the ,observatory4 ,for ,friday1 ,dr4 ,clarke1 our ,professor of ,anatomy1 puts in a claim4 ,for the other days of your visit we shall1 ,d4,v41 find ample employment4 ,a four-poster bed now 7a thing utterly out of our regular monastic system7 will rear its head for you and ,madame in the chambers immediately below my own2 and your handmaid may safely rest her bones in a small inner chamber4 ,should ,sheepshanks return1 we can stuff him into a lumber room of the observatory2 but of this there is no fear as ,i have written to him on the subject1 and he has no immediate intention of returning4 ,you will of course drive to the great gate of ,trinity ,college1 and my servant will be in waiting at the ,porter's lodge to show you the way to your academic residence4 ,we have no cannons at ,trinity ,college1 otherwise we would fire a salute on your entry2 we will however give you the warmest greeting we can4 ,meanwhile give my best regards to ,mrs4 ,s4 ,and believe me most truly yours1 ,a4 ,,sedgwick4 99 99 99 99 99 ,la ,place had a profound veneration for ,newton2 he sent me a copy of his ,systme du ,monde1 and a letter1 dated #aeth ,august1 #ahbd1 in which he says3 ,je publie successivement les divers livres du cinquime livre qui doit terminer mon trait de ',mcanique ,cleste1' et dans cela je donne l'analyse historique des recherches des gomtres sur cette matire1 cela m'a fait relire avec une attention particulire l'ouvrage si incomparable des principes mathmatiques de la philosophie naturelle de ,newton1 qui contient le germe de toutes ses recherches4 ,plus j'ai tudi cet ouvrage plus il m'a paru admirable1 en me transportant surtout l'poque o il a t publi4 ,mais en mme tems que je sens l'lgance de la mthode synthtique suivant laquelle ,newton a prsent ses dcouvertes1 j'ai reconnu l'indispensable ncessit de l'analyse pour approfondir les questions trs difficiles que ,newton n'a pu qu'effleurer par la synthse4 ,je vois avec un grand plaisir vos mathmaticiens se livrer maintenant l'analyse et je ne doute point qu'en suivant cette mthode avec la sagacit propre votre nation ils ne seront conduits d'importantes dcouvertes4 ,newton himself was aware that by the law of gravitation the stability of the solar system was endangered4 ,the power of analysis alone enabled ,la ,grange to prove that all the disturbances arising from the reciprocal attraction of the planets and satellites are periodical1 whatever the length of the periods may be1 so that the stability of the solar system is insured for unlimited ages4 ,the perturbations are only the oscillations of that immense pendulum of ,eternity which beats centuries as ours beats seconds4 ,la ,place1 and all the great mathematicians of that period1 had scarcely passed away when the more powerful ,quaternion system began to dawn4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #aj3 ,professor ,sedgwick died shortly after my mother4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,paris--,,arago1 ,,lafayette1 ,,mm4 ,,bouvard1 ,,poisson1 ,,lacroix1 c41 ,,marquise ,,de ,,la ,,place1 ,,dupin1 ,f4 ,,cooper--,,legitimiste ,,society--,,majendie--,,visit ,,baron ,,louis--,,letter ,,from ,,lafayette4 ,my health was never good at ,chelsea1 and as ,i had been working too hard1 ,i became so ill1 that change of air and scene were thought absolutely necessary for me4 ,we went accordingly to ,paris2 partly1 because it was near home1 as ,somerville could not remain long with us at a time1 and1 partly1 because we thought it a good opportunity to give masters to the girls1 which we could not afford to do in ,london4 ,when we arrived1 ,i was so weak1 that ,i always remained in bed writing till one o'clock1 and then1 either went to sit in the ,tuileries gardens1 or else received visits4 ,all my old friends came to see me1 ,arago1 the first4 ,he was more engaged in politics than science1 and as party spirit ran very high at that time1 he said he would send tickets of admission to the ,chambers every time there was likely to be an orage4 ,when ,i told him what ,i was writing1 he gave me some interesting memoirs1 and lent me a mass of manuscripts1 with leave to make extracts1 which were very useful to me4 ,general de ,la ,fayette came to town on purpose to invite ,somerville and me to visit him at ,la ,grange1 where we found him living like a patriarch1 surrounded by his family to the fourth generation4 ,he was mild1 highly distinguished1 and noble in his manners2 his conversation was exceedingly interesting1 as he readily spoke of the ,revolution in which he had taken so active a part4 ,among other anecdotes1 he mentioned1 that he had sent the principal key of the ,bastile to ,general ,washington1 who kept it under a glass case4 ,he was much interested to hear that ,i could1 in some degree1 claim a kind of relationship with ,washington1 whose mother was a ,fairfax4 ,baron ,fairfax1 the head of the family1 being settled in ,america1 had joined the independent party at the ,revolution4 ,the two daughters of ,la ,fayette1 who had been in prison with him at ,olmtz1 were keen politicians1 and discussed points with a warmth of gesticulation which amused ,somerville and me1 accustomed to our cold still manners4 ,the grand-daughters1 ,mesdames de ,rmusat and de ,corcelles1 were kind friends to me all the time ,i was in ,paris4 ,m4 ,bouvard1 whom we had known in ,london1 was now ,astronomer-,royal of ,france1 and he invited us to dine with him at the ,observatory4 ,the table was surrounded by savants1 who complimented me on the ,mechanism of the ,heavens4 ,i sat next ,m4 ,poisson1 who advised me in the strongest manner to write a second volume1 so as to complete the account of ,la ,place's works2 and he afterwards told ,somerville1 that there were not twenty men in ,france who could read my book4 ,m4 ,arago1 who was of the party1 said1 he had not written to thank me for my book1 because he had been reading it1 and was busy preparing an account of it for the ,journal of the ,institute4 ,at this party1 ,i made the acquaintance of the celebrated astronomer1 ,m4 ,pontcoulant1 and soon after1 of ,m4 ,la ,croix1 to whose works ,i was indebted for my knowledge of the highest branches of mathematics4 ,m4 ,prony1 and ,m4 ,poinsot1 came to visit me1 the latter1 an amiable and gentlemanly person2 both gave me a copy of their works4 ,we had a long visit from ,m4 ,biot1 who seemed really glad to renew our old friendship4 ,he was making experiments on light1 though much out of health2 but when we dined with him and ,madame ,biot1 he forgot for the time his bad health1 and resumed his former gaiety4 ,they made us promise to visit them at their country-house when we returned to ,england1 as it lay on our road4 ,to my infinite regret1 ,la ,place had been dead some time2 the ,marquise was still at ,arcueil1 and we went to see her4 ,she received us with the greatest warmth1 and devoted herself to us the whole time we were in ,paris4 ,as soon as she came to town1 we went to make a morning visit2 it was past five o'clock2 we were shown into a beautiful drawing-room1 and the man-servant1 without knocking at the door1 went into the room which was adjacent1 and we heard her call out1 ,j'irai la voir6 j'irai la voir6 and when the man-servant came out1 he said1 ,madame est dsole1 mais elle est en chemise4 ,madame de ,la ,place was exceedingly agreeable1 the life of every party1 with her cheerful gay manner4 ,she was in great favour with the ,royal ,family1 and was always welcome when she went to visit them in an evening4 ,she received once a week1 and her grand-daughter1 only nineteen1 lovely and graceful1 was an ornament to her parties4 ,she was already married to ,m4 de ,colbert1 whose father fell at ,corunna4 ,no one was more attentive to me than ,dr4 ,milne-,edwards1 the celebrated natural historian4 ,he was the first ,englishman who was elected a member of the ,institute4 ,i was indebted to him for the acquaintance of ,,mm4 ,ampre and ,becquerel4 ,i believe ,dr4 ,edwards was at that time writing on ,physiology1 and1 in conversation1 ,i happened to mention that the wild ducks in the fens1 at ,lincolnshire1 always build their nests on high tufts of grass1 or reeds1 to save them from sudden floods2 and that ,sir ,john ,sebright had raised wild ducks under a hen1 which built their nests on tufts of grass as if they had been in the fens4 ,dr4 ,edwards begged of me to inquire for how many generations that instinct lasted4 ,monsieur and ,madame ,gay ,lussac lived in the ,jardin des ,plantes4 ,madame was only twenty-one1 exceedingly pretty1 and well-educated2 she read ,english and ,german1 painted prettily1 and was a musician4 ,she told me it had been computed1 that if all the property in ,france were equally divided among the population1 each person would have #aej francs a-year1 or four sous per day2 so that if anyone should spend eight sous a-day1 some other person would starve4 ,the ,duchesse de ,broglie1 ,madame de ,stal's daughter1 called1 and invited us to her receptions1 which were the most brilliant in ,paris4 ,every person of distinction was there1 ,french or foreign1 generally four or five men to one woman4 ,the ,duchess was a charming woman1 both handsome and amiable1 and received with much grace4 ,the ,duke was1 then1 ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs4 ,they were remarkable for their domestic virtues1 as well as for high intellectual cultivation4 ,the part the ,duke took in politics is so well known1 that ,i need not allude to it here4 ,at some of these parties ,i met with ,madame ,charles ,dupin1 whom ,i liked much4 ,when ,i went to return her visit1 she received us in her bedroom4 ,she was a fashionable and rather elegant woman1 with perfect manners4 ,she invited us to dinner to meet her brother-in-law1 the ,president of the ,chamber of ,deputies4 ,he was animated and witty1 very fat1 and more ugly than his brother1 but both were clever and agreeable4 ,the ,president invited me to a very brilliant ball he gave1 but as it was on a ,sunday ,i could not accept the invitation4 ,we went one evening with ,madame ,charles ,dupin to be introduced to ,madame de ,rumford4 ,her first husband1 ,lavoisier1 the chemist1 had been guillotined at the ,revolution1 and she was now a widow1 but had lived long separated from her second husband4 ,she was enormously rich1 and had a magnificent palace1 garden1 and conservatory1 in which she gave balls and concerts4 ,at all the evening parties in ,paris the best bedroom was lighted up for reception like the other rooms4 ,madame de ,rumford was capricious and ill-tempered2 however1 she received me very well1 and invited me to meet a very large party at dinner4 ,mr4 ,fenimore ,cooper1 the ,american novelist1 with his wife and daughter1 were among the guests4 ,i found him extremely amiable and agreeable1 which surprised me1 for when ,i knew him in ,england he was so touchy that it was difficult to converse with him without giving him offence4 ,he was introduced to ,sir ,walter ,scott by ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 who said1 in presenting him1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 allow me to introduce you to your great forefather in the art of fiction2 ,sir1 said ,cooper1 with great asperity1 ,i have no forefather4 ,now1 though his manners were rough1 they were quite changed4 ,we saw a great deal of him1 and ,i was frequently in his house1 and found him perfectly liberal2 so much so1 that he told us the faults of his country with the greatest frankness1 yet he was the champion of ,america1 and hated ,england4 ,none were kinder to us than ,lord and ,lady ,granville4 ,lady ,granville invited us to all her parties2 and when ,somerville was obliged to return to ,england1 she assured him that in case of any disturbance1 we should find a refuge in the ,embassy4 ,i went to some balls at the ,tuileries with ,madame de ,lafayette ,lasteyrie and her sister4 ,the ,queen ,amlie was tall1 thin1 and very fair1 not pretty1 but infinitely more regal than ,adelaide1 ,queen of ,england1 at that time4 ,the ,royal ,family used to walk about in the streets of ,paris without any attendants4 ,sir ,sydney ,smith was still in ,paris trying to renew the order of the ,knights ,templars4 ,somerville and ,i went with him one evening to a reception at the ,duchesse d',abrants1 widow of ,junot4 ,she was short1 thick1 and not in the least distinguished-looking1 nor in any way remarkable4 ,i had met her at the ,duchesse de ,broglie's1 where she talked of ,junot as if he had been in the next room4 ,sir ,sydney was quite covered with stars and crosses1 and ,i was amused with the way he threw his cloak back to display them as he handed me to the carriage4 ,i met with ,prince ,kosloffsky everywhere2 he was the fattest man ,i ever saw1 a perfect ,falstaff4 ,however1 his intellect was not smothered1 for he would sit an hour with me talking about mathematics1 astronomy1 philosophy1 and what not4 ,he was banished from ,russia1 and as he had been speaking imprudently about politics in ,paris1 he was ordered to go elsewhere2 still1 he lingered on1 and was with me one morning when ,pozzo di ,borgo1 the ,russian ,ambassador called4 ,pozzo di ,borgo said to me1 ,are you aware that ,prince ,kosloffsky has left ,paris8 ,oh yes1 ,i said1 ,i regret it much4 ,he took the hint1 and went away directly4 ,i had hitherto been entirely among the ,liberal set4 ,how it came that ,i was invited to dine with ,m4 ,hricourt de ,thury1 ,i do not remember4 ,m4 de ,thury was simple in his manners1 and full of information2 he had been ,director of the ,mines under ,napoleon1 and had charge of the ,public ,buildings under ,louis ,,xviii4 and ,charles ,x41 but resigned his charges at the ,revolution of ,july4 ,at this time the ,duchesse de ,berry was confined in the citadel of ,blaye4 ,she had a strong party in ,paris1 who furiously resented the treatment she met with4 ,m4 de ,thury was a moderate ,legitimiste1 but ,madame was ultra4 ,when ,i happened to mention that we had been staying with ,lafayette1 at ,la ,grange1 she was horrified1 and begged of me not to talk politics1 or mention where we had been1 or else some of her guests would leave the room4 ,the ladies of that party would not dance or go to any gay party2 they had a part of the theatre reserved for themselves2 they wore high dark dresses with long sleeves1 called ,robes de ,rsistance1 and even the ,legitimiste newspapers appeared with black edges4 ,they criticised those who gave balls1 and ,lady ,granville herself did not escape their censure4 ,the marriage of the ,duchesse de ,berry to the ,marchese ,lucchesi ,palli made an immense sensation2 it was discussed in the salons in a truly ,french manner2 it was talked of in the streets2 the ,robes de ,rsistance were no longer worn1 and the ,legitimiste newspapers went out of mourning4 ,all parties criticised the ,british ,administration in ,ireland4 ,a lady sitting by me at a party said1 ,no wonder so many ,english prefer ,france to so odious a country as ,england1 where the people are oppressed1 and even cabbages are raised in hotbeds4 ,i laughed1 and said1 ,i like ,england very well1 for all that4 ,an old gentleman1 who was standing near us1 said1 ,whatever terms two countries may be on1 it behoves us individuals to observe good manners2 and when ,i went away1 this gentleman handed me to the carriage1 though ,i had never seen him before4 ,the ,marquise de ,la ,place was commissioned by ,dr4 ,majendie to invite me to meet her and ,madame ,gay ,lussac at dinner4 ,i was very unwilling to go2 for ,i detested the man for his wanton cruelties1 but ,i found ,i could not refuse on account of these ladies4 ,there was a large party of savants1 agreeable and gentlemanly2 but ,majendie himself had the coarsest manners2 his conversation was horridly professional2 many things were said and subjects discussed not fit for women to hear4 ,what a contrast the refined and amiable ,sir ,charles ,bell formed with ,majendie6 ,majendie and the ,french school of anatomy made themselves odious by their cruelty1 and failed to prove the true anatomy of the brain and nerves1 while ,sir ,charles ,bell did succeed1 and thus made one of the greatest physiological discoveries of the age without torturing animals1 which his gentle and kindly nature abhorred4 ,to ,lady ,bell ,i am indebted for a copy of her husband's ,life4 ,she is one of my few dear and valued friends who are still alive4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while in ,paris1 ,i lost my dear mother4 ,she died at the age of ninety1 attended by my brother ,henry4 ,she was still a fine old lady1 with few grey hairs4 ,the fear of death was almost hereditary in the ,charters family1 and my mother possessed it in no small degree2 yet when it came1 she was perfectly composed and prepared for it4 ,i have never had that fear2 may ,god grant that ,i may be as calm and prepared as she was4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i was in better health1 but still so delicate that ,i wrote in bed till one o'clock4 ,the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences was a tedious work1 and the proof sheets had to be sent through the ,embassy4 ,m4 ,arago told me that ,david1 the sculptor1 wished to make a medallion of me2 so he came and sat an hour with me1 and pleased me by his intelligent conversation and his enthusiasm for art4 ,a day was fixed1 and he took my profile on slate with pink wax1 in a wonderfully short time4 ,he made me a present of a medallion in bronze1 nicely framed1 and two plaster casts for my daughters4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i frequently went to hear the debates in the ,chambers1 and occasionally took my girls1 as ,i thought it was an excellent lesson in ,french4 ,as party spirit ran very high1 the scenes that occurred were very amusing4 ,a member1 in the course of his speech1 happening to mention the word libert1 the ,president ,dupin rang the bell1 called out ,stop1 propos de libert1 444 jumped down from his seat1 sprung into the tribune1 pushed out the deputy1 and made a long speech himself4 ,the weather being fine1 we made excursions in the neighbourhood4 ,at ,svres ,i saw two pieces of china2 on one of them was a gnu1 on the other a zebra4 ,somerville had told me that soon after his return from his ,african expedition1 he had given the original drawings to ,m4 ,brongniart then director of the manufactory4 ,baron ,louis invited me to spend a day with him and his niece1 ,mademoiselle de ,rigny1 at his country house1 not far from ,paris4 ,i went with ,madame de la ,place1 and we set out early1 to be in time for breakfast4 ,the road lay through the ,forest of ,vincennes4 ,the ,baron's park1 which was close to the village of ,petit-,brie1 was very large1 and richly wooded2 there were gardens1 hot-houses1 and all the luxuries of an ,english nobleman's residence4 ,the house was handsome1 with a magnificent library2 ,i remarked on the table the last numbers of the ,edinburgh and ,quarterly ,reviews4 ,both the ,baron and his niece were simple and kind4 ,i was greatly taken with both2 the ,baron had all the quiet elegance of the old school1 and his niece had great learning and the manners of a woman of fashion4 ,she lived in perfect retirement1 having suffered much in the time of the ,revolution4 ,they had both eventful lives2 for ,baron ,louis1 who had been in orders1 and ,talleyrand officiated at the ,champs de ,mars when ,louis the ,sixteenth took the oath to maintain the constitution4 ,field-,marshal ,macdonald1 ,duc de ,tarante1 and his son-in-law1 the ,duc de ,massa2 ,admiral de ,rigny1 ,minister of ,marine2 ,m4 ,barthe1 ,garde des ,sceaux2 and the ,bouvards1 father and son1 formed the party4 ,after spending a most delightful and interesting day1 we drove to ,paris in bright moonlight4 ,our friends in ,paris and at ,la ,grange had been so kind to us that we were very sad when we went to express our gratitude and take leave of them4 ,we only stayed two days at ,la ,grange1 and when we returned to ,paris1 ,somerville went home and my son joined us1 when we made a rapid tour in ,switzerland1 the only remarkable event of which was a singular atmospheric phenomenon we saw on the top of the ,grimsel4 ,on the clouds of vapour below us we saw our shadows projected1 of giant proportions1 and each person saw his own shadow surrounded by a bright circle of prismatic colours4 ,it is not uncommon in mountain regions4 99 99 99 99 99 ,general ,lafayette and all his family were extremely kind to my mother4 ,he was her constant visitor1 and we twice visited him at his country house1 ,la ,grange4 ,he wished to persuade my mother to go there for some days1 after our return from ,switzerland1 which we did not accomplish4 ,the ,general wrote the following letter to my father3-- ,,from ,,lafayette ,,to ,,dr4 ,,somerville4 ,,la ,,grange1 #cast ,october1 #ahcc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1 ,i waited to answer your kind letter1 for the arrival of ,mr4 ,coke's#aa precious gift1 which nobody could higher value1 on every account1 than the grateful farmer on whom it has been bestowed4 ,the heifers and bull are beautiful2 they have reached ,la ,grange in the best order1 and shall be tenderly attended to4444 ,it has been a great disappointment not to see ,mrs4 ,somerville and the young ladies before their departure4 ,had we not depended on their kind visit1 we should have gone to take leave of them4 ,they have had the goodness to regret the impossibility to come before their departure4 ,be so kind as to receive the affectionate friendship and good wishes of a family who are happy in the ties of mutual attachment that bind us to you and them4444 ,public interest is now fixed upon the ,peninsula1 and while dynasties are at civil war1 and despotic or juste milieu cabinets seem to agree in the fear of a genuine development of popular institutions1 the matter for the friends of freedom is to know how far the great cause of ,europe shall be forwarded by these royal squabbles4 ,we shall remain at ,la ,grange until the opening of the session1 hoping that1 notwithstanding your and the ladies' absence1 your attention will not be quite withdrawn from our interior affairs--the sympathy shall be reciprocal4 ,with all my heart1 ,i am ,your affectionate friend1 ,,lafayette4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #aa3 ,mr4 ,coke1 of ,holkham1 afterwards ,earl of ,leicester4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,return ,,to ,,england--,,letter ,,from ,,hallam--,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,form ,,and ,,rotation ,,of ,,the ,,earth ,,and ,,planets--,,second ,,edition ,,of ,,connexion ,,of ,,physical ,,sciences--,,letters ,,from ,,maria ,,edgeworth1 ,,miss ,,berry1 ,,lord ,,brougham1 ,,mrs4 ,,marcet1 ,,admiral ,,smyth--,,double ,,stars--,,eclipse ,,of ,,double ,,stars--,,letter ,,from ,,admiral ,,smyth--,,sir ,,william ,,herschel--,,nebul--,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,rosse--,,letter ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel--,,sir ,,james ,,south',s ,,observatory--,,mr4 ,,john ,,murray--,,miss ,,berry--,,lord ,,dudley--,,mr4 ,,bowditch ,,and ,,other ,,distinguished ,,americans--,,mrs4 ,,browning ,,washington--,,letter ,,from ,,the ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,tuckerman--,,sir ,,william ,,fairfax ,,attacked ,,by ,,highwaymen4 ,as soon as we returned to ,chelsea1 the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences was published4 ,it was dedicated to ,queen ,adelaide1 who thanked me for it at a drawing-room4 ,some time after ,somerville and ,i went to ,scotland2 we had travelled all night in the mail coach1 and when it became light1 a gentleman who was in the carriage said to ,somerville1 ,is not the lady opposite to me ,mrs4 ,somerville1 whose bust ,i saw at ,chantrey's8 ,the gentleman was ,mr4 ,sopwith1 of ,newcastle-on-,tyne1 a civil and mining engineer4 ,he was distinguished for scientific knowledge1 and had been in ,london to give information to a parliamentary committee4 ,he travelled faster than we did1 and when we arrived at ,newcastle he was waiting to take us to his house1 where we were hospitably received by ,mrs4 ,sopwith4 ,his conversation was highly interesting1 and to him ,i was indebted for much information on mining generally1 and on the mineral wealth of ,great ,britain1 while writing on ,physical ,geography4 ,many years after he and ,mrs4 ,sopwith came and saw me at ,naples1 which gave me much pleasure4 ,he was unlike any other traveller ,i ever met with1 so profound and original were his observations on all he saw4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on coming home ,i found that ,i had made an error in the first edition of the ,physical ,sciences1 in giving #cfe days #f hours as the length of the civil year of the ancient ,egyptians4 ,my friend ,mr4 ,hallam1 the historian1 wrote to me1 proving from history and epochs of the chronology of the ancient ,egyptians1 that their civil year was only #cfe days4 ,i was grateful to that great and amiable man for copies of all his works while he was alive1 and ,i am obliged to his daughter for an excellent likeness of him1 now that he is no more4 ,,from ,,henry ,,hallam1 ,,esq41 ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,wimpole ,,street1 ,march #abth1 #ahce4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1 ,as you will probably soon be called upon for another edition of your excellent work on the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 ,i think you will excuse the liberty ,i take in mentioning to you one passage which seems to have escaped your attention in so arduous a labour4 ,it is in page #ajd1 where you have this sentence3-- ,the ,egyptians estimated the year at #cfe d4 #f h41 by which they lost one year in every #ad1fja1 their ,sothiac period4 ,they determined the length of their year by the heliacal rising of ,sirius1 #bghb years before the ,christian era1 which is the earliest epoch of ,egyptian chronology4 ,the ,egyptian civil year was of #cfe days only1 as we find in ,herodotus1 and ,i apprehend there is no dispute about it4 ,the ,sothiac period1 or that cycle in which the heliacal rising of ,sirius passed the whole civil year1 and took place again on the same day1 was of #adfa years1 not #ad1fja4 ,if they had adopted a year of #cfe d4 #f h41 this period would have been more than three times #ad1fja2 the excess of the sidereal year above that being only #i' #i1 which will not amount to a day in less than about #abe years4 ,i do not see how the heliacal rising of ,sirius in any one year could help them to determine its length4 ,by comparing two successive years they could of course have got at a sidereal year2 but this is what they did not do2 hence the irregularity which produced the canicular cycle4 ,the commencement of that cycle is placed by ancient chronologers in #acbb ,a4,c4 ,it seems not correct to call #bghb ,a4,c4 the earliest epoch of ,egyptian chronology1 for we have none of their chronology nearly so old1 and in fact no chronology1 properly so called1 has yet been made out by our ,egyptian researches4 ,it is indeed certain that1 if the reckoning by heliacal risings of ,sirius did not begin in #acbb1 we must go nearly #adfj years back for its origin2 since it must have been adopted when that event preceded only for a short time the annual inundation of the ,nile4 ,but1 according to some1 the year #acbb ,a4,c4 fell during the reign of ,sesostris1 to whom ,herodotus ascribes several regulations connected with the rising of the ,nile4 ,certainly1 #bghb ,a4,c4 is a more remote era than we are hitherto warranted to assume for any astronomical observation4 ,believe me1 dear ,mrs4 ,somerville1 ,very truly yours1 ,,henry ,,hallam4 ,i refer you to ,montucla1 if you have any doubt about the ,egyptian year being of #cfe days without bissextile of any kind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i had sent a copy of the ,mechanism of the ,heavens to ,m4 ,poisson soon after it was published1 and ,i had received a letter from him dated #cjth ,may1 #ahcb1 advising me to complete the work by writing a volume on the form and rotation of the earth and planets4 ,being again strongly advised to do so while in ,paris1 ,i now began the work1 and1 in consequence1 ,i was led into a correspondence with ,mr4 ,ivory1 who had written on the subject1 and also with ,mr4 ,francis ,baily1 on the density and compression of the earth4 ,my work was extensive1 for it comprised the analytical attraction of spheroids1 the form and rotation of the earth1 the tides of the ocean and atmosphere1 and small undulations4 ,when this was finished1 ,i had nothing to do1 and as ,i preferred analysis to all other subjects1 ,i wrote a work of #bdf pages on curves and surfaces of the second and higher orders4 ,while writing this1 con amore1 a new edition of the ,physical ,sciences was much needed1 so ,i put on high pressure and worked at both4 ,had these two manuscripts been published at that time1 they might have been of use2 ,i do not remember why they were laid aside1 and forgotten till ,i found them years afterwards among my papers4 ,long after the time ,i am writing about1 while at ,naples1 ,i amused myself by repairing the time-worn parts of these manuscripts1 and was surprised to find that in my eighty-ninth year ,i still retained facility in the ,calculus4 ,the second edition of the ,physical ,sciences was dedicated to my dear friend1 ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,it went through nine editions1 and has been translated into ,german and ,italian4 ,the book went through various editions in the ,united ,states1 to the honour1 but not to the profit1 of the author4 ,however1 the publisher obligingly sent me a copy4 ,i must say that profit was never an object with me3 ,i wrote because it was impossible for me to be idle4 ,i had the honour of presenting a copy of my book to the ,duchess of ,kent at a private audience4 ,the ,duchess and ,princess ,victoria were alone1 and received me very graciously1 and conversed for half an hour with me4 ,as ,i mentioned before1 ,i saw the young ,princess crowned3 youthful1 almost child-like as she was1 she went through the imposing ceremony with all the dignity of a ,queen4 ,a few letters from some of my mother's friends1 written at this period1 may prove of interest4 ,they are chiefly written to thank her for copies of the ,preliminary ,dissertation or of the ,physical ,sciences4 ,one from ,lord ,brougham concerns my mother's estimate of the scientific merit of ,dr4 ,young1 for whom she had the sincerest admiration1 considering him one of the first philosophers and discoverers of the age4 ,,from ,,miss ,,edgeworth ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,edgworthtown1 ,may #cast1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,there is one satisfaction at least in giving knowledge to the ignorant1 to those who know their ignorance at least1 that they are grateful and humble4 ,you should have my grateful and humble thanks long ago for the favour--the honour--you did me by sending me that ,preliminary ,dissertation1 in which there is so much knowledge1 but that ,i really wished to read it over and over again at some intervals of time1 and to have the pleasure of seeing my sister ,harriet read it1 before ,i should write to you4 ,she has come to us1 and has just been enjoying it1 as ,i knew she would4 ,for my part1 ,i was long in the state of the boa constrictor after a full meal--and ,i am but just recovering the powers of motion4 ,my mind was so distended by the magnitude1 the immensity1 of what you put into it6 ,i am afraid that if you had been aware how ignorant ,i was you would not have sent me this dissertation1 because you would have felt that you were throwing away much that ,i could not understand1 and that could be better bestowed on scientific friends capable of judging of what they admire4 ,i can only assure you that you have given me a great deal of pleasure2 that you have enlarged my conception of the sublimity of the universe1 beyond any ideas ,i had ever before been enabled to form4 ,the great simplicity of your manner of writing1 ,i may say of your mind1 which appears in your writing1 particularly suits the scientific sublime--which would be destroyed by what is commonly called fine writing4 ,you trust sufficiently to the natural interest of your subject1 to the importance of the facts1 the beauty of the whole1 and the adaptation of the means to the ends1 in every part of the immense whole4 ,this reliance upon your reader's feeling along with you1 was to me very gratifying4 ,the ornaments of eloquence dressing out a sublime subject are just so many proofs either of bad taste in the orator1 or of distrust and contempt of the taste of those whom he is trying thus to captivate4 ,i suppose nobody yet has completely mastered the tides1 therefore ,i may well content myself with my inability to comprehend what relates to them4 ,but instead of plaguing you with an endless enumeration of my difficulties1 ,i had better tell you some of the passages which gave me1 ignoramus as ,i am1 peculiar pleasure4444 ,i am afraid ,i shall transcribe your whole book if ,i go on to tell you all that has struck me1 and you would not thank me for that--you1 who have so little vanity1 and so much to do better with your time than to read my ignorant admiration4 ,but pray let me mention to you a few of the passages that amused my imagination particularly1 viz41 #ast1 the inhabitant of ,pallas going round his world--or who might go--in five or six hours in one of our steam carriages2 #bnd1 the moderate-sized man who would weigh two tons at the surface of the sun--and who would weigh only a few pounds at the surface of the four new planets1 and would be so light as to find it impossible to stand from the excess of muscular force6 ,i think a very entertaining dream might be made of a man's visit to the sun and planets--these ideas are all like dreamy feelings when one is a little feverish4 ,i forgot to mention 7page #eh7 a passage on the propagation of sound4 ,it is a beautiful sentence1 as well as a sublime idea1 so that at a very small height above the surface of the earth1 the noise of the tempest ceases and the thunder is heard no more in those boundless regions1 where the heavenly bodies accomplish their periods in eternal and sublime silence4 ,excuse me in my trade of sentence-monger1 and believe me1 dear ,mrs4 ,somerville1 truly your obliged and truly your affectionate friend1 ,,maria ,,edgeworth4 ,i have persuaded your dear curly-headed friend1 ,harriet1 to add her own observations2 she sends her love to you2 and ,i know you love her1 otherwise ,i would not press her to write her own say4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,miss ,,joanna ,,baillie ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,hampstead1 ,february #ast1 #ahcb4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i am now1 thank ,god6 recovered from a very heavy disease1 but still very weak4 ,i will not1 however1 delay any longer my grateful acknowledgments for your very flattering gift of your ,preliminary ,dissertation4 ,indeed1 ,i feel myself greatly honoured by receiving such a mark of regard from one who has done more to remove the light estimation in which the capacity of women is too often held1 than all that has been accomplished by the whole sisterhood of poetical damsels and novel-writing authors4 ,i could say much more on this subject were ,i to follow my own feelings2 but ,i am still so weak that writing is a trouble to me1 and ,i have nearly done all that ,i am able4 ,god bless and prosper you6 ,yours gratefully and truly1 ,j4 ,,baillie4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,miss ,,berry ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,bellevue1 #ahth ,september1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i have just finished reading your book1 which has entertained me extremely1 and at the same time1 ,i hope1 improved my moral character in the ,christian virtue of humility4 ,these must appear to you such odd results--so little like those produced on the great majority of your readers1 that you must allow me to explain them to you4 ,humbled1 ,i must be1 by finding my own intellect unequal to following1 beyond a first step1 the explanations by which you seek to make easy to comprehension the marvellous phenomena of the universe--humbled1 by feeling the intellectual difference between you and me1 placing you as much above me in the scale of reasoning beings1 as ,i am above my dog4 ,still ,i rejoice with humility at feeling myself1 in that order of understandings which1 although utterly incapable of following the chain of your reasonings1 calculations1 and inductions--utterly deprived of the powers necessary sic itur ad astra--am yet informed1 enlightened1 and entertained with the series of sublime truths to which you conduct me4 ,in some foggy morning of ,november1 ,i shall drive out to you at ,chelsea and surprise you with my ignorance of science1 by asking you to explain to me some things which you will wonder any one can have so long existed without knowing4 ,in the mean time1 ,i wish you could read in any combination of the stars the probability of our often having such a season as this1 of uninterrupted summer since ,april last1 and when last week it was sobering into autumn1 has now returned to enter summer again4 ,the thermometer was at #hc in the shade yesterday1 and to-day promises to be as much4 ,we are delighted with our two months' residence at this place1 which we shall see with regret draw towards a close the end of this month4 ,october we mean to spend at ,paris1 before we return to the nebulosities of ,london4 ,during my residence in ,paris1 before we came here1 ,i never had the good luck to meet with your friend ,m4 ,arago2 had ,i not been reading your book1 ,i should have begged you to give me a letter for him4 ,but as it is1 and as my stay at ,paris will now be so short1 ,i shall content myself with looking up at a respectful distance to all your great fixed stars of science1 excepting always yourself1 dear ,mrs4 ,somerville4 ,no disturbing influence will1 ,i hope1 ever throw me out of the orbit of your intimacy and friendship1 whose value1 believe me1 is most duly and accurately calculated by your ignorant but very affectionate friend1 ,m4 ,,berry4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,many thanks for the sheets1 which ,i have read with equal pleasure and instruction as those ,i formerly had from you4 ,one or two things ,i could have troubled you with1 but they are of little moment4 ,i shall note them4 ,the only one that is at all material relates to the way you mention ,dr4 ,young--not that ,i object to the word illustrious1 or as applied to him4 ,but as you don't give it to one considerably more so1 it looks either as if you overrated him1 or underrated ,davy1 or 7which ,i suppose to be the truth7 as if you felt ,young had not had his due share of honour1 and desired to make it up to his memory4 ,observe ,i give him a very high place--but ,davy's discoveries are both of more unquestioned originality and more undoubtedly true--perhaps ,i should say1 more brought to a close4 ,the alkalis and the principle of the safety lamp are concluded and fixed1 the undulation is in progress1 and somewhat uncertain as to how and where it may end4 ,you will please to observe that ,i reckon both those capital discoveries of ,davy the fruit of inquiry1 and not at all of chance--for1 as to the lamp1 it is plain2 and as to the metals1 if you look at the inquiries that immediately preceded1 you will see he was thereby led to the alkalis4 ,indeed1 ,i well remember saying1 when ,i read them1 ,he will analyse lime and barytes4 ,i am quite ready to admit his extreme folly in some things1 but that is nothing to the present purpose4 ,yours1 ,h4,b4 7,henry ,brougham47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,marcet ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,geneva1 #fth ,april1 #ahcd4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i am desired by ,professor ,prevost to inform you that you were elected an honorary member of the ,socit de ,physique et d',histoire ,naturelle de ,genve on the #crd ,april1 and that a diploma will be forwarded to you by the earliest opportunity4 ,after all the honours you have received1 this little feather is hardly worthy of waving in your plume1 but ,i am glad that ,geneva should know how to appreciate your merit4 ,you receive great honours1 my dear friend1 but that which you confer on our sex is still greater1 for with talents and acquirements of masculine magnitude you unite the most sensitive and retiring modesty of the female sex2 indeed1 ,i know not any woman1 perhaps ,i might say1 any human being1 who would support so much applause without feeling the weakness of vanity4 ,forgive me for allowing my pen to run away with this undisguised praise1 it looks so much like compliment1 but ,i assure you it comes straight from the heart1 and you must know that it is fully deserved4444 ,i know not whether you have heard of the death of ,professor de la ,rive 7the father72 it was an unexpected blow1 which has fallen heavily on all his family4 ,it is indeed a great loss to ,geneva1 both as a man of science and a most excellent citizen4 ,m4 ,rossi#ab has left us to occupy the chair of political economy of the late ,m4 ,say1 at ,paris2 his absence is sadly felt1 and it is in vain to look around for any one capable of replacing him4444 ,yours affectionately1 ,j4 ,,marcet4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,admiral ,w4,h4 ,,smyth ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,crescent1 ,,bedford1 ,october #crd1 #ahce4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1 ,as an opportunity offers of sending a note to town1 ,i beg to mention that ,i have somewhat impatiently waited for some appearance of settled weather1 in order to press your coming here to inspect ,halley's comet1 before it should have become visible to the unassisted eye4 ,that unerring monitor1 however1 the barometer1 held forth no hope1 and the ceaseless traveller is already an object of conspicuous distinction without artificial aid1 except1 perhaps1 to most eyes an opera-glass1 magnifying three or four times1 will be found a pleasant addition4 ,it is now gliding along with wonderful celerity1 and the nucleus is very bright4 ,it is accompanied with a great luminosity1 and the nucleus has changed its position therein2 that is1 on the #bith ,august1 the nucleus was like a minute star near the centre of the nebulous envelope2 on the #bnd ,september it appeared in the n4 f4 quarter1 and latterly it has been in the s4 f4 ,how remarkable that the month of ,august this year should rattle ,halley's name throughout the globe1 in identity with an astonishing scientific triumph1 and that in the selfsame month the letters of ,flamsteed should have appeared6 ,how ,i wish some one would give us a life of ,newton1 with all the interesting documents that exist of his labours6 ,till such appears1 ,flamsteed's statements1 though bearing strong internal evidence of truth1 are ex-parte1 and it is evident his anxiety made him prone to impute motives which he could not prove4 ,the book is painfully interesting1 but except in all that relates to the personal character of ,flamsteed1 ,i could almost have wished the documents had been destroyed4 ,people of judgment well know that men without faults are monsters1 but vulgar minds delight in seeing the standard of human excellence lowered4 ,dear ,madam1 ,yours faithfully1 ,w4,h4 ,,smyth4 ,we were deprived of the society of ,sir ,john and ,lady ,herschel for four years1 because ,sir ,john took his telescope and other instruments to the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 where he went1 accompanied by his family1 for the purpose of observing the celestial phenomena of the southern hemisphere4 ,there are more than #f1jjj double stars in the northern hemisphere1 in a large proportion of which the angle of position and distance between the two stars have been measured1 and ,sir ,john determined1 in the same manner1 #ajha in the southern hemisphere1 and ,i believe many additions have been made to them since that time4 ,in many of these one star revolves rapidly round the other4 ,the elliptical orbits and periodical times of sixteen or seventeen of these stellar systems have been determined4 ,in ,gamma ,virginis the two stars are nearly of the same magnitude1 and were so far apart in the middle of the last century that they were considered to be quite independent of each other4 ,since then they have been gradually approaching one another1 till1 in ,march1 #ahcf1 ,i had a letter from ,admiral ,smyth1 informing me that he had seen one of the stars eclipse the other1 from his observatory at ,bedford4 ,,from ,,admiral ,,smyth ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,crescent1 ,,bedford1 ,march #bfth1 #ahcf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1 ,knowing the great interest you take in sidereal astronomy1 of which so little is yet known1 ,i trust it will not be an intrusion to tell you of a new1 extraordinary1 and very unexpected fact1 in the complete occultation of one fixed star by another1 under circumstances which admit of no possible doubt or equivocation4 ,you are aware that ,i have been measuring the position and distance of the two stars ,greek3 g#a and ,greek3 g#b ,virginis1 which are both nearly of similar magnitudes1 and also1 that they have approximated to each other very rapidly4 ,they were very close last year1 and ,i expected to find they had crossed each other at this apparition1 but to my surprise ,i find they have become a fair round disc1 which my highest powers will not elongate--in fact1 a single star6 ,i shall watch with no little interest for the reappearance of the second ,greek3 g4 ,my dear madam1 ,your truly obliged servant1 ,w4,h4 ,,smyth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this eclipse was also seen by ,sir ,john ,herschel at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 as well as by many astronomers in ,europe provided with instruments of great optical power4 ,in #aghb ,sir ,william ,herschel saw one of the stars of ,zeta ,herculis eclipse the other4 ,in the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences ,i have given an abridged account of ,sir ,john ,herschel's most remarkable discoveries in the southern hemisphere2 but ,i may mention here that he determined the position and made accurate drawings of all the nebul that were distinctly visible in his #bj ft4 telescope4 ,the work he published will be a standard for ascertaining the changes that may take place in these mysterious objects for ages to come4 ,sir ,william ,herschel had determined the places of #b1ejj nebul in the northern hemisphere2 they were examined by his son1 and drawings made of some of the most remarkable1 but when these nebul were viewed through ,lord ,rosse's telescope1 they presented a very different appearance1 showing that the apparent form of the nebul depends upon the space-penetrating power of the telescope1 a circumstance of vital importance in observing the changes which time may produce on these wonderful objects4 ,long afterwards ,lord ,rosse wrote in reply to some questions which my mother had addressed to him on this subject3-- ,,from ,,the ,,earl ,,of ,,rosse ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,castle1 ,,parsonstown1 ,june #abth1 #ahdd4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i have very reluctantly postponed so long replying to your inquiries respecting the telescope1 but there were some points upon which ,i was anxious to be enabled to speak more precisely4 ,the instrument we are now using is #c feet aperture1 and #bg feet focus1 and in the greater proportion of the nebul which have been observed with it some new details have been brought out4 ,perhaps the most interesting general result is that1 as far as we have gone1 increasing optical power has enlarged the list of clusters1 by diminishing that of the nebul properly so-called4 ,such has always been the case since the nebul have been observed with telescopes1 and although it would be unsafe to draw the inference1 it is impossible not to feel some expectation that with sufficient optical power the nebul would all be reduced into clusters4 ,perhaps the two of the most remarkable of the resolved nebul are ,fig4 #bf and ,fig4 #ee4 ,in several of the planetary nebul we have discovered a star or bright point in the centre1 and a filamentous edge1 which is just the appearance which a cluster with a highly condensed centre would present in a small instrument4 ,for instance1 ,figs4 #dg and #cb4 ,we have also found that many of the nebul have not a symmetrical form1 as they appear to have in inferior instruments2 for instance1 ,fig4 #ha is a cluster with long resolvable filaments from its southern extremity1 and ,fig4 #he is an oblong cluster with a bright centre4 ,fig4 #de is an annular nebula1 like ,herschel's drawing of the annular nebula in ,lyra4 ,i have sent drawings of a few of these objects to the ,royal ,society1 they were forwarded a few days ago4 ,we have upon the whole as yet observed but little with the telescope of #c feet aperture4 ,you recollect ,herschel said that it was a good observing year1 in which there were #ajj hours fit for observing1 and of the average of our hours ,i have not employed above #cj4 ,we have been for the last two years engaged in constructing a telescope of #f feet aperture and #eb feet focus1 and it would have been impossible to have bestowed the necessary attention upon it had we made a business of observing4 ,that instrument is nearly finished1 and ,i hope it will effect something for astronomy4 ,the unequal refraction of the atmosphere will limit its powers1 but how far remains to be ascertained4444 ,lady ,rosse joins me in very kind remembrances and believe me to be1 ,dear ,mrs4 ,somerville1 ,yours very truly and ever1 ,,rosse4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sir ,john ,herschel wrote to my father from the ,cape3-- ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,mr4 ,,somerville4 ,,feldhausen1 ,,near ,,wynberg1 ,c4,g4,h41 ,july #agth1 #ahcj4 ,,my ,,dear ,,somerville1 ,since our arrival here1 ,i have1 ,i know in many instances1 maintained or established the character of a bad correspondent2 and really it is not an inconvenient character to have established4 ,only1 in your case1 ,i should be very sorry to appear in that1 or any other negligent or naughty light2 but you1 ,i know1 will allow for the circumstances which have occasioned my silence4 ,meanwhile1 ,i am not sorry that the execution of an intention ,i had more than once formed should have been deferred1 till we read in the papers of the well-judged and highly creditable notice 7creditable ,i mean to the government pro tempore7 which ,his ,majesty has been pleased to take of ,mrs4 ,somerville's elaborate works4 ,although the ,royal notice is not quite so swift as the lightning in the selection of its objects1 it agrees with it in this1 that it is attracted by the loftiest2 and though what she has performed may seem so natural and easy to herself1 that she may blush to find it fame2 all the rest of the world will agree with me in rejoicing that merit of that kind is felt and recognised at length in the high places of the earth4 ,this1 and the honourable mention of ,airy by men of both parties in the ,house of ,commons about the same time1 are things that seem to mark the progress of the age we live in2 and ,i give ,peel credit for his tact in perceiving this mode of making a favourable impression on the public mind4 ,we are all going on very comfortably1 and continue to like the ,cape as a place of 7temporary7 residence as much or more than at first4 ,the climate is so very delicious4444 ,the stars are most propitious1 and1 astronomically speaking1 ,i can now declare the climate to be most excellent4 ,night after night1 for weeks and months1 with hardly an interruption1 of perfect astronomical weather1 discs of stars reduced almost to points1 and tranquilly gliding across the field of your telescope4 ,it is really a treat1 such as occurs once or perhaps twice a year in ,england--hardly more4 ,i had almost forgotten that by a recent vote of the ,astronomical ,society ,i can now claim ,mrs4 ,somerville as a colleague4 ,pray make my compliments to her in that capacity1 and tell her that ,i hope to meet her there at some future session4444 ,yours very faithfully1 ,h4,w4 ,,herschel4 ,,to ,,william ,,somerville1 ,,esq4 99 99 99 99 99 ,spectrum analysis has shown that there is a vast quantity of self-luminous gaseous matter in space1 incapable of being reduced into stars1 however powerful the telescope through which it is observed4 ,hence the old opinion once more prevails1 that this is the matter of which the sun and stellar systems have been formed1 and that other stellar systems are being formed by slow1 continuous condensation4 ,the principal constituents of this matter are1 the terrestrial gases1 hydrogen1 and nitrogen4 ,the yellow stars1 like the sun1 contain terrestrial matter4 ,the nebulous and stellar constituents were chiefly discovered by ,dr4 ,huggins4 ,somerville and ,i were always made welcome by ,sir ,james ,south1 and at ,campden ,hill ,i learnt the method of observing1 and sometimes made observations myself on the double stars and binary systems1 which1 worthless as they were1 enabled me to describe better what others had done4 ,one forenoon ,somerville and ,i went to pay a visit to ,lady ,south4 ,sir ,james1 who was present1 said1 ,come to the observatory1 and measure the distance of ,mercury from the sun2 for they are in close approximation1 and ,i wish to see what kind of observation you will make4 ,it was erroneous1 as might have been expected2 but when ,i took the mean of several observations1 it differed but little from that which ,sir ,james ,south had made2 and here ,i learnt practically the importance of taking the mean of approximate quantities4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,wollaston1 ,dr4 ,young1 and the ,katers died before ,i became an author2 ,lord ,brougham was one of the last of my scientific contemporaries1 all the rest were younger than myself1 and with this younger set1 as with their predecessors1 we had most agreeable and constant intercourse4 ,although we lived so much in scientific society we had all along been on the most friendly and intimate terms with the literary society of the day1 such as ,hallam1 ,milman1 ,moore1 ,malthus1 c41 c4 ,the highly intellectual conversation of these was enlivened by the brilliant wit of my early friend1 ,sydney ,smith1 who was loved and admired by every one4 ,his daughter married our friend ,sir ,henry ,holland1 the distinguished physician1 well known for his eminent literary and scientific acquirements as well as for his refined taste4 ,no house in ,london was more hospitable and agreeable than that of the late ,mr4 ,john ,murray1 in ,albemarle ,street4 ,his dinner parties were brilliant1 with all the poets and literary characters of the day1 and ,mr4 ,murray himself was gentlemanly1 full of information1 and kept up the conversation with spirit4 ,he generously published the ,mechanism of the ,heavens at his own risk1 which1 from its analytical character1 could only be read by mathematicians4 ,besides those ,i have mentioned we had a numerous acquaintance who were neither learned nor scientific2 and at concerts at some of their houses ,i enjoyed much hearing the great artists of the day1 such as ,pasta1 ,malibran1 ,grisi1 ,rubini1 c41 c4 ,we knew ,lucien ,buonaparte1 who gave me a copy of his poems1 which were a failure4 ,i had become acquainted with ,madame de ,montalembert1 who was an ,englishwoman1 and was mother of the celebrated ,comte2 she was very eccentric1 and at that time was an ,ultra-,protestant4 ,one day she came to ask me to go and drive in the ,park with her1 and afterwards dine at her house1 saying1 ,we shall all be in high dresses4 ,so ,i accepted1 and on entering the drawing-room1 found a bishop and several clergymen1 ,lady ,olivia ,sparrow1 and some other ladies1 all in high black satin dresses and white lace caps1 precisely the dress ,i wore1 and ,i thought it a curious coincidence4 ,the party was lively enough1 and agreeable1 but the conversation was in a style ,i had never heard before--in fact1 it affected the phraseology of the ,bible4 ,we all went after dinner to a sort of meeting at ,exeter ,hall1 ,i quite forget for what purpose1 but our party was on a kind of raised platform4 ,i mentioned this to a friend afterwards1 and the curious circumstance of our all being dressed alike4 ,do you not know1 she said1 that dress is assumed as a distinctive mark of the ,evangelical party6 ,so you were a wolf in sheep's clothing6 ,i had been acquainted with the ,miss ,berrys at ,raith1 when visiting their cousins1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,ferguson4 ,mary1 the eldest1 was a handsome1 accomplished woman1 who from her youth had lived in the most distinguished society1 both at home and abroad4 ,she published a ,comparative ,view of ,social ,life in ,france and ,england1 which was well received by the public4 ,she was a ,latin scholar1 spoke and wrote ,french fluently1 yet with all these advantages1 the consciousness that she might have done something better1 had female education been less frivolous1 gave her a characteristic melancholy which lasted through life4 ,she did not talk much herself1 but she had the tact to lead conversation4 ,she and her sister received every evening a select society in their small house in ,curzon ,street4 ,besides any distinguished foreigners who happened to be in ,london1 among their habitual guests were my friend1 ,lady ,charlotte ,lindsay1 always witty and agreeable1 the brilliant and beautiful ,sheridans1 ,lady ,theresa ,lister1 afterwards ,lady ,theresa ,lewis1 who edited ,miss ,berry's ,memoirs1 ,lord ,lansdowne1 and many others4 ,lady ,davy came occasionally1 and the ,miss ,fanshaws1 who were highly accomplished1 and good artists1 besides ,miss ,catherine ,fanshaw wrote clever vers de socit1 such as a charade on the letter ,h1 and1 if ,i am not mistaken1 ,the ,butterfly's ,ball1 c4 ,i visited these ladies1 but their manners were so cold and formal that1 though ,i admired their talents1 ,i never became intimate with them4 ,on the contrary1 like everyone else1 ,i loved ,mary ,berry1 she was so warm-hearted and kind4 ,when ,london began to fill1 and the season was at its height1 the ,miss ,berrys used to retire to a pretty villa at ,twickenham1 where they received their friends to luncheon1 and strawberries and cream1 and very delightful these visits were in fine spring weather4 ,i recollect once1 after dining there1 to have been fortunate enough to give a place in my carriage to ,lord ,macaulay1 and those who remember his charming and brilliant conversation will understand how short the drive to ,london appeared4 ,we sometimes went to see ,miss ,lydia ,white1 who received every evening2 she was clever1 witty1 and very free in her conversation4 ,on one occasion the party consisted1 besides ourselves1 of the ,misses ,berry1 ,lady ,davy2 the three poets1 ,rogers1 ,william ,spencer1 and ,campbell2 ,sir ,james ,macintosh1 and ,lord ,dudley4 ,rogers1 who was a bitter satirist and hated ,lord ,dudley1 had written the following1 epigram3-- ,ward has no heart1 'tis said2 but ,i deny it4 ,he has a heart1 and gets his speeches by it4 ,i had never heard of this epigram1 and on coming away ,lord ,dudley said1 ,you are going home to sleep and ,i to work4 ,i answered1 ,oh6 you are going to prepare your speech for to-morrow4 ,my appropriate remark raised an universal laugh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,bowditch1 of ,boston1 ,u4,s41 who died in #ahch1 left among other works a ,commentary on ,la ,place's ,mcanique ,cleste in four volumes4 ,while busily occupied in bringing out an edition of the ,physical ,sciences1 ,i received a letter from his son1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,bowditch1 requesting me to write an elaborate review of that work1 which would be published in ,boston along with the biography of his father1 written by ,mr4 ,young1 who sent me a copy of it4 ,though highly sensible of the honour1 ,i declined to undertake so formidable a work1 fearing that ,i should not do justice to the memory of so great a man4 ,i have always been in communication with some of the most distinguished men of the ,united ,states4 ,washington ,irving frequently came to see me when he was in ,london2 he was as agreeable in conversation as he was distinguished as an author4 ,no one could be more amiable than ,admiral ,wilkes1 of the ,u4,s4 navy3 he had all the frankness of a sailor4 ,we saw a good deal of him when he was in ,london1 and ,i had a long letter from him1 giving me an account of his fleet1 his plan for circumnavigation1 c4c4 ,i never had the good fortune to become personally acquainted with ,captain ,maury1 of the ,u4,s4 navy1 author of that fascinating book1 the ,physical ,geography of the ,sea1 but ,i am indebted to him for a copy of that work1 and of his valuable charts4 ,mr4 ,dana1 who is an honour to his country1 sent me copies of his works1 to which ,i have had occasion frequently to refer as acknowledged authority on many branches of natural history4 ,i should be ungrateful if ,i did not acknowledge the kindness ,i received from the ,silliman family1 who informed me of any scientific discovery in the ,united ,states1 and sent me a copy of their ,journal when it contained anything which might interest me4 ,i was elected an honorary member of the ,geographical and ,statistical ,society of ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4 on the #aeth ,may1 #aheg1 and on the #aeth ,october1 #ahfi1 ,i was elected a member of the ,american ,philosophical ,society at ,philadelphia1 for ,promoting ,useful ,knowledge4 ,i shall ever be most grateful for these honours4 ,while living in ,florence1 many years after1 an ,american friend invited me to an evening party to meet an ,american authoress who wished particularly to make my acquaintance4 ,i accordingly went there on the evening in question1 and my friends1 after receiving me with their accustomed cordiality1 presented me to the lady1 and placed me beside her to give me an opportunity of conversing with her4 ,i addressed her several times1 and made various attempts to enter into conversation1 but only received very dry answers in reply4 ,at last she fairly turned her back upon me1 and became engrossed with a lady who sat on her other side1 upon which ,i got up and left her and never saw her again4 ,a very different person in every respect was present that evening1 as much distinguished by her high mental qualities and poetical genius as by her modesty and simplicity4 ,i allude to our greatest ,british poetess1 ,mrs4 ,browning1 who at that time resided in ,florence1 except when the delicacy of her health obliged her to go to ,rome4 ,i think there is no other instance of husband and wife both poets1 and both distinguished in their different lines4 ,i can imagine no happier or more fascinating life than theirs2 two kindred spirits united in the highest and noblest aspirations4 ,unfortunately her life was a short one2 in the full bloom of her intellect her frail health gave way1 and she died leaving a noble record of genius to future ages1 and a sweet memory to those who were her contemporaries4 ,the ,florentines1 who1 like all ,italians1 greatly appreciate genius1 whether native or foreign1 have placed a commemorative tablet on ,casa ,guidi1 the house ,mrs4 ,browning inhabited4 ,i was extremely delighted last spring in being honoured by a visit from ,longfellow1 that most genial poet4 ,it is not always the case that the general appearance of a distinguished person answers to one's ideal of what he ought to be--in this respect ,longfellow far surpasses expectation4 ,i was as much charmed with his winning manner and conversation as by his calm1 grand features and the expression of his intellectual countenance4 ,the ,barons ,fairfax1 as ,i mentioned already1 had long been members of the ,republic of the ,united ,states1 and ,washington's mother belonged to this family4 ,during the war of ,independence1 while my father1 then ,lieutenant ,fairfax1 was on board a man-of-war on the ,american station1 he received a letter from ,general ,washington claiming him as a relation1 and inviting him to pay him a visit1 saying1 he did not think that war should interfere with the courtesies of private life4 ,party spirit ran so high at that time that my father was reprimanded for being in correspondence with the enemy4 ,i mentioned to my friend1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,tuckerman1 of the ,united ,states1 how much ,i regretted that so precious a letter had been lost1 and he most kindly on going home sent me an autograph letter of ,general ,washington4 ,,from ,,the ,,rev4 ,,joseph ,,tuckerman ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,boston1 ,august #bhth1 #ahcd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,madam1 ,i have very great pleasure in sending to you an autograph letter of your and our glorious ,washington4 ,i obtained it from ,mr4 ,sparks1 who had the gratification of seeing you when he was in ,england1 and who told me when ,i applied to him for it1 that there is no one in the world to whom he would be so glad to give it4 ,it is beyond comparison the best and almost the only remaining one at his disposal among the ,washington papers4 ,i am again in my family and in the field of my ministry4 ,but very dear to me are my associations with scenes and friends in ,england2 and most glad should ,i be if ,i could renew that intercourse with yourself1 and with the intellect and virtue around you1 to which ,i have been indebted for great happiness1 and which1 ,i hope1 has done something to qualify me for a more efficient service4 ,will you please to present my very sincere respects to your husband1 and to recall me to the kind remembrance of your children4 ,with the highest respect and regard1 allow me to call myself4 ,your friend1 ,,joseph ,,tuckerman4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i think it must have been on returning from the ,american station1 or may be later in the career of my father's life1 that a circumstance occurred which distressed him exceedingly4 ,highway robberies were common on all the roads in the vicinity of ,london1 but no violence was offered4 ,my father was travelling alone over ,blackheath when the postilion was ordered to stop1 a pistol presented at my father1 and his purse demanded4 ,my father at once recognised the voice as that of a shipmate1 and exclaimed1 ,good ,god6 ,i know that voice6 can it be young----8 ,i am dreadfully shocked2 ,i have a hundred pounds which shall be yours--come into the carriage1 and let me take you to ,london1 where you will be safe4 444 ,no1 no1 the young man said1 ,i have associates whom ,i cannot leave--it is too late4 444 ,it was too late2 he was arrested eventually and suffered4 ,years afterwards when by some accident my father mentioned this event1 he was deeply affected1 and never would tell the name of the young man who had been his mess-mate4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ab3 ,m4 ,pellegrino ,rossi1 afterwards ,minister of ,france at ,rome1 then ,prime ,minister to ,pius the ,ninth2 murdered in #ahdh on the steps of the ,cancelleria1 at ,rome4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,rome1 ,,naples1 ,,and ,,como--,,baden--,,winter ,,at ,,florence--,,siena--,,letter ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham--,,mr4 ,,mountstuart ,,elphinstone--,,life ,,at ,,rome--,,campagna ,,cattle4 ,my mother was already meditating writing a book upon ,physical ,geography1 and had begun to collect materials for it1 when my father's long and dangerous illness obliged her to lay it aside for a time4 ,my father was ordered to a warmer climate for the winter1 and as soon as he was able to travel we proceeded to ,rome4 ,we were hardly settled when my mother1 with her usual energy1 set to work diligently1 and began this book1 which was not published for some time later1 as it required much thought and research4 ,she never allowed anything to interfere with her morning's work2 after that was over she was delighted to join in any plan which had been formed for the afternoon's amusement1 and enjoyed herself thoroughly1 whether in visiting antiquities and galleries1 excursions in the neighbourhood1 or else going with a friend to paint on the ,campagna4 ,my mother was extremely fond of ,rome1 and often said no place had ever suited her so well4 ,independently of the picturesque beauty of the place1 which1 to such a lover of nature1 was sufficient in itself1 there was a very pleasant society during many seasons we spent there4 ,the visitors were far less numerous than they are now1 but on that very account there was more sociability and intimacy1 and scarcely an evening passed without our meeting4 ,the artists residing at ,rome1 too1 were a most delightful addition to society4 ,some of them became our very dear friends4 ,my mother remarks3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,we took lodgings at ,rome1 and as soon as we were settled ,i resumed my work and wrote every morning till two o'clock1 then went to some gallery1 walked on the ,pincio1 dined at six1 and in the evening either went out or received visits at home--the pleasantest way of seeing friends1 as it does not interfere with one's occupations4 ,we once joined a party that was arranged to see the statues in the ,vatican by torchlight1 at which ,lord ,macaulay astonished us by his correct knowledge and learning as we passed through the gallery of inscriptions4 ,to me this evening was memorable2 on this occasion ,i first met with ,john ,gibson1 the sculptor1 who afterwards became a dear and valued friend4 ,he must have been a pupil of ,canova's or ,thorwaldsen's when ,somerville and ,i were first at ,rome4 ,now his fame was as great as that of either of his predecessors4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in spring we went to ,naples for a few weeks1 and returned to ,rome by the ,san ,germano road1 now so familiar to travellers1 but then hardly ever frequented1 as it was extremely unsafe on account of the brigands4 ,we met with no adventures1 although we often reached our night quarters long after sunset1 for my mother sketched a great deal on the road4 ,we travelled by vetturino and continued this delightful journey to ,como4 ,my mother was a perfect travelling companion1 always cheerful and contented and interested in all she saw4 ,i leave her to tell of our pleasant residence at ,bellaggio in her own words3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,we remained only a short time at ,florence1 and then went for a month to ,bellaggio1 on the ,lake of ,como1 at that time the most lonely village imaginable4 ,we had neither letters1 newspapers1 nor any books1 except the ,bible1 yet we liked it exceedingly4 ,i did nothing but paint in the mornings1 and ,somerville sat by me4 ,my daughters wandered about1 and in the evening we went in a boat on the lake4 ,sometimes we made longer excursions4 ,one day we went early to ,menaggio1 at the upper end of the lake4 ,the day had been beautiful1 but while at dinner we were startled by a loud peal of thunder4 ,the boatmen desired us to embark without delay1 as a storm was rising behind the mountains2 it soon blew a gale1 and the lake was a sheet of foam2 we took shelter for a while at some place on the coast and set out again1 thinking the storm had blown over1 but it was soon worse than ever4 ,we were in no small danger for two hours4 ,the boatmen1 terrified1 threw themselves on their knees in prayer to the ,madonna4 ,somerville seized the helm and lowered the sail and ordered them to rise1 saying1 the ,madonna would help them if they helped themselves1 and at last they returned to their duty4 ,for a long time we remained perfectly silent1 when one of our daughters said1 ,i have been thinking what a paragraph it will be in the newspapers1 ',drowned1 during a sudden squall on the lake of ,como1 an ,english family named ,somerville1 father1 mother and two daughters4' ,the silence thus broken made us laugh1 though our situation was serious enough1 for when we landed the shore was crowded with people who had fully expected to see the boat go down4 ,twice after this we were overtaken by these squalls1 which are very dangerous4 ,i shall never forget the magnificence of the lightning and the grandeur of the thunder1 which was echoed by the mountains during the storms on the ,lake of ,como4 ,we saw the fishermen spear the fish by torchlight1 as they did on the ,tweed4 ,the fish were plenty and the water so clear that they were seen at a great depth4 ,there are very large red-fleshed trout in the lake1 and a small very delicious fish called agoni1 caught in multitudes by fine silk nets1 to which bells are attached on floats1 that keep up a constant tinkling to let the fishermen know where to find their nets when floated away by the wind4 ,we now crossed the ,alps1 by the ,st4 ,gothard1 to ,basle and ,baden ,baden1 where we passed the summer1 intending to return to ,england in autumn1 but as soon as the rains began my father had so serious a return of his illness that my mother was much alarmed4 ,when he was well enough to travel1 we once more crossed the ,alps1 and reached ,florence1 where we remained for the winter4 ,my mother resumed her work there4 99 99 99 99 99 ,through the kindness of the ,grand ,duke1 ,i was allowed to have books at home from his private library in the ,pitti ,palace1 a favour only granted to the four ,directors4 ,this gave me courage to collect materials for my long neglected ,physical ,geography1 still in embryo4 ,as ,i took an interest in every branch of science ,i became acquainted with ,professor ,amici1 whose microscopes were unrivalled at that time1 and as he had made many remarkable microscopic discoveries in natural history1 he took us to the ,museum to see them magnified and modelled in wax4 ,i had the honour of being elected a member of the ,academy of ,natural ,science at ,florence4 ,there were many agreeable people at ,florence that winter and a good deal of gaiety4 ,the ,marchese ,antinori presented ,somerville and me to the ,grand ,duke1 who had expressed a wish to know me4 ,he received us very graciously1 and conversed with us for more than an hour on general subjects4 ,he afterwards wrote me a polite letter1 accompanied by a work on the drainage of the ,maremma1 and gave directions about our being invited to a scientific meeting which was to be held at ,pisa4 ,we were presented to the ,grand ,duchess1 who was very civil4 ,we spent the summer at ,siena1 and had a cheerful airy apartment with a fine view of the hills of ,santa ,fiora1 and with very pretty arabesques in fresco on the walls of all the rooms1 some so very artistic that ,i made sketches of them4 ,in these old cities many of the palaces and houses are decorated with that artistic taste which formerly prevailed to such an extent in ,italy1 and1 which has now yielded1 here as elsewhere1 to commonplace modern furniture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while we were at ,siena1 my mother received the following letter from ,lord ,brougham1 who was a frequent correspondent of hers1 but whose letters are generally too exclusively mathematical for the general reader4 ,my mother had described the curious horse-races which are held at ,siena every three years1 and other medival customs still prevalent4 ,,from ,,lord ,,brougham ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,cole ,,hill1 ,,kent1 ,sept4 #bhth1 #ahdj4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i am much obliged to you for your kind letter which let me know of your movements4 ,i had not heard of them since ,i saw the ,fergusons4444 ,we have been here since parliament rose1 as ,i am not yet at all equal to going to ,brougham4 ,my health is now quite restored2 but ,i shall not soon--nor in all probability ever--recover the losses ,i have been afflicted with4 ,i passed the greater part of last winter in ,provence1 expecting some relief from change of scene and from the fine climate2 but ,i came back fully worse than when ,i went4 ,in fact1 ,i did wrong in struggling at first1 which ,i did to be able to meet parliament in ,january last4 ,if ,i had yielded at once1 ,i would have been better4 ,i hope and trust they sent you a book ,i published two years ago2 ,i mean the ,dissertations1 of which one is on the ,principia1 and designed to try how far it may be taught to persons having but a very moderate stock of mathematics2 also1 if possible1 to keep alive the true taste 7as ,i reckon it7 in mathematics1 which modern analysis has a little broken in upon4 ,assuming you to have got the book1 ,i must mention that there are some intolerable errors of the press left1 such as4444 ,excuse my troubling you with these errata1 and impute it to my wish that you should not suppose me to have written the nonsense which these pages seem to prove4 ,by the way1 it is a curious proof of university prejudice1 that though the ,cambridge men admit my analysis of the ,principia to be unexceptionable1 and to be well calculated for teaching the work1 yet1 not being by a ,cambridge man1 it cannot be used6 ,they are far more liberal at ,paris1 where they only are waiting for my analysis of the second book2 but ,i put off finishing it1 as ,i do still more my account of the ,mcanique ,cleste4 ,the latter ,i have almost abandoned in despair after nearly finishing it2 ,i find so much that cannot be explained elementarily1 or anything near it4 ,so that my account to be complete would be nearly as hard reading as yours1 and not #ajjjth part as good4444 ,i greatly envy you ,siena2 ,i never was there above a day1 and always desired to stay longer4 ,the language is1 as you say1 a real charm2 but ,i was not aware of the preservation in which you describe the older manners to be4 ,i fear ,i shall not be able to visit ,provence1 as ,i should have wished this winter 444 but my plans are not quite fixed4 ,the judicial business in ,parliament and the ,privy ,council will also make my going abroad after ,january difficult4 ,i don't write you any news1 nor is there any but what you see in the papers4 ,the ,tory restoration approaches very steadily1 tho' not very rapidly2 and ,i only hope that the ,whigs1 having contrived to destroy the ,liberal party in the country--,i fear past all hope of recovery--may not have a war abroad also to mourn for4444 ,believe me1 ,yours ever1 ,h4 ,,brougham4 ,on going to ,rome ,i required a good many books for continuing my work on ,physical ,geography1 and had got ,transactions of the ,geographical ,society and other works sent from ,london1 ,the ,hon4 ,mountstuart ,elphinstone who was then at ,rome1 was an old acquaintance of ours4 ,he was one of the most amiable men ,i ever met with1 and quite won my heart one day at table when they were talking of the number of singing-birds that were eaten in ,italy--nightingales1 goldfinches1 and robins--he called out1 ,what6 robins6 our household birds6 ,i would as soon eat a child6 ,he was so kind as to write to the ,directors of the ,east ,india ,company requesting that ,i might have the use of the library and papers that were in the ,india ,house4 ,this was readily granted me2 and ,i had a letter in consequence from ,mr4 ,wilson1 the ,orientalist1 giving me a list of the works they had on the geography of ,eastern ,asia and the most recent travels in the ,himalaya1 ,thibet1 and ,china1 with much useful information from himself4 ,i was indebted to ,sir ,henry ,pottinger1 then at ,rome1 for information relating to ,scinde1 for he had been for some years ,british ,envoy at ,beloochistan4 ,thus provided1 ,i went on with my work4 ,we lived several winters in an apartment on the second floor of ,palazzo ,lepri1 ,via dei ,condotti1 where we passed many happy days4 ,when we first lived in ,via ,condotti1 the waste-pipes to carry off the rain-water from the roofs projected far into the street1 and when there was a violent thunderstorm1 one might have thought a waterspout had broken over ,rome1 the water poured in such cascades from the houses on each side of the street4 ,on one occasion the rain continued in torrents for thirty-six hours1 and the ,tiber came down in heavy flood1 inundating the ,ghetto and all the low parts of the city2 the water was six feet deep in the ,pantheon4 ,the people were driven out of their houses in the middle of the night and took refuge in the churches1 and boats plied in the streets supplying the inhabitants with food1 which they hauled up in baskets let down from the windows4 ,the ,campagna for miles was under water2 it covered the ,ponte ,molle so that the courier could not pass2 and seen from the ,pincio it looked like an extensive lake4 ,much anxiety was felt for the people who lived in the farm houses now surrounded with water4 ,boats were sent to rescue them1 and few lives were lost2 but many animals perished4 ,the flood did not subside till after three days1 when it left everything covered with yellow mud2 the loss of property was very great1 and there was much misery for a long time4 ,our house was in a very central position1 and when not engaged ,i gladly received anyone who liked to come to us in the evening1 and we had a most agreeable society1 foreign and ,english1 for we were not looked upon as strangers1 and the ,english society was much better during the years we spent in ,rome than it was afterwards4 ,i had an annual visit of an hour from the astronomer ,padre ,vico1 and ,padre ,pianciani1 ,professor of ,chemistry in the ,collegio ,romano4 ,i was invited to see the ,observatory2 but as ,i had seen those of ,greenwich and ,paris1 ,i did not think it worth while accepting the invitation1 especially as it required an order from the ,pope4 ,i could easily have obtained leave1 for we were presented to ,gregory ,,xvi4 by the ,president of the ,scotch ,catholic ,college4 ,the ,pope received me with marked distinction2 notwithstanding ,i was disgusted to see the ,president prostrate on the floor1 kissing the ,pope's foot as if he had been divine4 ,i think it was about this time that ,i was elected an honorary associate of the ,accademia ,tiberiana4 ,i had very great delight in the ,campagna of ,rome2 the fine range of ,apennines bounding the plain1 over which the fleeting shadows of the passing clouds fell1 ever changing and always beautiful1 whether viewed in the early morning1 or in the glory of the setting sun1 ,i was never tired of admiring2 and whenever ,i drove out1 preferred a country drive to the more fashionable ,villa ,borghese4 ,one day ,somerville and ,i and our daughters went to drive towards the ,tavolata1 on the road to ,albano4 ,we got out of the carriage1 and went into a field1 tempted by the wild flowers4 ,on one side of this field ran the aqueduct1 on the other a deep and wide ditch full of water4 ,i had gone towards the aqueduct1 leaving the others in the field4 ,all at once we heard a loud shouting1 when an enormous drove of the beautiful ,campagna grey cattle with their wide-spreading horns came rushing wildly between us with their heads down and their tails erect1 driven by men with long spears mounted on little spirited horses at full gallop4 ,it was so sudden and so rapid1 that only after it was over did we perceive the danger we had run4 ,as there was no possible escape1 there was nothing for it but standing still1 which ,somerville and my girls had presence of mind to do1 and the drove dividing1 rushed like a whirlwind to the right and left of them4 ,the danger was not so much of being gored as of being run over by the excited and terrified animals1 and round the walls of ,rome places of refuge are provided for those who may be passing when the cattle are driven4 ,near where this occurred there is a house with the inscription ,casa ,dei ,spiriti2 but ,i do not think the ,italians believe in either ghosts or witches2 their chief superstition seems to be the ,jettatura or evil eye1 which they have inherited from the early ,romans1 and1 ,i believe1 ,etruscans4 ,they consider it a bad omen to meet a monk or priest on first going out in the morning4 ,my daughters were engaged to ride with a large party1 and the meet was at our house4 ,a ,roman1 who happened to go out first1 saw a friar1 and rushed in again laughing1 and waited till he was out of sight4 ,soon after they set off1 this gentleman was thrown from his horse and ducked in a pool2 so the ,jettatura was fulfilled4 ,but my daughters thought his bad seat on horseback enough to account for his fall without the ,evil ,eye4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,albano--,,popular ,,singing--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,gibson--,,perugia--,,com et ,,of #ahdc--,,summer ,,at ,,venice--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,and ,,miss ,,joanna ,,baillie--,,elected ,,associate ,,of ,,the ,,college ,,of ,,resurgenti ,,and ,r4,i4 ,,academy ,,of ,,science ,,at ,,arezzo4 ,in spring we went to ,albano1 and lived in a villa1 high up on the hill in a beautiful situation not far from the lake4 ,the view was most extensive1 commanding the whole of the ,campagna as far as ,terracina1 c4 ,in this wide expanse we could see the thunderclouds forming and rising gradually over the sky before the storm1 and ,i used to watch the vapour condensing into a cloud as it rose into the cool air4 ,i never witnessed anything so violent as the storms we had about the equinox1 when the weather broke up4 ,our house being high above the plain became enveloped in vapour till1 at #c p4m4 we could scarcely see the olives which grew below our windows1 and crash followed crash with no interval between the lightning and the thunder1 so that we felt sure many places must have been struck2 and we were not mistaken--trees1 houses1 and even cattle had been struck close to us4 ,somerville went to ,florence to attend a scientific meeting1 and wrote to us that the lightning there had stripped the gold leaf off the conductors on the powder magazine2 a proof of their utility4 ,the sunsets were glorious1 and ,i1 fascinated by the gorgeous colouring1 attempted to paint what ,turner alone could have done justice to4 ,i made studies1 too1 which were signal failures1 of the noble ilex trees bordering the lake of ,albano4 ,thus ,i wasted a great deal of time1 ,i can hardly say in vain1 from the pleasure ,i had in the lovely scenery4 ,somerville sat often by me with his book1 while ,i painted from nature1 or amused himself examining the geological structure of the country4 ,our life was a solitary one1 except for the occasional visit from some friends who were at ,frascati2 but we never found it dull2 besides1 we made many expeditions on mules or donkeys to places in the neighbourhood4 ,i was very much delighted with the flora on the ,campagna and the ,alban hills1 which in spring and early summer are a perfect garden of flowers4 ,many plants we cultivate in ,england here grow wild in profusion1 such as cyclamens1 gum-cistus1 both white and purple1 many rare and beautiful orchide1 the large flowering ,spanish broom1 perfuming the air all around1 the tall1 white-blossomed ,mediterranean heath1 and the myrtle4 ,these and many others my girls used to bring in from their early morning walks4 ,the flowers only lasted till the end of ,june1 when the heat began1 and the whole country became brown and parched2 but scarcely had the autumnal rains commenced1 when1 like magic1 the whole country broke out once more into verdure1 and myriads of cyclamens covered the ground4 ,nightingales abounded in the woods1 singing both by night and by day2 and one bright moonlight night my daughters1 who slept with their window open1 were startled from their sleep by the hooting of one of those beautiful birds1 the great-eared owl--le grand duc of ,buffon--which had settled on the railing of their balcony4 ,we constantly came across snakes1 generally harmless ones2 but there were a good many vipers1 and once1 when ,somerville and my daughters1 with ,mr4 ,cromek1 the artist1 had gone from ,genzano to ,nettuno for a couple of days1 a small asp which was crawling among the bent-grass on the seashore1 darted at one of the girls1 who had irritated it by touching it with her parasol4 ,by the natives they are much dreaded1 both on this coast and in the pine forest of ,ravenna1 where the cattle are said to be occasionally poisoned by their bite4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had been acquainted with the ,rev4 ,dr41 afterwards ,cardinal ,wiseman at ,rome4 ,he was head of a college of young men educating for the ,catholic ,church1 who had their villeggiatura at ,monte ,porzio4 ,we spent a day with him there1 and visited ,tusculum2 another day we went to ,lariccia1 where there is a palace and park belonging to the ,chigi family in a most picturesque but dilapidated state4 ,we went also to ,ganzano1 ,rocca del ,papa1 and occasionally to visit frends at ,frascati4 ,there was a stone threshing-floor behind our house4 ,during the vintage we had it nicely swept and lighted with torches1 and the grape gatherers came and danced till long after midnight1 to the great amusement of my daughters1 who joined in the dance1 which was the ,saltarello1 a variety of the ,tarantella4 ,they danced to the beating of tambourines4 ,italy is the country of music1 especially of melody1 and the popular airs1 especially the ,neapolitan1 are extremely beautiful and melodious2 yet it is a fact1 that the singing of the peasantry1 particularly in the ,roman and ,neapolitan provinces1 is most disagreeable and discordant4 ,it is not melody at all1 but a kind of wild chant1 meandering through minor tones1 without rhythm of any sort or apparent rule1 and my daughters say it is very difficult to note down2 yet there is some kind of method and similarity in it as one hears it shouted out at the loudest pitch of the voice1 the last note dwelt upon and drawn out to an immeasurable length4 ,the words are frequently improvised by the singers1 who answer one another from a distance1 as they work in the fields4 ,i have been told this style of chanting--singing it can hardly be called--has been handed down from the most ancient times1 and it is said1 in the southern provinces1 to have descended from the early ,greek colonists4 ,the ancient ,greeks are supposed to have chanted their poetry to music1 as do the ,italian improvisatori at the present day4 ,in ,tuscany1 the words of the songs are often extremely poetical and graceful4 ,frequently1 these verses1 called stornelli and rispetti1 are composed by the peasants themselves1 women as well as men2 the language is the purest and most classical ,italian1 such as is spoken at the present day in the provinces of ,siena1 ,pistoja1 c41 very much less corrupted by foreign idioms or adaptations than what is spoken1 even by cultivated persons1 in ,florence itself4 ,the picturesque costumes so universal when ,i first came to ,italy1 in #ahag1 had fallen very much into disuse when1 at a much later period1 we resided in ,rome1 and now they are rarely seen4 ,we hired a handsome peasant girl from ,albano as housemaid1 who was much admired by our ,english friends in her scarlet cloth bodice1 trimmed with gold lace1 and the silver spadone1 or bodkin1 fastening her plaits of dark hair2 but she very soon exchanged her picturesque costume for a bonnet1 etc41 in which she looked clumsy and commonplace4 ,the following are extracts from letters written from ,albano by my mother3-- ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,her ,,son ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,albano1 #afth ,june1 #ahda4 ,i was thankful to hear1 my dearest ,woronzow1 from your last letter that ,agnes is recovering so well4444 ,we are very much pleased with our residence at ,albano2 the house1 with its high sounding name of ,villa1 is more like a farmhouse1 with brick floors and no carpets1 and a few chairs and tables1 but the situation is divine4 ,we are near the top of the hill1 about half-a-mile above ,albano1 and have the most magnificent view in every direction1 and such a variety of delightful walks1 that we take a new one every evening4 ,for painting it is perfect2 every step is a picture4 ,at present we have no one near1 and lead the life of hermits2 but our friends have loaded us with books1 and with drawing1 painting1 music1 and writing1 we never have a moment idle4 ,almost every one has left ,rome2 but the ,english have all gone elsewhere1 as they are not so easily pleased with a house as we are4 ,the only gay thing we have done was a donkey ride yesterday to the top of ,monte ,cavo1 and back by the lake of ,nemi4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,woronzow ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,albano1 #bjth ,august1 #ahda4 ,i dare say you think it very long since you have heard from me1 my dearest ,woronzow1 but the truth is1 ,i have been writing so hard1 that after ,i had finished my day's work1 ,i was fit for nothing but idleness4 ,the reason of my hurry is1 that the scientific meeting takes place at ,florence on the #aeth of ,september1 and as ,i think it probable that some of our ,english philosophers will come to it1 ,i hope to have a safe opportunity of sending home some ,,ms4 which it has cost me hard work to get ready1 as ,i have undertaken a book more fit for the combination of a ,society than for a single hand to accomplish4 ,lord ,brougham was most kind when at ,rome1 and took so great an interest in it1 that he has1 undertaken to read it over1 and give me his opinion and criticism1 which will be very valuable1 as ,i know no one who is a better judge of these matters4 ,he will send it to ,mr4 ,murray1 and you had better consult with him about it1 whether he thinks it will succeed or not4 ,both ,william and ,martha like what ,i have done2 but ,i am very nervous about it1 and wish you would read it if you have time4444 ,we have been extremely quiet all the summer2 we have no neighbours1 so that we amuse ourselves with our occupations4 ,i get up between six and seven1 breakfast at eight1 and write till three1 when we dine2 after dinner1 ,i write again till near six1 when we go out and take a long walk2 come home to tea at nine1 and go to bed at eleven3 the same thing day after day1 so you cannot expect a very amusing letter4444 ,i have another commission ,i wish you would do for me2 it is to inquire what discoveries ,captain ,ross has made at the ,south ,pole4 ,i saw a very interesting account in ,galignani of what they have done1 but cannot trust to a newspaper account so as to quote it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a new edition of my ,physical ,sciences was required1 so the ,physical ,geography was laid aside for the present4 ,on returning to ,rome1 we resumed our usual life1 and continued to receive our friends in the evening without ceremony4 ,there was generally a merry party round the tea table in a corner of the room4 ,i cannot omit mentioning one of the most charming and intellectual of our friends1 ,don ,michelangelo ,gaetani1 ,duke of ,sermoneta1 whose brilliant and witty conversation is unrivalled1 and for whom ,i have had a very sincere friendship for many years4 ,i found him lately as charming as ever1 notwithstanding the cruel loss of his sight4 ,the last time ,i ever dined out was at his house at ,rome1 when ,i was on my way to ,naples in #ahfg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,john ,gibson1 the sculptor1 the most guileless and amiable of men1 was now a dear friend4 ,his style was the purest ,grecian1 and had some of his works been found among the ruins1 multitudes would have come to ,rome to admire them4 ,he was now in the height of his fame2 yet he was so kind and encouraging to young people that he allowed my girls to go and draw in his studio1 and one of my daughters1 with a friend1 modelled there for some time4 ,his drawings for bas-reliefs were most beautiful4 ,he drew very slowly1 but a line once drawn was never changed4 ,he ignored ,india-rubber or bread-crumbs1 so perfect was his knowledge of anatomy1 and so decided the character and expression he meant to give4 ,we had charades one evening in a small theatre in our house1 which went off very well ,there was much beauty at ,rome at that time2 no one who was there can have forgotten the beautiful and brilliant ,sheridans4 ,i recollect ,lady ,dufferin at the ,easter ceremonies at ,st4 ,peter's1 in her widow's cap1 with a large black crape veil thrown over it1 creating quite a sensation4 ,with her exquisite features1 oval face1 and somewhat fantastical head-dress1 anything more lovely could not be conceived2 and the ,roman people crowded round her in undisguised admiration of la bella monaca ,inglese4 ,her charm of manner and her brilliant conversation will never be forgotten by those who knew her4 ,to my mind1 ,mrs4 ,norton was the most beautiful of the three sisters4 ,hers is a grand countenance1 such as artists love to study4 ,gibson1 whom ,i asked1 after his return from ,england1 which he had revisited after twenty-seven years' absence1 what he thought of ,englishwomen1 replied1 he had seen many handsome women1 but no such sculptural beauty as ,mrs4 ,norton's4 ,i might add the ,marchioness of ,waterford1 whose bust at ,macdonald's ,i took at first for an ideal head1 till ,i recognised the likeness4 ,lady ,davy used to live a great deal at ,rome1 and took an active part in society4 ,she talked a great deal1 and talked well when she spoke ,english1 but like many of us had more pretension with regard to the things she could not do well than to those she really could4 ,she was a ,latin scholar1 and as far as reading and knowing the literature of modern languages went she was very accomplished1 but unfortunately1 she fancied she spoke them perfectly1 and was never happier than when she had people of different nations dining with her1 each of whom she addressed in his own language4 ,many amusing mistakes of hers in speaking ,italian were current in both ,roman and ,english circles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a few months were very pleasantly spent one summer at ,perugia1 where there is so much that is interesting to be seen4 ,the neighbouring country is very beautiful1 and the city being on the top of a hill is very cool during the hot weather4 ,we had an apartment in the ,casa ,oddi-,baglioni--a name well known in ,italian history--and ,i recollect spending some very pleasant days with the ,conte ,oddi-,baglioni1 at a villa called ,colle del ,cardinale1 some ten or twelve miles from the town4 ,the house was large and handsomely decorated1 with a profusion of the finest ,chinese vases4 ,on our toilet tables were placed perfumes1 scented soap1 and very elaborately embroidered nightdresses were laid out for use4 ,i remember especially admiring the basins1 jugs1 c41 which were all of the finest japan enamel4 ,there was a subterranean apartment where we dined1 which was delightfully cool and pleasant1 and at a large and profusely served dinner-table1 while we and the guests with the owner of the house dined at the upper end1 at the lower end and below the salt there were the superintendent of the ,count's farms1 a house decorator and others of that rank4 ,it is not the only instance we met with of this very ancient custom4 ,the first time ,somerville and ,i came to ,italy1 years before this1 while dining at a very noble house1 the wetnurse took her place1 as a matter of course1 at the foot of the dinner-table4 ,on the morning after our arrival and at a very early hour there was a very fine eclipse of the sun1 though not total at ,perugia or the neighbourhood2 the chill and unnatural gloom were very striking4 ,perugia is one of the places in which the ancient athletic game of pallone is played with spirit4 ,it is so graceful when well played that ,i wonder our active young men have not adopted it4 ,a large leather ball filled with condensed air is struck and returned again by the opponent with the whole force of their right arms1 covered to the elbow with a spiked wooden case4 ,the promptness and activity required to keep up the ball is very great1 and the impetus with which it strikes is such1 that the boxes for spectators in the amphitheatres dedicated to this game are protected by strong netting4 ,it is a very complicated game1 and1 ,i am told1 somewhat resembles tennis4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on leaving ,perugia we went for a few days to ,asissi1 spent a day at ,chiusi1 and then returned to ,rome1 which we found in a great state of excitement on account of three steamers which had just arrived from ,england to ply on the ,tiber4 ,the ,pope and ,cardinals made a solemn procession to bless them4 ,no doubt they would have thought our method of dashing a bottle of wine on a vessel on naming her highly profane4 ,we constantly made expeditions to the country1 to ,tivoli1 ,veii1 ,ostia1 c41 and my daughters rode on the ,campagna4 ,one day they rode to ,albano1 and on returning after dark they told me they had seen a most curious cloud which never altered its position2 it was a very long narrow stripe reaching from the horizon till nearly over head--it was the tail of the magnificent comet of #ahdc4 ,we met with a great temptation in an invitation from ,lady ,stratford ,canning1 to go and visit them at ,buyukdr1 near ,constantinople1 but res arcta prevented us from accepting what would have been so desirable in every respect4 ,at this time ,i sat to our good friend ,mr4 ,macdonald for my bust1 which was much liked4#ac 99 99 99 99 99 ,one early summer we went to ,loreto and ,ancona1 where we embarked for ,trieste2 the weather seemed fine when we set off1 but a storm came on1 with thunder and lightning1 very high sea and several waterspouts4 ,the vessel rolled and pitched1 and we were carried far out of our course to the ,dalmatian coast4 ,i was obliged to remain a couple of days at ,trieste to rest1 and was very glad when we arrived at ,venice4 ,the summer passed most delightfully at ,venice1 and we had ample time to see everything without hurry4 ,i wrote very little this summer1 for the scenery was so beautiful that ,i painted all day2 my daughters drew in the ,belle ,arti1 and ,somerville had plenty of books to amuse him1 besides sight-seeing1 which occupied much of our time4 ,in the ,armenian convent we met with ,joseph ,warten1 an excellent mathematician and astronomer2 he was pastor at ,neusatz1 near ,peterwardein in ,hungary1 and he was making a tour through ,europe4 ,he asked me to give him a copy of the ,mechanism of the ,heavens1 and afterwards wrote in ,latin to ,somerville and sent me some errors of the press he had met with in my book1 but they were of no use1 as ,i never published a second edition4 ,we returned to ,rome by ,ravenna1 where we stayed a couple of days1 then travelled slowly along the ,adriatic ,coast ,from thence we went by ,gubbio and ,perugia to ,orvieto1 one of the most interesting towns in ,italy1 and one seldom visited at that time2 now the railway will bring it into the regular track of travellers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a few extracts from letters1 written and received during this summer by my mother1 may not be without interest4 ,also parts of two from my mother's old and valued friend ,miss ,joanna ,baillie4 ,the second letter was written several years later1 and is nearly the last she ever wrote to my mother4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,woronzow ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,venice1 #bast ,july1 #ahdc4 ,i most sincerely rejoice to hear that ,agnes and you have gone to the ,rhine1 as ,i am confident a little change of air and scene will be of the greatest service to you both4444 ,we are quite enchanted with ,venice2 no one can form an idea of its infinite loveliness who has not seen it in summer and in moonlight4 ,i often doubt my senses1 and almost fear it may be a dream4 ,we are lodged to perfection1 the weather has been charming1 no oppressive heat1 though the thermometer ranges from #ge to #hj1 accompanied by a good deal of scirocco2 there are neither flies nor fleas1 and as yet the mosquitoes have not molested us4 ,we owe much of our comfort to the house we are in1 for there are scarcely any furnished lodgings1 and the hotels are bad and dear1 besides situation is everything at this season1 when the smaller canals become offensive at low water1 for1 though there is little tide in the ,mediterranean1 there are four feet at new and full moon here1 which is a great blessing4 ,we have now seen everything1 and have become acquainted with everybody1 and met with kindness and attention beyond all description4 ,many of the great ducal families still exist1 and live handsomely in their splendid palaces2 indeed1 the decay of ,venice1 so much talked of1 is quite a mistake2 certainly it is very different from what it was in its palmy days1 but there is a good deal of activity and trade4 ,the abolition of the law of primogeniture has injured the noble families more than anything else4 ,we rise early1 and are busy indoors all morning1 except the girls1 who go to the ,academy of the ,belle ,arti1 and paint from ten till three4 ,we dine at four1 and embark in our gondola at six or seven1 and row about on the glassy sea till nine1 when we go to the ,piazza of ,san ,marco1 listen to a very fine military band1 and sit gossiping till eleven or twelve1 and then row home by the ,grand ,canal1 or make a visit in one of the various houses that are open to us4 ,one of the most remarkable of these is that of the ,countess ,mocenigo's1 who has in one of her drawing-rooms the portraits of six doges of the ,mocenigo name4 ,i was presented by her to the ,duc de ,bordeaux1 the other evening1 a fat good-natured looking person4 ,i was presented also to the ,archduke--,i forget what--son of the ,archduke ,charles1 and admiral of the fleet here2 a nice youth1 but not clever4 ,we meet him everywhere1 and ,somerville dined with him a few days ago4 ,the only strangers of note are the ,prince of ,tour and ,taxis1 and ,marshal ,marmont4 ,the ,venetian ladies are very ladylike and agreeable1 and speak beautifully4 ,we have received uncommon kindness from ,mr4 ,rawdon ,brown2 he has made us acquainted with everybody1 as he is quite at home here1 having been settled in ,venice for several years1 and has got a most beautiful house fitted up1 in rococo style1 with great taste2 he is an adept at ,venetian history4 ,he supplies us with books1 which are a great comfort4444 ,the other evening we were surprised by a perfect fleet of gondolas stopping under our windows1 from one of which we had the most beautiful serenade2 the moonlight was like day1 and the effect was admirable4 ,there was a festa the other night in a church on the water's edge2 the shore was illuminated and hundreds of gondolas were darting along like swallows1 the gondoliers rowing as if they had been mad1 till the water was as much agitated as if there had been a gale of wind3 nothing could be more animated4 ,you will perceive from what ,i have said that the evening1 till a late hour1 is the time for amusement1 in consequence of which ,i follow the ,italian custom of sleeping after dinner1 and am much the better for it4 ,this place agrees particularly well with all of us1 and is well suited for old people1 who require air without fatigue4444 ,most affectionately1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,woronzow ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,venice1 #bgth ,august1 #ahdc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,woronzow1 ,your excellent letter1 giving an account of your agreeable expedition up the ,rhine1 did not arrive till nearly a month after it was written4444 ,i regret exceedingly you could not stay longer1 and still more that you could not come on and pay us a visit1 and enjoy the charm of summer in ,venice1 so totally unlike every other place in every respect4 ,i wished for you last night particularly4 ,as we were leaving the ,piazza ,san ,marco1 about eleven1 a boat came up1 burning blue lights1 with a piano1 violins1 flutes1 and about twenty men on board1 who sang choruses in the most delightful manner1 and sometimes solos4 ,they were followed by an immense number of gondolas1 and we joined the cortge1 and all went under the ,bridge of ,sighs1 where the effect was beautiful beyond description4 ,we then all turned and entered the ,grand ,canal1 which was entirely filled with gondolas from one side to the other1 jammed together1 so that we moved en masse1 and stopped every now and then to burn blue or red ,bengal lights before the principal palaces1 singing going on all the while4 ,we saw numbers of our ,venetian friends in their gondolas1 enjoying the scene as much as we did1 to whom it was almost new4 ,i never saw people who enjoyed life more1 and they have much the advantage of us in their delicious climate and aquatic amusements1 so much more picturesque than what can be done on land4 ,however1 we have had no less than three dances lately4 ,the ,grand ,duke of ,modena1 with his son and daughter-in-law1 were here1 and to them a fte was given by the ,countess de ,thurn4 ,the palace was brilliant with lights2 it is on the grand canal1 and immediately under the balcony was a boat from which fireworks were let off1 and then a couple of boats succeeded them1 in which choruses were sung4 ,the view from the balcony is one of the finest in ,venice1 and the night was charming1 and there ,i was while the dancing went on4444 ,i never saw ,somerville so well2 this place suits us to the life1 constant air and no fatigue2 ,i never once have had a headache4444 ,now1 my dear ,w41 tell me your tale2 my tale is done4 ,yours affectionately1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,woronzow ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,rome1 ,,palazzo ,,lepri1 ,,via ,,dei ,,condotti1 #bgth ,october1 #ahdh4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,woronzow1 444 ,we had a beautiful journey to ,rome1 with fine weather and no annoyance1 notwithstanding the disturbed state of the country4 ,at ,padua we only remained long enough to see the churches1 and it was impossible to pass within a few miles of ,arqu without paying a visit to the house of ,petrarch4 ,at ,ferrara we had a letter to the ,cardinal ,legate1 who was very civil4 ,his palace is the ancient abode of the house of ,este4444 ,we had a long visit from him in the evening1 and found him most agreeable2 he regretted that there was no opera1 as he would have been happy to offer us his box4 ,fourteen of those unfortunate men who have been making an attempt to raise an insurrection were arrested the day before2 and the night before we slept at ,lugo1 the ,carabineers had searched the inn during the night1 entering the rooms where the people were sleeping4 ,we should have been more than surprised to have been wakened by armed men at midnight4 ,in travelling through ,italy the reliques and history of the early ,christians and of the ,middle ,ages have a greater attraction for me than those of either the ,romans or ,etruscans1 interesting though these latter be1 and in this journey my taste was amply gratified1 especially at ,ravenna1 where the church of ,san ,vitale and the ,basilica of ,st4 ,apollinare in ,classis1 both built early in the #fth century1 are the most magnificent specimens imaginable4 ,here also is the tomb of ,theodore1 a most wonderful building2 the remains of his palace and numberless other objects of interest1 too tedious to mention4 ,every church is full of them1 and most valuable ,,mss4 abound in the libraries4 ,i like the history of the ,middle ,ages1 because one feels that there is something in common between them and us2 their names still exist in their descendants1 who often inhabit the very palaces they dwelt in1 and their very portraits1 by the great masters1 still hang in their halls2 whereas we know nothing about the ,greeks and ,romans except their public deeds--their private life is a blank to us4 ,our journey through the ,apennines was most beautiful1 passing for days under the shade of magnificent oak forests or valleys rich in wine1 oil1 grain1 and silk4 ,we deviated from the main road for a short distance to ,gubbio1 to see the celebrated ,eugubian tables1 which are as sharp as if they had been engraved yesterday1 but in a lost language4 ,we stopped to rest at ,perugia1 but all our friends were at their country seats1 which we regretted4 ,the country round ,perugia is unrivalled for richness and beauty1 but it rained the morning we resumed our journey4 ,it signified the less as we had been previously at ,citt della ,pieve and ,chiusi2 so we proceeded to ,orvieto in fine weather1 still through oak forests4 ,orvieto is situated on the top of an escarped hill1 very like the hill forts of ,india1 and apparently as inaccessible2 yet1 by dint of numberless turns and windings1 we did get up1 but only in time for bed4 ,next morning we saw the sun rise on the most glorious cathedral4 ,after all we had seen we were completely taken by surprise1 and were filled with the highest admiration at the extreme beauty and fine taste of this remarkable building4444 ,your affectionate mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,miss ,,joanna ,,baillie ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,hampstead1 ,december #bgth1 #ahdc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,besides being proud of receiving a letter from you1 ,i was much pleased to know that ,i am1 though at such a distance1 sometimes in your thoughts4 ,i was much pleased1 too1 with what you have said of the health and other gratifications you enjoy in ,italy4 ,i should gladly have thanked you at the time1 had ,i known how to address my letter2 and after receiving your proper direction from our friend ,miss ,montgomery1 ,i have been prevented from using it by various things4444 ,but though so long silent ,i have not been ungrateful1 and thank you with all my heart4 ,the account you give of ,venice is very interesting4 ,there is something affecting in still seeing the descendants of the former ,doges holding a diminished state in their remaining palaces with so much courtesy4 ,i am sure you have found yourself a guest in their saloons1 hung with paintings of their ancestors1 with very mixed feelings4 ,however1 ,venice to the eye1 as you describe it1 is ,venice still2 and with its lights at night gleaming upon the waters makes a very vivid picture to my fancy4 ,you no doubt have fixed it on canvas1 and can carry it about with you for the delight of your friends who may never see the original4 ,in return to your kind inquiries after us1 ,i have1 all things considered1 a very good account to give4 ,ladies of four score and upwards cannot expect to be robust1 and need not be gay4 ,we sit by the fire-side with our books 7except when those plaguy notes are to be written7 and receive the visits of our friendly neighbours very contentedly1 and1 ,i ought to say1 and trust ,i may say1 very thankfully4444 ,this morning brought one in whom ,i feel sure that you and your daughters take some interest1 ,maria ,edgeworth4 ,she has been dangerously ill1 but is now nearly recovered1 and is come from ,ireland to pass the winter months with her sisters in ,london3 weak in body1 but the mind as clear and the spirits as buoyant as ever4 ,you will be glad to hear that she even has it in her thoughts to write a new work1 and has the plan of it nearly arranged4 ,there will be nothing new in the story itself1 but the purpose and treating of it will be new1 which is1 perhaps1 a better thing4 ,in our retired way of living1 we know little of what goes on in the literary world4444 ,i was1 however1 in town for a few hours the other day1 and called upon a lady of rank who has fashionable learned folks coming about her1 and she informed me that there are new ideas regarding philosophy entertained in the world1 and that ,sir ,john ,herschel was now considered as a slight1 second-rate man1 or person4 ,who are the first-rate she did not say1 and1 ,i suppose1 you will not be much mortified to hear that your name was not mentioned at all4 ,so much for our learning4 ,my sister was much disappointed the other day when1 in expectation of a ghost story from ,mr4 ,dickens1 she only got a grotesque moral allegory2 now1 as she delights in a ghost and hates an allegory1 this was very provoking4 ,believe me1 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,somerville1 ,yours with admiration and esteem1 ,j4 ,,baillie4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,miss ,,joanna ,,baillie ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,hampstead1 ,january #ith1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1 ,my dear ,mary ,somerville1 whom ,i am proud to call my friend1 and that she so calls me4 ,i could say much on this point1 but ,i dare not4 ,i received your letter from ,mr4 ,greig last night1 and thank you very gratefully4 ,if my head were less confused ,i should do it better1 but the pride ,i have in thinking of you as philosopher and a woman cannot be exceeded4 ,i shall read your letter many times over4 ,my sister and myself at so great an age are waiting to be called away in mercy by an ,almighty ,father1 and we part with our earthly friends as those whom we shall meet again4 ,my great monster book is now published1 and your copy ,i shall send to your son who will peep into it1 and then forward it to yourself4 ,i beg to be kindly and respectfully remembered to your husband2 ,i offer my best wishes to your daughters4444 ,yours1 my dear ,friend1 ,very faithfully1 ,,joanna ,,baillie4 ,my sister begs of you and all your family to accept her best wishes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 #ahth ,march1 #ahdd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,to have received a letter from you so long ago1 and not yet to have thanked you for it1 is what ,i could hardly have believed myself--if the rapid lapse of time in the uniform retirement in which we live were not pressed upon me in a variety of ways which convince me that as a man grows older1 his sand1 as the grains get low in the glass1 slips through more glibly1 and steals away with accelerated speed4 ,i wish ,i could either send you a copy of my ,cape observations1 or tell you they are published or even in the press4 ,far from it--,i do not expect to go to press before another year has elapsed1 for though ,i have got my catalogues of ,southern nebul and ,double stars reduced and arranged1 yet there is a great deal of other matter still to be worked through1 and ,i have every description of reduction entirely to execute myself4 ,these are very tedious1 and ,i am a very slow computer1 and have been continually taken off the subject by other matter1 forced upon me by pressure from without4 ,what ,i am now engaged on is the monograph of the principal ,southern ,nebul1 the object of which is to put on record every ascertainable particular of their actual appearance and the stars visible in them1 so as to satisfy future observers whether new stars have appeared1 or changes taken place in the nebulosity4 ,to what an extent this work may go you may judge from the fact that the catalogue of visible stars actually mapped down in their places within the space of less than a square degree in the nebula about ,greek3 ,argus which ,i have just completed comprises between #acjj and #adjj stars4 ,this is indeed a stupendous object4 ,it is a vastly extensive branching and looped nebula1 in the centre of the densest part of which is ,greek3 ,argus1 itself a most remarkable star1 seeing that from the fourth magnitude which it had in ,ptolemy's time1 it has risen 7by sudden starts1 and not gradually7 to such a degree of brilliancy as now actually to surpass ,canopus1 and to be second only to ,sirius4 ,one of these leaps ,i myself witnessed when in the interval of ceasing to observe it in one year1 and resuming its observation in two or three months after in the next1 it had sprung over the heads of all the stars of the first magnitude1 from ,fomalhaut and ,regulus 7the two least of them7 to ,greek3 a ,centauri1 which it then just equalled1 and which is the brightest of all but ,canopus and ,sirius6 ,it has since made a fresh jump--and who can say it will be the last8 ,one of the most beautiful objects in the southern hemisphere is a pretty large1 perfectly round1 and very well-defined planetary nebula1 of a fine1 full independent blue colour--the only object ,i have ever seen in the heavens fairly entitled to be called independently blue1 i4e41 not by contrast4 ,another superb and most striking object is ,lacaille's #cj ,doradus1 a nebula of great size in the larger nubicula1 of which it is impossible to give a better idea than to compare it to a true lover's knot1 or assemblage of nearly circular nebulous loops uniting in a centre1 in or near which is an exactly circular round dark hole4 ,neither this nor the nebula about ,greek3 ,argus have any1 the slightest1 resemblance to the representations given of them by ,dunlop4444 ,as you are so kind as to offer to obtain information on any points interesting to me at ,rome1 here is one on which ,i earnestly desire to obtain the means of forming a correct opinion1 i4e41 the real powers and merits of ,de ,vico's great refractor at the ,collegio ,romano4 ,de ,vico's accounts of it appear to me to have not a little of the extra-marvellous in them4 ,saturn's two close satellites regularly observed--eight stars in the trapezium of ,orion6 ,greek3 a ,aquil 7as ,schumacher inquiringly writes to me7 divided into three6 the supernumerary divisions of ,saturn's ring well seen1 c41 c4 ,and all by a ,cauchoix refractor of eight inches8 ,i fear me that these wonders are not for female eyes1 the good monks are too well aware of the penetrating qualities of such optics to allow them entry within the seven-fold walls of their ,collegio4 ,has ,somerville ever looked through it8 ,on his report ,i know ,i could quite rely4 ,as for ,lord ,rosse's great reflector1 ,i can only tell you what ,i hear1 having never seen it1 or even his three feet one4 ,the great one is not yet completed4 ,of the other1 those who have looked through it speak in raptures4 ,i met not long since an officer who1 at ,halifax in ,nova ,scotia1 saw the comet at noon close to the sun1 and very conspicuous the day after the perihelion passage4 ,your account of the pictures and other delici of ,venice makes our mouths water2 but it is of no use1 so we can only congratulate those who are in the full enjoyment of such things4 ,ever yours most truly1 ,j4 ,,herschel4 ,on returning to ,rome ,i was elected ,associate of the ,college of ,risurgenti1 and in the following ,april ,i became an honorary member of the ,imperial and ,royal ,academy of ,science1 ,literature and ,art at ,arezzo4 ,i finished an edition of the ,physical ,sciences1 at which ,i had been working1 and in spring ,somerville hired a small house belonging to the ,duca ,sforza ,cesarini1 at ,genzano1 close to and with a beautiful view of the ,lake of ,nemi2 but as ,i had not seen my son for some time1 ,i now availed myself of the opportunity of travelling with our friend ,sir ,frederick ,adam to ,england4 ,we crossed the ,channel at ,ostend1 and at the mouth of the ,thames lay the old ,venerable1 in which my father was flag-captain at the battle of ,camperdown4 ,i had a joyful meeting with my son and his wife1 and we went to see many things that were new to me4 ,one of our first expeditions was to the ,british ,museum4 ,i had already seen the ,elgin marbles1 and the antiquities collected at ,babylon by ,mr4 ,rich1 when he was ,consul at ,bagdad1 but now the ,museum had been enriched by the marbles from ,halicarnassus1 and by the marvellous remains excavated by ,mr4 ,layard from the ruins of ,nineveh1 the very site of which had been for ages unknown4 ,i frequently went to ,turner's studio1 and was always welcomed4 ,no one could imagine that so much poetical feeling existed in so rough an exterior4 ,the water-colour exhibitions were very good2 my countrymen still maintained their superiority in that style of art1 and the drawings of some ,english ladies were scarcely inferior to those of first-rate artists1 especially those of my friend1 ,miss ,blake1 of ,danesbury4 ,while in ,england ,i made several visits2 the first was to my dear friends ,sir ,john and ,lady ,herschel1 at ,collingwood1 who received me with the warmest affection4 ,i cannot express the pleasure it gave me to feel myself at home in a family where not only the highest branches of science were freely discussed1 but where the accomplishments and graces of life were cultivated4 ,i was highly gratified and proud of being godmother to ,rosa1 the daughter of ,sir ,john and ,lady ,herschel4 ,among other places near ,collingwood ,i was taken to see an excellent observatory formed by ,mr4 ,dawes1 a gentleman of independent fortune2 and here ,i must remark1 to the honour of my countrymen1 that at the time ,i am writing1 there are twenty-six private observatories in ,great ,britain and ,ireland1 furnished with first-rate instruments1 with which some of the most important astronomical discoveries have been made4 ,i received the following letter from my mother while we were at ,genzano4 ,it is one of several which record in her natural and unaffected words my mother's profound admiration for ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,miss ,,somerville4 ,,sydenham1 #ast ,september1 #ahdd4 ,sunday ,night4 ,,my ,,dear ,,martha1 444 ,we go to the ,herschels' to-morrow1 and there ,i shall finish this letter1 as it is impossible to get it in time for ,tuesday's post1 but ,i have so much to do now that you must not expect a letter every post1 and ,i had no time to begin this before1 and ,i am too tired to sit up later to-night4444 ,,collingwood1 ,monday4 ,this appears to be a remarkably beautiful place1 with abundance of fine timber4444 ,w4 brought your dear nice letter2 it makes me long to be with you1 and1 please ,god1 ,i shall be so before long1 as ,i set off this day fortnight4 ,wednesday4 ,yesterday ,i had a great deal of scientific talk with ,sir ,john1 and a long walk in the grounds which are extensive1 and very pretty4 ,then the ,airys arrived1 and we had a large party at dinner4444 ,i think1 now1 as ,i always have done1 that ,sir ,john is by much the highest and finest character ,i have ever met with2 the most gentlemanly and polished mind1 combined with the most exalted morality1 and the utmost of human attainment4 ,his view of everything is philosophic1 and at the same time highly poetical1 in short1 he combines every quality that is admirable and excellent with the most charming modesty1 and ,lady ,herschel is quite worthy of such a husband1 which is the greatest praise ,i can give her4 ,their kindness and affection for me has been unbounded4 ,lady ,h4 told me she heard such praises of you two that she is anxious to know you1 and she hopes you will always look upon her and her family as friends4 ,the christening went off as well as possible4 ,mr4 ,airy was godfather1 and ,mrs4 ,airy and ,i godmothers1 but ,i had the naming of the child--,matilda ,rose1 after ,lady ,herschel's sister4 ,i assure you ,i was quite adroit in taking the baby from the nurse and giving her to the clergyman4 ,sir ,john took ,mrs4 ,airy and me a drive to see a very fine picturesque castle a few miles off4444 ,i have got loads of things for experiments on light from ,sir ,john with a variety of papers1 and you may believe that ,i have profited not a little by his conversation1 and have a thousand projects for study and writing1 so ,i think painting will be at a standstill1 only that ,i have promised to paint something for ,lady ,herschel4 ,sir ,john computes four or five hours every day1 and yet his ,cape observations will not be finished for two years4 ,i have seen everything he is or has been doing4 ,your affectionate mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my mother continues her recollections of this journey4 ,my next visit was to ,lord and ,lady ,charles ,percy at ,guy's ,cliff1 in ,warwickshire1 a pretty picturesque place of historical and romantic memory4 ,the society was pleasant1 and ,i was taken to ,kenilworth and ,warwick ,castle1 on the banks of the ,avon1 a noble place1 still bearing marks of the ,wars of the ,roses4 ,i never saw such magnificent oak-trees as those on the ,leigh estate1 near ,guy's ,cliff4 ,i then visited my maiden namesake1 ,mrs4 ,fairfax1 of ,gilling ,castle1 ,yorkshire4 ,she was a highly cultivated person1 had been much abroad1 and was a warm-hearted friend4 ,i was much interested in the principal room1 for a deep frieze surrounds the wall1 on which are painted the coats of arms of all the families with whom the ,fairfaxes have intermarried1 ascending to very great antiquity2 besides1 every pane of glass in a very large bay window in the same room is stained with one of these coats of arms4 ,every morning after breakfast a prodigious flock of pea-fowl came from the woods around to be fed4 ,i now went to the vicinity of ,kelso to visit my brother and sister-in-law1 ,general and ,mrs4 ,elliot1 who lived on the banks of the ,tweed4 ,we went to ,jedburgh1 the place of my birth4 ,after many years ,i still thought the valley of the ,jed very beautiful2 ,i fear the pretty stream has been invaded by manufactories3 there is a perpetual war between civilization and the beauty of nature4 ,i went to see the spot from whence ,i once took a sketch of ,jedburgh ,abbey and the manse in which ,i was born1 which does not exist1 ,i believe1 now4 ,when ,i was a very young girl ,i made a painting from this sketch4 ,our next excursion was to a lonely village called ,yetholm1 in the hills1 some miles from ,kelso1 belonging to the gipsies4 ,the king and the other men were absent1 but the women were civil1 and some of them very pretty4 ,our principal object in going there was to see a stone in the wall of a small and very ancient church at ,linton1 nearly in ruins1 on which is carved in relief the wyvern and wheel1 the crest of the ,somervilles4 ,from ,kelso ,i went to ,edinburgh to spend a few days with ,lord ,jeffrey and his family4 ,no one who had seen his gentle kindness in domestic life and the warmth of his attachment to his friends1 could have supposed he possessed that power of ridicule and severity which made him the terror of authors4 ,his total ignorance of science may perhaps excuse him for having admitted into the ,review ,brougham's intemperate article on the undulatory theory of light1 a discovery which has immortalized the name of ,dr4 ,young4 ,i found ,edinburgh1 the city of my early recollections1 picturesque and beautiful as ever1 but enormously increased both to the north and to the south4 ,queen ,street1 which in my youth was open to the north and commanded a view of the ,forth and the mountains beyond1 was now in the middle of the new town4 ,all those ,i had formerly known were gone--a new generation had sprung up1 living in all the luxury of modern times4 ,on returning to ,london ,i spent a pleasant time with my son and his wife1 who invited all those to meet me whom they thought ,i should like to see4 ,my mother returned to ,rome in autumn in company with an old friend and her daughter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the winter passed without any marked event1 but always agreeably2 new people came1 making a pleasant variety in the society1 which1 though still refined1 was beginning to be very mixed1 as was amusingly seen at ,torlonia's balls and tableaux1 where many of the guests formed a singular contrast with the beautiful ,princess1 who was of the historical family of the ,colonnas4 ,i was often ashamed of my countrymen1 who1 all the while speaking of the ,italians with contempt1 tried to force themselves into their houses4 ,prince ,borghese refused the same person an invitation to a ball five times4 ,i was particularly scrupulous about invitations1 and never asked for one in my life2 nor did ,i ever seek to make acquaintances with the view of being invited to their houses4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following letters give a sketch of life during the summer months at ,rome3-- ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,rome1 #crd ,august1 #ahde4 ,,my ,,dear ,,woronzow1 444 ,i am glad you are so much pleased with my bust1 and that it is so little injured after having been at the bottom of the sea4 ,you will find ,macdonald a very agreeable and original person4 ,as to spending the summer in ,rome1 you may make yourself quite easy1 for the heat is very bearable1 the thermometer varying between #ge and #hj in our rooms during the day1 which are kept in darkness1 and at night it always becomes cooler4 ,thank ,god1 we are all quite well1 and ,somerville particularly so2 he goes out during the day to amuse himself1 and the girls paint in the ,borghese gallery4 ,as for myself ,i have always plenty to do till half past three1 when we dine1 and after dinner ,i sleep for an hour or more1 and when the sun is set we go out to wander a little1 for a long walk is too fatiguing at this season4 ,we have very little society1 the only variety we have had was a very pretty supper party given by ,signore ,rossi1 the ,french minister1 to the ,prince and ,princess de ,broglie1 son and daughter-in-law of the duke4 ,the young lady is extremely beautiful1 and as ,i knew the late ,duchesse de ,broglie 7,madame de ,stal's daughter7 we soon got acquainted4 ,they are newly married1 and have come to spend part of the summer in ,rome1 so you see people are not so much alarmed as the ,english4444 ,we went yesterday evening to see the ,piazza ,navona full of water2 it is flooded every ,saturday and ,sunday at this season2 there is music1 and the whole population of ,rome is collected round it1 carts and carriages splashing through it in all directions4 ,i think it must be about three feet deep4 ,it was there the ancient ,romans had their naval games2 and the custom of filling it with water in summer has lasted ever since4 ,the fountain is one of the most beautiful in ,rome1 which is saying a great deal2 indeed the immense gush of the purest water from innumerable fountains in every street and every villa is one of the peculiarities of ,rome4 ,i fear from what ,i have heard of those in ,trafalgar ,square that the quantity of water will be very miserable4 ,the papers 7,i mean the ,times71 are full of abuse of ,mr4 ,sedgwick and ,dr4 ,buckland1 but their adversaries write such nonsense that it matters little4 ,i do not think ,i have anything to add to my new edition4 ,if you hear of anything of moment let me know4 ,perhaps something may have transpired at the ,british ,association4444 ,your affectionate mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,rome1 ,may #bhth1 #ahde4 ,,my ,,dear ,,woronzow1 ,i don't know why ,i have so long delayed writing to you4 ,i rather think it is because we have been living so quiet a life1 one day so precisely similar to the preceding1 that there has been nothing worth writing about4 ,this is our first really summer-like day1 and splendid it is2 but we are sitting in a kind of twilight4 ,the only means of keeping the rooms cool is by keeping the house dark and shutting out the external air1 and then in the evening we have a delightful walk2 the country is splendid1 the ,campagna one sheet of deep verdure and flowers of every kind in abundance4 ,we generally have six or seven large nosegays in the room2 we have only to go to some of the neighbouring villas and gather them4 ,most of the ,english are gone2 people make a great mistake in not remaining during the hot weather1 this is the time for enjoyment4 ,we are busy all the morning1 and in the afternoon we take our book or drawing materials and sit on the grass in some of the lovely villas for hours2 then we come home to tea1 and are glad to see anyone who will come in for an hour or two4 ,we have had a son of ,mr4 ,babbage here4 ,he is employed in making the railway that is to go from ,genoa to ,milan1 and he was travelling with eight other ,englishmen who came to make arrangements for covering ,italy with a network of these iron roads1 connecting all the great cities and also the two seas from ,venice to ,milan and ,genoa and from ,ancona by ,rome to ,civita ,vecchia4 ,however the ,pope is opposed to the latter part1 but they say the cardinals and people wish it so much that he will at last consent4444 ,many thanks for the ,vestiges1 c4 ,i think it a powerful production1 and was highly pleased with it1 but ,i can easily see that it will offend in some quarters2 however it should be remembered that there has been as much opposition to the true system of astronomy and to geological facts as there can be to this4 ,at all events free and open discussion of all natural and moral phenomena must lead to truth at last4 ,is ,babbage the author8 ,i rather think he would not be so careful in concealing his name4444 ,my mother made some curious experiments upon the effect of the solar spectrum on juices of plants and other substances1 of which she sent an account to ,sir ,john ,herschel1 who answered telling her that he had communicated her account of her experiments to the ,royal ,society4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sir ,,john ,,herschel ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,collingwood1 ,november #bast1 #ahde4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i cannot express to you the pleasure ,i experienced from the receipt of your letter and the perusal of the elegant experiments it relates1 which appear to me of the highest interest and show 7what ,i always suspected71 that there is a world of wonders awaiting disclosure in the solar spectrum1 and that influences widely differing from either light1 heat or colour are transmitted to us from our central luminary1 which are mainly instrumental in evolving and maturing the splendid hues of the vegetable creation and elaborating the juices to which they owe their beauty and their vitality4 ,i think it certain that heat goes for something in evaporating your liquids and thereby causing some of your phenomena2 but there is a difference of quality as well as of quantity of heat brought into view which renders it susceptible of analysis by the coloured juices so that in certain parts of the spectrum it is retained and fixed1 in others reflected according as the nature of the tint favours the one or the other4 ,pray go on with these delightful experiments4 ,i wish you could save yourself the fatigue of watching and directing your sunbeam by a clock work4 ,if ,i were at your elbow ,i could rig you out a heliotrope quite sufficient with the aid of any common wooden clock4444 ,now ,i am going to take a liberty 7but not till after duly consulting ,mr4 ,greig with whose approbation ,i act1 and you are not to gainsay our proceedings7 and that is to communicate your results in the form of an extract of a letter to myself--to the ,royal ,society4 ,you may be very sure that ,i would not do this if ,i thought that the experiments were not intrinsically quite deserving to be recorded in the pages of the ,phil4 ,trans4 and if ,i were not sure that they will lead to a vast field of curious and beautiful research2 and as you have already once contributed to the ,society1 7on a subject connected with the spectrum and the sunbeam7 this will1 ,i trust1 not appear in your eyes in a formidable or a repulsive light1 and it will be a great matter of congratulation to us all to know that these subjects continue to engage your attention1 and that you can turn your residence in that sunny clime to such admirable account4 ,so do not call upon me to retract 7for before you get this the papers will be in the secretary's hands74 ,i am here nearly as much out of the full stream of scientific matters as you at ,rome4 ,we had a full and very satisfactory meeting at ,cambridge of the ,british ,association1 with a full attendance of continental magnetists and meteorologists1 and within these few days ,i have learned that our ,government meant to grant all our requests and continue the magnetic and meteorological observations4 ,humboldt has sent me his ,cosmos 7,vol4 ,i471 which is good1 all but the first #fj pages1 which are occupied in telling his readers what his book is not to be4 ,dr4 ,whewell has just published another book on the ,principles of ,morals1 and also another on education1 in which he cries up the geometrical processes in preference to analysis4444 ,yours very faithfully1 ,j4 ,,herschel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,prince and ,princesse de ,broglie came to ,rome in #ahde1 and ,signore ,pellegrino ,rossi1 at this time ,french ,minister at the ,vatican1 gave them a supper party1 to which we were invited4 ,we had met with him long before at ,geneva1 where he had taken refuge after the insurrection of #ahba4 ,he was greatly esteemed there and admired for his eloquence in the lectures he gave in the ,university4 ,it was a curious circumstance1 that he1 who was a ,roman subject1 and was exiled1 and1 if ,i am not mistaken1 condemned to death1 should return to ,rome as ,french ,minister4 ,he had a remarkably fine countenance1 resembling some ancient ,roman bust4 ,m4 ,thiers had brought in a law in the ,french ,chambers to check the audacity of the ,jesuits1 and ,rossi was sent to negotiate with the ,pope4 ,we had seen much of him at ,rome1 and were horrified1 in #ahdh1 to hear that he had been assassinated on the steps of the ,cancelleria1 at ,rome1 where the ,legislative ,assembly met1 and whither he was proceeding to attend its first meeting4 ,no one offered to assist him1 nor to arrest the murderers except ,dr4 ,pantaleone1 a much esteemed ,roman physician1 and member of the ,chamber1 who did what he could to save him1 but in vain2 he was a great loss to the ,liberal cause4 ,towards the end of summer we spent a month most agreeably at ,subiaco1 receiving much civility from the ,benedictine monks of the ,sacro ,speco1 and visiting all the neighbouring towns1 each one perched on some hill-top1 and one more romantically picturesque than the other4 ,it was in this part of the country that ,claude ,lorraine and ,poussin studied and painted4 ,i never saw more beautiful country1 or one which afforded so many exquisite subjects for a landscape painter4 ,we went all over the country on mules--to some of the towns1 such as ,cervara1 up steep flights of steps cut in the rock4 ,the people1 too1 were extremely picturesque1 and the women still wore their costumes1 which probably now they have laid aside for tweeds and ,manchester cottons4 ,i often during my winters in ,rome went to paint from nature in the ,campagna1 either with ,somerville or with ,lady ,susan ,percy1 who drew very prettily4 ,once we set out a little later than usual1 when1 driving through the ,piazza of the ,bocca della ,verit1 we both called out1 ,did you see that8 ,how horrible6 ,it was the guillotine2 an execution had just taken place1 and had we been a quarter of an hour earlier we should have passed at the fatal moment4 ,under ,gregory ,,xvi4 everything was conducted in the most profound secrecy2 arrests were made almost at our very door1 of which we knew nothing2 ,mazzini was busily at work on one side1 the ,jesuitical party actively intriguing1 according to their wont1 on the other2 and in the mean time society went on gaily at the surface1 ignorant of and indifferent to the course of events4 ,we were preparing to leave ,rome when ,gregory died4 ,we put off our journey to see his funeral1 and the ,conclave1 which terminated1 in the course of scarcely two days1 in the election of ,pius ,,ix4 ,we also saw the new ,pope's coronation1 and witnessed the beginning of that popularity which lasted so short a time4 ,much was expected from him1 and in the beginning of his reign the moderate liberals fondly hoped that ,italy would unite in one great federation1 with ,pius ,,ix4 at the head of it2 entirely forgetting how incompatible a theocracy or government by priests ever must be with all progress and with liberal institutions4 ,their hopes were soon blighted1 and after all the well-known events of #ahdh and #ahdi1 a reaction set in all over ,italy1 except in gallant little ,piedmont1 where the constitution was maintained1 thanks to ,victor ,emmanuel1 and especially to that great genius1 ,camillo ,cavour1 and in spite of the disastrous reverses at ,novara4 ,once more in #ahei ,piedmont went to war with ,austria1 this time with success1 and with the not disinterested help of ,france4 ,one province after another joined her1 and ,italy1 freed from all the little petty princes1 and last1 not least1 from the ,bourbons1 has become that one great kingdom which was the dream of some of her greatest men in times of old4 ,we went to ,bologna for a short time1 and there the enthusiasm for the new ,pope was absolutely intolerable4 ,viva ,pio ,nono6 was shouted night and day4 ,there was no repose2 bands of music went about the streets1 playing airs composed for the occasion1 and in the theatres it was even worse1 for the acting was interrupted1 and the orchestra called upon to play the national tunes in vogue1 and repeat them again and again1 amid the deafening shouts and applause of the excited audience4 ,we found the ,bolognese very sociable1 and it was by far the most musical society ,i ever was in4 ,rossini was living in ,bologna1 and received in the evening1 and there was always music1 amateur and professional1 at his house4 ,frequently there was part-singing or choruses1 and after the music was over the evening ended with a dance4 ,we frequently saw ,rossini some years later1 when we resided at ,florence4 ,he was clever and amusing in conversation1 but satirical4 ,he was very bitter against the modern style of opera-singing1 and considered the singers of the present day1 with some exceptions1 as wanting in study and finish4 ,he objected to much of the modern music1 as dwelling too constantly on the highest notes of the voice1 whereby it is very soon deteriorated1 and the singer forced to scream2 besides which1 he considered the orchestral accompaniments too loud4 ,i1 who recollected ,pasta1 ,malibran1 ,grisi1 ,rubini1 and others of that epoch1 could not help agreeing with him when ,i compared them to the singers ,i heard at the ,pergola and elsewhere4 ,the theatre1 too1 was good at ,bologna1 and we frequently went to it4 ,one evening we were sitting on the balcony of the hotel1 when we saw a man stab another in the back of the neck1 and then run away4 ,the victim staggered along for a minute1 and then fell down in a pool of blood4 ,he had been a spy of the police under ,gregory ,,xvi41 and one of the principal agents of his cruel government4 ,he was so obnoxious to the people that his assassin has never been discovered4 ,from ,bologna we went for a few weeks to ,recoaro1 where ,i drank the waters1 after which we travelled to ,england by the ,st4 ,gothard pass4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ac3 ,the vessel on board which this bust was shipped for ,england ran on a shoal and sank1 but as the accident happened in shallow water1 the bust was recovered1 none the worse for its immersion in salt water4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,publishes ,,physical ,,geography--,,letter ,,from ,,humboldt--,,christmas ,,at ,,collingwood--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,faraday--,,letter ,,from ,,faraday--,,keith ,,johnstone',s ,,maps--,,winter ,,at ,,munich--,,salzburg--,,lake ,,of ,,garda--,,miniscalchi--,,poem ,,by ,,caterina ,,brenzoni--,,letter ,,from ,,brenzoni--,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,loge ,,by ,,miniscalchi--,,winter ,,at ,,turin--,,baron ,,plana--,,camillo ,,cavour--,,colline ,,near ,,turin--,,genoa--,,teresa ,,dovia--,,florence--,,miss ,f4,p4 ,,cobbe--,,vivisection--,,excursions ,,in ,,the ,,neighbourhood--,,cholera--,,misericord ia--,,pio ,,nono ,,in ,,tuscany--,,comet--,,tuscan ,,revolution--,,war ,,in ,,lombardy--,,entry ,,of ,,victor ,,emmanuel ,,into ,,florence--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,my ,,father',s ,,death--,,letter ,,from ,,miss ,,cobbe4 ,we spent the autumn in visiting my relations on the banks of the ,tweed4 ,i was much out of health at the time4 ,as winter came on ,i got better1 and was preparing to print my ,physical ,geography when ,cosmos appeared4 ,i at once determined to put my manuscript in the fire when ,somerville said1 ,do not be rash--consult some of our friends--,herschel for instance4 ,so ,i sent the ,,ms4 to ,sir ,john ,herschel1 who advised me by all means to publish it4 ,it was very favourably reviewed by ,sir ,henry ,holland in the ,quarterly1 which tended much to its success4 ,i afterwards sent a copy of a later edition to ,baron ,humboldt1 who wrote me a very kind letter in return4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,baron ,,humboldt ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,a ,,sans ,,souci1 ce #ab ,juillet1 #ahdi4 ,,madame1 ,c'est un devoir bien doux remplir1 ,madame1 que de vous offrir l'hommage renouvell de mon dvouement et de ma respectueuse admiration4 ,ces sentimens datent de bien loin chez l'homme antidiluvien auquel vous avez daign adresser des lignes si aimables et la nouvelle dition de ce bel ouvrage qui m'a charm et instruit ds qu'il avait paru pour la premire fois4 ,a cette grande supriorit que vous possedez et qui a si noblement illustr votre nom1 dans les hautes rgions de l'analyse mathmatique1 vous joignez1 ,madame1 une varit de connaissances dans toutes les parties de la physique et de l'histoire naturelle descriptive4 ,aprs votre ,mechanism of the ,heavens1 le philosophique ouvrage ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences avait t l'objet de ma constante admiration4 ,je l'ai lu en entier et puis relu dans la septime dition qui a paru en #ahdf dans les tems o nous tions plus calme1 o l'orage politique ne grondait que de loin4 ,l'auteur de l'imprudent ,cosmos devoit saluer plus que tout autre la ,gographie ,physique de ,mary ,somerville4 ,j'ai su me la procurer ds les premires semaines par les soins de notre ami commun le ,chev4 ,bunsen4 ,je ne connais dans aucune langue un ouvrage de ,gographie physique que l'on pourrait comparer au votre4 ,je l'ai de nouveau tudi dans la dernire dition que je dois votre gracieuse bienveillance4 ,le sentiment de prcision que vos habitudes de ,gomtre vous ont si profondement imprim1 pntre tous vos travaux1 ,madame4 ,aucun fait1 aucune des grandes vues de la nature vous chappent4 ,vous avez profit et des livres et des conversations des voyageurs dans cette malheureuse ,italie o passe la grande route de l',orient et de l',inde4 ,j'ai t surpris de la justice de vos aperus sur la ,gographie des plantes et des animaux4 ,vous dominez dans ces rgions comme en astronomie1 en mtorologie1 en magnetisme4 ,que n'ajoutez-vous pas la sphre cleste1 l'uranologie1 votre patrimoine1 la sphre terrestre8 ,c'est vous seule qui pourriez donner votre belle litrature un ouvrage cosmologique original1 un ouvrage crit avec cette lucidit et ce got que distingue tout ce qui est man de votre plume4 ,on a1 je le sais1 beaucoup de bienveillance pour mon ,cosmos dans votre patrie2 mais il en est des formes de composition littraires1 comme de la varit des races et de la diffrence primitive des langues4 ,un ouvrage traduit manque de vie2 ce que plait sur les bords du ,rhin doit paratre bizarre sur les bords de la ,tamise et de la ,seine4 ,mon ouvrage est une production essentiellement allemande1 et ce caractre mme1 j'en suis sr1 loin de m'en plaindre lui donne le got du terroir4 ,je jouis d'une bonne fortune laquelle 7 cause de mon long sjour en ,france1 de mes prdilections personnelles1 de mes hrsies politiques7 le ,lopard ne m'avait pas trop accoutum4 ,je demande l'illustre auteur du volume sur la ,mcanique ,cleste d'avoir le courage d'agrandir sa ,gographie ,physique4 ,je suis sr que le grand homme que nous aimons le plus1 vous et moi1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 serait de mon opinion4 ,le ,,monde1 je me sers du titre que ,descartes voulait donner un livre dont nous n'avons que de pauvres fragmens2 le ,monde doit tre crit pour les ,anglais par un auteur de race pure4 ,il n'y a pas de sve1 pas de vitalit dans les traductions les mieux faites4 ,ma sant s'est conserv miraculeusement l'ge de quatre-vingts ans1 de mon ardeur pour le travail nocturne au milieu des agitations d'une position que je n'ai pas besoin de vous depeindre puisque l'excellente ,mademoiselle de ---- vous l'a fait connatre4 ,j'ai boulevers1 chang mes deux volumes des ,ansichten4 ,il n'en est rest que #a_/d4 ,c'est comme un nouvel ouvrage que j'aurai bientt le bonheur de vous adresser si ,m4 ,cotta pense pouvoir hasarder une publication dans ces tems o la force physique croit gurir un mal moral et vacciner le contentement l',allemagne unitaire66 ,le troisime volume de mon ,cosmos avance1 mais la srnit manque aux mes moins crdules4 ,agrez1 je vous supplie1 l'hommage de mon affectueuse et respectueuse reconnaissance1 ,,alexandre ,,de ,,humboldt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,somerville and ,i spent the ,christmas at ,collingwood with our friends the ,herschels4 ,the party consisted of ,mr4 ,airy1 ,astronomer-,royal1 and ,mr4 ,adams1 who had taken high honours at ,cambridge4 ,this young man and ,m4 ,leverrier1 the celebrated ,french astronomer1 had separately calculated the orbit of ,neptune and announced it so nearly at the same time1 that each country claims the honour of the discovery4 ,mr4 ,adams told ,somerville that the following sentence in the sixth edition of the ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 published in the year #ahdb1 put it into his head to calculate the orbit of ,neptune4 ,if after the lapse of years the tables formed from a combination of numerous observations should be still inadequate to represent the motions of ,uranus1 the discrepancies may reveal the existence1 nay1 even the mass and orbit of a body placed for ever beyond the sphere of vision4 ,that prediction was fulfilled in #ahdf1 by the discovery of ,neptune revolving at the distance of #c1jjj1jjj1jjj of miles from the sun4 ,the mass of ,neptune1 the size and position of his orbit in space1 and his periodic time1 were determined from his disturbing action on ,uranus before the planet itself had been seen4 ,we left ,collingwood as ever with regret4 ,the following is an extract from a letter written by my mother during this visit3-- ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,collingwood1 #ast ,january1 #ahdh4 444 ,you can more easily conceive than ,i can describe the great kindness and affection which we have received from both ,sir ,john and ,lady ,herschel2 ,i feel a pride and pleasure beyond what ,i can express in having such friends4 ,collingwood is a house by itself in the world1 there certainly is nothing like it for all that is great and good4 ,the charm of the conversation is only equalled by its variety--every subject ,sir ,john touches turns to doubly refined gold2 profound1 brilliant1 amiable1 and highly poetical1 ,i could never end admiring and praising him4 ,then the children are so nice and he so kind and amusing to them1 making them quite his friends and companions4 ,yours1 my dearest ,woronzow1 ,most affectionately1 ,m4 ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had formed such a friendship with ,mr4 ,faraday that while we lived abroad he sent me a copy of everything he published1 and on returning to ,england we renewed our friendship with that illustrious philosopher1 and attended his lectures at the ,royal ,institution4 ,he had already magnetized a ray of polarised light1 but was still lecturing on the magnetic and diamagnetic properties of matter4 ,at the last lecture we attended he showed the diamagnetism of flame1 which had been proved by a foreign philosopher4 ,mr4 ,faraday never would accept of any honour2 he lived in a circle of friends to whom he was deeply attached4 ,a touching and beautiful memoir was published of him by his friend and successor1 ,professor ,tyndall1 an experimental philosopher of the very highest genius4 ,the following letter was the last my mother received from ,faraday3-- ,,from ,,professor ,,faraday ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,royal ,,institution1 #agth ,january1 #ahei4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,so you have remembered me again1 and ,i have the delight of receiving from you a new copy of that work which has so often instructed me2 and ,i may well say1 cheered me in my simple homely course through life in this house4 ,it was most kind to think of me2 but ah6 how sweet it is to believe that ,i have your approval in matters where kindness would be nothing1 where judgment alone must rule4 ,i almost doubt myself when ,i think ,i have your approbation1 to some degree at least1 in what ,i may have thought or said about gravitation1 the forces of nature1 their conservation1 c4 ,as it is1 ,i cannot go back from these thoughts2 on the contrary1 ,i feel encouraged to go on by way of experiment1 but am not so able as ,i was formerly2 for when ,i try to hold the necessary group of thoughts in mind at one time1 with the judgment suspended on almost all of them1 then my head becomes giddy1 and ,i am obliged to lay all aside for a while4 ,i am trying for time in magnetic action1 and do not despair of reaching it1 even though it may be only that of light4 ,nous verrons4 ,i have been putting into one volume various papers of mine on experimental branches in chemistry and physics4 ,the index and title-page has gone to the printer1 and ,i expect soon to receive copies from him4 ,i shall ask ,mr4 ,murray to help me in sending one to you which ,i hope you will honour by acceptance4 ,there is nothing new in it1 except a few additional pages about regelation1 and also gravity4 ,it is useful to get one's scattered papers together with an index1 and society seems to like the collection sufficiently to pay the expenses4444 ,pray remember me most kindly to all with whom ,i may take that privilege1 and believe me to be most truly1 ,your admirer and faithful servant1 ,m4 ,,faraday4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my mother wrote of this letter3-- ,,florence1 #hth ,february1 #ahei4 444 ,i have had the most charming and gratifying letter from ,faraday2 ,i cannot tell you how ,i value such a mark of approbation and friendship from the greatest experimental philosopher and discoverer next to ,newton4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we returned to the continent in autumn1 so ,i could not superintend the publication of my ,physical ,geography1 but ,mr4 ,pentland kindly undertook to carry it through the press4 ,though ,i never was personally acquainted with ,mr4 ,keith ,johnston1 of ,edinburgh1 that eminent geographer gave me copies of both the first and second editions of his splendid ,atlas of ,physical ,geography1 which were of the greatest use to me4 ,besides1 he published some time afterwards a small ,school ,atlas of ,ancient1 ,modern1 and ,physical ,geography1 intended to accompany my work2 obligations which ,i gratefully acknowledge4 ,no one has attempted to copy my ,connexion of the ,physical ,sciences1 the subjects are too difficult2 but soon after the publication of the ,physical ,geography a number of cheap books appeared1 just keeping within the letter of the law1 on which account it has only gone through five editions4 ,however a sixth is now required4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the moment was unfavourable for going into ,italy1 as war was raging between ,charles ,albert and the ,austrians1 so we resolved to remain at ,munich1 and wait the course of events4 ,we got a very pretty little apartment1 well furnished with stoves1 and opposite the house of the ,marchese ,fabio ,pallavicini1 formerly ,sardinian minister at ,munich4 ,we spent most of our evenings very pleasantly at their house4 ,we attended the concerts at the ,odeon of classical music3 the execution was perfect1 but the music was so refined and profound that it passed my comprehension1 and ,i thought it tedious4 ,the hours at ,munich were so early that the opera ended almost at the time it began in ,london4 ,in the spring we went to ,salzburg1 where we remained all summer4 ,we had an apartment in a dilapidated old chteau1 about an hour's walk from the town1 called ,leopold's ,krone4 ,the picturesque situation of the town reminded me of the ,castle and ,old ,town of ,edinburgh4 ,the view from our windows was alpine1 and the trees bordering the roads were such as ,i have rarely seen out of ,england4 ,we made many excursions to ,berchtesgaden1 where ,king ,louis and his court were then living1 and went to the upper end of the ,knigsee4 ,i have repeatedly been at sea in very stormy weather without the smallest idea of fear2 but the black1 deep water of this lake1 under the shadow of the precipitous mountains1 made a disagreeable impression on me4 ,i thought if ,i were to be drowned ,i should prefer the blue sea to that cold1 black pool4 ,the flora was lovely1 and on returning from our expeditions in the evening1 the damp1 mossy banks were luminous with glowworms3 ,i never saw so many1 either before or since4 ,we never fail to make acquaintances wherever we go1 and our friends at ,munich had given us letters to various people who were passing the summer there1 many of whom had evening receptions once a week4 ,at the ,countess ,irene ,arco's beautiful ,gothic chteau of ,anif1 which rises out of a small pellucid lake1 and is reached by a bridge1 we spent many pleasant evenings1 as well as at ,countess ,bellegarde's1 and at ,aigen1 which belonged to the ,cardinal ,schwartzenberg4 ,we never saw him1 but went to visit his niece1 with whom we were intimate4 ,the war being over1 we went by ,innsbruck and the ,brenner to ,col1 on the ,lago di ,garda1 within five miles of ,peschiera1 where we spent a month with ,count and ,countess ,erizzo ,miniscalchi1 who had been our intimate friends for many years4 ,the devastation of the country was frightful4 ,peschiera and its fortifications were in ruins2 the villages around had been burnt down1 and the wretched inhabitants were beginning to repair their roofless houses4 ,our friends themselves had but recently returned to ,col1 which1 from its commanding situation1 was always the headquarters of whatever army was in possession of the country around4 ,on this account1 the family had to fly more than once at the approach of the enemy4 ,in #ahdh the ,countess had fled to ,milan1 and was confined at the very time the ,austrians under ,radetsky were besieging the town1 which was defended by ,charles ,albert4 ,fearing what might occur when the city was surrendered1 the lady1 together with her new-born infant and the rest of her family1 escaped the next day with considerable difficulty1 and travelled to ,genoa4 ,although not acquainted with quite so many languages as ,mezzofanti1 ,count ,miniscalchi is a remarkable linguist1 especially with regard to ,arabic and other oriental tongues4 ,he has availed himself of his talent1 and published several works1 the most interesting of which is a translation of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john from ,syro-,chaldaic 7the language probably spoken by our ,saviour7 into ,latin4 ,the manuscript1 from which this translation is made1 is preserved in the ,vatican4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while we were at ,col my mother received a visit from a very distinguished and gifted lady1 the ,countess ,bon-,brenzoni4 ,as an instance of the feelings entertained by an ,italian woman towards my mother1 ,i insert a letter written by the ,countess some time afterwards1 and also an extract from her poems3-- ,,from ,,the ,,countess ,,bon-,,brenzoni ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,verona1 #bh ,maggio1 #ahec4 ,,illustre ,,signora1 ,fui molto contenta udendo che finalmente le sia giunto l'involto contenente le copie stampate del ,carme1 ch' ebbi l'onore di poterle offerire1 mentre io era in gran pensiero non forse fossero insorte difficolt1 o ritardi1 in causa della posta4 ,ma1 ben pi che per questo la sua graziosissima lettera mi f di vera consolazione1 per l'accoglienza tutta benevola e generosa ch' ,ella fece a' miei versi4 ,la ringrazio delle parole piene di bont ch' ,ella mi scrive1 e di aversi preso la gentil cura di farlo in italiano2 cos potess' io ricambiarla scrivendo a ,lei in inglese6 ,pur mi conforta la certezza che il linguaggio delle anime sia uno solo2 mentre io non so s' io debba chiamar presunzione1 o ispirazione questa1 che mi fa credere1 che esista fra la sua e la mia una qualche intelligenza1 e quantunque i suoi meriti e la sua bont me ne spieghino in gran parte il mistero1 pure trovo essere cosa non comune questo pensiero1 che al mio cuore parla di ,lei incessantemente1 da quel giorno ch' io l'ho veduta per la prima e l'unica volta6 ,ah se vero che fra i sentimenti di compiacenza ch' ,ella prov per gli elogi ottenuti de' suoi lavori1 abbia saputo trovar luogo fra i pi cari quello che le dest nell' animo l'espressione viva e sincera della mia ammirazione e del mio umile affetto1 io raggiunsi un punto a cui certo non avea osato aspirare6 ,il trovarmi con ,lei a ,col1 od altrove che fosse1 uno de' miei pi cari desideri1 e son lieta delle sue parole che me ne danno qualche speranza4 ,voglia presentare i miei distinti doveri all' eccelente suo ,sigre marito ed alle amabili figlie2 e mentre io le prego da ,dio le pi desiderabili benedizioni1 ,ella si ricordi di me siccome di una persona1 che sebbene lontana fisicamente1 le sempre vicina coll' animo1 nei sentimenti della pi affetuosa venerazione4 ,incoraggiata dalla sua bont1 mi onoro segnarmi amica affezionatissima ,,caterina ,,bon-,,brenzoni4 ,the ,carme spoken of in the above letter form a long poem on modern astronomy1 entitled ,i ,cieli1 7published by ,vallardi4 ,milan3 #ahec74 ,the opening lines contain the following address to ,mrs4 ,somerville1--doubtless a genuine description of the author's feelings on first meeting the simple-mannered lady whose intellectual greatness she had long learned to appreciate3-- ,donna1 quel giorno ch' io ti vidi in prima1 ,dimmi1 hai ,tu scrto sul mio volto i segni ,dell' anima commossa8--,hai ,tu veduto ,come trepida innanzi io ti venia1 ,e come reverenza e maraviglia ,tenean sospesa sull' indocil labbro ,la parola mal certa8--,ah6 dimmi1 hai scrto ,come fur vinte dall' affetto allora ,che t'udii favellar soave e piana1 ,coll' angelica voce e l'umiltade1 ,che a' suoi pi cari sapenza insegna8-- ,questa1 io dicea tra me1 questa ,colei1 ,di che le mille volte udito ho il nome ,venerato suonar tra i pi famosi8 ,questa ,colei che negli eterei spazj ,segue il cammin degli astri1 e ne misura ,peso1 moto1 distanza1 orbita e luce8 99 99 99 99 99 ,another record of our visit to ,col is in a letter of my mother to my brother4 ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,turin1 #dth ,dec41 #ahdi4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,woronzow1 ,we arrived here all well the day before yesterday1 after a fair but bitterly cold journey1 bright sunshine and keen frost1 and to-day we have a fall of snow4444 ,it was a great disappointment not finding letters here1 and ,i fear many have been lost on both sides1 though we took care not to touch on political events1 as all letters are opened by the ,austrian police in ,lombardy4 ,we spent five weeks with our friends the ,miniscalchis very agreeably1 and received every mark of kindness and hospitality4 ,they only live at ,verona during the winter1 and we found them in their country house at ,col situated on a height overlooking the ,lago di ,garda1 with the snowy ,alps on the opposite side of the lake4 ,the view from their grounds is so fine that ,i was tempted to paint once more4 ,they took us to see all the places in the neighbourhood2 often a sad sight1 from having been the seat of war and siege4 ,the villages are burnt and the churches in ruin4 ,but the people are repairing the mischief as fast as possible1 and the fields are already well cultivated4 ,the ,count is a man of great learning and is occupied in the comparison of languages1 especially the ,eastern2 he knows twenty-four and speaks ,arabic as fluently as ,italian4 ,he is in the habit of speaking both ,arabic and ,chaldee every day1 as there is a most learned ,chaldean priest living with them1 whose conversation gave me great pleasure and much information4 ,the ,count has moreover a black servant who speaks these languages1 having been bought by the ,count during his long residence in the ,east1 and is now treated like one of the family4 ,i obtained much information which will be useful in my next edition of the ,physical ,geography4444 ,your affectionate mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 ,after my mother's death1 our old friend ,count ,miniscalchi made a beautiful and touching loge on her at a meeting of the ,royal ,italian ,geographical ,society1 to a numerous audience assembled in the great hall of the ,collegio ,romano at ,rome4 ,my mother was an honorary member of this ,society1 besides which the first gold medal granted by them was voted by acclamation to her4 ,her ,recollections continue as follows3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,from ,col we went to ,turin1 where ,i became personally acquainted with ,baron ,plana1 ,director of the ,observatory4 ,he had married a niece of the illustrious mathematician ,la ,grange1 who proved the stability of the solar system4 ,plana1 himself1 was a very great analyst2 his volume on the ,lunar ,perturbations is a work of enormous labour4 ,he gave me a copy of it and of all his works2 for ,i continued to have friendly intercourse with him as long as he lived4 ,as soon as he heard of our arrival1 he came to take us out to drive4 ,i never shall forget the beauty of the ,alps1 and the broad valley of the ,po and ,dora1 deeply covered with snow1 and sparkling in bright sunshine4 ,another day the ,baron took us to a church1 from the cupola of which a very long pendulum was swinging1 that we might see the rotation of the earth visibly proved by its action on the pendulum1 according to ,m4 ,foucault's experiment4 ,he devoted his time to get us established1 and we found a handsome apartment in ,casa ,cavour1 and became acquainted with both the brothers to whom it belonged4 ,count ,camillo ,cavour1 then ,minister of the ,interior1 was the only great statesman ,italy ever produced in modern times4 ,his premature death is deplorably felt at the present day4 ,he was a real genius1 and the most masterly act of his administration was that of sending an army to act in concert with the ,french and ,english in the ,crimean war4 ,by it he at once gave ,italy the rank of an independent ,european power1 which was the first step towards ,italian unity4 ,he was delightful and cheerful in society1 and extremely beloved by his family and friends4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in spring we hired a villa on the ,colline above ,turin4 ,the house was in a garden1 with a terrace1 whence the ground sank rapidly to the plain2 low hills1 clothed with chestnut forests1 abounding in lilies of the valley1 surrounded us behind4 ,the summer had been stormy1 and one evening we walked on the terrace to look at the lightning1 which was very fine1 illuminating the chain of ,alps4 ,by-and-by it ceased1 and the darkness was intense2 but we continued to walk1 when1 to our surprise1 a pale bluish light rose in the ,val di ,susa1 which gradually spread along the summit of the ,alps1 and the tops of the hills behind our house2 then a column of the same pale blue light1 actually within our reach1 came curling up from the slope close to the terrace1 exactly as if wet weeds had been burning4 ,in about ten minutes the whole vanished2 but in less than a quarter of an hour the phenomena were repeated exactly as described1 and were followed by a dark night and torrents of rain4 ,it was a very unusual instance of what is known as electric glow2 that is1 electricity without tension4 ,on our road to ,genoa1 we went to see some kind ,piedmontese friends1 who have a chteau in the ,monferrat1 not many miles from ,asti1 where we left the railroad4 ,we had not gone many miles when the carriage we had hired was upset1 and1 although nobody had broken bones1 ,i got so severe a blow on my forehead that ,i was confined to bed for nearly a month1 and my face was black and blue for a much longer time4 ,nothing could equal the unwearied kindness of our friends during my illness4 ,when ,i was able to travel1 we went to ,genoa for the winter1 and lived on the second floor of a large house on the ,acqua ,sola1 and overlooking the sea4 ,here first began our friendship with the ,marchesa ,teresa ,doria1 whose maiden name was ,durazzo2 in her youth one of the handsomest women in ,genoa1 a lady distinguished for her generous character and cultivated mind1 and who fearlessly avowed her opinions at a time when it was a kind of disgrace to be called a ,liberal4 ,her youngest son1 ,giacomo1 has devoted his life to the study of natural history1 and his mother used all her influence to encourage and help him in a pursuit so unusual amongst people of rank in this country4 ,later1 he travelled in ,persia for two years1 to make collections1 and since then resided for a long time in ,borneo1 and is now arranging a museum in his native city4 ,the ,marchesa has always been a warm and devoted friend to me and mine4 ,it was here that we got our dear old parrot ,lory1 who is still alive and merry4 99 99 99 99 99 ,our next move was to ,florence1 where we already knew many people4 ,we had a lease of a house in ,via del ,mandorlo1 which had a small garden and a balcony1 where we often sat and received in the warm summer evenings4 ,my daughters had adorned it and the garden with rare creepers1 shrubs1 and flowers4 ,we had a visit from our friend ,gibson1 as he passed through ,florence on his way to ,switzerland4 ,he told us the history of his early life1 as given in his biography1 and much that is not mentioned there4 ,he was devotedly attached to the ,queen1 and spoke of her in his simple manner as a charming lady4 ,miss ,hosmer was travelling with ,gibson1 an ,american young lady1 who was his pupil1 and of whose works he was very proud4 ,he looked upon her as if she had been his daughter1 and she took care of him2 for he was careless and forgetful when travelling4 ,i have the sincerest pleasure in expressing my admiration for ,miss ,hosmer1 who has proved by her works that our sex possesses both genius and originality in the highest branches of art4 ,it was at ,florence that ,i first met my dear friend and constant correspondent1 ,frances ,power ,cobbe4 ,she is the cleverest and most agreeable woman ,i ever met with1 and one of the best4 ,there is a distant connection between us1 as one of her ancestors married a niece of ,lord ,fairfax1 the ,parliamentary general1 many of whose letters are in the possession of her family4 ,a ,german professor of physiology at ,florence roused public indignation by his barbarous vivisections1 and there was a canvass for a ,memorial against this cruel practice4 ,miss ,cobbe took a leading part in this movement1 and ,i heartily joined1 and wrote to all my acquaintances1 requesting their votes2 among others1 to a certain ,marchese1 who had published something on agriculture4 ,he refused his vote1 saying1 ,perhaps ,i was not aware that the present state of science was one of induction4 ,then he went on explaining to me what induction meant1 c41 c41 which amused me not a little4 ,it made my family very indignant1 as they thought it eminently presumptuous1 addressed to me by a man who1 though a good patriot and agriculturist1 knew nothing whatever about science1 past or present4 ,a good deal of political party spirit was brought into play in this instance1 as is too often the case here4 ,it is not complimentary to the state of civilisation in ,italy1 that in ,russia and ,poland1 both of them very far behind her in many respects1 there should exist societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals1 to which all the most distinguished people have given their names4 ,i rejoice to say that this stain on ,italian civilisation is now wiped away4 ,my mother just lived to hail the formation of the ,societ ,protettrice degli ,animali4--,,ed4 ,in summer we sometimes made excursions to avoid the heat of ,florence4 ,one year we went to ,valombrosa and the convents of ,la ,vernia1 and ,camaldoli1 which are now suppressed4 ,we travelled on mules or ponies1 as the mountain paths are impracticable to carriages4 ,i was disappointed in ,valombrosa itself1 but the road to it is beautiful4 ,la ,vernia is highly picturesque1 there we remained two days1 which ,i spent in drawing4 ,the trees round the convent formed a striking contrast to the arid cliffs we had passed on the road4 ,the monks were naturally delighted to see strangers4 ,they belonged to the order of ,st4 ,francis1 and each in his turn wandered over the country begging and living on the industry of others4 ,we did not pay for our food and lodging1 but left much more than an equivalent in the poor-box4 ,somerville slept in the convent1 and we ladies were lodged in the so-called ,foresteria outside2 but even ,somerville was not admitted into the clausura at ,camaldoli1 for the monks make a vow of perpetual silence and solitude4 ,each had his little separate hut and garden1 and some distance above the convent1 on the slopes of the ,apennines1 they had an establishment called the ,eremo1 for those who sought for even greater solitude4 ,the people told us that in winter1 when deep snow covers the whole place1 wolves are often seen prowling about4 ,not far from the ,eremo there is a place from whence both the ,mediterranean and the ,adriatic can be seen4 ,we occasionally went for sea-bathing to ,viareggio1 which is built on a flat sandy beach4 ,the loose sand is drifted by the wind into low hillocks1 and bound together by coarse grass thickly coated with silex4 ,among this and other plants a lovely white amaryllis1 the ,pancratium ,maritimum1 with a sweet and powerful perfume1 springs up4 ,we often tried to get the bulb1 but it lay too deep under the sand4 ,one evening we had gone a long way in search of these flowers1 and sat down to rest1 though it was beginning to be dark4 ,we had not sat many minutes when we were surrounded by a number of what we supposed to be bats trying to get at the flowers we had gathered1 but at length we discovered that they were enormous moths1 which followed us home1 and actually flew into the room to soar over the flowers and suck the honey with their long probosces4 ,they were beautiful creatures with large red eyes on their wings4 99 99 99 99 99 ,our life at ,florence went on pretty much as usual when all at once cholera broke out of the most virulent kind4 ,multitudes fled from ,florence2 often in vain1 for it prevailed all through ,tuscany to a great extent4 ,the terrified people were kneeling to the ,madonna and making processions1 after which it was remarked that the number of cases was invariably increased4 ,the ,misericordia went about in their fearful costume1 indefatigable in carrying the sick to the hospitals4 ,the devotion of that society was beyond all praise2 the young and the old1 the artisan and the nobleman1 went night and day in detachments carrying aid to the sufferers1 not in ,florence only1 but to ,fiesole and the villages round4 ,we never were afraid1 but we consulted ,professor ,zanetti1 our medical adviser1 whether we should leave the town1 which we were unwilling to do1 as we thought we should be far from medical assistance1 and he said1 ,by no means2 live as usual1 drive out as you have always done1 and make not the smallest change4 ,we followed his advice1 and drove out every afternoon till near dark1 and then passed the rest of the evening with those friends who1 like ourselves1 had remained in town4 ,none of us took the disease except one of our servants1 who recovered from instant help being given4 ,the ,marquis of ,normanby was ,british minister at that time1 and ,lady ,normanby and he were always kind and hospitable to us4 ,at her house we became acquainted with ,signora ,barbieri-,nini1 the celebrated opera-singer1 who had retired from the stage1 and lived with her husband1 a ,sienese gentleman1 in a villa not far from ,villa ,normanby4 ,she gave a musical party1 to which she invited us4 ,the music1 which was entirely artistic1 was excellent1 the entertainment very handsome1 and it was altogether very enjoyable4 ,as we were driving home afterwards1 late at night1 going down the hill1 our carriage ran against one of the dead carts which was carrying those who had died that day to the burying-ground at ,trespiano4 ,it was horribly ghastly--one could distinguish the forms of the limbs under the canvas thrown over the heap of dead4 ,the burial of the poor and rich in ,italy is in singular contrast2 the poor are thrown into the grave without a coffin1 the rich are placed in coffins1 and in full dress1 which1 especially in the case of youth and infancy1 leaves a pleasant impression4 ,an intimate friend of ours lost an infant1 and asked me to go and see it laid out4 ,the coffin1 lined with white silk1 was on a table1 covered with a white cloth1 strewed with flowers1 and with a row of wax lights on either side4 ,the baby was clothed in a white satin frock1 leaving the neck and arms bare2 a rose-bud was in each hand1 and a wreath of rose-buds surrounded the head1 which rested on a pillow4 ,nothing could be prettier2 it was like a sleeping angel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,pio ,nono had lost his popularity before he came to visit the ,grand ,duke of ,tuscany4 ,the people received him respectfully1 but without enthusiasm2 nevertheless1 ,florence was illuminated in his honour4 ,the ,duomo1 ,campanile1 and the old tower in the ,piazza dei ,signori were very fine1 but the ,lung' ,arno was beautiful beyond description2 the river was full1 and reflected the whole with dazzling splendour4 ,i made the acquaintance of ,signore ,donati1 afterwards celebrated for the discovery of one of the most brilliant comets of this century1 whose course and changes ,i watched with the greatest interest4 ,on one occasion ,i was accompanied by my valued friend ,sir ,henry ,holland1 who had come to ,florence during one of his annual journeys4 ,i had much pleasure in seeing him again4 ,political parties ran very high in ,florence2 we sympathised with the ,liberals1 living on intimate terms with the chief of them4 ,as soon as the probability of war between ,piedmont and ,austria became known1 many young men of every rank1 some even of the highest families1 hastened to join as volunteers4 ,the most sanguine long hoped that the ,grand ,duke might remember that he was an ,italian prince rather than an ,austrian archduke1 and would send his troops to join the ,italian cause2 but his dynasty was doomed1 and he blindly chose the losing side4 ,at last the ,austrians crossed the ,mincio1 and the war fairly broke out1 ,france coming to the assistance of ,piedmont4 ,the enthusiasm of the ,tuscans could then no longer be restrained1 and on the #bgth ,april #ahei1 crowds of people assembled on the ,piazza dell' ,indipendenza1 and raised the tri-coloured flag4 ,the government1 who1 the day before1 had warning of what was impending1 had sent sealed orders to the forts of ,belvedere and del ,basso1 which1 when opened on the eventful morning1 were found to contain orders for the bombardment of the town4 ,this the officers refused to do1 after which the troops joined the popular cause4 ,when this order became generally known1 as it soon did1 it proved the last blow to the dynasty1 although the most eminent and respected ,liberals used their best efforts during the whole of the #bgth to restore harmony between the ,grand ,duke and the people4 ,they advised his immediate abdication in favour of his son1 the ,archduke ,ferdinand1 the proclamation of the ,constitution1 and of course insisted on the immediate alliance with ,piedmont as their principal condition4 ,it was already too late6 ,all was of no avail1 and in the evening1 whilst we were as usual at the ,cascine1 the whole ,imperial family1 accompanied by the ,austrian minister1 and escorted by several of the ,corps ,diplomatique1 drove round the walls from ,palazzo ,pitti to ,porta ,san ,gallo unmolested amid a silent crowd1 and crossing the frontier on the ,bologna road1 bade farewell for ever to ,tuscany4 ,the obnoxious ministers were also permitted to retire unnoticed to their country houses4 ,thus ended this bloodless revolution2 there was no disorder of any kind1 which was due to the young men belonging to the principal families of ,florence1 such as ,corsini1 ,incontri1 ,farinola1 and others1 using their influence with the people to calm and direct them4 ,indeed1 so quiet was everything that my daughters walked about the streets1 as did most ladies1 to see what was going on2 the only visible signs of the revolution throughout the whole day were bands of young men with tri-coloured flags and cockades shouting national songs at the top of their voices4 ,as ,i have said already1 we took our usual drive to the ,cascine after dinner1 and went to the theatre in the evening2 the streets were perfectly quiet1 and next morning the people were at work as usual4 ,sir ,james ,scarlett was our minister1 and had a reception the evening after these events1 where we heard many predictions of evil which never were fulfilled4 ,the least of these was the occupation of ,florence by a victorious ,austrian army4 ,the ,tuscan archdukes precluded all chance of a restoration by joining the ,austrian army1 and being present at the battle of ,solferino4 ,at ,florence a provisional government was formed with ,bettino ,ricasoli at its head2 a parliament assembled three times in the ,sala dei ,cinquecento1 in the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 and voted with unanimity the expulsion of the ,house of ,lorraine1 and the annexation of ,tuscany to the kingdom of ,italy4 ,in the meantime the ,french and ,italian arms were victorious in ,lombardy4 ,as1 however1 it is not my intention to give an historical account of the revolution of #ahei1 but merely to jot down such circumstances as came under my own immediate notice1 ,i shall not enter into any particulars regarding the well-known campaign which ended in the cession of ,milan and ,lombardy to ,italy4 ,we were keenly interested in the alliance between the ,emperor ,napoleon and the ,king of ,italy1 in hopes the ,quadrilateral would be taken1 and ,venice added to the ,italian ,states4 ,we had a map of ,northern ,italy spread on a table1 and from day to day we marked the positions of the different headquarters with coloured-headed pins4 ,i can hardly describe our indignation when all at once peace was signed at ,villafranca1 and ,napoleon received ,nice and ,savoy in recompense for his aid1 which were given up to him without regard to the will of the people4 ,when the peace was announced in ,tuscany it caused great consternation and disgust2 the people were in the greatest excitement1 fearing that those rulers so obnoxious to them might by this treaty be again forced upon them2 and it required the firm hand of ,ricasoli to calm the people1 and induce the ,king to accept the annexation which had been voted without one dissentient voice4 ,baron ,ricasoli had naturally many enemies amongst the ,codini1 or retrograde party4 ,hand-grenades were thrown against the door of his house1 as also at those of other ministers1 but without doing harm4 ,one evening my daughters were dressing to go to a ball that was to take place at the ,palazzo delle ,crocelle1 close to us1 in a street parallel to ours1 when we were startled by a loud explosion4 ,an attempt had been made to throw a shell into the ball-room1 which had happily failed4 ,the streets were immediately lined with soldiers1 and the ball1 which was given by the ,ministers1 as far as ,i recollect1 took place4 ,when the war broke out1 a large body of ,french troops1 commanded by ,prince ,jerme ,napoleon1 came to ,florence1 and were bivouacked in the ,cascine4 ,the people in the streets welcomed them as deliverers from the ,austrians1 whose occupation of ,tuscany1 when first we came to reside in ,florence1 was such a bitter mortification to them1 and one of the causes of the unpopularity of the ,grand ,duke1 whom they never forgave for calling in the ,austrian troops after #ahdh4 ,the ,french camp was a very pretty sight2 some of the soldiers playing at games1 some mending their clothes1 or else cooking4 ,they were not very particular as to what they ate1 for one of my daughters saw a soldier skin a rat and put it into his soup-kettle4 ,we were invited by the ,marchesa ,lajatico1 with whom we were very intimate1 to go and see the entry of ,victor ,emmanuel into ,florence from the balcony of the ,casa ,corsini in the ,piazza del ,prato1 where she resides4 ,the ,king was received with acclamation3 never was anything like the enthusiasm4 ,flowers were showered down from every window1 and the streets were decorated with a taste peculiar to the ,italians4 ,i think the following extracts from letters written by my mother during the year #ahei and the following1 ever memorable in ,italian history1 may not be unwelcome to the reader4 ,my mother took the keenest interest in all that occurred4 ,owing to the liberal opinions she had held from her youth1 and to which she was ever constant1 all her sympathies were with the ,italian cause1 and she rejoiced at every step which tended to unite all ,italy in one kingdom4 ,she lived to see this great revolution accomplished by the entry of ,victor ,emmanuel into ,rome as ,king of ,italy2 a consummation believed by most politicians to be a wild dream of poets and hot-headed patriots1 but now realised and accepted as a matter of course4 ,my mother had always firm faith in this result1 and it was with inexpressible pleasure she watched its completion4 ,our intimacy with the leading politicians both in ,tuscany and ,piedmont naturally added to our interest4 ,ricasoli1 ,menabrea1 ,peruzzi1 ,minghetti1 c41 we knew intimately1 as well as ,camillo ,cavour1 the greatest statesman ,italy ever produced4 ,no one who did not witness it can imagine the grief and consternation his death occasioned1 and of which my mother writes in a letter dated ,june #aith1 #ahfa4 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 ,may #eth1 #ahei4 ,,my ,,dearest ,w41 ,your letter of the #bhth would have made me laugh heartily were we not annoyed that you should have suffered such uneasiness on our account2 the panic in ,england is ridiculous and most unfounded4 ,the whole affair has been conducted with perfect unanimity and tranquillity1 so that there has been no one to fight with4 ,the ,austrians are concentrated in ,lombardy1 and not in ,tuscany1 nor is there any one thing to disturb the perfect peace and quietness which prevail over the whole country2 not a soul thinks of leaving ,florence4 ,you do the greatest injustice to the ,tuscans4 ,from first to last not a person has been insulted1 not a cry raised against anyone2 even the obnoxious ministers were allowed to go to their country houses without a word of insult1 and troops were sent with the ,grand ,duke to escort him and his family to the frontier4 ,martha and ,mary went all through the town the morning of the revolution1 which was exactly like a common festa1 and we found the tranquillity as great when we drove through the streets in the afternoon4 ,the same quiet still prevails1 the people are at their usual employments1 the theatres and private receptions go on as usual1 and the provisional government is excellent4 ,everyone knew of the revolution long before it took place and the quietness with which it was to be conducted4 ,i am grieved at the tone of ,english politics2 and trust1 for the honour of the country and humanity1 that we do not intend to make war upon ,france and ,sardinia4 ,it would be a disgrace and everlasting stigma to make a crusade against the oppressed1 being ourselves free4 ,the people here have behaved splendidly1 and we rejoice that we have been here to witness such noble conduct4 ,no nation ever made such progress as the ,tuscans have done since the year '#dh4 ,not a word of republicanism1 it has never been named4 ,all they want is a constitutional government1 and this they are quietly settling4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 #bith ,may1 #ahei4 444 ,everything is perfectly quiet here2 the ,tuscans are giving money liberally for carrying on the war4 ,we have bought quantities of old linen1 and your sisters and ,i spend the day in making lint and bandages for the wounded soldiers2 great quantities have already been sent to ,piedmont4 ,hitherto the war has been favourable to the allied army4 ,god grant that ,england may not enter into the contest till the ,austrians are driven out of ,italy6 ,after that point has been gained1 our honour would be safe4 ,to take part with the oppressors and maintain despotism in ,italy would be infamous4 ,tuscany is to be occupied by a large body of troops under the command of ,prince ,napoleon4 ,a great many are already encamped on the meadows at the ,cascine--fine1 spirited1 merry young men2 many of them have the ,victoria medal4 ,they are a thorough protection against any attack by the ,austrians1 of which1 however1 there is little chance1 as they have enough to do in ,lombardy4 ,there is to be a great affair this morning at nine o'clock2 an altar is raised in the middle of the camp1 and the tricolour 7,italian7 flag is to be blessed amidst salvoes of cannon4 ,your friend1 ,bettino ,ricasoli1 is thought by far the most able and statesmanlike person in ,tuscany2 he is highly respected4 ,martha and ,i dined with ,mr4 ,scarlett1 and met 444 who said if the ,grand ,duke had not been the most foolish and obstinately weak man in the world1 he might still have been on the throne of ,tuscany2 but that now he has made that impossible by going to ,vienna and allowing his two sons to enter the ,austrian army4444 ,we have had a visit from ,dr4 ,falconer1 his two nieces and brother4 ,they had been spending the winter in ,sicily1 where he discovered rude implements formed by man mixed with the bones of prehistoric animals in a cave1 so hermetically shut up that not a doubt is left of a race of men having lived at a period far anterior to that assigned as the origin of mankind4 ,similar discoveries have recently been made elsewhere4 ,dr4 ,falkner had travelled much in the ,himalayas1 and lived two years on the great plain of ,tibet2 the account he gave me of it was most interesting4 ,his brother had spent fifteen years in ,australia1 so the conversation delighted me2 ,i learnt so much that was new4 ,i am glad to hear that the ,queen has been so kind to my friend ,faraday2 it seems she has given him an apartment at ,hampton ,court nicely fitted up4 ,she went to see it herself1 and having consulted scientific men as to the instruments that were necessary for his pursuits1 she had a laboratory fitted up with them1 and made him a present of the whole4 ,that is doing things handsomely1 and no one since ,newton has deserved it so much4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 #eth ,june1 #ahei4 444 ,all is perfectly quiet2 a large body of ,french troops are now in ,tuscany1 and many more are expected probably to make a diversion on this side of the ,austrian army through ,modena2 but nothing is known2 the most profound secrecy is maintained as to all military movements4 ,success has hitherto attended the allied army1 and the greatest bravery has been shown4 ,the enthusiasm among the men engaged is excessive1 the ,king of ,sardinia himself the bravest of the brave1 but exposes himself so much that the people are making petitions to him to be more careful4 ,the ,zouaves called out in the midst of the battle1 ,le roi est un ,zouave6 ,prince ,napoleon keeps very quiet1 and avoids shewing himself as much as possible4 ,the ,french troops are very fine indeed--young1 gay1 extremely civil and well bred4 ,the secrecy is quite curious2 even the colonels of the regiments do not know where they may be sent till the order comes3 so all is conjecture4444 ,the young ,king of ,naples seems to follow the footsteps of his father2 ,i hope in ,god that we may not protect and defend him4 ,how anxious we are to know what the ,house of ,commons will do6 ,let us hope they will take the liberal side2 but the conservative party seems to be increasing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 #bbnd ,august1 #ahei4 444 ,public affairs go on admirably4 ,a few weeks ago the elections took place of the members of the ,tuscan parliament with a calm and tranquillity of which you have no idea4 ,every proprietor who pays #ae pauls of taxes 7#ge pence7 has a vote4 ,there are #ahj members1 consisting of the most ancient nobility1 the richest proprietors1 the most distinguished physicians and lawyers1 and the most respectable merchants4 ,they hold their meetings in the magnificent hall of the ,palazzo ,vecchio--the ,sala ,dei ,cinquecento4 ,the first two or three days were employed in choosing a president c41 c42 then a day was named to determine the fate of the house of ,lorraine4 ,i could not go1 but ,martha went with a ,tuscan friend4 ,there was no speaking2 the vote was by ballot1 and each member separately went up to a table before the president1 and silently put his ball into a large vase4 ,two members poured the balls into a tray1 and on examination1 said1 ,no division is necessary2 they are all black1--which was followed by long and loud cheering4 ,they have been equally unanimous in the ,legations in ,parma and ,modena2 and the wish of the people is to form one kingdom of these four states under an ,italian prince1 excluding all ,austrians for ever4 ,the union is perfect1 and the determination quiet but deep and unalterable4 ,if the ,archduke is forced upon them1 it must be by armed force1 which the ,french emperor will not likely permit1 after the ,archduke was fool enough to fight against him at ,solferino4 ,all the four states have unanimously voted union with ,piedmont2 but they do not expect it to be granted4 ,the destinies of ,europe are now dependent on the two emperors4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 #bcrd ,april1 #ahfj4 ,you would have had this letter sooner1 my dearest ,woronzow1 if ,i had not been prevented from writing to you yesterday evening4444 ,the weather has been atrocious2 deluges of rain night and day1 and so cold that ,i have been obliged to lay in a second supply of wood4 ,the only good day1 and the only one ,i have been out1 was that on which the king arrived4 ,it fortunately was fine1 and the sight was magnificent2 quite worthy of so great an historical event4 ,no carriages were allowed after the guns fired announcing that the king had left ,leghorn2 so we should have been ill off1 had it not been for the kindness of our friend the ,marchesa ,lajatico1 who invited us to her balcony1 which is now very large1 as they have built an addition to their house for the eldest son and his pretty wife4 ,we were there some hours before the king arrived2 but as all the ,florentine society was there1 and many of our friends from ,turin and ,genoa1 we found it very agreeable4 ,the house is in the ,prato1 very near the gate the king was to enter4 ,on each side of it stages were raised like steps in an amphitheatre1 which were densely crowded1 every window decorated with gaily-coloured hangings and the ,italian flag2 the streets were lined with guardie civiche1 and bands of music played from time to time4 ,the people shouted ,evviva6 every time a gun was fired4 ,in the midst of this joy1 there appeared what resembled a funeral procession--about a hundred emigrants following the ,venetian1 ,roman1 and ,neapolitan colours1 all hung with black crape2 they were warmly applauded1 and many people shed tears4 ,they went to the railway station just without the gate to meet the ,king1 and when they hailed him as ,r d',italia6 he was much affected4 ,at last he appeared riding a fine ,english horse1 ,prince ,carignan on one hand and ,baron ,ricasoli on his left1 followed by a numerous troupe dore of generals and of his suite in gay uniforms and well mounted4 ,the ,king rides well2 so the effect was extremely brilliant4 ,then followed several carriages2 in the first were ,count ,cavour1 ,buoncompagni1 and the ,marchese ,bartolommei4 ,you cannot form the slightest idea of the excitement2 it was a burst of enthusiasm1 and the reception of ,cavour was as warm4 ,we threw a perfect shower of flowers over him1 which the ,marchesa had provided for the occasion2 and her youngest son ,cino1 a nice lad1 went himself to present his bouquet to the ,king1 who seemed quite pleased with the boy4 ,i felt so much for ,madame de ,lajatico herself4444 ,i said to her how kind ,i thought it in her to open her house2 she burst into tears1 and said1 though she was in deep affliction1 she could not be so selfish as not offer her friends the best position in ,florence for seeing what to many of them was the most important event in their lives1 as it was to her even in her grief4 ,the true ,italian taste appeared to perfection in every street through which the procession passed to the ,duomo1 and thence to the ,palazzo ,pitti4 ,those who saw it declare nothing could surpass the splendour of the cathedral when illuminated2 but that we could not see1 nor did we see the procession again2 it was impossible to penetrate the crowd4 ,they say there are #dj1jjj strangers in ,florence4444 ,i was much too tired to go out again to see the illuminations and the fireworks on the ,ponte ,carraja2 your sisters saw it all1 so ,i leave them to tell you all about it4 ,the ,king and ,prince are terribly early2 they and ,ricasoli are on horseback by five in the morning2 the ,king dines at twelve1 and never touches food afterwards1 though he has a dinner party of #fj or #hj every day at six4444 ,now1 my dearest ,woronzow1 ,i must end1 for ,i do not wish to miss another post4 ,i am really wonderfully well for my age4 ,your devoted mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,florence1 #aith ,june1 #ahfa4 444 ,italy has been thrown into the deepest affliction by the death of ,cavour4 ,in my long life ,i never knew any event whatever which caused so universal and deep sorrow4 ,there is not a village or town throughout the whole peninsula which has not had a funeral service1 and the very poorest people1 who had hardly clothes on their backs1 had black crape tied round their arm or neck4 ,it was a state of consternation1 and no wonder6 ,every one felt that the greatest and best man of this century has been taken away before he had completely emancipated his country4 ,all the progress is due to him1 and to him alone2 the revolution has called forth men of much talent1 yet the whole are immeasurably his inferior in every respect--even your friend1 ,ricasoli1 who is most able1 and the best successor that can be found1 is1 compared with ,cavour1 as ,tuscany to ,europe4 ,happily the sad loss did not occur sooner4 ,now things are so far advanced that they cannot go back1 and ,i trust that ,ricasoli1 who is not wanting in firmness and moral courage1 will complete what has been so happily begun4 ,i am sorry to say he is not in very good health1 but ,i trust he will not fall into the hands of the physician who attended ,cavour1 and who mistook his disease1 reduced him by loss of blood1 and then finding out his real illness1 tried to strengthen him when too late4 ,there was a most excellent article in the ,times on the two statesmen4 ,my mother's recollections continue thus3-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,one night the moon shone so bright that we sent the carriage away1 and walked home from a reception at the ,marchesa ,ginori's4 ,in crossing the ,piazza ,san ,marco1 an acquaintance1 who accompanied us1 took us to the ,maglio1 which is close by1 to hear an echo4 ,i like an echo2 yet there is something so unearthly in the arial voice1 that it never fails to raise a superstitious chill in me1 such as ,i have felt more than once as ,i read ,ossian while travelling among our ,highland hills in my early youth4 ,in one of the grand passes of the ,oberland1 when we were in ,switzerland1 we were enveloped in a mist1 through which peaks were dimly seen4 ,we stopped to hear an echo2 the response came clear and distinct from a great distance1 and ,i felt as if the ,spirit of the ,mountain had spoken4 ,the impression depends on accessory circumstances2 for the roar of a railway train passing over a viaduct has no such effect4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i lost my husband in ,florence on the #bfth ,june1 #ahfj4444 ,from the preceding narrative may be seen the sympathy1 affection1 and confidence1 which always existed between us4444 ,after what has already been said of the happiness my mother enjoyed during the long years of their married life1 it may be imagined what grief was her's at my father's death after only three days' illness4 ,my mother's dear friend and correspondent1 ,miss ,f4,p4 ,cobbe1 wrote to her as follows on this occasion3-- ,i have just learned from a letter from ,captain ,fairfax to my brother the great affliction which has befallen you4 ,i cannot express to you how it has grieved me to think that such a sorrow should have fallen on you1 and that the dear1 kind old man1 whose welcome so often touched and gratified me1 should have passed away so soon after ,i had seen you both1 as ,i often thought1 the most beautiful instance of united old age4 ,his love and pride in you1 breaking out as it did at every instant when you happened to be absent1 gives me the measure of what his loss must be to your warm heart4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following letter from my mother1 dated ,april1 #ahfa1 addressed to her sister-in-law1 was written after reading my grandfather's ,life and ,times1 the publication of which my father did not live to see4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,elliot1 ,,of ,,rosebank1 ,,roxburghshire4 ,,florence1 #bhth ,april1 #ahfa4 ,,my ,,dear ,,janet1-- ,i received the precious volume#ad you have so kindly sent to me some days ago1 but ,i have delayed thanking you for it till now because we all wished to read it first4 ,we are highly pleased1 and have been deeply interested in it4 ,the whole tone of the book is characteristic of your dear father2 the benevolence1 warm-heartedness1 and ,christian charity which appeared in the whole course of his life and ministry4 ,that which has struck us all most forcibly is the liberality of his sentiments1 both religious and political1 at a time when narrow views and bigotry made it even dangerous to avow them1 and it required no small courage to do so4 ,he was far in advance of the age in which he lived2 his political opinions are those of the present day1 his religious opinions still before it4 ,there are many parts of the book which will please the general reader from the graphic description of the manners and customs of the time1 as well as the narrative of his intercourse with many of the eminent men of his day4 ,your most dear father's affectionate remembrance of me touches me deeply4 ,i have but one regret1 dear ,jenny1 and that is that our dear ,william did not live to see the accomplishment of what was his dying wish2 but ,god's will be done4444 ,we are all much as usual3 ,i am wonderfully well1 and able to write1 which ,i do for a time every day4 ,i do not think ,i feel any difference in capacity1 but ,i become soon tired1 and then ,i read the newspapers1 some amusing book1 or work4444 ,everything is flourishing in ,italy1 and the people happy and contented1 except those who were employed and dependent on the former sovereigns1 but they are few in comparison2 and now there is a fine army of #bjj1jjj men to defend the country1 even if ,austria should make an attack1 but that is not likely at present4 ,rome is still the difficulty1 but the ,pope must and soon will lose his temporal power1 for the people are determined it shall be so4444 ,i am1 dear sister1 ,most affectionately yours1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 ,to ,,mrs4 ,,elliot1 of ,rosebank1 ,roxburghshire4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ad3 ,the ,rev4 ,p4 ,somerville's ,life and ,times4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,spezia--,,genoa--,,begins ,,molecular ,,and ,,microscopic ,,science--,,turin--,,spezia--,,british ,,fleet--,,letters ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville--,,garibaldi--,,severe ,,illness--,,florence--,,my ,,brother',s ,,death--,,naples--,,eruption ,,of ,,vesuvius--,j4,s4 ,,mill--,,change ,,in ,,public ,,opinion ,,on ,,women',s ,,education--,,eighty-,,ninth ,,year--,,describes ,,her ,,own ,,character--,,thoughts ,,on ,a ,,future ,,life--,,progress ,,in ,,knowledge ,,of ,,geography--,,victoria ,,medal--,,medal ,,from ,,royal ,,italian ,,geographical ,,society--,,letter ,,from ,,menabrea--,,rome1 ,,capital ,,of ,,italy--,,aurora ,,borealis4 ,soon after my dear husband's death1 we went to ,spezia1 as my health required change1 and for some time we made it our headquarters1 spending one winter at ,florence1 another at ,genoa1 where my son and his wife came to meet us1 and where ,i had very great delight in the beautiful singing of our old friend ,clara ,novello1 now ,countess ,gigliucci1 who used to come to my house1 and sing ,handel to me4 ,it was a real pleasure1 and her voice was as pure and silvery as when ,i first heard her1 years before4 ,another winter we spent at ,turin4 ,on returning to ,spezia in the summer of #ahfa1 the beautiful comet visible that year appeared for the first time the very evening we arrived4 ,on the following1 and during many evenings while it was visible1 we used to row in a small boat a little way from shore1 in order to see it to greater advantage4 ,nothing could be more poetical than the clear starlit heavens with this beautiful comet reflected1 nay1 almost repeated1 in the calm glassy water of the gulf4 ,the perfect silence and stillness of the scene was very impressive4 ,i was now unoccupied1 and felt the necessity of having something to do1 desultory reading being insufficient to interest me2 and as ,i had always considered the section on chemistry the weakest part of the connection of the ,physical ,sciences1 ,i resolved to write it anew4 ,my daughters strongly opposed this1 saying1 ,why not write a new book8 ,they were right2 it would have been lost time3 so ,i followed their advice1 though it was a formidable undertaking at my age1 considering that the general character of science had greatly changed4 ,by the improved state of the microscope1 an invisible creation in the air1 the earth1 and the water1 had been brought within the limits of human vision2 the microscopic structure of plants and animals had been minutely studied1 and by synthesis many substances had been formed of the elementary atoms similar to those produced by nature4 ,dr4 ,tyndall's experiments had proved the inconceivable minuteness of the atoms of matter2 ,mr4 ,gassiot and ,professor ,plcher had published their experiments on the stratification of the electric light2 and that series of discoveries by scientific men abroad1 but chiefly by our own philosophers at home1 which had been in progress for a course of years1 prepared the way for ,bunsen and ,kirchhof's marvellous consummation4 ,such was the field opened to me2 but instead of being discouraged by its magnitude1 ,i seemed to have resumed the perseverance and energy of my youth1 and began to write with courage1 though ,i did not think ,i should live to finish even the sketch ,i had made1 and which ,i intended to publish under the name of ,molecular and ,microscopic ,science1 and assumed as my motto1 ,deus magnus in magnis1 maximus in minimis1 from ,saint ,augustin4 ,my manuscript notes on ,science were now of the greatest use2 and we went for the winter to ,turin 7#ahfa-ahfb71 where ,i could get books from the public libraries1 and much information on subjects of natural history from ,professor ,de ,filippi1 who has recently died1 much regretted1 while on a scientific mission to ,japan and ,china1 as well as from other sources4 ,i subscribed to various periodicals on chemical and other branches of science2 the transactions of several of our societies were sent to me1 and ,i began to write4 ,i was now an old woman1 very deaf and with shaking hands2 but ,i could still see to thread the finest needle1 and read the finest print1 but ,i got sooner tired when writing than ,i used to do4 ,i wrote regularly every morning from eight till twelve or one o'clock before rising4 ,i was not alone1 for ,i had a mountain sparrow1 a great pet1 which sat1 and indeed is sitting on my arm as ,i write these lines4 ,the ,marchese ,doria has a large property at ,spezia1 and my dear friend ,teresa ,doria generally spent the evening with us1 when she and ,i chatted and played ,bzique together4 ,her sons also came frequently1 and some of the officers of the ,italian navy4 ,one who became our very good friend is ,captain ,william ,acton1 now ,admiral1 and for two years ,minister of ,marine2 he is very handsome1 and1 what is better1 a most agreeable1 accomplished gentleman1 who has interested himself in many branches of natural history1 besides being a good linguist4 ,in summer the ,british squadron1 commanded by ,admiral ,smart1 came for five weeks to ,spezia4 ,my nephew1 ,henry ,fairfax1 was commander on board the ironclad ,resistance4 ,notwithstanding my age1 ,i was so curious to see an ironclad that ,i went all over the ,resistance1 even to the engine-room and screw-alley4 ,i also went to luncheon on board the flagship ,victoria1 a three-decker1 which put me in mind of olden times4 ,the following extracts are from letters of my mother's1 written in #ahfc and #ahfe3-- ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,spezia1 #abth ,may1 #ahfc4 ,how happy your last letter has made me1 my dearest ,woronzow1 to hear that you are making real progress1 and that you begin to feel better from the ,bath waters4444 ,of your general health ,i had the very best account this morning from your friend ,colonel ,gordon4 ,i was most agreeably surprised and gratified by a very kind and interesting letter from him1 enclosing his photograph1 and giving me an account of his great works at ,portsmouth with reference to the defence by iron as well as stone4444 ,i wish ,i could show you the baskets full of flowers which ,martha and ,mary bring to me from the mountains4 ,they are wonderfully beautiful2 it is one of my greatest amusements putting them in water4 ,i quite regret when they cannot go for them4 ,the orchises and the gladioles are the chief flowers now1 but such a variety and such colours6 ,you see we have our quiet pleasures4 ,i often think of more than #fj years ago1 when ,i used to scramble over the ,bin at ,burntisland after our tods-tails and leddies-fingers1 but ,i fear there is hardly a wild spot existing now in the lowlands of ,scotland4444 ,god bless you1 my dearest ,woronzow4 ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,somerville ,,to ,w4 ,,greig1 ,,esq4 ,,spezia1 #bgth ,sept41 #ahfe4 ,,my ,,dearest ,,woronzow1 ,i fear ,agnes and you must have thought your old mother had gone mad when you read ,m4's letter4 ,in my sober senses1 however1 though sufficiently excited to give me strength for the time1 ,i went over every part of the ,resistance1#ae and examined everything in detail except the stokehole6 ,i was not even hoisted on board1 but mounted the companion-ladder bravely4 ,it was a glorious sight1 the perfection of structure in every part astonished me4 ,a ship like that is the triumph of human talent and of ,british talent1 for all confess our superiority in this respect to every other nation1 and ,i am happy to see that no jealousy has arisen from the meeting of the ,french and ,english fleets4 ,i was proud that our young admiral#af had the command of so fine a vessel4444 ,i also spent a most agreeable day on board the ,victoria1 three-decker1 and saw every part of the three decks1 which are very different from what they were in my father's time2 everything on a much larger scale1 more elegant and convenient4 ,but the greatest change is in the men2 ,i never saw a finer set1 so gentlemanly-looking and well-behaved2 almost all can read and write1 and they have an excellent library and reading-room in all the ships4 ,no sooner was the fleet gone than the ,italian ,society of ,natural ,history held their annual meeting here1 ,capellini#ag being president in the absence 7in ,borneo7 of ,giacomo ,doria4 ,there were altogether seventy members1 ,italian1 ,french1 and ,german4 ,i was chosen an ,associate by acclamation1 and had to write a few lines of thanks4 ,the weather was beautiful and the whole party dined every day on the terrace below our windows1 which was very amusing to ,miss ,campbell and your sisters1 who distinctly heard the speeches4 ,i was invited to dinner and the wife of the celebrated ,professor ,vogt was asked to meet me2 ,i declined dining1 as it lasted so long that ,i should have been too tired1 but ,i went down to the dessert4 ,capellini came for me1 and all rose as ,i came in1 and every attention was shown me1 my health was drank1 c4 c4 ,it lasted four days1 and we had many evening visits1 and ,i received a quantity of papers on all subjects4 ,i am working very hard 7for me at least71 but ,i cannot hurry1 nor do ,i see the need for it4 ,i write so slowly on account of the shaking of my hand that although my head is clear ,i make little but steady progress4444 ,your affectionate mother1 ,,mary ,,somerville4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the battle of ,aspromonte1 ,garibaldi arrived a prisoner on board a man-of-war1 and was placed at ,varignano under surveillance4 ,his wound had not been properly dressed1 and he was in a state of great suffering4 ,many surgeons came from all parts of ,italy1 and one even from ,england1 to attend him1 but the eminent ,professor ,nlaton saved him from amputation1 with which he was threatened1 by extracting the bullet from his ankle4 ,i never saw ,garibaldi during his three months' residence at ,varignano and ,spezia2 ,i had no previous acquaintance with him2 consequently1 as ,i could be of no use to him1 ,i did not consider myself entitled to intrude upon him merely to gratify my own curiosity1 although no one admired his noble and disinterested character more than ,i did4 ,not so1 many of my countrymen1 and countrywomen too1 as well as ladies of other nations1 who worried the poor man out of his life1 and made themselves eminently ridiculous4 ,one lady went so far as to collect the hairs from his comb1--others showered tracts upon him4 ,i had hitherto been very healthy2 but in the beginning of winter ,i was seized with a severe illness which1 though not immediately dangerous1 lasted so long1 that it was doubtful whether ,i should have stamina to recover4 ,it was a painful and fatiguing time to my daughters4 ,they were quite worn out with nursing me2 our maid was ill1 and our man-servant1 ,luigi ,lucchesi1 watched me with such devotion that he sat up twenty-four nights with me4 ,he has been with us eighteen years1 and now that ,i am old and feeble1 he attends me with unceasing kindness4 ,it is but justice to say that we never were so faithfully or well served as by ,italians2 and none are more ingenious in turning their hands to anything1 and in never objecting to do this or that1 as not what they were hired for1--a great quality for people who1 like ourselves1 keep few servants4 ,after a time they identify themselves with the family they serve1 as my faithful ,luigi has done with all his heart4 ,i am sincerely attached to him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the spring1 when ,i had recovered1 my son and his wife came to ,spezia1 and we all went to ,florence1 where we had the pleasure of seeing many old friends4 ,we returned to ,spezia1 and my son and his wife left us to go back to ,england1 intending to meet us again somewhere the following spring4 ,i little thought we never should meet again4444 ,my son sent his sisters a beautiful little cutter1 built by ,mr4 ,forrest in ,london1 which has been a great resource to them4 ,i always insist on their taking a good sailor with them1 although ,i am not in the least nervous for their safety4 ,indeed1 small as the ,frolic is--and she is only about twenty-eight feet from stem to stern--she has weathered some stiff gales gallantly1 as1 for instance1 when our friend1 ,mr4 ,montague ,brown1 ,british consul at ,genoa1 sailed her from ,genoa to ,spezia in very bad weather2 and in a very dangerous squall my daughters were caught in1 coming from ,amalfi to ,sorrento4 ,the ,frolic had only just arrived at ,spezia1 when we heard of the sudden death of my dear son1 ,oct41 #ahfe4 ,this event1 which took from my mother's last years one of her chief delights1 she bore with her usual calm courage1 looking forward confidently to a reunion at no distant date with one who had been the most dutiful of sons and beloved of friends4 ,she never permitted herself1 in writing her ,recollections1 to refer to her feelings under these great sorrows4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some time after this1 my widowed daughter-in-law spent a few months with us4 ,on her return to ,london1 ,i sent the manuscript of the ,molecular and ,microscopic ,science with her for publication4 ,in writing this book ,i made a great mistake1 and repent it4 ,mathematics are the natural bent of my mind4 ,if ,i had devoted myself exclusively to that study1 ,i might probably have written something useful1 as a new era had begun in that science4 ,although ,i got ,chasles on the ,higher ,geometry1 it could be but a secondary object while ,i was engaged in writing a popular book4 ,subsequently1 it became a source of deep interest and occupation to me4 ,spezia is very much spoilt by the works in progress for the arsenal1 though nothing can change the beauty of the gulf as seen from our windows1 especially the group of the ,carrara mountains1 with fine peaks and ranges of hills1 becoming more and more verdant down to the water's edge4 ,the effect of the setting-sun on this group is varied and brilliant beyond belief4 ,even ,i1 in spite of my shaking hand1 resumed the brush1 and painted a view of the ruined ,castle of ,ostia1 at the mouth of the ,tiber1 from a sketch of my own1 for my dear friend ,teresa ,doria4 ,we now came to live at ,naples2 and on leaving ,spezia1 ,i spent a fortnight with ,count and ,countess ,usedom at the ,villa ,capponi1 near ,florence1 where1 though unable to visit1 ,i had the pleasure of seeing my ,florentine friends again4 ,we spent two days in ,rome1 and dined with our friends the ,duca and ,duchesa di ,sermoneta4 ,we were grieved at his blindness1 but found him as agreeable as ever4 ,through our friend1 ,admiral ,acton1 ,i became acquainted with ,professor ,panceri1 ,professor of ,comparative ,anatomy2 ,signore de ,gasparis1 who has discovered nine of the minor planets1 and is an excellent mathematician1 and some others4 ,to these gentlemen ,i am indebted for being elected an honorary member of the ,accademia ,pontoniana4 ,we were much interested in ,vesuvius1 which1 for several months1 was in a state of great activity4 ,at first1 there were only volumes of smoke and some small streams of lava1 but these were followed by the most magnificent projections of red hot stones and rocks rising #b1jjj feet above the top of the mountain4 ,many fell back again into the crater1 but a large portion were thrown in fiery showers down the sides of the cone4 ,at length1 these beautiful eruptions of lapilli ceased1 and the lava flowed more abundantly1 though1 being intermittent and always issuing from the summit1 it was quite harmless2 volumes of smoke and vapour rose from the crater1 and were carried by the wind to a great distance4 ,in sunshine the contrast was beautiful1 between the jet-black smoke and the silvery-white clouds of vapour4 ,at length1 the mountain returned to apparent tranquillity1 though the violent detonations occasionally heard gave warning that the calm might not last long4 ,at last1 one evening1 in ,november1 #ahfh1 when one of my daughters and ,i were observing the mountain through a very good telescope1 lent us by a friend1 we distinctly saw a new crater burst out at the foot of the cone in the ,atrio del ,cavallo1 and bursts of red-hot lapilli and red smoke pouring forth in volumes4 ,early next morning we saw a great stream of lava pouring down to the north of the ,observatory1 and a column of black smoke issuing from the new craters1 because there were two1 and assuming the well-known appearance of a pine-tree4 ,the trees on the northern edge of the lava were already on fire4 ,the stream of lava very soon reached the plain1 where it overwhelmed fields1 vineyards1 and houses4 ,it was more than a mile in width and thirty feet deep4 ,my daughters went up the mountain the evening after the new craters were formed2 as for me1 ,i could not risk the fatigue of such an excursion1 but ,i saw it admirably from our own windows4 ,during this year the volcanic forces in the interior of the earth were in unusual activity1 for a series of earthquakes shook the west coast of ,south ,america for more than #b1ejj miles1 by which many thousands of the inhabitants perished1 and many more were rendered homeless4 ,slight shocks were felt in many parts of ,europe1 and even in ,england4 ,vesuvius was our safety-valve4 ,the pressure must have been very great which opened two new craters in the ,atrio del ,cavallo and forced out such a mass of matter4 ,there is no evidence that water had been concerned in the late eruption of ,vesuvius2 but during the whole of the preceding autumn1 the fall of rain had been unusually great and continuous4 ,there were frequent thunderstorms2 and1 on one occasion1 the quantity of rain that fell was so great1 as to cause a land-slip in ,pizzifalcone1 by which several houses were overwhelmed2 and1 on another occasion1 the torrent of rain was so violent1 that the ,riviera di ,chiaja was covered1 to the depth of half a metre1 with mud1 and stones brought down by the water from the heights above4 ,this enormous quantity of water pouring on the slopes of ,vesuvius1 and percolating through the crust of the earth into the fiery caverns1 where volcanic forces are generated1 being resolved into steam1 and possibly aided by the expansion of volcanic gases1 may have been a partial agent in propelling the formidable stream of lava which has caused such destruction4 ,we observed1 that when lava abounded1 the projection of rocks and lapilli either ceased altogether1 or became of small amount4 ,the whole eruption ended in a shower of impalpable ashes1 which hid the mountain for many days1 and which were carried to a great distance by the wind4 ,sometimes the ashes were pure white1 giving the mountain the appearance of being covered with snow4 ,vapour continued to rise from ,vesuvius in beautiful silvery clouds1 which ceased and left the edge of the crater white with sublimations4 ,i owe to ,vesuvius the great pleasure of making the acquaintance of ,mr4 ,phillips1 ,professor of ,geology in the ,university of ,oxford2 and1 afterwards1 that of ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 and ,professor ,tyndall1 who had come to ,naples on purpose to see the eruption4 ,unfortunately1 ,sir ,john ,lubbock and ,professor ,tyndall were so limited for time1 that they could only spend one evening with us2 but ,i enjoyed a delightful evening1 and had much scientific conversation4 ,notwithstanding the progress meteorology has made since it became a subject of exact observation1 yet no explanation has been given of the almost unprecedented high summer temperature of #ahfh in ,great ,britain1 and even in the ,arctic regions4 ,in ,england1 the grass and heather were dried up1 and extensive areas were set on fire by sparks from railway locomotives1 the conflagrations spreading so rapidly1 that they could only be arrested by cutting trenches to intercept their course4 ,the whalers found open water to a higher latitude than usual2 but1 although the ,british ,government did not avail themselves of this opportunity for further ,arctic discovery1 ,sweden1 ,germany1 ,france1 and especially the ,united ,states1 have taken up the subject with great energy4 ,eight expeditions sailed for the ,north ,polar region between the years #ahfh and #ahgj2 several for the express purpose of reaching the ,polar ,sea1 which1 ,i have no doubt1 will be attained1 now that steam has given such power to penetrate the fields of floating ice4 ,it would be more than a dashing exploit to make a cruise on that unknown sea2 it would be a discovery of vast scientific importance with regard to geography1 magnetism1 temperature1 the general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans1 as well as to natural history4 ,i cannot but regret that ,i shall not live to hear the result of these voyages4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,british laws are adverse to women2 and we are deeply indebted to ,mr4 ,stuart ,mill for daring to show their iniquity and injustice4 ,the law in the ,united ,states is in some respects even worse1 insulting the sex1 by granting suffrage to the newly-emancipated slaves1 and refusing it to the most highly-educated women of the ,republic4 ,for the noble character and transcendent intellect of ,mr4 ,j4,s4 ,mill my mother had the greatest admiration4 ,she had some correspondence with him on the subject of the petition to ,parliament for the extension of the suffrage to women1 which she signed2 and she also wrote to thank him warmly for his book on the ,subjection of ,women4 ,in ,mr4 ,mill's reply to the latter he says3-- ,,from ,,john ,,stuart ,,mill1 ,,esq41 ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,blackheath ,,park1 ,july #abth1 #ahfi4 ,,dear ,,madam1 ,such a letter as yours is a sufficient reward for the trouble of writing the little book4 ,i could have desired no better proof that it was adapted to its purpose than such an encouraging opinion from you4 ,i thank you heartily for taking the trouble to express1 in such kind terms1 your approbation of the book1--the approbation of one who has rendered such inestimable service to the cause of women by affording in her own person so high an example of their intellectual capabilities1 and1 finally1 by giving to the protest in the great ,petition of last year the weight and importance derived from the signature which headed it4 ,i am1 ,dear ,madam1 ,most sincerely and respectfully yours1 ,j4,s4 ,,mill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,age has not abated my zeal for the emancipation of my sex from the unreasonable prejudice too prevalent in ,great ,britain against a literary and scientific education for women4 ,the ,french are more civilized in this respect1 for they have taken the lead1 and have given the first example in modern times of encouragement to the high intellectual culture of the sex4 ,madame ,emma ,chenu1 who had received the degree of ,master of ,arts from the ,faculty of ,sciences of the ,university in ,paris1 has more recently received the diploma of ,licentiate in ,mathematical ,sciences from the same illustrious ,society1 after a successful examination in algebra1 trigonometry1 analytical geometry1 the differential and integral calculus1 and astronomy4 ,a ,russian lady has also taken a degree2 and a lady of my acquaintance has received a gold medal from the same ,institution4 ,i joined in a petition to the ,senate of ,london ,university1 praying that degrees might be granted to women2 but it was rejected4 ,i have also frequently signed petitions to ,parliament for the ,female ,suffrage1 and have the honour now to be a member of the ,general ,committee for ,woman ,suffrage in ,london4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my mother1 in alluding to the great changes in public opinion which she had lived to see1 used to remark that a commonly well-informed woman of the present day would have been looked upon as a prodigy of learning in her youth1 and that even till quite lately many considered that if women were to receive the solid education men enjoy1 they would forfeit much of their feminine grace and become unfit to perform their domestic duties4 ,my mother herself was one of the brightest examples of the fallacy of this old-world theory1 for no one was more thoroughly and gracefully feminine than she was1 both in manner and appearance2 and1 as ,i have already mentioned1 no amount of scientific labour ever induced her to neglect her home duties4 ,she took the liveliest interest in all that has been done of late years to extend high class education to women1 both classical and scientific1 and hailed the establishment of the ,ladies' ,college at ,girton as a great step in the true direction1 and one which could not fail to obtain most important results4 ,her scientific library1 as already stated1 has been presented to this ,college as the best fulfilment of her wishes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have lately entered my #hith year1 grateful to ,god for the innumerable blessings ,he has bestowed on me and my children2 at peace with all on earth1 and ,i trust that ,i may be at peace with my ,maker when my last hour comes1 which cannot now be far distant4 ,although ,i have been tried by many severe afflictions1 my life upon the whole has been happy4 ,in my youth ,i had to contend with prejudice and illiberality2 yet ,i was of a quiet temper1 and easy to live with1 and ,i never interfered with or pryed into other people's affairs4 ,however1 if irritated by what ,i considered unjust criticism or interference with myself1 or any one ,i loved1 ,i could resent it fiercely4 ,i was not good at argument2 ,i was apt to lose my temper2 but ,i never bore ill will to any one1 or forgot the manners of a gentlewoman1 however angry ,i may have been at the time4 ,but ,i must say that no one ever met with such kindness as ,i have done4 ,i never had an enemy4 ,i have never been of a melancholy disposition2 though depressed sometimes by circumstances1 ,i always rallied again2 and although ,i seldom laugh1 ,i can laugh heartily at wit or on fit occasion4 ,the short time ,i have to live naturally occupies my thoughts4 ,in the blessed hope of meeting again with my beloved children1 and those who were and are dear to me on earth1 ,i think of death with composure and perfect confidence in the mercy of ,god4 ,yet to me1 who am afraid to sleep alone on a stormy night1 or even to sleep comfortably any night unless some one is near1 it is a fearful thought1 that my spirit must enter that new state of existence quite alone4 ,we are told of the infinite glories of that state1 and ,i believe in them1 though it is incomprehensible to us2 but as ,i do comprehend1 in some degree at least1 the exquisite loveliness of the visible world1 ,i confess ,i shall be sorry to leave it4 ,i shall regret the sky1 the sea1 with all the changes of their beautiful colouring2 the earth1 with its verdure and flowers3 but far more shall ,i grieve to leave animals who have followed our steps affectionately for years1 without knowing for certainty their ultimate fate1 though ,i firmly believe that the living principle is never extinguished4 ,since the atoms of matter are indestructible1 as far as we know1 it is difficult to believe that the spark which gives to their union life1 memory1 affection1 intelligence1 and fidelity1 is evanescent4 ,every atom in the human frame1 as well as in that of animals1 undergoes a periodical change by continual waste and renovation2 the abode is changed1 not its inhabitant4 ,if animals have no future1 the existence of many is most wretched2 multitudes are starved1 cruelly beaten1 and loaded during life2 many die under a barbarous vivisection4 ,i cannot believe that any creature was created for uncompensated misery2 it would be contrary to the attributes of ,god's mercy and justice4 ,i am sincerely happy to find that ,i am not the only believer in the immortality of the lower animals4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,i was taught geography by the village schoolmaster at ,burntisland1 it seemed to me that half the world was terra incognita1 and now that a new edition of my ,physical ,geography is required1 it will be a work of great labour to bring it up to the present time4 ,the discoveries in ,south ,africa alone would fill a volume4 ,japan and ,china have been opened to ,europeans since my last edition4 ,the great continent of ,australia was an entirely unknown country1 except part of the coast4 ,now telegrams have been sent and answers received in the course of a few hours1 from our countrymen throughout that mighty empire1 and even from ,new ,zealand1 round half the globe4 ,the inhabitants of the ,united ,states are our offspring2 so whatever may happen to ,great ,britain in the course of events1 it still will have the honour of colonizing1 and consequently civilizing1 half the world4 ,in all recent geographical discoveries1 our ,royal ,geographical ,society has borne the most important part1 and none of its members have done more than my highly-gifted friend the ,president1 ,sir ,roderick ,murchison1 geologist of ,russia1 and founder and author of the colossal ,silurian ,system4 ,to the affection of this friend1 sanctioned by the unanimous approval of the council of that illustrious ,society1 ,i owe the honour of being awarded the ,victoria ,medal for my ,physical ,geography4 ,an honour so unexpected1 and so far beyond my merit1 surprised and affected me more deeply than ,i can find words to express4 ,in the events of my life it may be seen how much ,i have been honoured by the scientific societies and universities of ,italy1 many of whom have elected me an honorary member or associate2 but the greatest honour ,i have received in ,italy has been the gift of the first gold medal hitherto awarded by the ,geographical ,society at ,florence1 and which was coined on purpose1 with my name on the reverse4 ,i received it the other day1 accompanied by the following letter from ,general ,menabrea1 ,president of the ,council1 himself a distinguished mathematician and philosopher3-- ,,from ,,general ,,menabrea ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,florence1 #cj ,juin1 #ahfi4 ,,madame1 ,j'ai pris connaissance avec le plus grand intrt de la belle dition de votre dernier ouvrage sur la ,gographie ,physique1 et je dsire vous donner un tmoignage d'haute estime pour vos travaux4 ,je vous prie donc1 ,madame1 d'accepter une mdaille d'or l'effigie du ,roi ,victor ,emmanuel1 mon auguste souverain4 ,c'est un souvenir de mon pays dans lequel vous comptez1 comme chez toutes les nations o la science est honor1 de nombreux amis et admirateurs4 ,veuillez croire1 ,madame1 que je ne cesserai d'tre l'un et l'autre en mme temps que je suis1 ,votre trs dvou ,serviteur1 ,,menabrea4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at a general assembly of the ,italian ,geographical ,society1 at ,florence1 on the #adth ,march1 #ahgj1 ,i was elected by acclamation an ,honorary ,associate of that distinguished society4 ,i am indebted to the ,president1 the ,commendatore ,negri1 for having proposed my name1 and for a very kind letter1 informing me of the honour conferred upon me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have still 7in #ahfi7 the habit of studying in bed from eight in the morning till twelve or one o'clock2 but1 ,i am left solitary2 for ,i have lost my little bird who was my constant companion for eight years4 ,it had both memory and intelligence1 and such confidence in me as to sleep upon my arm while ,i was writing4 ,my daughter1 to whom it was much attached1 coming into my room early1 was alarmed at its not flying to meet her1 as it generally did1 and at last1 after a long search1 the poor little creature was found drowned in the jug4 ,on the #dth ,october1 while at dinner1 we had a shock of earthquake4 ,the vibrations were nearly north and south2 it lasted but a few seconds1 and was very slight2 but in ,calabria1 c41 many villages and towns were overthrown1 and very many people perished4 ,the shocks were repeated again and again2 only one was felt at ,naples2 but as it occurred in the night1 we were unconscious of it4 ,at ,naples1 it was believed there would be an eruption of ,vesuvius2 for the smoke was particularly dense and black1 and some of the wells were dried up4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i can scarcely believe that ,rome1 where ,i have spent so many happy years1 is now the capital of united ,italy4 ,i heartily rejoice in that glorious termination to the vicissitudes the country has undergone1 and only regret that age and infirmity prevent me from going to see ,victor ,emmanuel triumphantly enter the capital of his kingdom4 ,the ,pope's reliance on foreign troops for his safety was an unpardonable insult to his countrymen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the month of ,october this year 7#ahgj71 seems to have been remarkable for displays of the ,aurora ,borealis4 ,it seriously interfered with the working of the telegraphs1 particularly in the north of ,england and ,ireland4 ,on the night of the #bdth ,october1 it was seen over the greater part of ,europe4 ,at ,florence1 the common people were greatly alarmed1 and at ,naples1 the peasantry were on their knees to the ,madonna to avert the evil4 ,unfortunately1 neither ,i nor any of my family saw the ,aurora2 for most of our windows have a southern aspect4 ,the frequent occurrence of the ,aurora in #ahgj confirms the already known period of maximum intensity and frequency1 every ten or twelve years1 since the last maximum occurred in #ahei4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ae3 ,the ,resistance1 ironclad1 commanded by ,captain ,chamberlayne1 then absent on sick leave4 ,footnote #af3 ,captain ,henry ,fairfax1 my mother's nephew1 then ,commander on board the ,resistance1 senior officer in the absence of the captain4 ,footnote #ag3 ,professor of ,geology at ,bologna4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,eclipse--,,visits ,,of ,,scientific ,,men--,,life ,,at ,,naples--,,darwin',s ,,books--,,remarks ,,on ,,civilization--,,fine ,,aurora ,,borealis--,,death ,,of ,,herschel--,,summer ,,at ,,sorrento--,,bill ,,for ,,protection ,,of ,,animals--,,ninety-,,second ,,year--,,letter ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick--,,grand ,,eruption ,,of ,,vesuvius--,,last ,,summer ,,at ,,sorrento1 ,,plants ,,found ,,there--,,conclusion4 ,the summer of #ahgj was unusually cool2 but the winter has been extremely gloomy1 with torrents of rain1 and occasionally such thick fogs1 that ,i could see neither to read nor to write4 ,we had no storms during the hot weather2 but on the afternoon of the #bast ,december1 there was one of the finest thunderstorms ,i ever saw2 the lightning was intensely vivid1 and took the strangest forms1 darting in all directions through the air before it struck1 and sometimes darting from the ground or the sea to the clouds4 ,it ended in a deluge of rain1 which lasted all night1 and made us augur ill for the solar eclipse next day2 and1 sure enough1 when ,i awoke next morning1 the sky was darkened by clouds and rain4 ,fortunately1 it cleared up just as the eclipse began2 we were all prepared for observing it1 and we followed its progress through the opening in the clouds till at last there was only a very slender crescent of the sun's disc left2 its convexity was turned upwards1 and its horns were nearly horizontal4 ,it was then hidden by a dense mass of clouds2 but after a time they opened1 and ,i saw the edge of the moon leave the limb of the sun4 ,the appearance of the landscape was very lurid1 but by no means very dark4 ,the common people and children had a very good view of the eclipse1 reflected by the pools of water in the streets4 ,many of the astronomers who had been in ,sicily observing the eclipse came to see me as they passed through ,naples4 ,one of their principal objects was to ascertain the nature of the corona1 or bright white rays which surround the dark lunar disc at the time of the greatest obscurity4 ,the spectroscope showed that it was decidedly auroral1 but as the aurora was seen on the dark disc of the moon it must have been due to the earth's atmosphere4 ,part of the corona was polarized1 and consequently must have been material2 the question is1 ,can it be the ethereal medium8 ,a question of immense importance1 since the whole theory of light and colours and the resistance of ,encke's comet depends upon that hypothesis4 ,the question is still in abeyance1 but ,i have no doubt that it will be decided in the affirmative1 and that even the cause of gravitation will be known eventually4 ,at this time ,i had the pleasure of a visit from ,mr4 ,peirce1 ,professor of ,mathematics and ,astronomy1 in the ,harvard ,university1 ,u4,s41 and ,superintendent of the ,u4,s4 ,coast ,survey1 who had come to ,europe to observe the eclipse4 ,on returning to ,america he kindly sent me a beautiful lithographed copy of a very profound memoir on linear and associative algebra4 ,although in writing my popular books ,i had somewhat neglected the higher algebra1 ,i have read a great part of the work2 but as ,i met with some difficulties ,i wrote to ,mr4 ,spottiswoode1 asking his advice as to the books that would be of use1 and he sent me ,serret's ,cours d',algbre ,suprieure1 ,salmon's ,higher ,algebra1 and ,tait on ,quaternions2 so now ,i got exactly what ,i wanted1 and ,i am very busy for a few hours every morning2 delighted to have an occupation so entirely to my mind4 ,i thank ,god that my intellect is still unimpaired4 ,i am grateful to ,professor ,peirce for giving me an opportunity of exercising it so agreeably4 ,during the rest of the day ,i have recourse to ,shakespeare1 ,dante1 and more modern light reading1 besides the newspapers1 which always interested me much4 ,i have resumed my habit of working1 and can count the threads of a fine canvas without spectacles4 ,i receive every one who comes to see me1 and often have the pleasure of a visit from old friends very unexpectedly4 ,in the evening ,i read a novel1 but my tragic days are over2 ,i prefer a cheerful conversational novel to the sentimental ones4 ,i have recently been reading ,walter ,scott's novels again1 and enjoyed the broad ,scotch in them4 ,i play a few games at ,bzique with one of my daughters1 for honour and glory1 and so our evenings pass pleasantly enough4 ,it is our habit to be separately occupied during the morning1 and spend the rest of the day together4 ,we are fond of birds and have several1 all very tame4 ,our tame nightingales sing very beautifully1 but1 strange to say1 not at night4 ,we have also some solitary sparrows1 which are1 in fact1 a variety of the thrush 7,turdus cyaneus71 and some birds which we rescued from destruction in spring1 when caught and ill-used by the boys in the streets2 besides1 we have our dogs2 all of which afford me amusement and interest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,murray has kindly sent me a copy of ,darwin's recent work on the ,descent of ,man4 ,mr4 ,darwin maintains his theory with great talent and with profound research4 ,his knowledge of the characters and habits of animals of all kinds is very great1 and his kindly feelings charming4 ,it is chiefly by the feathered race that he has established his law of selection relative to sex4 ,the males of many birds are among the most beautiful objects in nature2 but that the beauty of nature is altogether irrelative to man's admiration or appreciation1 is strikingly proved by the admirable sculpture on ,diatoms and ,foraminifera2 beings whose very existence was unknown prior to the invention of the microscope4 ,the ,duke of ,argyll has illustrated this in the ,reign of ,law1 by the variety1 graceful forms and beautiful colouring of the humming birds in forests which man has never entered4 ,in ,mr4 ,darwin's book it is amusing to see how conscious the male birds are of their beauty2 they have reason to be so1 but we scorn the vanity of the savage who decks himself in their spoils4 ,many women without remorse allow the life of a pretty bird to be extinguished in order that they may deck themselves with its corpse4 ,in fact1 humming birds and other foreign birds have become an article of commerce4 ,our kingfishers and many of our other birds are on the eve of extinction on account of a cruel fashion4 ,i have just received from ,frances ,power ,cobbe an essay1 in which she controverts ,darwin's theory1#ah so far as the origin of the moral sense is concerned4 ,it is written with all the energy of her vigorous intellect as a moral philosopher1 yet with a kindly tribute to ,mr4 ,darwin's genius4 ,i repeat no one admires ,frances ,cobbe more than ,i do4 ,i have ever found her a brilliant1 charming companion1 and a warm1 affectionate friend4 ,she is one of the few with whom ,i keep up a correspondence4 ,to ,mr4 ,murray ,i am indebted for a copy of ,tylor's ,researches on the ,early ,history of ,mankind1 and the ,development of ,civilization--a very remarkable work for extent of research1 original views1 and happy illustrations4 ,the gradual progress of the prehistoric races of mankind has laid a foundation from which ,mr4 ,tylor proves that after the lapse of ages the barbarous races now existing are decidedly in a state of progress towards civilization4 ,yet one cannot conceive human beings in a more degraded state than some of them are still2 their women are treated worse than their dogs4 ,sad to say1 no savages are more gross than the lowest ranks in ,england1 or treat their wives with more cruelty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the course of my life ,paris has been twice occupied by foreign troops1 and still oftener has it been in a state of anarchy4 ,i regret to see that ,la ,place's house at ,arcueil has been broken into1 and his manuscripts thrown into the river1 from which some one has fortunately rescued that of the ,mcanique ,cleste1 which is in his own handwriting4 ,it is greatly to the honour of ,french men of science that during the siege they met as usual in the hall of the ,institute1 and read their papers as in the time of peace4 ,the celebrated astronomer ,janssen even escaped in a balloon1 that he might arrive in time to observe the eclipse of the #bbnd ,november1 #ahgj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we had a most brilliant display of the ,aurora on the evening of ,sunday1 the #dth ,february1 #ahga1 which lasted several hours4 ,the whole sky from east to west was of the most brilliant flickering white light1 from which streamers of red darted up to the zenith4 ,there was also a lunar rainbow4 ,the common people were greatly alarmed1 for there had been a prediction that the world was coming to an end1 and they thought the bright part of the ,aurora was a piece of the moon that had already tumbled down6 ,this ,aurora was seen in ,turkey and in ,egypt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am deeply grieved and shaken by the death of ,sir ,john ,herschel1 who1 though ten years younger than ,i am1 has gone before me4 ,in him ,i have lost a dear and affectionate friend1 whose advice was invaluable1 and his society a charm4 ,none but those who have lived in his home can imagine the brightness and happiness of his domestic life4 ,he never presumed upon that superiority of intellect or the great discoveries which made him one of the most illustrious men of the age2 but conversed cheerfully and even playfully on any subject1 though ever ready to give information on any of the various branches of science to which he so largely contributed1 and which to him were a source of constant happiness4 ,few of my early friends now remain--,i am nearly left alone4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we went to pass the summer and autumn at ,sorrento1 where we led a very quiet but happy life4 ,the villa we lived in was at a short distance from and above the town1 quite buried in groves of oranges and lemons1 beyond which lay the sea1 generally calm and blue1 sometimes stormy2 to our left the islands of ,ischia and ,procida1 the ,capo ,miseno1 with ,baia1 ,pozzuoli1 and ,posilipo2 exactly opposite to us1 ,naples1 then ,vesuvius1 and all the little towns on that coast1 and lastly1 to our right1 this wonderful panorama was bounded by the fine cliffs of the ,monte ,santangelo4 ,it was beautiful always1 but most beautiful when the sun1 setting behind ,ischia1 sent a perfect glory over the rippling sea1 and tinged the ,monte ,santangelo and the cliffs which bound the ,piano di ,sorrento literally with purple and gold4 ,i spent the whole day on a charming terrace sheltered from the sun1 and there we dined and passed the evening watching the lights of ,naples reflected in the water and the revolving lights of the different lighthouses4 ,i often drove to ,massa till after sunset1 for from that road ,i could see the island of ,capri1 and ,i scarcely know a more lovely drive4 ,besides the books we took with us we had newspapers1 reviews1 and other periodicals1 so that we were never dull4 ,on one occasion my daughters and ,i made an expedition up the hills to the ,deserto1 from whence one can see the ,gulf of ,salerno and the fine mountains of ,calabria4 ,my daughters rode and ,i was carried in a portantina4 ,it was fine1 clear1 autumnal weather1 and ,i enjoyed my expedition immensely1 nor was ,i fatigued4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,november we returned to ,naples1 where ,i resumed my usual life4 ,i had received a copy of ,hamilton's ,lectures on ,quaternions from the ,rev4 ,whitewell ,elwin4 ,i am not acquainted with that gentleman1 and am the more grateful to him4 ,i have now a valuable library of scientific books and transactions of scientific societies1 the greater part gifts from the authors4 ,foreigners were so much shocked at the atrocious cruelty to animals in ,italy1 that an attempt was made about eight years ago to induce the ,italian ,parliament to pass a law for their protection1 but it failed4 ,as ,italy is the only civilized country in ,europe in which animals are not protected by law1 another attempt is now being made2 ,i have willingly given my name1 and ,i received a kind letter from the ,marchioness of ,ely1 from ,rome1 to whom ,i had spoken upon the subject at ,naples1 telling me that the ,princess ,margaret1 ,crown ,princess of ,italy1 had been induced to head the petition4 ,unless the educated classes take up the cause one cannot hope for much change for a long time4 ,our friend1 ,mr4 ,robert ,hay1 who resided at ,rome for many years1 had an old horse of which he was very fond1 and on leaving ,rome asked a ,roman prince1 who had very large possessions in the ,campagna1 if he would allow his old horse to end his days on his grassy meadows4 ,certainly1 replied the prince1 but how can you care what becomes of an animal when he is no longer of use8 ,we ,english cannot boast of humanity1 however1 as long as our sportsmen find pleasure in shooting down tame pigeons as they fly terrified out of a cage4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am now in my #ibnd year 7#ahgb71 still able to drive out for several hours2 ,i am extremely deaf1 and my memory of ordinary events1 and especially of the names of people1 is failing1 but not for mathematical and scientific subjects4 ,i am still able to read books on the higher algebra for four or five hours in the morning1 and even to solve the problems4 ,sometimes ,i find them difficult1 but my old obstinacy remains1 for if ,i do not succeed to-day1 ,i attack them again on the morrow4 ,i also enjoy reading about all the new discoveries and theories in the scientific world1 and on all branches of science4 ,sir ,roderick ,murchison has passed away1 honoured by all1 and of undying fame2 and my amiable friend1 almost my contemporary1 ,professor ,sedgwick1 has been obliged to resign his chair of geology at ,cambridge1 from age1 which he had filled with honour during a long life4 ,the following letter from her valued friend ,professor ,sedgwick1 in #ahfi1 is the last my mother received from him3-- ,,from ,,professor ,,sedgwick ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,somerville4 ,,cambridge1 ,april #bast1 #ahfi4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,somerville1 ,i heard1 when ,i was in ,london1 that you were still in good bodily health1 and in full fruition of your great intellectual strength1 while breathing the sweet air of ,naples4 ,i had been a close prisoner to my college rooms through the past winter and spring2 but ,i broke from my prison-house at the beginning of this month1 that ,i might consult my oculist1 and meet my niece on her way to ,italy4444 ,my niece has for many years 7ever since #ahdj7 been my loving companion during my annual turn of residence as canon of ,norwich2 and she is1 and from her childhood has1 been to me as a dear daughter4 ,i know you will forgive me for my anxiety to hear from a living witness that you are well and happy in the closing days of your honoured life2 and for my longing desire that my beloved daughter 7for such ,i ever regard her7 should speak to you face to face1 and see 7for however short an interview7 the ,mrs4 ,somerville1 of whom ,i have so often talked with her in terms of honest admiration and deep regard4 ,the time for the ,italian tour is1 alas6 far too short4 ,but it will be a great gain to each of the party to be allowed1 even for a short time1 to gaze upon the earthly paradise that is round about you1 and to cast one look over its natural wonders and historic monuments4444 ,since you were here1 my dear and honoured guest1 ,cambridge is greatly changed4 ,i am left here like a vessel on its beam ends1 to mark the distance to which the current has been drifting during a good many bygone years4 ,i have outlived nearly all my early friends4 ,whewell1 ,master of ,trinity1 was the last of the old stock who was living here4 ,herschel has not been here for several years4 ,babbage was here for a day or two during the year before last4 ,the ,astronomer-,royal belongs to a more recent generation4 ,for many years long attacks of suppressed gout have made my life very unproductive4 ,i yesterday dined in ,hall4 ,it was the first time ,i was able to meet my brother ,fellows since last ,christmas day4 ,a long attack of bronchitis1 followed by a distressing inflammation of my eyes1 had made me a close prisoner for nearly four months4 ,but1 thank ,god1 ,i am again beginning to be cheery1 and with many infirmities 7the inevitable results of old age1 for ,i have entered on my #heth year7 ,i am still strong in general health1 and capable of enjoying1 ,i think as much as ever1 the society of those whom ,i love1 be they young or old4 ,may ,god preserve and bless you2 and whensoever it may be ,his will to call you away to ,himself1 may your mind be without a cloud and your heart full of joyful ,christian hope6 ,i remain1 ,my dear ,friend1 ,faithfully and gratefully yours1 ,,adam ,,sedgwick4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after all the violence and bloodshed of the preceding year1 the ,thanksgiving of ,queen ,victoria and the ,british nation for the recovery of the ,prince of ,wales will form a striking event in ,european history4 ,for it was not the congregation in ,st4 ,paul's alone1 it was the spontaneous gratitude of all ranks and all faiths throughout the three kingdoms that were offered up to ,god that morning2 the people sympathized with their ,queen1 and no sovereign more deserves sympathy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,vesuvius has exhibited a considerable activity during the winter and early spring1 and frequent streams of lava flowed from the crater1 and especially from the small cone to the north1 a little way below the principal crater4 ,but these streams were small and intermittent1 and no great outbreak was expected4 ,on the #bdth ,april a stream of lava induced us to drive in the evening to ,santa ,lucia4 ,the next night1 ,thursday1 #beth ,april1 my daughter ,martha1 who had been to the theatre1 wakened me that ,i might see ,vesuvius in splendid eruption4 ,this was at about #a o'clock on ,friday morning4 ,early in the morning ,i was disturbed by what ,i thought loud thunder1 and when my maid came at #g a4m4 ,i remarked that there was a thunder storm1 but she said1 ,no1 no2 it is the mountain roaring4 ,it must have been very loud for me to hear1 considering my deafness1 and the distance ,vesuvius is from ,naples1 yet it was nothing compared to the noise later in the day1 and for many days after4 ,my daughter1 who had gone to ,santa ,lucia to see the eruption better1 soon came to fetch me with our friend ,mr4 ,james ,swinton1 and we passed the whole day at windows in an hotel at ,santa ,lucia1 immediately opposite the mountain4 ,vesuvius was now in the fiercest eruption1 such as has not occurred in the memory of this generation1 lava overflowing the principal crater and running in all directions4 ,the fiery glow of lava is not very visible by daylight2 smoke and steam is sent off which rises white as snow1 or rather as frosted silver1 and the mouth of the great crater was white with the lava pouring over it4 ,new craters had burst out the preceding night1 at the very time ,i was admiring the beauty of the eruption1 little dreaming that1 of many people who had gone up that night to the ,atrio del ,cavallo to see the lava 7as my daughters had done repeatedly and especially during the great eruption of #ahfh71 some forty or fifty had been on the very spot where the new crater burst out1 and perished1 scorched to death by the fiery vapours which eddied from the fearful chasm4 ,some were rescued who had been less near to the chasm1 but of these none eventually recovered4 ,behind the cone rose an immense column of dense black smoke to more than four times the height of the mountain1 and spread out at the summit horizontally1 like a pine tree1 above the silvery stream which poured forth in volumes4 ,there were constant bursts of fiery projectiles1 shooting to an immense height into the black column of smoke1 and tinging it with a lurid red colour4 ,the fearful roaring and thundering never ceased for one moment1 and the house shook with the concussion of the air4 ,one stream of lava flowed towards ,torre del ,greco1 but luckily stopped before it reached the cultivated fields2 others1 and the most dangerous ones1 since some of them came from the new craters1 poured down the ,atrio del ,cavallo1 and dividing before reaching the ,observatory flowed to the right and to the left--the stream which flowed to the north very soon reached the plain1 and before night came on had partially destroyed the small town of ,massa di ,somma4 ,one of the peculiarities of this eruption was the great fluidity of the lava2 another was the never-ceasing thundering of the mountain4 ,during that day we observed several violent explosions in the great stream of lava3 we thought from the enormous volumes of black smoke emitted on these occasions that new craters had burst out--some below the level of the ,observatory2 but that can hardly have been the case4 ,my daughters at night drove to ,portici1 and went up to the top of a house1 where the noise seems to have been appalling2 but they told me they did not gain anything by going to ,portici1 nor did they see the eruption better than ,i did who remained at ,santa ,lucia1 for you get too much below the mountain on going near4 ,on ,sunday1 #bhth1 ,i was surprised at the extreme darkness1 and on looking out of window saw men walking with umbrellas2 ,vesuvius was emitting such an enormous quantity of ashes1 or rather fine black sand1 that neither land1 sea1 nor sky was visible2 the fall was a little less dense during the day1 but at night it was worse than ever4 ,strangers seemed to be more alarmed at this than at the eruption1 and certainly the constant loud roaring of ,vesuvius was appalling enough amidst the darkness and gloom of the falling ashes4 ,the railroad was crowded with both natives and foreigners1 escaping2 on the other hand1 crowds came from ,rome to see the eruption4 ,we were not at all afraid1 for we considered that the danger was past when so great an eruption had acted as a kind of safety-valve to the pent-up vapours4 ,but a silly report got about that an earthquake was to take place1 and many persons passed the night in driving or walking about the town1 avoiding narrow streets4 ,the mountain was quite veiled for some days by vapour and ashes1 but ,i could see the black smoke and silvery mass above it4 ,while looking at this1 a magnificent column1 black as jet1 darted with inconceivable violence and velocity to an immense height2 it gave a grand idea of the power that was still in action in the fiery caverns below4 ,immense injury has been done by this eruption1 and much more would have been done had not the lava flowed to a great extent over that of #ahfh4 ,still the streams ran through ,massa di ,somma1 ,san ,sebastiano1 and other villages scattered about the country1 overwhelming fields1 woods1 vineyards1 and houses4 ,the ashes1 too1 have not only destroyed this year's crops1 but killed both vines and fruit trees1 so that altogether it has been most disastrous4 ,vesuvius was involved in vapour and ashes till far on in ,may1 and one afternoon at sunset1 when all below was in shade1 and only a few silvery threads of steam were visible1 a column of the most beautiful crimson colour rose from the crater1 and floated in the air4 ,many of the small craters still smoked1 one quite at the base of the cone1 which is a good deal changed--it is lower1 the small northern cone has disappeared1 and part of the walls of the crater have fallen in1 and there is a fissure in them through which smoke or vapour is occasionally emitted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the #ast ,june we returned to ,sorrento1 this time to a pretty and cheerful apartment close to the sea1 where ,i led very much the same pleasant life as the year before--busy in the morning with my own studies1 and passing the rest of the day on the terrace with my daughters1 who brought me beautiful wild flowers from their excursions over the country4 ,many of the flowers they brought were new to me1 and it is a curious fact that some plants which did not grow in this part of the country a few years ago are now quite common4 ,amongst others1 the ,trachelium coeruleum1 a pretty wall-plant1 native of ,calabria1 and formerly unknown here1 now clothes many an old wall near ,naples1 and at ,sorrento4 ,the ferns are extremely beautiful here4 ,besides those common to ,england1 the ,pteris cretica grows luxuriantly in the damp ravines1 as well as that most beautiful of ,european ferns1 the ,woodwardia radicans1 whose fronds are often more than six feet long4 ,the inhabitants of ,sorrento are very superior to the ,neapolitans1 both in looks and character2 they are cleanly1 honest1 less cruel to animals1 and have pleasant manners--neither too familiar nor cringing4 ,as the road between ,sorrento and ,castellamare was impassable1 owing to the fall of immense masses of rock from the cliffs above it1 we crossed over in the steamer with our servants and our pet birds1 for ,i now have a beautiful long-tailed parroquet called ,smeraldo1 who is my constant companion and is very familiar4 ,and here ,i must mention how much ,i was pleased to hear that ,mr4 ,herbert1 ,m4,p41 has brought in a bill to protect land birds1 which has been passed in ,parliament2 but ,i am grieved to find that ,the lark which at ,heaven's gate sings is thought unworthy of man's protection4 ,among the numerous plans for the education of the young1 let us hope that mercy may be taught us a part of religion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,though far advanced in years1 ,i take as lively an interest as ever in passing events4 ,i regret that ,i shall not live to know the result of the expedition to determine the currents of the ocean1 the distance of the earth from the sun determined by the transits of ,venus1 and the source of the most renowned of rivers1 the discovery of which will immortalise the name of ,dr4 ,livingstone4 ,but ,i regret most of all that ,i shall not see the suppression of the most atrocious system of slavery that ever disgraced humanity--that made known to the world by ,dr4 ,livingstone and by ,mr4 ,stanley1 and which ,sir ,bartle ,frere has gone to suppress by order of the ,british ,government4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,blue ,peter has been long flying at my foremast1 and now that ,i am in my ninety-second year ,i must soon expect the signal for sailing4 ,it is a solemn voyage1 but it does not disturb my tranquillity4 ,deeply sensible of my utter unworthiness1 and profoundly grateful for the innumerable blessings ,i have received1 ,i trust in the infinite mercy of my ,almighty ,creator4 ,i have every reason to be thankful that my intellect is still unimpaired1 and1 although my strength is weakness1 my daughters support my tottering steps1 and1 by incessant care and help1 make the infirmities of age so light to me that ,i am perfectly happy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have very little more to add to these last words of my ,mother's ,recollections4 ,the preceding pages will have given the reader some idea--albeit perhaps a very imperfect one--of her character and opinions4 ,only regarding her feelings on the most sacred of themes1 is it needful for me to say a few words4 ,my mother was profoundly and sincerely religious2 hers was not a religion of mere forms and doctrines1 but a solemn deep-rooted faith which influenced every thought1 and regulated every action of her life4 ,great love and reverence towards ,god was the foundation of this pure faith1 which accompanied her from youth to extreme old age1 indeed to her last moments1 which gave her strength to endure many sorrows1 and was the mainspring of that extreme humility which was so remarkable a feature of her character4 ,at a very early age she dared to think for herself1 fearlessly shaking off those doctrines of her early creed which seemed to her incompatible with the unutterable goodness and greatness of ,god2 and through life she adhered to her simple faith1 holding quietly and resolutely to the ultimate truths of religion1 regardless alike of the censure of bigots or the smiles of sceptics4 ,the theories of modern science she welcomed as quite in accordance with her religious opinions4 ,she rejected the notion of occasional interference by the ,creator with ,his work1 and believed that from the first and invariably ,he has acted according to a system of harmonious laws1 some of which we are beginning faintly to recognise1 others of which will be discovered in course of time1 while many must remain a mystery to man while he inhabits this world4 ,it was in her early life that the controversy raged respecting the incompatibility of the ,mosaic account of ,creation1 the ,deluge1 c41 with the revelations of geology4 ,my mother very soon accepted the modern theories1 seeing in them nothing in any way hostile to true religious belief4 ,it is singular to recall that her candid avowal of views now so common1 caused her to be publicly censured by name from the pulpit of ,york ,cathedral4 ,she foresaw the great modifications in opinion which further discoveries will inevitably produce2 but she foresaw them without doubt or fear4 ,her constant prayer was for light and truth1 and its full accomplishment she looked for confidently in the life beyond the grave4 ,my mother never discussed religious subjects in general society2 she considered them far too solemn to be talked of lightly2 but with those near and dear to her1 and with very intimate friends1 whose opinion agreed with her own1 she spoke freely and willingly4 ,her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts on religion2 and in her last years especially she reflected much on that future world which she expected soon to enter1 and lifted her heart still more frequently to that good ,father whom she had loved so fervently all her life1 and in whose merciful care she fearlessly trusted in her last hour4 ,my mother's old age was a thoroughly happy one4 ,she often said that not even in the joyous spring of life had she been more truly happy4 ,serene and cheerful1 full of life and activity1 as far as her physical strength permitted1 she had none of the infirmities of age1 except difficulty in hearing1 which prevented her from joining in general conversation4 ,she had always been near-sighted1 but could read small print with the greatest ease without glasses1 even by lamp-light4 ,to the last her intellect remained perfectly unclouded2 her affection for those she loved1 and her sympathy for all living beings1 as fervent as ever2 nor did her ardent desire for and belief in the ultimate religious and moral improvement of mankind diminish4 ,she always retained her habit of study1 and that pursuit1 in which she had attained such excellence and which was always the most congenial to her1--,mathematics--delighted and amused her to the end4 ,her last occupations1 continued to the actual day of her death1 were the revision and completion of a treatise1 which she had written years before1 on the ,theory of ,differences 7with diagrams exquisitely drawn71 and the study of a book on ,quaternions4 ,though too religious to fear death1 she dreaded outliving her intellectual powers1 and it was with intense delight that she pursued her intricate calculations after her ninetieth and ninety-first years1 and repeatedly told me how she rejoiced to find that she had the same readiness and facility in comprehending and developing these extremely difficult formul which she possessed when young4 ,often1 also1 she said how grateful she was to the ,almighty ,father who had allowed her to retain her faculties unimpaired to so great an age4 ,god was indeed loving and merciful to her2 not only did ,he spare her this calamity1 but also the weary trial of long-continued illness4 ,in health of body and vigour of mind1 having lived far beyond the usual span of human life1 ,he called her to ,himself4 ,for her ,death lost all its terrors4 ,her pure spirit passed away so gently that those around her scarcely perceived when she left them4 ,it was the beautiful and painless close of a noble and a happy life4 ,my mother died in sleep on the morning of the #bith ,nov41 #ahgb4 ,her remains rest in the ,english ,campo ,santo of ,naples4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ah3 ,darwinism in ,morals1 c4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,bradbury1 ,,agnew1 ,,co41 ,,printers1 ,,whitefriars4