"Paul Ferroll" may take their places where | tinction of prize carrying, than the reputathey list. Both preserve the unity of interest, tion established among the first and ablest of and are written with the hands of masters. their fellows, and the expectation impress. In both the anxiety is brought to bear wholly upon the one character, and that anxiety is never lost for a moment. This is the charm of Pamela, Manon, and La Dame aux Camélias, and if we cannot accuse Miss Bronté and Mrs. Clive of immoral writing, both, we fear, must meet the censure of the strict for upholding a bad moral, though in a kind, fond, womanly way. ed upon these of high future achievement. The one of these young lecturers, after a course of more than ordinary brilliancy; after establishing a European reputation in that specific department of science to which he had devoted himself, found himself, while yet in the prime of his manhood and the full vigour of his power, in the position on which his aim had long been set-the proTo-day the Dramatic School is reviving. fessor of his favourite science in his parent We hail it gladly. It has been forced on by university. Influence, opportunity, position, the too great license that the Natural has all in his grasp, it seemed that the career, played with the interest. Mr. Charles already so brilliant, were but now to open. Reade here, and Hawthorne in America, Suddenly, almost as in a moment, it closed; uphold its purer doctrine; but greater and on the heart of the city that had welgeniuses are needed to bring it back to full comed back with such fulness of hope its favour. We are convinced, for our part, graduate, the death of Edward Forbes struck that an interest, unbroken, unforced, is the like a sharp and almost universal bereavegreat aim of Romance. The reader must ment. lose his identity in the realization of the actors. Unity of action, of character, of place, and even briefness, if not unity of time, are needful for this, and these are the characteristics of the Dramatic novel. May they they be worked out by the talents of Dickens, the genius of Bulwer, and the satire of Thackeray, and we shall not fear that cheap trash will quite ruin our literature. To recapitulate then briefly: An equal poise of matter and manner is the meed of History. In the Essay it is of more import to write well than to think deeply. In Descriptive Literature the matter may excuse the style, or the style be lieutenant for the substance; but the manner alone gives the charm to the Novel. ART. III.-1. Experiments on Chemical Iso- 3. Galileo Galilei: a Tragedy. James 4. David Scott, R.S.A. North British Review, 1849. THERE lies now before us the prospectus of a course of associated Lectures, delivered sixteen years ago in this city, by two young graduates of our University. They had just completed, with marked distinction, their college career. It was less, however, the more commonplace and often delusive dis To the other of the young lecturers thus associated in the opening act of their public career, and not far severed in the time when closed, for each, all carthly aims, hopes, and workings,-to Samuel Brown, certainly not the inferior of Edward Forbes in power, though power of a different order, a far dif ferent life-destiny was assigned. The scientific conception that even then possessed him, and indeed for long before had done so, precluded all hope of speedy realization. He knew that toils and disappointments. uncheered by the breath of public sympa thy, lay before him in the course he had selected, and he was content to know it so; though he did not know anything like the full extent of these. They came on him soon and clung to him to the very last. Once he was tempted by peculiar circumstances to stand forward, and proclaim what he believed he had then achieved: it involved accomplishments for atomics as great as Galileo and Kepler had won for astronomy. But the announcement was premature. The proof was found, was admitted by himself to be, incomplete; and to mere disappointment and failure of sympathy, were thenceforth added obloquy and distrust. From that time, as the chemist he was unheard of; and the prevalent impression was that he had abandoned as an idle dream all he had so daringly aimed to achieve. Never was impression more at fault; but to all save himself this is now of little moment. In the very midst of his silent and solitary toils, struggles, and encouragements, disease, long hovering about him, fairly seized him in one of the most depressing and agonizing forms our suffering humanity can know. During the few and partial respites its seven years 1857. Dr. Samuel Brown. course allowed him, he laboured on. What of the founder of itinerating libraries, and measure of success attended him is fully grandson of John Brown of the Self-interknown to none on earth; only isolated preting Bible, was born at Haddington on notices and incidental memoranda shew, that the 23d February 1817. For those who he himself believed it to have surpassed his can recall the quaint old country town as it brightest hopes. Quietly he passed away then, and for some time after, was-by a at last: not, like his early co-labourer, in sarcastic visitor described as the most finishthe flush of position and opportunity won, ed town in Britain, for not a stone had been and with a fairer and clearer field before added to it during his long experience him; but wasted and worn out by a long it is unnecessary further to particularize it. decay that had constrained him, with victory For others, it may be enough to designate as he deemed attained, to forego all its its then society as not greatly dissimilar honours, and even his formal enunciation from that of other places of its size and class, -very kindly, rather cliquish and sectarian, of it. It were difficult to say which of these two and intensely gossiping. The household, life-scenes, thus, as we are prone to think, however, and especially its head, claims a alike so prematurely closed, most solemnly more particular notice. There are few of sounds to us from the eternal Wisdom, the younger grandchildren of John Brown of "My thoughts are not your thoughts; my Haddington-once a numerous and compact ways are not your ways." Vainly we seek race, now scattered abroad and sadly thinned to please ourselves, to still the restless ques- by death-who have not many a kindlier He was one not tionings that arise at thought of such seem- thought towards the dear old town, for the ing waste of intellect and power, with the sake of the elder Samuel. fancy that all are immortal till their work is to be soon forgotten, one of those men done. We feel there is mystery far beyond who seem specially set forth to illustrate the impenetration of this formal truism, in how much more love and its energy, than the passing away in all their freshness of two mere intellect, is an influence and power in such natures, with so much of work before the world. In no way remarkable for intelthem which we deem they, and they alone, lectual endowments-making no pretensions could so well have wrought out; and we whatever to genius, even to what is ordifind consolation only in falling back on a narily understood as talent-simply a plain, deeper and more vital truism from all such sound-minded, clear-headed man, of thorough strange and sad catastrophes of our mortal business habits and capabilities, he yet, by fected in the school of the Cross, accomstate: "I was dumb: I opened not my the pure force of love, developed and permouth, because THOU didst it." plished for the best interests of his county We do not here propose any attempt at what genius alone would never have done. critical examination of the literary and But it is as the father of the family, and the scientific claims of Samuel Brown. The head of the household, we have here to do materials for such an examination are not with him; and in this capacity, the pervadyet before the public; for all he gave forth ing quality of his nature shone forth with to it during his comparatively brief career, peculiar lustre. Allied, by the depth and only very imperfectly and partially repre- pervading stillness of his piety, to those old sented the entire man. All we would en- religionists who have laid our Scotland undeavour to do is, in briefly sketching the der a heavy debt, that piety wanted the career itself, to indicate the salient features sternness and austerity which too often enof a nature and character not easily analyzed crusted theirs. Geniality was its marked or defined; a nature at once singularly and unmistakable characteristic. His rule varied in its aspects of manifestation, and in the family was maintained, not by the yet singularly self-consistent; a character in arbitrary authority these old Calvinistic which men of the most different conceivable patriarchs claimed as their divine right, but habitudes, views, and powers, found some- by firm, systematic, and faithful love. Few thing kindred, attractive, and cognate to of the many nephews and nieces, paternal themselves. With those who knew and and maternal and the old-fashioned roomy loved him, the impression of their loss is house seldom wanted some of these as guests still perhaps too recent to allow of their can forget the Sunday evening catechisings fairly estimating him: and if to those who there; and especially the tender, heartfelt knew him less closely, or only through his solemnity with which it was often his wont public appearances, there shall appear over- to close them, with the commending of each the one Father. Then he was to some exestimation in this record, we pray them to particularly, and by name, to the grace of receive this as the apology for it. tent an experimental physicist, an adept in Samuel Brown, the fourth and name-son . certain branches of economic chemistry; and | too, was shown that faculty for strong perthe younger Samuel's first appearance as a sonal attachments which characterized him scientific inquirer before the public, was as throughout life; and boyish friendships the worker out and expounder of an idea of were then formed which went with him to his father's.* the grave. Nor was physical speculation Such were the leading features of the pa- altogether wanting. The well-remembered ternal influence under which Samuel Brown attic of that Haddington house witnessed emerged into boyhood. Those, however, many a solemn council, prompted and prewho hold by hereditary transmission of sided over by him, for discussion of knottiest qualities, might incline to trace back some- problems in the science of our globe; and thing of his whole tendency of mind to an heard many an original and startling hypoearlier generation-to his maternal grand- thesis propounded, explanatory of phenomother. From all that can be learnt re- mena which are mysterious to the wisest garding her, she was in more than one re- still. There was small reverence for mysspect a remarkable woman; and in this one tery there. most of all, and in it closely followed by her He passed through the usual course of pregrandson, that she had caught the "rare and liminary, classical, and general instruction ill-beloved trick of thinking for herself, and creditably; but, we believe, nothing more. At of trusting her thought." Boys are not in no time of his life did his strength lie in the acgeneral rigid or accurate analysts at least quisition of languages; although, when strongformally and logically-of each other's cha-ly actuated by the motive of coveted literary racters; and older friends seldom possess or scientific treasures to become thus more acthe faculty of entering fully into those strange cessible, he soon achieved sufficient mastery penetralia of younger natures, wherein lies over all their difficulties to accomplish his end. unfolded the germ-life of the after career. In the session of 1832-33, he entered the UniThis, however, may be safely asserted, that versity of Edinburgh nominally as a student there was in this boyhood nothing of that of medicine, but, perhaps, more truly with morbid and unhealthy precocity which some a view to that course of study which is preappear to esteem the necessary precursor scribed for the medical student. It is more and premonition of genius. He was than doubtful if at any time he looked forthoroughly and to the soul a boy; not over-ward to the life of the medical practitioner; studious; his occupations, his amusements, and it is certain that, with nearly his first the whole tenor of his life, those of a session at college, the determination of his healthy-minded boy. One well-marked cha- mind toward chemistry, so far as physical racteristic there certainly was; and it was science is concerned, was decided and final, one that went with him through all his It was indicative, too, of the character of his career. Whatever he did, he did it heartily, whole mind; of his indisposition to rest in almost enthusiastically. Whatever the oc- the bare present of any department of scicupation of the time, whether boating on the ence or of knowledge, and especially of his river in the home-built coble, the chef early revulsion against materialism in all its d'œuvre at least in our eyes-of an elder forms, that in physiology his strongest symbrother; or during pleasant rambles through pathies were with Fletcher, the fearless his well-loved East Lothian, improvising assailant of established dogmas, and the dismantled wind-mill into Pictish round resolute defender of man's mortal frame tower, for behoof of a companion smitten against those, whose so-called analysis would with archeological madness; or restfully reduce it to a mere aggregation of chemical watching the stars, and northern streamers, compounds. and shimmering wildfire from among the The set with whom he more closely assoautumn sheaves, each and all was done ciated himself at College included, with with heart and soul. Those were pleasant many names of minor distinction, at least days to all who shared them, specially two whose reputation is now European,pleasant through him. And that number Edward Forbes, and John Goodsir. included strange varieties; for even then Toward the former, in particular, though perwas established that remarkable power of sonal intercourse had comparatively ceased fascination for the most different conceivable between them, his attachment continued natures and developments, which appeared strong to the last. How truly he loved, to grow with his growth, and strengthen and how deeply mourned, that gifted spirit, with his strength, to the very last. Already, how highly yet discriminatingly estimated him, the following extract from his private journal testifies : "On the Mucilage of the Fuci, with remarks on its application to Economical ends:" read before the Society of Arts, April 1837. "Edward Forbes is dead and buried before me; died this day week, was buried on Thursday. I conceive) sincere rather than earnest, in religion. 'He behaved at the close with his old composure There lay his great defect; since all are but and considerateness, and sweetness of nature,' fragments after all that can be said even of a writes Dr. John. This is a great public loss,-a Shakspere. He wanted intensity of character, pungent public grief too; but to us, his friends, it depth of soul, spirituality; and it is curious in a is past the blasphemy of grief.' Surely it is man so large. 'wondrous in our eyes.' Not forty yet; his work sketched out largely, rather than done: his proper career, as the Edinburgh Professor of Natural History, just opened, and that with unusual brilliancy of circumstance,-Edinburgh, young and old, proud to receive him as her new Great Man,-the Naturalists of Scotland rising up to call the Manxman blessed-The pity of it, O the pity of it!' "And in connexion with this lay one of the secrets of Forbes' boundless popularity. He was a conformist,-ran against no man or thing. He joined no new cause; he assailed no old one; nay, he even assailed no new one. All were welcome to him, therefore, and he to all. Even in Natural History he brought no agitating or perplexing news,-perplexing men with the fear of change. He sailed nobly with the wind and tide "We almost began our public career together, of ordinary progress, not needing to carry a single He in his twenty-fifth, I in my twenty-third year, gun, but the foremost of this peaceful fleet. This delivered at Edinburgh a joint course of lectures was all very delightful and wise; yet let a word on the Philosophy of the Sciences,-he the gra- be said for the men of war, John Kepler and the phic or static, I the principal or dynamic hemi- rest; and also let a distinction betwixt the two sphere of the round. Tall for his strength, slightly orders of men be 'remembered. To forget such round-shouldered, slightly in-bent legs, but ele- distinctions is to confound the morality of oritigant, with a fine round head and long face, a cism. He of Nazareth, not to be profane, brought broad, beautifully arched forehead; long dim-'not peace, but a sword,'-the Divine image of brown hair like a woman's, a slight moustache, 'the greater sort of greatness.' no beard, long-limbed, long-fingered, lean,-such was one of the most interesting figures ever before an Edinburgh audience. His voice was not good, his manner not flowing,-not even easy. He was not eloquent, but he said the right sort of thing in a right sort of way; and there was such an air of mastery about him, of genius, of geniality, of unspeakable good-nature, that he won all hearts, and subdued all minds, and kept all imaginations prisoners for life. Nobody that has not heard him can conceive the charm. With these men, and others like-minded and like-hearted, Dr. Brown was associated in one of those attempts which the young enthusiastic truth-seeker so naturally turns to, to detach himself from the mass of intellectual and moral indifferentism on the one hand, and of sectarianism on the other, which is almost sure to surround him wherever his lot may be cast. The form as"In natural history his labours are acknow- sumed by this desire in the present case was ledged by his peers; and it is not for a chemist the introduction of the o. e. u.* Society to say a word. Yet I fancy he has made no among the Edinburgh students. The obmemorable discovery,-initiated no critical move- jects of this institution, at least as these dement. It is by the width of his views he has fined themselves in the purpose of the intold, and by his personal influence. In short, he troducers, were, firstly, the pursuit of truth; is a first-rate naturalist, near-sighted and farsecondly, the engaging themselves to this sighted, and eminently disposed and able to reduce the chaos of observation to order, and to pursuit in perfect catholicity, alike as to the discern the one soul of nature in all her manifold forms of truth and as to the general opinions body of members; but he has not shown himself and views of the brethren of the order; and, inventive like Linnæus or Cuvier, or even Buffon. thirdly, the recognition of the great principle His true greatness was cumulative; and if he of brotherhood and association, not merely had lived as long, he might have rivalled Hum- formally, but in actual practice, in this purboldt. As it is, he was not a philosopher, nor suit. It was a generous scheme, and a a great discoverer; but he was a consummate noble attempt, but it was the attempt of and philosophical naturalist, wider than any man alive in his kind. Add to that noble distinction, youth; and it failed from causes which that he was much of an artist, not a little of a cooler heads and colder hearts could easily man of letters, something of a scholar, a humor- have predicted,-the introduction of unsuitist, the very most amiable of men, a perfect able and unworthy members, and the fallgentleman, and a beautiful pard-like creature, and ing away of others from the first fresh enyou have our Hyperion,-gone down, alas, ere it thusiasm and frank daring and freedom of was yet noon! After all, what a combination of charms, what a constellation of gifts, what a man! youth, Nay, even among the originators Edward Forbes was a sweet, wise, broad and themselves, so at least Dr. Brown's later sunny, great kind of man, else I do not know a and stern self-judgment deemed, the assonobleman when I see him, ciation principle soon began too much to "As for religion, I can only say he never talked degenerate into mere sociality, the sign, infidelities even in our rash youth. He always as it ever tends to do with our poor humanabided by the church, though he rarely frequent-ity, had begun too much to usurp the place ed its tabernacles. He was a kind of half-intel- of the thing signified. lectual, half-æsthetical believer. Theology some how did not lie in his way; and he was (as I * The initials of its legend, " οίνος, ἔρος, μάθησις.” of darkness and desolation; which pressed the more severely on him, that, for most eyes, it was veiled beneath an exterior little changed from his wonted one. Everything was shaken within him-all faith for the time dethroned, life overshadowed, definite purpose and aim put aside. The bond between father and son had been one of peculiar tenderness, even for such a relation. One or two of the early, indeed the schoolboy, letters of the son to the father, have, since the death of the former, been found in the repositories of the latter; and the touching and beautiful tone of perfect confidence and free and full self-unveiling that characterizes them reveal, better than all directer words or description could have done, how closely these two were knit together. But there is no need that we should, because its sensibly active operation for good soon ceased, assume the attempt to have been without its fruits. More than one of these young enthusiasts could be named, as having, amid all other change in them and around them, continued essentially true to the principles they had thus attempted to embody in form. And though undoubtedly that attempt was itself indicative of a character and tendency already in them developed, there need be as little doubt that this institution aided, defined, and confirmed that tendency. Among those who thus to the end held true to the confession of faith and purpose, veiled under the symbol of the 0. E. ., Samuel Brown was undoubtedly one. As regards his own special quest in science, indeed, the principle of actual and The year thus peculiarly solemnized saw active association became soon impossible. also such progress taken in his outward Ere long he had to tread that path literally career as graduation constituted, for one alone. But the truth-seeking and the catho- to whom it was, in effect, little more than a licity were his to the last; and this lone- form. Chemistry had now taken full, almost liness on his own peculiar path, seemed only tyrannous, possession of him; and while to broaden and deepen his sympathies with his Thesis, on chemical topics, was one of the whole brotherhood, devoted, like him- the prize themes of the year, we well reself, to the extension of the boundaries of human knowledge and human faith. member he was, what was rare indeed with In 1837 his course of study at Edinburgh University was interrupted by his removal to St. Petersburg, where his eldest brother was then settled, preparatory to his completing his medical curriculum at Berlin. Mitscherlich, the discoverer of the doctrine of isomorphism, and the able expounder of that of isomerism, as it then was and still is accepted, was the principal attraction to the Prussian capital; for already the initial conception of an isomerism far more extensive and profound had assumed definite form in his thoughts. At Berlin, however, and under Mitscherlich, he was never to be permitted to study. He was stricken down at St. Petersburg by typhus fever, followed by malignant dysentery; and, in the spring of the following year, returned to England with health greatly shattered, and with, there is too much reason to believe, the seeds of that disease implanted in his constitution which ultimately wore out his life. But the year 1839-that also of his graduation-brought to him a yet sterner and more searching initiation into "worship of sorrow," than even the personal assault of disease, in the death of his father, and that also of one with whom his life had long been very intimately associated. How these strokes looked to him in anticipation, is known in some degree from a letter to his father of this year's date. And when the after-devotion of his life; for subsequent examdouble bereavement was actually consum-ination of these supposed carburets led him to apmated, it brought for the time a very horror pend to his MS. the note, "They were siliciurets." "Chemical Fragments-First, on the preparation, &c., of carburets; second, on the coagulation of albumen." The latter section, which formed his contribution to the Academic Annual for that year, was chiefly devoted to the discussion of catalysis,--a subject in which he was greatly interested. The former may be regarded as his first public appear ance in connexion with that work which was the |