words, and thus produced an imperfect form a correct judgment of the relative conalphabet, which, though applicable to proper duct of the two rival discoverers. When names, did not extend to the whole inscrip- priority of discovery has been lost by what tion. With these aids, Young studied at is often a judicious delay in the publication Worthing in 1816 the engraving of the in- of discoveries, or when a second discoverer scriptions by the Antiquarian Society, and had a previous knowledge of the labours of produced a conjectural translation of the his rival, we are bound in both cases to reenchorial inscription both in English and spect the rights of the claimant whose veraLatin. city and powers of research had never been called in question. In the present controversy, we must recollect that the Chevalier Bunsen, one of the first scholars, and one of the best men of the age, and that M. Arago, the personal friend of Young, though the countryman of Champollion, have both de cided certain questions in favour of Champollion, without depriving his competitor of his unquestionable claims.

In his work, L'Egypt sous les Pharaons, published in 1814, Champollion has given a notice of his attempts to decypher the inscriptions on the Rosetta stone.

Champollion," says Dr. Peacock, "as we have already seen, followed in the footsteps of Akerblad, adopting all his hypotheses, both with respect to the alphabetical character of the Egyptian, as distinguished from the hieroglyphical inscription, and to the language which, at the Bunsen was neither the countryman of present stage of the investigation, it was assumed Champollion nor Dr. Young, and his prejuto express. He had made the history, the topo- dices, if he had any, were certainly in favour graphy and antiquities of Egypt, as well as the of England. M. Arago, though a FrenchCoptic language and its kindred dialects, the study of his life, and he started therefore upon man, and ever alive to the scientific glory of this inquiry with advantages which probably no his country, was yet in the present case other person possessed: and no one who is ac- peculiarly fitted and honourably bound quainted with his later writings can call in doubt to give an independent judgment. He was his extraordinary sagacity in bringing to bear more the friend of Young than of Champolupon every subject connected with it, not merely lion: He had used his great influence in the most apposite, but also the most remote and obtaining for Dr. Young the highest honour sometimes the most unexpected illustrations. With the exception, however, of the identification which the National Institute could bestow of a few additional Coptic words, very ingeniously a place among their eight Foreign Assoelicited from the Egyptian text, he had made no important advance upon what had already been done by Akerblad. Like him also he abandoned the task of identifying the hieroglyphical inscription or portions of it with those corresponding to them in the Egyptian or Greek text, as altogether hopeless, in consequence of the very extensive mutilations which it had undergone." Pp. 265, 266.

:

ciates: As the perpetual secretary of the Academy of Sciences, it became his duty to write the éloge of his friend, and to weigh his hieroglyphical as well as his optical claims with tenderness and impartiality and if anything could increase the obligation thus imposed upon him, it was that Young furnished him, at his own request, with "the precise dates of the different steps which he had made in his hieroglyphical investigations," and "the principal points in the controversy upon which the attention of the public had been fixed for several years.'

After this just encomium on the acquirements of Champollion, Dr. Peacock has given several passages from Sylvestre de Sacy's letters to Dr. Young, which Dr. Young himself had very properly suppressed, from their reflecting very severely on the "Before he left Paris," says Dr. Peacock, "he moral character of Champollion. We can had promised to furnish Arago with a statement not but regret that these passages, obviously of the precise dates of the several steps which written by an enemy, and intended solely as he had made in his hieroglyphical investigations. a friendly warning to his correspondent, There was no person who had so good a right should have been reproduced on the preto make this demand; for he had been the first to sent occasion. They are injurious to the of De Sacy, and they give no sup port whatever to Dr. Young's claims respecting the discovery of phonetic hieroglyphics. Acknowledging each other's merits, Champollion and Young were reconciled, and we are disposed to think that the high and just claims of the latter might be vindicated by his countrymen without any ungenerous aspersions on the character of his rival. In all such controversies it is impossible to vol, iii. p. 464.

memory

recognise the importance of his optical researches, and had on every occasion maintained his credit with the most generous friendship. The reply to this request was forwarded to Arago from Geneva, and contains a singularly clear and dispassionate statement of the principal, though by no means the most important, points in the controversy upon which the attention of the public had then been fixed for several years: and whilst it vindicates his own claims with equal moderation and good

*This statement is published in Young's Works,

ences, as Young on his part was deceived by but he still continues his good offices. He devota pretended syllabic or dissyllabic value of ed seven whole hours at once to looking over with hieroglyphics. Young, by unanimous con- me his papers and the magnificent collection which is committed to his care, and which beats sent, is considered as the author of the theory of interferences; and, therefore, by a conse-parison, though it has cost only £20,000. I every other museum in the world beyond all comquence which appears to me inevitable, doubt not he felt a pleasure in the display, but he Champollion ought to be regarded as the must be so much accustomed to admiration and author of the discovery of hieroglyphics."* to more than I gave him, that I am certainly In a work like this we cannot, without the not the less obliged to him on this score. He is use of diograms, undertake to submit these going to Egypt in a few weeks at the king's exquestions to the judgment of our readers, pense, with a party of a dozen artists and savans. and must therefore recommend to them the all his collections and his notes relating to the He is to let me, in the meantime, have the use of careful perusal of Dr. Peacock's admirable enchorial character, that I may make what use I chapter, entitled Hieroglyphical Researches, please of them: and he is to employ a cheap artin which the subject is treated with great ist to copy at my expense all the manuscripts on perspicuity, and, we believe, without any papyrus that I want, and to give me permission strong national prepossessions in favour of to publish any or all of them. If you see Col. Dr. Young. They will find, however, that Leake, pray tell him that the council of the R.S.L. the reputation of the two rivals does not must not retard my proceedings from their ecodepend on the decision of disputes which the production of what is really of importance." nomy, for that their honours will be pledged to have arisen among their successors. Dr.-Pp. 341, 342. Young never failed to do justice to the sagacity, the extensive learning, and the These visits to Paris he was not permitted deep research of Champollion; and his own to realize, and this promise to renew his hiemerits were nobly recognised by the coun- roglyphical researches he was not destined trymen of his rival, when, in 1828, they to fulfil. Even before he had reached Geelected him one of the eight Foreign Associates of the Institute of France. In that year he visited Paris on his way to Geneva, and took his seat for the first time in that illustrious body.

In describing the warm reception he had experienced, and contrasting it with that of his own cold-hearted countrymen," he cxpressed to Mr. Gurney his fear, "that in place of making this his last visit to the Continent, as he supposed it would be, he should be tempted to make a biennial or quadrennial visit.

66 was

My principal object," he continues, Champollion, and with him I have been completely successful, as far as I wanted his assistance: for to say the truth, our conferences have not been very gratifying to my vanity: he has done so much more, and so much better than I had any reason to believe he would or could have done; and as he feels his own importance more, he feels less occasion to be tenacious of any trifling claims which may justly be denied him; and in this spirit he has borne my criticisms with perfect good humour, though Arago has charged me with some degree of undue severity and wanted to pass the matter over as not having been published as mine; but to this I could not consent, and supposing that Champollion might have been unacquainted with the remarks, I thought it a matter of conscience to carry them to him this morning before I allowed him to continue his profuse liberality in furnishing me with more than I want:

neva, the malady which proved fatal to him in 1829, had already shewn itself in a gradual diminution of strength, and he speedily returned to England, "not altogether a confirmed invalid," as Dr. Peacock remarks, "but with many indications of his speedily becoming so. His last hieroglyphical work was the correction of the sheets of his Enchorial Dictionary appended to Archdeacon Tattam's Grammar, the advertisement of which he wrote on his deathbed: it gives, however, melancholy proofs of his diminished powers in the partial forgetfulness of some of his own discoveries."

architecture.

About the year 1810, Dr. Young was led to give his attention to the subject of naval Notwithstanding the naval pre-eminence of England, the principles of science had never been applied to the construction of ships; and even when substantial improvements were proposed by practical men, the Board of Admiralty could not decide upon their adoption. Mr. Seppings, a master shipwright in Chatham Dockyard, proposed some admirable improvements in our ships of war. By introducing a series of triangular braces between the ribs, by removing the inner planking, and filling up with short and closely wedged timbers the space between the inner and outer skins of the vessel, and by other changes, he gave such stiffness and strength to the whole framework of the ship, that the arching or * Mémoires de l'Institut. Acad. des Sc., lxxxix, xc. Arago adds, that if Young had the choice of the bending of the ship's back, after it was two discoveries, he would have left the hieroglyphics launched, was reduced from feet to inches. to Champollion. Mr. Seppings subsequently introduced round

tion of Mr. Croker, in a house of five members doing what is wanted for ourselves, which is only, one of whom, Mr. Davies Gilbert, was Pre- the truly dignified character of an English sident of the Royal Society, and an official mem- gentleman!" Dr. Peacock has denounced ber of the Board at whose obsequies he assisted, these sentiments, and justly maintained that but who had not the courage, whilst pronouncing its eulogy, to resist an act of barbarism which was when "the interference of Government is neither called for by any just considerations of wisely and judiciously exercised, the great expediency nor of rational economy. The Ad- body of the people will be taught to regard miralty was authorized to assume the functions the machinery of Government not as dewhich had hitherto been discharged by the Board signed for the interest of particular classes and Dr. Young, as superintendent of the Nau- and parties, but as essentially necessary to tical Almanac, assisted by Mr. Faraday as a cle- the attainment of much higher objects, the mist, and Colonel Sabine as a practical observer, were appointed as its advisers, whenever their as sistance was required, upon questions which concerned the scientific interests of navigation and astronomy.

promotion of science, of education, of public wealth, and of rational progress, in whatever concerns the good of the community." In speaking of Young's address of thanks to Wollaston and Gilbert, he discusses this question at greater length, and with that sagacity and talent which shine in every part of his work.

"Such an act was not likely to check the agitation which prevailed amongst astronomers, as, independently of other and more serious objections, it tended to give additional authority to Dr. Young, who had so long resisted their demands. A memorandum, very temperately worded, but strongly supported, was presented to the Prime "The principle," says Dr. Peacock," advocated Minister, the Duke of Wellington. A report on in this address, that science should be independthis Memorandum was made by Dr. Young, in ent of the patronage and assistance of the GovFebruary 1829. Though his health was at that ernment, was the basis, as we have seen, of time rapidly declining, his observations were writ-Young's opposition to any extension of the Nauten with his usual precision and ability, giving tical Almanac, for the sole benefit of those who way in one instance only to feelings of personal rewere engaged in the cultivation of astronomy. It sentment, if a stronger term may not be used, was, in fact, little more than the simple affirmation which had been provoked by attacks of unusual of the principle which had previously been uniformviolence and bitterness; it is hardly necessary to ly acted upon by the legislature of this country, and add that he adhered substantially to the views it was commonly defended upon the plea that which he had previously maintained. His death, such assistance or interference would tend to which took place about two months afterwards, paralyse private enterprise, and defeat the very put an end to the contest. It was followed, as is purposes it was designed to serve, and that it was well known, by a Committee of the Astronomical consequently safest to trust to things as they were, Society appointed under the authority of the and to the effects produced by the natural proAdmiralty, upon whose report the Nautical Al-gress of the arts and of knowledge, which had manac was entirely reorganized, and assumed the form which it has ever since retained."-Pp.

363-365.

hitherto been found sufficient to secure the continued improvement of the general condition of the people. It was probably forgotten, however, by those who were accustomed to rely on such arguments, that many material, social, and moral Dr. Young seems to have had little sym- evils, were in the meantime apt to increase much pathy with the condition of scientific men, more rapidly than the natural remedies by which who, without fortune or office, pursue sci- they were assumed to be counteracted that ence under difficulties, who sacrifice high whilst our great towns increased in wealth and prospects at its altar, and are driven to such population, they became more and more completea precarious provision for themselves and suburbs, without adequate drainage and water, ly encompassed by wretched and unwholesome their families, while they are devoting all or any other provision to protect the public health : the faculties of their minds to carry on pro- that whilst the masses of the people were rapidly found researches, in the success of which the advancing in political privileges, and in a sense of interests of their country are involved. In the power which they thus acquired, there was no defending himself during the Nautical Alma- corresponding advance in their education, or in nac controversy, he maintained "that asthe acquisition of those moral and religious habits tronomers had no special claims for such bers of the commonwealth; and whilst the conwhich alone could make them safe or useful mempublic aid in their researches, as an ample nexion between our material prosperity and even and carefully prepared Ephemeris would our moral welfare, with the more general diffusion afford them;" and in thanking Dr. Wollas- of scientific and all other species of knowledge ton and Mr. Gilbert for their liberality to amongst the better classes of society, became daily the Royal Society, in giving, the one £2000 more and more manifest, it was the legislature, and the other £1000 to the Royal Society, and not the exertions of individuals, however he stated that "that was the way in which public-spirited and liberal, which alone could science ought to be encouraged in this coun- instruction amongst all classes, and the means of maintain the just balance between the demand for try, and not by tormenting the Government supplying it. In later times, wiser counsels have to do this, that, and the other for us, but by happily prevailed, and we have already begun to