1827.] 



VARIETIES, SCIENTIFIC AND MISCELLANEOUS. 



Scienff/lc Sensibility. In the last num- 

 ber df the Philosophical Magazine, a letter 

 is inserted from a Mr. Airy, Lucusian Pro- 

 fessor of Mathematics in the University of 

 Cambridge, complaining, that in the pre- 

 ceding number, Mr. Ivory had coupled his 

 name with terms which have never before 

 appeared " in the pages of that Magazine, 

 or he will venture to say in those of any other 

 scientific > journal" had assailed him with 

 " opprobrious epithets," had '< mentioned 

 him in a gross manner,'' " attacked his cha- 

 racter as a gentleman," and overwhelmed 

 him with " a torrent of spleen.'' " On m'as- 

 sassine,'' cries this worthy personage why, 

 as yet, they are not even whipping him ! 

 Thus stands the case. There are in the Phi- 

 losophical Transactions for 1824, some pa- 

 pers of Mr. Ivory, on the attraction, of sphe- 

 roids papers whose merit has been since 

 acknowledged by the award of the first 

 royal medal in the gift of that institution. 

 Of one of the conditions of equilibrium 

 given in these papers, Mr. Airy (in a me- 

 moir published in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions for 1826) remarks that " the reason- 

 ing upon which Mr. Ivcry has founded the 

 necessity of such a condition, appears to 

 me altogether defective.'' M. Poisson, whose 

 scientific attainments are assuredly beyond all 

 doubt, had thought the same condition (though 

 so entirely beneath Mr. Airy'sconsideration) as 

 worthy of a profound and laborious investi- 

 gation. Mr. Ivory, aware of the space which 

 a Lucasian Professor of Mathematics must 

 occupy in the eyes of the world, complains 

 of Mr. Airy so " flippantly finding fault" 

 with his law ; and adds, " what a difference 

 between the supercilious importance of the 

 Cambridge Professor and the " candid expo- 

 sitions of M. Poissou.'' These are the ob- 

 servations which Mr. Airy denounces as " an 

 offensive note," as " unhandsome treat- 

 ment,'' as injurious to his " character as 

 a gentleman, 3 ' unparalleled in the annals of 

 critical invective ; "gross," ''opprobrious," 

 *' a torrent of spleen,'' " unworthy of the re- 

 spect which a gentleman ought to have 

 for himself, as well as- for any other who 

 claims that title." 



Were the author of this last tirade un- 

 known, we should consider it merely as the 

 splenetic effusion of a weak, vain, irritable, 

 ordinary man, who was conscious of having 

 given offence, and apprehensive of chastise- 

 ment; but he is an official personage, and 

 his advancement is the pledge of his ability. 



Had Mr. Ivory hinted that the conditions 

 which entered into the problem lay far be- 

 yond the grasp of Mr. Airy's comprehension ; 

 had he insinuated that, from the practice of 

 dogmatizing to boys, he was not aware of 

 the courtesy that wusdue to men ; that, elate 

 with the applause of an university, he had 

 mistaken his character in the estimation of 

 the world ; and that an opinion delivered 

 M.M, New Series. VOL. IV. No. 19. 



e cathedrd, though extolled by youth, might 

 be ridiculed by age ; we should have under- 

 stood and have partaken Mr. Airy's indigna- 

 tion as it is, we only surmise that the nerves 

 of a professor are of exquisite sensibiliiy. 



*' I console myself,'' says Mr. Ivory, " be- 

 cause I know with the certainty of demon- 

 stration, that Mr. Airy's problem, admitting 

 that any practical utility could be attached 

 to it, is not solved, and that it cannot possibly 

 be solved except by my theory, and indirectly 

 with the help of that law, with which he 

 (Mr. A.) so flippantly finds fault." " I con- 

 sole myself,'' replies Mr. Airy, " by think- 

 ing that Mr. Ivory has not reasoned with his 

 usual accuracy upon a point which is some- 

 what abstruse, and by believing that my prob- 

 lem is solved (as far as such a problem can 

 be solved) without the assistance of Mr. Ivo- 

 ry's equation." Here are wo opposite opi- 

 nions, of which one is maintained by John 

 Ivory, simply A.M., with nothing but his 

 public character as a mathematician to up- 

 hold him ; the other is supported by G. B. 

 Airy, Esq., A.M. and Lucasian Professor of 

 Mathematics in the University of Cambridge. 

 Who can hesitate in determining the ques- 

 tion ? Why, it is three to one, and the very 

 titles bring conviction. Beside, when we 

 reflect on the annual Newtons whom Cam- 

 bridge brings to light, when we see the re- 

 corded contempt in which Borda, and Biot, 

 and Kater are held, by professors to whom 

 practical knowledge belongs by intuition, 

 there can be no room for doubt to be pro- 

 fessor in so wonderful a place Lucasian 

 professor there is something imposing in 

 the very sound ; the spirit of academic phi- 

 losophy rises before us we see the wisdom, 

 and the wig. A word or two as to profes- 

 sors. Let us suppose, then, by way of illus- 

 tration, that there are five professorships, 

 Astronomy, Botany, Divinity, Mathematics, 

 and Mineralogy, and A, B, C, D,E, &c. resi- 

 dent members of the University, are desi- 

 rous of sharing these places among them 

 the first step is to mystify the public with 

 regard to their merits ; so every place within 

 their reach is made to re-echo their mutual 

 praises. " You tickle me I tickle you.'' 

 Then to business; A. desires the botanical 

 chair, but it is that of mineralogy, which is 

 vacant; still, to the latter he is elected, be- 

 cause ultimately he may be transferred to the 

 former ; and so long as the appointment is 

 but kept in " the family" the instruction of 

 youth is only of secondary importance. Again, 

 a professor of mathematics is required 

 among a host of candidates, of superior ability, 

 B. and C. appear : it is clear that both cannot 

 succeed possibly both may be defeated they 

 coalesce : B. obtains the situation through the 

 influence of C. united to his own, and with the 

 understanding that when the chair of astro- 

 nomy becomes vacant, his whole interest shall 

 be assigned to C., who thus carries the place 

 N 



