HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC THEORY. 71 



material portion of civilization take the form in the minds of 

 most men of a struggle for wealth, in which the original object 

 is forgotten, it is a proof of simplicity and singleness of 

 character when we find that he was never once led away by 

 the glare of the princely fortunes around him. He gave 

 lessons for very small fees, from Is. 6d. to 28. 6d. a lesson. 

 He made analyses, and was consulted by manufacturers, pro- 

 bably the earliest in the district of that class of scientific men 

 called ** professional chemists" who have risen as a necessity of 

 the time, and by private establishments have made some com- 

 pensation for the lack of public institutions and professorships, 

 in some countries so abundant, and have chiefly in their hands 

 the connexion of the chemical arts with the science as it pro- 

 gresses. 



Dalton's character as a man is then easy to understand ; he 

 was a simple inquirer into nature, his enthusiasm rose only in 

 her presence, his life was devoted to her study. Abstracted 

 in a great measure from the world in its social relations, he was 

 sufficiently connected with it to have endeared himself to all 

 those with whom he lived, and to have formed with some of 

 his contemporaries the warmest friendships. The friends of his 

 childhood were never forgotten, but more warmly remembered 

 as he grew older ; whilst he did not the less remember those 

 that he learnt to know only since his manhood. Gentle at least 

 in his spirit, his very solitary life and abstract mode of thinking 

 had not allowed him time to modulate his voice to suit the 

 ears of those accustomed to more polished society, and a cer- 

 tain rigidity of body, as well as of mind, caused the movements 

 of both to have the appearance more of power than of grace. 

 He was simple, temperate, and regular in his habits, never 

 carried away by the feelings of the moment to indulge in 

 luxuries to which he was unaccustomed, in all his actions 

 avoiding excess, yielding to order and regularity as the only 

 master passion which had power to carry him beyond what we 

 may consider the just bounds of reason. 



