HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC THEOUT. 283 



CHAPTER XIII. 



D Alton's intellectual character. 



The question of greatest interest and importance connected 

 with Dalton*s personality relates to the character of his mind, 

 not in a social point of view, for there we find that although 

 the qualities were of the best material, they were not made 

 prominent portions of his life, but intellectually in the faculty 

 which caused him to place himself in history and connect his 

 name with the knowledge of nature. Sir H. Davy has given 

 him the highest character, when he said that " he was one of 

 the most original philosophers of his time, and one of the most 

 ingenious," and when he says that he "had none of the 

 manners or ways of the world," and " was a very disinterested 

 man." But in his sketch we do not see that respect with 

 which a man having such a character ought to be treated. It 

 is said for example, that " he had no ambition beyond that of 

 being thought a great philosopher." Now this is a sneering 

 expression, but, after all, is it not expressive of the whole 

 aim of Davy's life ? Still, at his noble ambition no one has 

 ventured to sneer. Davy called it " glory," and united to his 

 scientific discoveries fine poetic diction, but his love of nature 

 was not so single as Dal ton's, and although his sight was more 

 delicate it was not so penetrating. There are few great men 

 who have not had their peculiarities ; when these arise from 

 simplicity of character they have generally been considered to 

 exalt their possessors. Davy's speculations on Dal ton's course 

 of thought are given at random. For example, he supposes 

 him to have seen the works of the Higginses, but not Ricbter's, 



