20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



ness and precision in thought and expression, with his great good sense 

 and the perfection of his practical judgment, with the admirable method 

 which he showed in everything. In the composition of his character, the 

 two qualities which were nearest to the border-land of defects were cau- 

 tion and reserve. The latter was quite noticeable. He never spoke 

 of himself, — neither of what he had done nor even of the maladies 

 which had afflicted him during his later life. But his reserve, not 

 being the effect of pride or of timidity, but rather of humility and of 

 the absence of selfish affections, while it rendered men somewhat un- 

 familiar with him, detracted nothing from his power to inspire respect 

 and veneration. So also his caution was not properly timidity, but the 

 natural foundation of a prudence, which being under the control of 

 principle, always carried the judgment of others with it. 



His religious principle blended beautifully with a natively blameless 

 character, so that one could not separate the two. It was not put on, but 

 seemed as much a part of his life as were his intellectual qualities. 

 He never spoke of himself, he showed his religious life by deeds, 

 not by words ; but there was an impression conveyed to all who knew 

 him that he was not only a blameless but a holy man, one who " walked 

 with God." And a spirit of sweet peace accompanied him wherever 

 he went, together with a dignity which was the shadow cast by his 

 pure and elevated life, which made no claims and sought no homage, 

 but received it as an involuntary tribute. 



As a man of science and of philosophical thought, President Day 

 entered into the two fields of Mathematics and Metaphysics. From the 

 time of his leaving the mathematical chair, upon his election to the 

 presidency, he was almost entirely devoted to the other branch of 

 study and instruction. During his professorship he felt the want of 

 elementary treatises in the mathematical course which should be fitted 

 to the peculiar necessities of American colleges. He accordingly first 

 prepared his Algebra, which was given to the world in 1814, and from 

 that day to this has appeared in a multitude of editions. Many years 

 afterwards he undertook a revision of it with the help of a younger 

 friend, which carried the resolution of the higher equations and some 

 other branches much beyond the limits of the original work. Two 

 years after his Algebra appeared his treatise on Mensuration and 

 Plane Trigonometry, and in 1817 his Navigation and Surveying. 

 These also have been often reprinted, but never had the circulation 

 which was reached at an early day by the Algebra. Of these works, 



