Sir Charles Lyell. 357 



I believe, is moderate. However, about seven or eight years after our 

 acquaintance, Mr. Lyell with great good sense, abandoned his profess- 

 ion, with his father's consent, and devoted himself wholly to geology, 

 content with a moderate income, and living in a very unostentatious 

 manner in an unfashionable part of the city. A few years ago he mar- 

 ried Miss Horner, who is much younger than himself (Lyell is 45 or 

 46), and a more suitable companion he could not have found. He 

 has no children. In person, Lyell presents nothing remarkable except 

 a broad expanse of forehead. He is of the middle size, a decided 

 Scottish physiognomy, small eyes, fine chin and a rather proud or re- 

 served expression of countenance. He is very absent, and a slow but 

 profound thinker. He was Professor in King's College, London, and 

 gave lectures there and at the Royal Listitution, but it so happened 

 that I never heard him lecture. He always takes part in the discuss- 

 ions at the meetings of the Geological Society, but he has not facility 

 in speaking ; there is hesitation in his manner, and his voice is neither 

 powerful nor melodious, nor is his action at all imi)osing. As a popu- 

 lar lecturer he would stand no chance with Buckland or Sedgwick. 

 He is providing himself with very beautiful illustrations for his lectures 

 at Boston; and I should suppose the prestige of his name and his 

 European reputation will insure him a flattering reception. ^^ * ^- 

 ^ There is a hauteur or reserve about Mr. Lyell to strangers that 

 prevents his being so popular among our society as he deserves to be. 

 I believe him to have an excellent heart, and he is very kind and af- 

 fectionate wdien his better feelings are called upon." * H< * =!< 



This criticism of Lyell's style and manner as a public speaker was 

 certainly well founded, as all will agree who ever heard him lecture. 

 But despite all infelicities, so great was the value and richness of his 

 matter, that he commanded the most respectful and interested at- 

 tention from his auditors. The reader of his "Principles" could not 

 fail, however, to be struck with the fact that the classic elegance of 

 Lyell's style, for which his more important productions are so justly 

 celebrated, must have been the result of much labor. 



We cite from the Geological Magazine edited by Henry Woodward. 

 F. R S., the following notice of his life and labors. A more elaborate 

 memoir may be expected in the next annual address of the President 

 of the Geological Society of London. 



"On Monday, the 22nd of February, at his residence in Harley 

 Street, and in his seventy-eighth year. Sir Charles Lyell, after a long 

 life of scientific labor, passed peacefully from amongst us, to his hon- 

 ored rest. 



"To the outside world it may seem strange that the death of a man 



