7o6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



book studies ; and the diary is an exact record of the nature, amount, 

 and duration of his reading, very nearly as at home. It also gives oc- 

 casional glimpses of his thinking power at the age he has now reached. 

 It is further interesting as exhibiting his tone toward his father. I 

 will merely quote enough to complete the illustration of these various 

 particulars. 



26th. Besides a mass of French reading, reports two eclogues of 

 Virgil and the Alectryon of Lucian. Remarks that having so much 

 French to do, he cannot read Latin and Greek and study Mathematics 

 every day, and means to .give one day to Mathematics and one to Latin 

 and Greek- 27th. Rose early. Begins the practice of going every 

 morning to bathe in the Garonne, a little above the town : he is accom- 

 panied regularly by Mr. George, and on this occasion by Dr. Russell's 

 boys. To-day reads Legendre's Geometry. Gives a subtile criticism 

 of the author's method, which he thinks excellent ; praises the deriva- 

 tion of the Axioms from the Definitions, as conforming to Hobbes's doc- 

 trine that the science is founded on Definitions. Approves also of the 

 way the more elementary theorems are deduced. Learned a very long 

 French fable. Solved a problem in West's Algebra that had baffled 

 him for several years. Mr. George has already engaged for him the 

 best dancing-master in the place. 28th. (Classical day.) Bathing as 

 usual. Two eclogues of Virgil, and a French grammatical treatise on 

 Pronouns. Read some more of Legendre (resolution broken through 

 already) : thinks his line of deduction better than Euclid, or even than 

 West. Studies Bentham's Chrestomathic Tables (a vast and minute 

 scheme of the divisions of knowledge). Began the Vocalium Judicium 

 of Lucian, Goes for a second dancing-lesson. 29th. Rather late in 

 returning from the river. An eclogue of Virgil ; finishes the Vocalium 

 Judicium ; wrote French exercises, read some of Boileau's little pieces ; 

 is to have Voltaire's works soon ; asks Mr. George about a Praxis in 

 the higher Mathematics, having performed over and over again all the 

 problems in Lacroix's Differential Calculus. Resolves more problems 

 of West, including the second of two that had long puzzled him. 

 After dinner began Lucian's Cataplus. 30th. Two eclogues of Virgil ; 

 finished Cataplus ; more of Legendre, discovered a flaw in one of his 

 demonstrations ; wrote French exercises ; read some of Sanderson's 

 Logic; also some of Thomson's Chemistry. July 1. Treatise on Pro- 

 nouns finished ; Sanderson ; began Lucian's Necyomantia ; French exer- 

 cises ; finished first book of Legendre ; Thomson's Chemistry. Dancing- 

 lesson. A singing-master engaged. 2d. Georgics of Virgil, ninety-nine 

 lines ; more of the Necyomantia before breakfast. After breakfast, 

 Thomson's Chemistry. Wrote Livre Geographique. In the evening 

 the whole family go to Franconi's Circus ; describes the exploits. Has 

 to be measured for a new suit, French fashion ; his English suit being 

 inadmissible, trousers too short, waistcoat too long. The Russells call 

 in the evening, and there is an earnest talk on politics, English and 



