MEMOIR OF OERSTED. 181 



a special manner to tlie lionnr of Oersterl, hy observing' that, in liim, the favors 

 of fortune never weakened his devotion to the duties of the savant, and that after 

 having made a discoverv whoso brilliancy rendered it difficult further to aug- 

 ment his reputation, he believed that he still owed to science and his country 

 the constant tribute of assiduous labor. 



It was one of the hapi)y events of Oersted's life that ho witnessed, in 1829, 

 under the reign of Frederic VI, the founding at Copenhagen of a l*oJiftecJmic 

 School. Of this he was named director, an honorable title which he retained 

 till his death. We will not examine whether this Polytechnic School, in which 

 courses Avere appropriated to the arts and trades, entirely resembled our own. 

 In such a country as Denmark, less extensive than civilized, it is necessary to 

 imitc many branches in order to compose a solid faggot. The object was, in the 

 main, analogous, and the very name of the school was a memorial of the first 

 journey of Oersted to Paris, as well as an homage rendered to the celebrated 

 school of jMonge and Fourcroy. In the Danish institution. Oersted continued to 

 profess physics till his last year, with unremitting zeal, animation and success. 

 As director, he treated the pupils with a mixture of kindness, sagacity and 

 firmness which secured their imreserved devotion and willing obedience. 



During his third journey, Oersted found himself crossing the channel from 

 France to England, on his forty-sixth birthday, 14th August 1823 ; it is an anni- 

 versary which the people of the north style tJie daij of one^sfete. Accuston)ed 

 in Denmark to pass it in the bosom of his family and friends, he was now left to 

 his solitary thoughts; and these naturally reverting to his country, inspired him 

 with the design of founding something on his return which should be at once a 

 profitable and pleasant memorial of the vows which on this occasion he addressed 

 to his distant hf)me. The plan of a society for the promotion of the study of 

 nature formed itself in his mind, and was so thoroughly wrought out during the 

 short navigation, that nothing" was required on landing at Dover but to reduce 

 it to writing. The plan met with cordial acceptance in Denmark, and by aid of 

 the new association, courses of natural history were established not only at 

 Copenhagen, but in other cities of the country ; nor has this institution since 

 ceased to bear the useful fruits which Oersted had anticipated. 



He was also member of a literary societ3^ In connection with this a monthly 

 publication was edited, in wdiich he often inserted articles on the most varied 

 subjects, not excepting religious and philosophical ones. He belonged, more- 

 over, to an association established for the right use of the liberty of the press. 

 In fact, his co-operation seems to have been claimed almost universally at 

 Copenhagen, nor was a sense of its value w'ithout frequent manifestations in other 

 cities of Denmark, and even in those of the neighboring countries. To the last, 

 he was accustomed to make numerous excursions as well into the north of Ger-. 

 many as into the Scandinavian peninsula, in attendance on the assemblages of 

 natm\alists which were held at difierent places. It was a cherished idea of his 

 that, through these assemblages, not only might the exchange of scientific views 

 be facilitated and a more intimate union among the representatives of science bo 

 cemented, but that their benefits might bo extended to a wider circle by exposi- 

 tions placed within the reach of all and contributing to introduce, even among 

 the po[)ular masses, the liabit of conij)reheuding and mutually exchanging their 

 idioms and forms of literature; especially was it his hope that the three Scan- 



hnuiJred years ajjo, the saino that it is to-<l;iy;) the olive had in France, cif^htoen huudrcd 

 years aj^^o, the same limit in tiie nortli wliifli it lias at jiresent; the men of aiiti([uity were 

 not stronger and attained not a more advanced ago than thosi; of modtirn times ; the buinau 

 race, far from retrograding, has made sensible progress in regard to morals. (7) The rela- 

 tion of the natn?al sciences to different ages and to their philosophy; » ' * Christianity 

 and mental cultivation as lending each other mutual support." 



The interest which this work excited in Germany led to its translation under the title 

 of Dcr Geist in dcr Natur, (The Soul in Nature). [It was also translated into English.] 



