BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF JOSEPH IIEXRY. 157 



Deliberate as Henry was in after years, taiiglit by tLis early lesson, 

 lie probably never a-jjain postponed decision till it was too late to choose. 

 One result of due deliberation was that be rarely bad to change his 

 mind. When he had taken his course, he held to it. Ilis patience and 

 kindness under demands upon his time were something wonderful. 

 Some men are thus patient from easy good-nature; Henky was so from 

 principle. A noticeable part of the Secretary's correspondence was with 

 a class of men — more numerous than would be supposed — who thought 

 they had discovered new laws of nature or new applications of .them, 

 and who appealed to him to make their discoveries known. The Secre- 

 tary never returned a curt answer to such appeals or inquiries, whether 

 made personally or by letter. Many are the hours Vvhich he would con- 

 scicMitiously devote to sucli paradoxical schemes — sometimes of wonderful 

 ingenuity — and to the dictation of elaborate replies to them. Detecting- 

 far down in the man's mind the germs of the fallacy which had misled 

 him, he would spare no pains to present it and its consequences so 

 plainly to his bewildered correspondent that he could find his own way 

 out of it; while at the same time he awarded credit and encouragement 

 for whatever was true, probable, or ingenious. 



Although of sensitive spirit and with a just sense of what was due to 

 himself, Professor IIenky^ kept free from controversy. Once he took up 

 the pen, not because his discoveries were set at naught, but because his 

 veracity was impliedly assailed. His dignified recital of undeniable 

 facts (in his Annual Ueport for 1857) was all that was necessary, and 

 not even a word of indignant comment was added. 



He left his scientific work to form its part of the history of science 

 and to be judged by scientific men. The empiric he once sententiously 

 defined to be " one who appeals his cause to an incompetent tribunal." 

 lie never courted publicity ; not from fastidious dislike, still less from 

 disdain of well-earned jiopular applause, but simply because he never 

 thought of it. 



Ilis disinterested devotion to this Institution was shown in many 

 ways ; among others in successive refusals to accept increase of salary 

 lest it should be thought that the office he held was lucrative. Twice 

 or thrice, moreover, while cumbered with anxieties, he promptly declined 

 calls to positions of greater emolument, less care, and abundant leisure 

 for the pursuits lie loved. 



We cannot here continue these delineations, and it may be that the 

 character of the man has portrayed itself in general outlines as the 



