CHARACTERS. 



7G7 



genei'al M. wiehed to introduce 

 ioto that species of cannon, and of 

 which the efficacy was established 

 by experiments at Woolwich, be- 

 fore the late duke of Richmond, 

 when master-general of the ord- 

 nance was, by adopting a kind of 

 ball, combining the properties of 

 the solid shot, the shell, and the 

 carcase, being cast with a hollow 

 core, so that the weight of a ball, 

 which, if, solid, would be sixty- 

 eight pounds, might be reduced to 

 about forty-two pounds ; the shot 

 thereby becoming more managea- 

 ble, and equally powerful, in sea- 

 engagements, or short distances, 

 and therefore peculiarly calcu- 

 lated for the use of British sea- 

 men, who it is confessed stand 

 closer to their guns, and fire with 

 greater expedition, than those of 

 any other nation. The use of these 

 Melvillades has hitherto been very 

 confined. 



Military and antiquarian re- 

 searches were, however, far from 

 occupying the capacious mind of 

 general Melville. It is not per- 

 haps generally known, that the 

 Royal Botanic Garden, in the 

 island of St. Vincent, now so richly 

 stored, under the management of 

 Dr. Anderson, with the most use- 

 ful and ornamental vegetable pro- 

 ductions, was originally projected, 

 established, and supported, by 

 general M. during his gov.3rnment, 

 at his own expense and risk. It 

 was at last taken under the spe- 

 cial protection of his majesty, and 



the expenses are now defrayed out 

 of the public purse. 



But, though the active life in 

 which general Melville was en- 

 gaged led him to the investigations 

 just noticed, the turn, the natural 

 bent of his mind, undoubtedly in- 

 clined to the study of the human 

 mind; well-defined by Socrates, to 

 be " the knoidedge of one's- 

 self.''* On this subject, as must 

 be in the recollection of many per- 

 sons capable of judging, the ge- 

 neral displayed the utmost meta- 

 physical acumen, as well as great 

 solidity of understanding. A ten- 

 dency to blindness had for the last 

 twelve or fourteen years of the ge- 

 neral's life, terminated gradually 

 in almost total darkness. Under 

 these circumstances his metaphysi- 

 cal genius was a great relief to him. 

 It was indeed a complete resource 

 against ennui. It furnished never- 

 failing scope to the activity of his 

 mind. It was the kind of study 

 best adapted to the natural activity 

 of his mind. As he said, he car- 

 ried his whole laboratory, his whole 

 apparatus for experiment, always 

 about with hin:^; for, as has been 

 ably, and in the most satisfactory 

 manner, maintained by Mr. D. 

 Stewart jinhis Philosophical Essays, 

 observation differs from a course 

 of exjyeriments only in -the rapi- 

 dity with which the latter is pur- 

 sued — the result of his observations 

 on what passed within himself, for he 

 did not allow that there were, pro- 

 perly speaking, any such thing as 



operations 



" rvjJ&i 2t«uT9v. Know thyself. It is not every one who readily compre. 

 hends the profound sense couched in these words : when a certain person was 

 speaking of the profound sense and wisdom of Socrates, one of those self-taught 

 pnilosopners, who make philosophy to consist merely in a contempt for learning, 

 and all authority human and divine, said, " He must be a great fool who does 

 aot know himself." 



