Memoir of Dr. Thomas Young. 245 



some years afterwards, during his residence in Edinburgh. 

 The little colony of students, at Youngsbury, left Hertford- 

 shire for some months in winter, and went to live in 

 London. During one of these excursions, Young met a 

 professor worthy of him. He was initiated into chemistry 

 by Dr. Higgins, of whom I am more disposed to make 

 mention, since, notwithstanding his repeated and urgent 

 claims, some have hot recognized the part which legitimately 

 belongs to him in the theory of definite proportions,* one 

 of the finest acquisitions of modern chemistry. 



Dr. Brocklesby, the maternal uncle of Young and one of 

 the principal physicians in London, justly proud of the 

 great success of the young scholar, communicated some of 

 his compositions to philosophers, to literary men, and to 

 men of the world, whose approbation could most flatter his 

 vanity. Young became thus, at a very early period, per- 

 sonally acquainted with the celebrated Burke and Windham 

 of the House of Commons, and with the Duke of Richmond. 

 The latter, then Commander-in-chief, offered him the 

 situation of Assistant-secretary. The other two statesmen, 

 although they were anxious for him to follow a political 

 career, recommended him to go, in the first place, to Cam- 

 bridge to study a course of law. With so many powerful 

 patrons Young could have calculated on the possession of 

 one of those lucrative situations which persons in power are 

 anxious to bestow upon such as will do the duties with 

 steady application, and furnish them with the means daily 

 of shining at court or council, without compromising their 

 vanity by any indiscretion. Young fortunately was conscious 

 of his powers; he felt within him the germ of those brilliant 

 discoveries which have since rendered his name illustrious; 

 he preferred the laborious though independent career of a 

 literary life to the golden chains which shone before his 

 eyes. Let this be said to his honour! Let his example 

 serve as a lesson to many young people who are authorita- 

 tively turned aside from their noble vocation to be con- 

 verted into bureaucrates. Like Young with their eyes directed 

 to the future ; let them not sacrifice to the futile and fleet- 

 ing satisfaction of being surrounded with petitioners, wit- 



• Was this not Dr. Higginfl of London, the claimant of the discoveries of 

 Priestley, and father of Dr. Higgini of Duhlin.the claimant of the Atomic theory! 

 — Edii . 



