14 Life and Writings of Berzelius. 



glorious example. Criticism has the great advantage of ex- 

 citing emulation, of drawing the attention of competent 

 judges to experiments and theories, which would spring up 

 only to perish, if they were not resisted. Who does not 

 know, and is not ready to confess, that a serious examina- 

 tion, even though hostile and severe, is much preferable to 

 the subject being allowed to pass over in silence 1 



But in order to criticise the works of others, and form a 

 judicious and intelligent estimate of them, a union of qualities 

 is required, which unfortunately are rarely met with in a 

 single individual, but which Berzelius possessed in a high 

 degree. We do not indeed pretend that this illustrious 

 chemist was without fixults, that he was a diamond without 

 a flaw ; Alas ! No ! he was a man, and as such, liable to 

 eiTor. But we maintain against all, that few learned men 

 have united in the same degree, eminent and indisputable 

 merit, a theoretical and practical superiority universally re- 

 cognised, a profound knowledge of all that has been done ; 

 and, finally, the consciousness that he had a duty to fulfil, a 

 mission to execute. 



Yes, we regret Berzelius, for we can never forget the 

 eminent services he rendered every day to science, and we 

 lament to see the threshold of the temple henceforth without 

 a guai'dian, admitting the entrance of every crude theory, 

 and every vagary of the imagination. Chemistry, in our day, 

 is taking a wrong direction, and the ej'e of the philosopher 

 observes it with sorrow again entering upon the dark path 

 from which the past century had scarcely extricated it. Chan- 

 cellor Bacon, the mystic Paracelsus, and before them, our 

 countryman Van Helmont, had however pointed out the su- 

 periority of experiments to preconceived theories, and the 

 worthlessness of systems formed before experiment ! In the 

 present day, there is no unity in the work : some seek for a 

 new classification, or a new system ; they imagine that they 

 find a system while seeking for it, and giving, according to 

 the expi'ession of a modern author (Kireevsky Historie des 

 legislateurs chimistes), a new aspect to the great icork ; they 

 assume altogether the character of the ancient alchemists. 

 Others endeavour to teach organic chemistry ; they mystify 



