Life of John Henry Lamheri. 339 



fedge of several sciences. He was thoroughly acquainted 

 with the theological system of his age, and even well versed 

 in the oriental languages. He had also acquired a consi- 

 derable knowledge of jurisprudence; but loqic, mc-tapliysjcs, 

 and maihemalics, were the leading subjects of his lucubra- 

 tions. He was uncommonly strong in logic, and was guided 

 by its rules not only in his scicntiiic pursuits, but even iu 

 common \\\'q. He was extremely profound and acute in the 

 met a [physical analysis. He meditated upon the plan of a 

 method of treating all simple notions with the same acute- 

 ncss and precision, as the notion of quantity is treated in 

 mathematics. His manner of treating every subject was 

 the same which he describes in his Organon. He com- 

 mitted to paper every accidental idea that related thereto ; 

 arranged the materials, he collecLed in tiiis manner, after 

 the usual logical rules; he then endeavoured "to llU up all 

 chasms; examined other books, especially vocabularies, in 

 order to collect the whole extension of the noticm, and 

 finally revisell the subject after a logical table, v/hich he 

 published in the Leipzig Transactions. Mathematics were, 

 however, the principal subject of his meditations and re- 

 searches. The astonishing greatness of his genius mani- 

 fested itself particularly in the facility with which he re- 

 duced to an easy construction the results of extensive and 

 intricate computations. It clearly appears by his cosmolo- 

 gical letters, and his computations relative to the supposed 

 satellite of Venus, how easy it was for him to abstract a 

 theory from a few cases or dates, and to carry it to a high 

 degree of probability and completeness. 



Eut, having derived all his knowledge almost entirely 

 from himself, it was extremely difficult for him to compre- 

 hend any thing suggested by others, if he did not light 

 upon it of his own accord. Hence, it was easier for him 

 to invent, than to judge rightly of the ideas of other?. 



His memory was uncommonly faithful in matters that re- 

 lated to his favourite sciences ; but very indifl'erent in others. 

 He was intimately acquainted with the history of these 

 sciences, their epochas, and the great men who had formed 

 them ; though he was little acquainted with history in gc- 

 nerak 



Ht was decidedly averse from composing a system, be- 

 cause he did not think that our knowledge is capable of 

 being formed into a ccnnplt'te whole. He firmly believed 

 that almost every individual had more principles of Ins own, 

 which depended on his citnation : and that in cases of col- 

 y 2 Ivji-on 



