AS HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY KNEW HIM 129 



such as easily to turn an acquaintance into a friend, and 

 most of his friends, whether they were illustrious men or 

 not, showed themselves to be friends indeed for they 

 remained his friends in time of need, as will be seen in 

 the later events of his life. 



Now, as to the kind of man they found him to be, he 

 was in the first place one who was remarkable for his 

 great breadth of mind. The editor of the Southern 

 Literary Messenger was of the opinion that Maury's 

 astronomical researches had served to ''enlarge all his 

 perceptions and give greater breadth to all his views". 

 That may be true, but he seemed to have had the natural 

 capacity for taking a broad and extensive view of ques- 

 tions, some of which were world-wide in their scope. 

 This is particularly noteworthy in his scientific re- 

 searches, and his manifold extra-professional interests 

 also amply exemplify the great sweep of his imaginative 

 mind. 



There was a certain charm to Maury's conversation 

 and presence that drew people irresistibly to him. 

 Nathaniel Parker Willis felt this charm. ''He made me 

 subject", wrote Willis, "to his personal magnetism, and 

 while with him I had secretly vowed myself and my pen 

 to the service of his interests and reputation thence- 

 forward. . . . He was, unconsciously to himself, to me 

 an exquisitely interesting study of character. I had 

 long heard of him, and knew what the public generally 

 knew of his pursuits; but my conviction was strength- 

 ened every day that he was greatly undervalued by com- 

 mon repute, and that he was of a far deeper intellect and 

 much more of a natural philosopher than the world with 

 all his repute gave him credit for. . . . Under his 

 exceeding modesty and reserve, there seemed to be a 



