80 Mary Somerville. 



La Place's "Mdcanique Celeste," and his "Ana- 

 lytical Theory of Probabilities," &c., &c., &c.* 



I was thirty-three years of age when I bought this 

 excellent little library. I could hardly believe that I 

 possessed such a treasure when I looked back on the 

 day that I first saw the mysterious word " Algebra," 

 and the long course of years in which I had perse- 

 vered almost without hope. It taught me never toi 

 despair. I had now the means, and pursued my 

 studies with increased assiduity ; concealment was 

 no longer possible, nor was it attempted. I was 

 considered eccentric and foolish, and my conduct 

 was highly disapproved of by many, especially by 

 some members of my own family, as will be seen 

 hereafter. They expected me to entertain and keep 

 a gay house for them, and in that they were disap- 

 pointed. As I was quite independent, I did not 

 care for their criticism. A great part of the day I 

 was occupied with my children ; in the evening 1 

 worked, played piquet with my father, or played on 

 the piano, sometimes with violin accompaniment. 

 * # * # * 



This was the most brilliant period of the Edin- 

 burgh Review ; it was planned and conducted with 



* These books and all the other mathematical works belonging to my 

 mother at the time of her death have been presented to the College for 

 Women, at Girton, Cambridge. 



