Microscopic Science. 831 



produced by nature. Dr. Tyndall's experiments had 

 proved the inconceivable minuteness of the atoms 

 of matter; M. Gassiot and Professor Pliicher had 

 published their experiments on the stratification of 

 the electric light ; and that series of discoveries by 

 scientific men abroad, but chiefly by our own 

 philosophers at home, which had been in progress 

 for a course of years, prepared the way for Bunsen 

 and Kirchhof s marvellous consummation. 



Such was the field opened to me ; but instead of 

 being discouraged by its magnitude, I seemed to 

 have resumed the perseverance and energy of my 

 youth, and began to write with courage, though I 

 did not think I should live to finish even the sketch 

 I had made, and which I intended to publish under 

 the name of " Molecular and Microscopic Science," 

 and assumed as my motto, " Deus magiius in mag- 

 nis, maximus in minimis," from Saint Augustin. 



My manuscript notes on Science were now of the 

 greatest use ; and we went for the winter to Turin 

 (1861 1862), where I could get books from the 

 public libraries, and much information on subjects of 

 natural history from Professor De Filippi, who has 

 recently died, much regretted, while on a scientific 

 mission to Japan and China, as well as from other 

 sources. I subscribed to various periodicals on 

 chemical and other branches of science; the transac- 



