DR. THOMAS BROWN AND DR. ERASMUS DARWIN. 31 



being so, says Dr. Brown (in effect}, how about " different 

 ideas, with the same contraction"? The contraction 

 that is the idea sound follows in me on the vibration of 

 a bell that is heard ; but when a second vibration takes 

 place, there is exactly the same contraction, but this 

 time with the addition of extraordinary new ideas, 

 memory, time, number ! How is that ? A poser of this 

 kind was not likely to conciliate the all-successful veteran ; 

 and there might be also some little provoking accent of 

 battle with all his polish on the part of the not 

 imtriumphant youth. This latter had felt his power in 

 these improvement meetings, and had even already shown, 

 as to his Professor, a certain craving for the grip : " the 

 disciple longed to combat his master," are the words of 

 Dr. Welsh, the " master " being Stewart ! 



In regard to the correspondence with Dr. Darwin, Dr. 

 Welsh observes that it evinces on the part of Brown 

 " a degree of ingenuousness and dignity of mind highly 

 honourable." He desires us to know this : " As the letters 

 of Dr. Darwin were not intended for publication, I shall 

 insert only such extracts as are necessary to make the 

 letters of his youthful correspondent in any degree intel- 

 ligible, and as cannot in any degree be injurious to the 

 fame of their ingenious author." " Dr. Brown's first 

 letter is dated some months before he was nineteen years 

 of age,'" and it opens in this way 



" SIB, In acknowledging the delight which I received from the 

 perusal of Zoonomia, I only agree with the public voice. I am, how- 

 ever, surprised, that while every one has been delighted, no one as 

 yet has answered The transition is natural from passive admiration 

 to a strict examination Such, at least, was my mental history on 

 reading The reasoning appeared to me in some passages more spe- 

 cious than solid I, therefore, for my own amusement, marked down 

 my observations My name is unknown to you, and unknown, 

 indeed, in general to the literary world It is not, however, the com- 

 bat of names, but of arguments, that Truth regards I will, therefore, 



