336 BULLETIN OF THE 



as of the mathematical processes of reduction, he would have 

 done honor to any Observatory placed under his charge. He 

 was lenient in his judgment of the ancient star-woi'shippers ; and 

 was always greatly attracted by astronomical discoveries. 



Well read in the science of Political Economy, he had by 

 observation and analysis of human nature, made its inductive 

 principles his own, and had satisfied himself that its deductions 

 were fully confirmed by an intelligent appreciation of the teach- 

 ings of financial history. He attributed tlie lamentable disregard 

 of its fundamental doctrines, by many so-called legislators, to a 

 want of scientific training, and consequent want of perception 

 and of faith in the dominion and autonomy of natural law. 



A good linguist, he watched with appreciative interest the 

 progress of comparative philology, and the ethnologic significance 

 of its generalizations, in tracing out the affiliations of European" 

 nations. By no means neglectful of lighter literature, he enjoyed 

 at leisure evenings, in the bosom of his cultivated family, the 

 readings of modern writers, and the suggestive interchange of 

 sentiment and criticism. Striking passages of poetry made a 

 strong impression on his retentive memory ; and it was not un- 

 usual to hear him embellish some graver fact, in conversation, 

 with an unexpected but most apt quotation. With a fine festhetic 

 feeling, his appreciation and judgment of works of art, were 

 delicate and discriminating. 



He held very broad and decided views as to the reign of order 

 in the Cosmos. Defining science as the "knowledge of natural 

 law," and law as thx " will of God," Henry was always accus- 

 tomed to regard that orderly sequence called the "law," as being 

 fixed and immutable as the providence of its Divine Author: 

 admitting in no case caprice or variableness. The doctrine of 

 the absolute dominion of law — so oppressive and alarming to 

 many excellent minds, was to him accordingly but a necessary 

 deduction from his theologic and religious faith. 



The series of meteorological essays already referred to as 

 contributed to the Agricultural Reports of the Commissioner 

 of Patents, commences with this striking passage, "All the 

 changes on the surface of the earth and all the movements of the 

 heavenly bodies, are the immediate results of natural forces 

 acting in accordance witli established and invariable laws ; and 

 it is only by that precise knowledge of these laws, which is pro- 

 perly denominated science, that man is enabled to defend himself 

 against the adverse operations of Xature, or to direct her innate 

 powers in accordance with his will. At first sight, it might 

 appear that meteorology was an exception to this general propo- 

 sition, and that the changes of the weather and the peculiarities 

 of climate in different portions of the earth's surface, were of all 

 things the most uncertain and farthest removed from the dominion 



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