338 LEADING AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE 



time and knew Professor Cope well. Her appreciation does full 

 justice to the man: 



"Professor Cope was a man of quick decision, boundless energy, 

 and great independence in thought and expression. He had keen 

 and accurate powers of observation and a marvelous memory 

 embracing the most minute details. Strong in his convictions, he 

 was fearless in his criticism of men and institutions when he was 

 convinced that he was upholding the right; yet he was ever ready 

 to admit a mistake or correct an error when it had been proven 

 that he was in the wrong. He possessed tireless perseverance 

 an attribute always essential to good scientific work and when 

 absorbed in his investigations he was completely forgetful of his 

 own personal comfort, going for long periods without food or rest." 



Of more than passing interest is the following letter written by 

 him on February 3, 1873. It describes the complimentary dinner 

 given in New York city to Prof. John Tyndall, on the eve of his 

 departure for England, after a successful lecture tour in the princi- 

 pal cities of the United States: 



"It was a good assembly of five hundred, mostly naturalists, and 

 though the dinner was good, there was more reason and soul and 

 no conviviality in the usual sense; Evarts, the lawyer presided, 

 and Tyndall, Draper, Barnard, etc., spoke for science, and Beecher 

 and Doctor Bellows for theology. The whole subject was well- 

 handled and I was particularly pleased with Beecher, whose 

 acquaintance I afterwards made. Bellows was not afraid of his 

 audience and told them plain gospel. He told Tyndall that on 

 his departure he should have as many of his prayers as he would 

 believe in, and alluded generally to prayer in a very effective and 

 graceful manner. Tyndall in his remarks spoke largely of a sense 

 of duty, which he considered important." 



Of his own beliefs, I venture to quote an extract from a letter 

 written by him in 1886: 



"I learned several things in the time I have lived. Nothing 

 affords so much satisfaction to the mind as the consciousness of 

 having done right, not but that the best people must have regrets 

 for having also done wrong on some occasions. Then we can take 

 comfort in the knowledge that God knows our incapacities and our 

 defects, and pities and helps us; the latter especially if we try to 

 help ourselves. But there are many triflers in the world, people 



