in Personal Traits of Werner 107 



teacher drew pupils from all corners of the civilized world. 

 Men advanced in years, as well as youths, sometimes even 

 men of science already distinguished, betook themselves to 

 the acquisition of German that they might attend the 

 lectures of the great oracle of geology. 



The life of such a man, seldom tempted to stir from 

 home, immersed in the daily discharge of the duties of his 

 office, and only varying from year to year the subject of his 

 prelections, offers little incident to the biographer. More- 

 over, though he precociously began so young as an author, he 

 wrote merely a few short treatises and papers in journals, 

 thus leaving hardly any personal memorial behind him. It 

 is from the writings of his pupils that we chiefly learn what 

 manner of man he was, and what were the special character- 

 istics of his teaching. 



From the portrait of him prefixed to one of his works, 1 

 we gather that his large keen eyes looked out beneath a 

 broad and high forehead, over which his hair was dressed 

 in the formal wig-fashion of the day, and turned up in large 

 curls on either side. The round, smooth-shaven face had 

 as its most conspicuous feature a mouth in which, while the 

 firm lips denoted decision of character, the upward curve 

 on either side, combined with a slight dimpling of the 

 cheeks, gave the impression of great sweetness of disposition, 

 with a touch of humour, and a certain degree of timidity. 

 There is moreover a notable trimness of person, indicative 

 of the exceeding orderliness of his whole nature. 



His personal charm must have been altogether remark- 

 able. Cuvier tells us with what paternal fondness Werner 



1 New Tlieory of the Formation of Veins. Translated by Charles 

 Anderson, M.D. Edinburgh, 1809. 



