280 PERSONAL PREPARATION FOR RESEARCH. 



most lacked. He had the genius to which her vigorous 

 nature gave the force and impulse.' 



'When Sir William Hamilton was elected to his 

 professorship, after a severe and even bitter contest, his 

 opponents, professing to regard him as a visionary, pre- 

 dicted that he could never teach a class of students, and 

 that his appointment would prove a total failure. He 

 determined, with the help of his wife, to justify the choice 

 of his supporters, and to prove that his enemies were false 

 prophets. Having no stock of lectures on hand, each 

 lecture of the first course was written out day by day, 

 as it was to be delivered on the following morning. His 

 wife sat up with him night after night, to write out a fair 

 copy of the lectures from the rough sheets, which he 

 drafted in the adjoining room. " On some occasions," says 

 his biographer, "the subject of the lectures would prove 

 less easily managed than the others, and then Sir William 

 would be found writing as late as nine o'clock in the 

 morning, while his faithful but wearied amanuensis had 

 fallen asleep on a sofa." Sometimes the finishing touches 

 to the lecture were left to be given just before the class 

 hour. Thus helped, Sir William completed his course ; 

 his reputation as a lecturer was established, and he even- 

 tually became recognised throughout Europe as one of the 

 leading intellects of his time.' 1 



' Flaxman, when twenty-seven years of age, married 

 Ann Denman was the name of his wife ; and a cheery, 

 bright-souled, noble woman she was. He believed that in 

 marrying her he should be able to work with an intenser 

 spirit, for, like him, she had a taste for poetry and art, 

 and besides, was an enthusiastic admirer of her husband's 



1 Character) by S. Smiles, p. 329 et seg?. 



