BLACK. 21 



performing before us the many experiments which 

 had revealed to him first the most important secrets 

 of nature. Next to the delight of having actually 

 stood by him when his victory was gained, we found 

 the exquisite gratification of hearing him simply, most 

 gracefully, in the most calm spirit of philosophy, with 

 the most perfect modesty, recount his difficulties, and 

 how they were overcome; open to us the steps by 

 which he had successfully advanced from one part to 

 another of his brilliant course; go over the same 

 ground, as it were, in our presence which he had for 

 the first time trod so many long years before ; hold 

 up perhaps the very instruments he had then used, 

 and act over again the same part before our eyes 

 which had laid the deep and broad foundations of his 

 imperishable renown. Not a little of this extreme 

 interest certainly belonged to the accident that he had 

 so long survived the period of his success that we 

 knew there sat in our presence the man now in his old 

 age reposing under the laurels won in his early youth. 

 But take it altogether, the effect was such as cannot 

 well be conceived. I have heard the greatest under- 

 standings of the age giving forth their efforts in its 

 most eloquent tongues have heard the commanding 

 .periods of Pitt's majestic oratory the vehemence of 

 Fox's burning declamation have followed the close- 

 compacted chain of Grant's pure reasoning been 

 carried away by the mingled fancy, epigram, and ar- 

 gumentation of Plunket ; but I should without hesi- 

 tation prefer, for mere intellectual gratification (though 

 aware how much of it is derived from association), to 

 be once more allowed the privilege which I in those 

 days enjoyed of being present while the first philo- 

 sopher of his age was the historian of his own dis- 

 coveries, and be an eye-witness of those experiments 

 by which he had formerly made them, once more per- 

 formed with his own hands. 



The qualities which distinguished him as an inquirer 



