EARLY LIFE. 8 1 



The subjects, of course, were almost always medical, 

 or connected with medical science, but occasionally 

 subjects were broached which had little or no connec- 

 tion with it. The business consisted of one or two 

 papers which were read, each member being required, 

 in his turn, to give in a paper ; and the whole having 

 been read, without debate, by the secretary, a second 

 reading took place, at any part of which all present 

 might introduce objections or discussion on popular 

 topics, but of a scientific description. The debate was 

 often of considerable length, and sometimes even 

 adjourned. The subject on which I spoke was the 

 much-vexed question of " liberty and necessity," and, 

 according to my recollection, I spoke after Mr Wool- 

 comb, subsequently an eminent physician at Plymouth, 

 and a man of great learning and ability, universally 

 respected through life ; but whether my contention 

 lay with him, or others who had espoused the same 

 side, that of " necessity," is not in my recollection. 

 I, however, found that, after the first alarm had abated, 

 I had no difficulty in making my way, and my speech 

 was far better received than it deserved ; the impres- 

 sion made being very much owing to my youth, which 

 appeared very clearly from my person, and might 

 have done still more from my topics. The Logic 

 class which I was then attending furnished many of 

 the terms used ; as, for instance, I not only charged one 

 of my antagonists with petitio principii, but had the 

 pedantry to charge another with an idolum theatri* 

 Bacon's expression for a vulgar error. 



* EifitoXoj/ Qfarpov. 

 VOL. I. F 



