iv.] CHOICE OF A PROFESSION, 1832. 83 



world in some mature work. At the beginning of July 

 1832 he left London with his brother Charles. Their 

 course lay through France and by the Rhine on to 

 Switzerland. By the middle of November he was at 

 Geneva. Thence he was suddenly recalled to Scotland by 

 the news of the death of Sir John Leslie, and the conse- 

 quent vacancy in the chair of Natural Philosophy in the 

 University of Edinburgh. It was exactly two years 

 re this that Sir John had made to his young pupil 

 the announcement I have already noted, which, though 

 it took him by surprise, must have helped to define his 

 views for his future course. 



When James Forbes went to the Continent he had left 

 instructions with his brother Charles, that if anything 

 should befall Sir John Leslie during his absence he 

 wished to be put in nomination for the chair. Eeturn- 

 ing rapidly, as he passed through Cambridge on his way 

 to Scotland, he found that his brothers and his uncle, 

 ]\Ir. George Forbes, having already entered his name 

 as a candidate for the vacant chair, were warmly pro- 

 secuting the canvass, and had procured testimonials 

 from all quarters. 



Besides James Forbes there were four other candidates 

 in the field Dr. Ritchie, Professor of Natural Philo- 

 sophy in the London University ; Mr. Thomas Galloway, 

 Professor of Mathematics in Sandhurst College ; Professor 

 Stevellc ssor of Natural Philosophy in I id fast ; and, 



last and greai'-t. his firm friend and adviser, Dr. aftcr- 

 ds Sir David Brewster. But young Forbes was in the 

 field and had fairly committed himself, before he know that 

 I >a vid was to come forward. The tone which Brewster 

 had always held about the work of professorships, as fatal 

 to original investigation an opinion which is expressed in 

 a letter already given led Forbes to b li \ tha-t he 

 would not now think of the chair. It was th. T< fore with 

 surprise, but not dismay, that some time after he had 

 returned iVmn the Continent he learnt that I'.K \\ster was 

 really to be a candidate. T<> have such 'i rival as 1 h\ 

 vster, \\\> elder in years, hi- MI|> ri>r in rej.ntat inn. die 



