132 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



surprised ; for what great improvement could be rationally 

 expected in 1829, in what was so nearly perfect a quarter 

 of a century before ? 



I fear, my dear sir, that you will be able to make little, 

 if any, use of what I have here given you, but as the poor 

 best that I can do for you, I beg you to accept it. 

 With respects of 



Your obdt. servant, 



JNO. PIERPONT. 



The annexed letters were written after his plan 

 for visiting Europe was formed, and prior to his 

 departure. 



TO MRS. G. S. SILLIMAN. 



YALE COLLEGE, January 12, 1805. 



A WEEK to-morrow evening I wrote to your 



husband and gave him reason to believe that it would be 

 impossible for me to visit you before my embarkation. My 

 heart knows how much I regret this. I love you both 

 more than I can express, and I know not any earthly wish 

 that I should sooner pray to have gratified than that which 

 would place you both where I could see you and converse 

 with you every day. I love your society ; it not only agrees 

 with every sentiment of duty derived from family alliance, 

 but it suits my taste exactly. With all the delights of 

 science and varied society, I have a sad vacuum ; I have, I 

 trust, about me many well-wishers and more than one cor- 

 dial friend, but mother is not here, Selleck and He.psn, are 

 not here, and I must smother in my own bosom much which 

 would make my tongue eloquent had I such ears as yours 

 and theirs to lay my mouth to ; but I must grow concise 



and proceed to other topics My chemical lectures 



were most of them written carelessly as to the handwriting, 

 because I expected to copy them ; but this I have given 

 up. But I will make no excuses ; and although I believe 



