328 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



Among those whose appreciation of his labors 

 was grateful to Mr. Silliman, there were none whose 

 praise was more valued than that of the author of 

 the two letters which follow. 



FROM HON. JOSIAH QUINCY (SENIOR.) 



CAMBRIDGE, November 1, 1829. 



DEAR SIR, I had the pleasure some months since of 

 receiving a small volume, containing the outline of your 

 geological lectures, rendered doubly valuable from their 

 being transmitted to me by the author. For next in 

 degree to the satisfaction of being laudatus a laudato viro, 

 is that of being remembered by him. I ought immediately 

 to have acknowledged my sense of your kindness. I have, 

 however, never thought it a compliment, and scarcely jus- 

 tice to an author, to return thanks for a work which one 

 has not yet read. It happened in this case, that your vol- 

 ume came to hand while my mind was wholly occupied in 

 preparing for the duties of a new official relation, unex- 

 pectedly devolved upon me ; and being myself, in this 

 respect, in a sort of " transition state," by every rule of 

 " chemical affinity," and " post-diluvial action," I thought it 

 my duty to admit nothing into the sphere of operation, 

 whether it were of " aggregation or crystallization," which 

 might disturb the desired result. So I fairly laid your work 

 upon the shelf, until " the activity " of the then " existing 

 chemical agents " had ceased, and the " crust " of things 

 here being duly " arranged," and my " transition " state 

 passed, I should have leisure to attend to matters speak- 

 ing with reference to my own then existing necessities 

 of a " secondary formation." 



That period having recently arrived, I have read your 

 work, and permit me to add, with unqualified pleasure. In- 

 deed, the interest was so great and intense, that it abso- 

 lutely excluded every other thought. I did not lay it down 

 until I had given it a complete perusal. The truth is, it is 



