42 A BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR 



ments predominate. But lie was a decided utilitarian, 

 and too mucli a man of business routine, merely 

 to saunter listlessly through academic groves; and, 

 consequently, always kept his mission in view. He loved 

 natural history for its bees and silkworms ; mechanical 

 philosophy for its engines ; botany for its grasses and 

 grains ; and chemistry for its manures and composts. 

 It is not surprising, therefore, to find him silent on 

 branches of study which were remote from his object, as 

 not appearing capable of any immediate productiveness 

 to the community at large. 



His literary efforts were confined to some translations, 

 on which he was early engaged, and it is not unhkely 

 that they were at first undertaken as essays, in studying 

 English, his adopted language for his future life. He 

 also wrote many prefaces, conducted a very extensive 

 correspondence, and edited most, if not all, of the works 

 that were published by himself. He may have been 

 led to persuade Milton, in 1644, to engage his pen on 

 the important subject of education, influenced by the 

 combined circumstances of the difficulties he had early 

 experienced while educating himself in England ; and 

 from his connection with Comenius, and with John Durie, 

 both advocates for a reformation in schools. It is known 

 that Comenius was invited to England by the Govern- 

 ment in 1641, with a prospect of carrying out his im- 

 provements, but the commencement of the Civil war 

 induced him to leave for Sweden. He was a voluminous 



