CHARACTER OF FREDERICK. 129 



in accomplishing good work himself, but also, by taking 

 an active and energetic part in the highly developed life 

 of scientific and technical institutions in England, in 

 deserving well of the world of science, and at the same 

 time in rendering a lasting service to English industry. 

 Almost diametrically opposite were the mental 

 qualities of his successor in the series of surviving 

 members of the family. Frederick was not a good 

 learner. It has always been difficult for him to follow 

 another's train of thought to the end. On the other 

 hand he was from childhood a remarkably good ob- 

 server, and had the gift of stringing his observations 

 well together, and of making himself intelligible. Really 

 to understand arid appropriate the thoughts of others, 

 he had to discover them or think them out for himself 

 afterwards. This characteristic of steady, spontaneous, 

 uninfluenced thinking and self- training gave him a 

 peculiarly meditative air and his performances a pro- 

 nounced originality. Frederick is the born inventor, 

 to whose brooding mind the novel conception first 

 presents itself in obscure nebulous form, and who 

 thereupon with restless energy and untiring industry 

 tests the foundation of the conception, filling up at 

 the same time any gaps in his knowledge, and finally 

 either rejects his idea as false or impracticable, or 

 elaborates it into a serviceable and then almost always 

 original invention. At the same time Frederick was 

 never a diplomatist, arid just as little a man of business 

 carefully weighing his words and actions. He went and 

 is still going everywhere his straight road, biased only 



f OFTHE x. 



(UNIVERSITT) 



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