WILLIAM TILGHMAN. 25 



It is but moderately affected by subsequent strokes. 

 Tilgliraan had learned the vanity of earthly blessings, 

 and fixed his hopes on a better world : he looked 

 down for a moment again upon earth, dropped a tear 

 and sought consolation in the bosom of his God. 



The Society, as 1 have before mentioned, had ex- 

 tended the sphere of its labours, so as to take in the 

 whole circle of physical and moral sciences, and the 

 useful arts. Its chair was successively filled by rep- 

 resentatives, as it were, of the most prominent ob- 

 jects of its investigations. The press was first hon- 

 oured in the person of l^'ranklin. With Rittenhouse, 

 astronomy took its place. The philosophy of nature 

 next sat with Jefferson. With Wistar medicine, and 

 with Patterson the mathematical sciences were placed 

 at the head of this institution. Legislation and ju- 

 risprudence remained, and Tilghman was deserved- 

 ly chosen as the fittest person in the Society to receive 

 the homage due to that science on which depends 

 the peace, the social order, and the happiness of man- 

 kind.'^ 



The honours which the Society thus conferred upon 

 their lamented President, were by him unsought as 

 well as unexpected. He was too diffident of his own 

 merit to pretend to scientific or literary distinctions. 

 He never sought fame while he lived, and probably 

 never dreamt that it would follow his name after his 

 death. While in the stillness of his closet, he was 

 penning those judgments, which, by the care of able 

 and faithful reporters, now fill numerous volumes, and 



