142 SIR HUMPHREY DAVY. 



medicine. He laid out a plan for study : theology, 

 logic, astronomy, mathematics, Latin, Greek, Ital- 

 ian, Spanish, and Hebrew. 



He said later, "Almost all great deeds arise from 

 a plenitude of hope or desire. No man ever had 

 genius who did not aim to execute more than he 

 was able." And all his life he planned to do twice 

 as much as he was ever able to do. And yet he 

 knew that he must bind himself to &few things, if 

 he would succeed. He said, "In minds of great 

 power, there is usually a disposition to variety of 

 pursuits, and they often attempt all branches of 

 letters and science, and even the imitative arts; 

 but if they become truly eminent, it is by devotion 

 to one object at a time, or at most two objects. 

 This sort of general power is like a profusion of 

 blossoms on a fruit tree, a symptom of health and 

 strength ; but if all are suffered to become fruit, all 

 are feeble and bad; if the greater portion is de- 

 stroyed by accident or art, the remainder, being 

 properly nourished, become healthy, large, and 

 good." In these early note-books, he began to 

 show an unusual and mature mind. He wrote 

 essays: "On the Immortality and the Immateri- 

 ality of the Soul," " On Governments," " On Moral 

 Obligation," and the like. Of Friendship, he wrote 

 at seventeen : " It is a composition of the noblest 

 passions of the mind ; a just taste and love of vir- 

 tue, good-sense, a thorough candor and benignity 

 of heart, and a generous sympathy of sentiment 

 and affections, are the essential ingredients of this 



