18 BROWN. 



Bramah had an invincible dislike to sitting for his portrait, and there 

 consequently exists no likeness of this distinguished man ; for, 

 although a cast of his face was taken after death by Sir Francis 

 Chantry, this, together with many others was destroyed by Lady 

 Chantry after the death of her husband. Memoir by Dr. Brown. 

 Stuart's Anecdotes of the Steam Engine. London, 1829. Smiles's 

 Industrial Biography. London, 1863. 



ROBERT BROWN, D.C.L., F.R.S., P.L.S, &c. 



MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. 



Born December 21, 1773. Died June 10, 1859. 



Eobert Brown, whom Humboldt has designated as the " Prince of 

 Botanists," was the second and only surviving son of the Kev. 

 James Brown, Episcopalian Minister, of Montrose. Several gene- 

 rations of his maternal ancestors were, like his father, ministers of 

 the Scottish Episcopalian Church, and from them he appears to 

 have inherited a strong attachment to logical and metaphysical 

 studies, the effects of which are so strikingly manifested in the 

 philosophical character of his botanical investigations. At an early 

 age he was sent to the grammar-school of his native town, ;md 

 in 1787 entered at Marischal College, Aberdeen, where he immedi- 

 ately obtained a Eamsay Bursary in philosophy. About two years 

 afterwards, on his father quitting Montrose to reside in Edinburgh, 

 he was removed to the University of that city, in which he continued 

 his studies for several years; but without taking a degree, although 

 destined for the medical profession. 



In the year 1791, at the age of seventeen, Brown laid before the 

 Natural History Society, of which he was a member, his earliest 

 paper, which contained, together with critical notes and observa- 

 tions, an enumeration of such plants as had been discovered in 

 North Britain subsequent to the publication of Lightfoot's " Flora 

 Scotica." Although this paper was not intended for publication, it 

 brought the young botanist into communication with Dr. Withering, 

 and laid the foundation of a warm and intimate friendship between 

 them. In the year 1795, soon after the- embodiment of the. Fife shire 

 Regiment of Fencible Infantry, Brown obtained in it the double 

 commission of ensign and assistant surgeon, proceeding with the 

 regiment to the north of Ireland, in various parts of which he was 

 stationed until the summer of 1798, when he was detached to 

 England on recruiting service. 



Fortunately for himself and for science, this service enabled him 



