3/>5. SOMERVILLE. 33 



Mr. William Somerville, the great mathematician's 

 second husband, was her cousin, the son of that very 

 Rev. Dr. Somerville who had encouraged her when a 

 girl in the pursuit of knowledge. Mr. Somerville 

 belonged to a very well-known Scottish family, whose 

 history, entitled " Mcmorie of the Somervilles " 

 (written by James, eleventh Lord Somerville, who 

 died in 1690), had been edited by Sir Walter Scott. 

 Mr. Somerville himself was a most kindly, genial man. 

 He was most devotedly attached to his talented wife, 

 regarded her with the most intense admiration, and 

 did all he could to encourage her to study. He very 

 generously acknowledged that she was intellectually 

 his superior, and was most proud and gratified when 

 her talents were appreciated, and honours were 

 showered upon her. He helped her in her work 

 in every way that was open to him, and even made it 

 his business to look out the books she required, and to 

 copy her manuscripts. The marriage was an exceed- 

 ingly happy one, and the most perfect confidence 

 existed between husband and wife. Although as a 

 mathematician Mrs. Somerville was without doubt 

 the more advanced of the two, in practical matters 

 Mr. Somerville was the leader, and his wife trusted in 

 him entirely, and regarded him with the deepest 

 affection. A beautiful trait in Mrs. Somerville's cha- 

 racter was that modesty which led her to refrain from 

 making parade of her attainments. Her manners 

 were simple and natural, and she never laid claim to 

 C 



