SOMERVILLE. 59 



of Differences," and the study of a book on 

 Quaternions. 



During her last days this talented woman often 

 said that " not even in the joyous spring of life had 

 she been more truly happy." To quote her daughter's 

 touching words: " Her affection for those she loved, and 

 her sympathy for all living beings, remained to the 

 last as fervent as ever ; nor did her ardent desire for 

 and belief in the ultimate religious and moral im- 

 provement of mankind diminish. . . . God was 

 indeed loving and merciful to her ; not only did He 

 allow her to retain her faculties unimpaired to so great 

 an age, but the weary trial of long-continued illness 

 was spared her." 



She died in sleep, on the morning of the 29th 

 November, 1872. For her, Death lost its terrors ; her 

 pure spirit passed away so gently that those around 

 her scarcely perceived when she left them. " It was 

 the beautiful and painless close of a beautiful and a 

 happy life." 



Shortly after her death a movement was started to 

 commemorate her name. This resulted in the estab- 

 lishment of the Somerville Hall at Oxford, and a 

 " Mary Somerville" scholarship of 30 a year for three 

 years awarded for mathematics. Somerville Hall was 

 opened in 1879 ; it has succeeded so well, that twice 

 since then it has been found necessary to enlarge it At 

 the present time there are in connection with it, besides 

 the " Mary Somerville " scholarship, one scholarship 



