CHAP. V.] OPENING MANHOOD 1847 TO 1850. 133 



The winter of 1847 found us together in the classes of 

 Forbes and Kelland, where he highly distinguished himself. 

 With the former he was a particular favourite, being 

 admitted to the free use of the class apparatus for original 

 experiments. He lingered here behind most of his former 

 associates, having spent three years at the University of 

 Edinburgh, working (without any assistance or supervision) 

 with physical and chemical apparatus, and devouring all sorts 

 of scientific works in the library. 1 During this period he 

 wrote two valuable papers, which are published in our 

 Transactions, on The Theory of Rolling Curves and on The 

 Equilibrium of Mastic Solids. Thus he brought to 'Cam- 

 bridge, in the autumn of 1850, a mass of knowledge which 

 was really immense for so young a man, but in a state of dis- 

 order appalling to his methodical private tutor. 2 Though that 

 tutor was William Hopkins, the pupil to a great extent took 

 his own way, and it may safely be said that no high wrangler 

 of recent years ever entered the Senate-house more imper- 



1 " From the University Library lists for this period it appears that 

 Maxwell perused at home Fourier's Theorie de la Chaleur, Monge's 

 Geometric Descriptive, Newton's Optics, Willis's Principles of Mechanism, 

 Cauchy's Calcul Differential, Taylor's Scientific Memoirs, and many other 

 works of a high order. Unfortunately no record is kept of books con- 

 sulted in the reading-room." 



2 On the other hand it should be mentioned (though the statements 

 are not contradictory) that Hopkins used to say he had never known 

 Maxwell " make a mistake," i.e. he never misapprehended the condi- 

 tions of any problem. Of this fact, which was communicated to me by 

 my brother, I have since received the following confirmation from Mr. 

 W. N. Lawson, of the Equity Bar : Mr. Lawson quotes from a diary 

 kept by himself at the time "July 15, 1853. He (Hopkins) was 

 talking to me this evening about Maxwell. He says he is unquestion- 

 ably the most extraordinary man he has met with in the whole range 

 of his experience ; he says it appears impossible for Maxwell to think 

 incorrectly on physical subjects ; that in his analysis, however, he is far 

 more deficient ; he looks upon him as a great genius, with all its 

 eccentricities, and prophesies that one day he will shine as a light in 

 physical science, a prophecy in which all his fellow-students strenuously 

 unite." 



