156 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. [CHAP. VI. 



An Oxford man is reported to have complained of the 

 lateness of morning chapel ; he could not sit up for it. I 

 will have the most of my reading over by that time. . . , 



Demosthenes goes on. I begin to see what may be 

 written in prose, and how ill it may be translated. 



It is a ypa(f)7) Trapavo/jLwv, so there is less declamation 

 and more demonstration; but the arguments, small at first, 

 are added as they proceed, and never left behind, so by oft 

 repetition they seem stronger than they are. 



Last night I searched for difficult problems to puzzle 

 Steele and Porter junior with. Here are some much more 

 mild, which we freshmen get. . ; . 



It is twelve o'clock, and I have to do Demosthenes to- 

 morrow before breakfast. This implies Chapel, therefore 

 bed, therefore I shut up. 



FROM HIS FATHER. 



Glenlair, 6th March 1851. 



Simpson rages at present in the Electro-biology. Dr. 

 Alison is very w r roth about it. He says he has known two 

 cases of nervous people whose minds were quite disordered 

 by it. I hope it is not in fashion at Cambridge, and at 

 any rate that you d'o not meddle with it. If it does any- 

 thing, it is more likely to be harm than good ; and if harm 

 ensue, the evil might be irreparable, so let me hear that you 

 have dismissed it; you have plenty better things in hand 

 where you are. 1 



Glenlair, 29th April 1851. 



Explain the pendulum experiment to me. You used 

 often to speak of the retardation of the Rotation of the 

 Earth by the friction of the tides. 



What is the Phosphate of Lime theory of mental 

 progress ? 



1 In the preceding Christmas vacation I was at a private " seance " 

 in Edinburgh, where Maxwell whether he shammed or not who 

 can tell? was selected by the operator (a man named Douglas, I 

 think), who vainly tried to make him seem to forget his name. 



