CHAP. X.] SCIENTIFIC WORK. 295 



160 pages of Buckle's History of Civilisation a bumptious 

 book, strong positivism, emancipation from exploded notions, 

 and that style of thing, but a great deal of actually original 

 matter, the true result of fertile study, and not mere brain- 

 spinning. The style is not refined, but it is clear, and avoids 

 fine writing. Froude is very good that way, though you can 

 see the sort of pleasure that a University man takes in 

 actually realising what he has talked over at Hall about 

 showing what England was in the middle ages, and transfus- 

 ing himself, style and all, thereinto, that his friends may see. 

 A solitary student never does that sort of thing, nor can he 

 appreciate the graces of imitation. I wish Froude would 

 state whether he translates, and from what language, in each 

 document. 



I am still at Saturn's Kings. At present two rings of 

 satellites are disturbing one another. I have devised a 

 machine to exhibit the motions of the satellites in a disturbed 

 ring ; and Eamage is making it, for the edification of sensible 

 image worshippers. He has made four new dynamical tops, 

 for various seats of learning. 



I have set up a model of Airy's Transit Circle, and 

 described it to my advanced class to-day. That institution 

 is working well, with a steady attendance of fourteen, who 

 have come of their own accord to do subjects not required 

 by the College, and the dryest first. 



To the present time we have been on Newton's Principia 

 (that is, Sects, i. ii. iii., as they are, and a general view of 

 the Lunar Theory, and of the improvements and discoveries 

 founded on such inquiries). Now we go on to Magnetism, 

 which I have not before attempted to explain. 



The other class is at two subjects at once. Theoretical 

 and mathematical mechanics is the regular subject, but two 

 days a week we have been doing principles of mechanism, 

 and I think the thing will work well. We now go on to 

 Friction, Elasticity, and Breakage, considered as subjects for 

 experiment, and as we go on we shall take up other experi- 

 mental subjects germane to the regular course. I am happy 

 in the knowledge of a good tinsmith, in addition to a smith, 



