ii2 HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



rather formal, well preserved, with pleasant manners. The 

 English ladies are all very interested in their husbands' work, 

 and she was familiar with everything. He has a splendid 

 position. What he writes goes out to the world not under 

 his own name, but in that of Astronomer Royal, and he is 

 superior to the rest from his training in methods: most of 

 the English physicists do great things purely from instinct, 

 not like the French from training in the best methods, so 

 that their work is often spoiled by ignorance of the most 

 ordinary matters. The afternoon at Greenwich was one of 

 the most interesting and delightful of my journey. 



'On Tuesday I looked up Wittich, and went about with 

 him. In the morning we explored Westminster Abbey: its 

 architecture is not nearly so beautiful as that of the best 

 German cathedrals. It is too narrow, and the vaulting is not 

 very intricate, but the array of monuments to the famous 

 dead is extraordinarily imposing, and must stimulate the pride 

 of Englishmen in the highest degree. To have had such men, 

 and to see them so honoured, is grand. There lie professors of 

 physics and chemistry between the kings, generals, and artists ; 

 even tragedians of the first rank have found their place and 

 their monument here : Newton, James Watt, Humphry Davy, 

 Thomas Young, Shakespeare, Milton, Garrick, Mrs. Siddons, 

 Henry V, Richard II, Edward's sons, Warren Hastings, the 

 two Pitts, Mary Stuart, and Elizabeth. 



'On Wednesday I packed up, and went to Hull by train 

 of course, not steamer. I met Dr. Plucker at the station 

 and travelled with him. The journey is uninteresting. 

 Farther north, the country is not so exquisitely green as it 

 is near London, and is mostly hilly. Here in Hull we are 

 quartered on various people, I with a physician, Dr. Cooper, 

 where I live "very fashionably", and am well taken care of. 

 The foreigners (besides myself and Plucker there is only 

 a Russian, du Hamel, here) are treated with exquisite courtesy. 

 Yesterday evening at eight was the first General Meeting, when 

 the President gave a survey of the progress of science during 

 the last year : 600 persons were present, each of whom had 

 paid at least i t and 175 of them were ladies. We strangers 

 were named in the report which the Secretary gave at the 

 end; I was mentioned as Professor H. from Konigsberg, who 



