160 ENGLISH MEN OF SCIENCE. [CHAP. 



times as my duties in .... gave me leisure, 

 and without any instructor. The obtaining of 

 correct and accurate results in chemical analysis 

 gave me great satisfaction." (c) 



(7) " Scarcely innate. I ascribe the origin of 

 my scientific interests chiefly to being sent as a 

 pupil to an eminent man of science, Professor 

 .... Subsequently I was a good deal abstracted 

 from scientific pursuits by an early and lasting 

 friendship with . . . . , who directed my thoughts 

 to public work." (g) 



(8) " I watched, at school, the building of a 

 steam engine at a factory, and completely got up 

 the whole engine. This gave my mind a start. 

 .... My father gave me ' Henry's Chemistry ; ' 

 that, and afterwards 'Turner's Chemistry/ were 

 more interesting to me than any books of fiction. 

 .... I believe at one time I read little else but 

 'Turner's Chemistry' and books of poetry in 

 whatever holiday I had. ... I owe to my 

 mother a child's curiosity and afterwards a man's 

 reverence for scientific truth. I cannot tell if 

 my scientific tastes were innate. The university, 



