112 THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. [CHAP. II. 



Dr. Young, who, whilst Professor at the Royal Insti- 

 tution, knew Kumford well, said of him in the * Ency- 

 clopedia Britannica : ' 



Count Rumford certainly possessed considerable facility 

 of conversation, and there was a very laudable spirit of 

 originality in his views and mode of reasoning, although he 

 had never leisure to acquire profound learning in any de- 

 partment of study. In person he was above the middle 

 size, with a dignified and pleasing expression of counte- 

 nance and a mildness in his manner and tone of voice. He 

 was ambitious of fame and distinction, and had too great 

 a propensity to dictate without sufficiently regarding the 

 opinions of those who were of equal authority with him- 

 self. His mode of life was abstemious, and his health was 

 even supposed to have suffered from too great abstinence, 

 though his regimen was much more the result of medical 

 opinion regarding his health than of his own peculiar taste 

 for temperance. 



By his will, of which Lafayette was a witness, he 

 made a bequest to his daughter, and another to 

 Harvard College 



for the purpose of founding, under the direction and 

 government of the corporation, overseers, and governors of 

 that university, a new institution and professorship, in 

 order to teach by regular courses of academical and public 

 lectures, accompanied with proper experiments, the utility 

 of the physical and mathematical sciences for the improve- 

 ment of the useful arts, and for the extension of the in- 

 dustry, prosperity, happiness, and well-being of society. 



He left all his military books and papers to the 

 Government of the United States, and the snuff-box 

 given to him by the Emperor of Austria to Baron 

 Delessert, and his gold enamelled watch to his friend 

 Mr. Parker. He thus showed his regard for Davy : 



