THE CONQUEST OF NATURE 



branches of physical science, might, perhaps, have 

 been conjectured', but it could not have been inferred 

 from his usual occupations, and probably is not gen- 

 erally known, that he was curiously learned in many 

 branches of antiquity, metaphysics, medicine, and 

 etymology, and perfectly at home in all the details of 

 architecture, music, and law. He was well acquainted, 

 too, with most of the modern languages, and familiar 

 with their most recent literature. Nor was it at all ex- 

 traordinary to hear the great mechanician and engineer 

 detailing and expounding, for hours together, the meta- 

 physical theories of the German logicians, or criticizing 

 the measures or the matter of the German poetry. 



"It is needless to say, that with those vast resources, 

 his conversation was at all times rich and instructive in 

 no ordinary degree. But it was, if possible, still more 

 pleasing than wise, and had all the charms of familiarity, 

 with all the substantial treasures of knowledge. No 

 man could be more social in his spirit, less assuming 

 or fastidious in his manners, or more kind and indulgent 

 towards all who approached him. His talk, too, though 

 overflowing with information, had no resemblance to 

 lecturing, or solemn discoursing; but, on the contrary, 

 was full of colloquial spirit and pleasantry. He had a 

 certain quiet and grave humor, which ran through 

 most of his conversation, and a vein of temperate 

 jocularity, which gave infinite zest and effect to the con- 

 densed and inexhaustible information which formed 

 its main staple and characteristic. There was a little 

 air of affected testiness, and a tone of pretended rebuke 

 and contradiction, which he used towards his younger 



[108] 



