286 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



two, so far as they represent inquiry, and genuine advance- 

 ment in the knowledge of floral structure, actually originated 

 with him. Still, after making due allowance for a mind as 

 scrupulous and cautious as it was clear and profound, also for 

 an unusually retiring disposition, which even in authorship 

 seems to have rendered him as sedulous to avoid publicity as 

 most writers are to gain it, it must be acknowledged that his 

 retentiveness was excessive ; and that his guarded published 

 statements sometimes appear as if intended — like the ana- 

 grams of the older mathematicians and philosophers — rather 

 to record his knowledge than to reveal it. But this was prob- 

 ably only in appearance, and rather to be attributed to his 

 sensitive regard for entire accuracy, and his extreme dislike 

 of all parade of knowledge, — to the same peculiarity which 

 everywhere led him to condense announcements of great con- 

 sequence into short paragraphs or foot-notes, and to insert 

 the most important facts in parentheses, which he who runs 

 over the page may read, indeed, but which only the most 

 learned and the most reflecting will be apt to comprehend. 

 In candor it must be said that his long career has left some 

 room for the complaint that he did not feel bound to exert 

 fully and continuously all his matchless gifts in behalf of the 

 science of which he was the most authoritative expositor. 



But if thus in some sense unjust to himself and to his high 

 calling, Brown could never be charged with the slightest in- 

 justice to any fellow-laborer. He was scrupulously careful, 

 even solicitous, of the rights and claims of others ; and in 

 tracing the history of any discovery in which he had himself 

 borne a part, he was sure to award to each one concerned his 

 full due. If not always communicative, he was kind and con- 

 siderate to all. To adopt the words of one of his intimate as- 

 sociates, " those who knew him as a man will bear unanimous 

 testimony to the unvarying simplicity, truthfulness, and be- 

 nevolence of his character," as well as to " the singular up- 

 rightness of his judgment." 



The remaining and the most illustrious name of all — and 

 one in its wide renown strongly in contrast with the last — 

 has only just now been inscribed on our obituary list. 



