2G JAMES CLERK MAXWELL 



November. The society's l;irometer is to be taken up Arthur's 

 Seat at the end of the session, when Forbes goes up, and All 

 students are invited to attend, so that the existence of the 

 society may be recognised." 



It was at last settled that he was to go up to 

 Cambridge. Tait had been at Peterhouso for two 

 years, while Allan Stewart had joined him there in 

 1849, and after much discussion it was arranged that 

 Maxwell should enter at the same college. 



Of this period of his life Tait writes as follows : 



"The winter of 1817 found us together in the classes of 

 Forles and Kelland, where he highly distinguished himself. 

 With the former he was a particular favourite, being admitted 

 to the free use of the class apparatus fur original e.\]rimeiits. 

 He lingered here behind most of his former associates, having 

 spent three years at the University of Edinburgh, working 

 (without any assistance or supervision) with physical and 

 chemical apparatus, and devouring all sorts of scientific works 

 in the library. During this period he wrote two valuable 

 paj>crs, which are published in our * Transactions, ' on *Thi 

 Theory of Itolling Curves' and on 'The Equilibrium of Elastic 

 Solids. 7 Thus he brought to Cambridge, in the autumn of 

 18.V), a mass of knowledge which was really immense for so 

 young a man, but in a state of disorder appalling to his 

 methodical private tutor. Though that tutor was William 

 Hopkins, the pupil to a great extent took his own way, and it 

 may safely be said that no high wrangler of recent years ever 

 entered the Senate House more imperfectly trained to produce 

 'paying' work than did Clerk Maxwell. Hut by sheer strength 

 of intellect, though with the very minimum of knowledge how 

 to use it to advantage under the conditions of the examina- 

 tion, he obtained the position of Second Wrangler, and was 

 bracketed equal with the Senior Wrangler in the higher ordeal 

 of the Smith's Prizes. His name ap]>ears in the Cambridge 

 'Calendar* as Maxwell of Trinity, but he was originally 

 entered at Peterhouse, and kept his first term there, in that 



