30 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHA!'. I. 



at their bases. If this is laid on an inclined plane (not solid, 

 but such as a pair of compasses), narrow at the foot, and 

 growing as it ascends, it will ascend and remain at the top. 

 This is, however, really descending ; a thing which might 

 perhaps be of use for waggons ascending inclined planes. An- 

 other plan is to put a piece of lead in one side of a cylinder 

 or ball : this will roll up a slight inclination, till the lead comes 

 round again, and is level with the plane. Mr. Thiodon (of the 

 Theatre of Arts) lately advertised that in addition to the usual 

 performance, he would exhibit tricks mechanical and mathe- 

 matical. They were mere tricks of deception ; but at the end 

 he showed us a small gilt lion of wood, similar to the one you 

 told us of. The head was cut off and sprang on again. One 

 gentleman cried it was magnetism, but the steel knife with 

 which it was cut refuted that. Another agreed with you it was 

 a spring, but Mr. Thiodon explained it to be a wheel on a pivot, 

 which turned away, and allowed the knife to pass through. 

 Since writing this, I received your kind letter and presents. I 

 cannot express too much gratitude for your present to the 

 museum, but more especially for your kind present of an eye- 

 glass, which aids my bad sight very much. You have apolo- 

 gized for not writing oftener and before ; but I ought rather than 

 you to apologize for my procrastinating negligence, which I 

 must promise to rectify by a steady correspondence with you. 

 There is a large menagerie and museum come to town, contain- 

 ing both live and dead animals, quadrupeds, birds, insects, 

 shells, fossils, and curiosities from all quarters of the globe. . . . 

 Father and mother send with me their love to you. Yours 

 most respectfully, GEORGE WILSON." 



" P.S. I find I have written on the wrong page. Excuse 

 this blunder, and the very bad writing." 



It is needless to dwell longer on this busy, happy boyhood. 

 Various juvenile literary efforts in prose and verse remain to 

 attest the diligence of his habits and the wide range of his 

 sympathies. But enough has been said to testify to the abound- 

 ing life and energy of both body and mind. The little rill, 



