MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. VIII. 



notice has been given, lie found time to draw up a series of 

 essays for the 'British Quarterly Review,' between 1845 and 

 1849, which have justly been reckoned as successful as any 

 thing he ever wrote. " The paper on Chemistry and Natural 

 Theology, boldly grapples with the difficulty arising from the 

 presence of evil as well as good in the manifestations of design, 

 and contains a vivid reflection of his own experience of suffer- 

 ing ; while the scientific memoirs on Dalton, Cavendish, Black, 

 Priestley, Wollaston, and Boyle, show a range of reading and a 

 power of elucidation not often combined in the treatment of any 

 science." 1 After reading some of them, Lord Jeffrey wrote to 

 a friend, saying, " They give me a very high opinion, not only 

 of Dr. Wilson's talents and learning, but of his taste and power 

 of writing. . . . His severer style is admirable, and nothing 

 can be better than the lucid and energetic brevity with which 

 he abstracts facts and condenses arguments." Those papers 

 were the first expression of that love for biography, afterwards 

 so manifest. " My own favourite study, I will confess," he tells 

 the Eev. Dr. Vaughan, editor of the Eeview, " is scientific his- 

 tory and biography." He had it in contemplation to write the 

 lives of the distinguished chemists of Britain, and of this work 

 these memoirs were to form part ; but the design was never ful- 

 filled, his plans being always more extended than his opportu - 

 nities of carrying them out. The nucleus of another of his 

 bright visioifs is to be found in the paper on Chemistry and 

 Natural Theology. The hope of writing a ' Eeligio Chemici,' 

 corresponding to Sir Thomas Browne's ' Eeligio Medici/ was 

 indulged for many years ; but " his life bright with rare vir- 

 tueswas the only 'Eeligio Chemici' given him to finish. 

 This was higher than the contemplated work." 2 The 'British 

 Quarterly Eeview ' was struggling into being when he was re- 

 quested to contribute to its pages. This organ being the repre- 

 sentative of the Congregationalists of Great Britain, he willingly 

 responded, and by his zeal on its behalf, as well as by his articles, 

 he contributed not a little to its success, identifying himself 

 thoroughly with its wellbeing. 



In the notices called forth by the appearance of its first mini 



' Marniillan's Ma<,'a/ino.' Januar iMJil. 



