170 MEMOHIAL OP JOSEPH HENRY. 



Franklin has fallen upon the shoulders of Henry." It was no 

 selfish motive that induced him to accept the appointment, but 

 a sincere devotion to the cause of science. At that time various 

 plans had been proposed for the employment of the Smithsonian 

 fund, which had been lying in the United States Treasury for some 

 years. A National University, a Public Library had been sug- 

 gested ; but Smithson's known devotion to science, and the wise 

 choice of Professor Henry, made in deference to the most enlight- 

 ened judgment and in view of his merits, determined the character 

 of the Institution to be established. The first fair copy of the 

 plan of the Smithsonian Institution was in the handwriting of the 

 author of these reminiscences. He would give much now to recover 

 that MS. in its plain, boyish chirography. He remembers that it 

 was ''Ari Institution for the increase and diffusion of hnoioledge 

 among men." " To increase knoioledge, men were to be stimulated 

 to original research ; to diffuse knoioledge, the results of such research 

 and reports on the progress of the various branches of knowledge 

 were to be published." This general idea was then wrought out 

 into details. This plan, in an enlarged form, was presented to the 

 Board of Regents, and adopted December 13, 1847, and has been 

 repeatedly published. In copying the plan a single word happened 

 to be omitted, and the writer well recalls the nervous twitching of 

 the Professor's lips when he discovered the mistake, and his own 

 regret at the occurrence, and his sorrow that anything should mar 

 the face of a MS. that was intended to be submitted either to the 

 Board of Regents or to eminent scientific men at a distance. Pro- 

 fessor Henry remarked to the writer that, except scientific terms, 

 he was very reluctant to use any words not found in Johnson's 

 Dictionary, which he kept upon his study table. His style was 

 pure and simple, very terse and forcible ; his manner of lecturing 

 easy, graceful, and impressive. No one who was ever under his 

 mstruction can ever forget his definition of science, or his manner 

 of enunciating it with his handsome face and magnificent physique. 

 "Science, gentlemen, is the knowledge of the laws of phenomena, 

 whether they relate to mind or matter." And what better defini- 

 tion can be given ? So admirably were the principles of physical 

 science expressed, so clearly were the facta presented, and so success- 



