370 Obituary. 



tion, though liis studies had been chiefly directed to theo- 

 logical and moral inquiries, yet he never relinquished his 

 attention to Ijis favorite mathematics, nor much abated his 

 attachment and zeal for natural science. The consequence 

 was, that though young for so responsible an office as the 

 Professorship of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in 

 Yale College, yet his attainments were universally thought 

 by the friends of the institution to be adequate to the place: 

 and those who were best acquainted with his habits of study 

 and his actual acquirements, were the most confident of his 

 success. 



" As his prospects for life had now changed, his studies 

 were accommodated to his new situation ; without, howev- 

 er excluding those subjects of moral science, which had 

 received so much of his attention, and whose importance 

 and \alue he liad so justly estimated. He immediately en- 

 tered, with all the ardor of youth, and the zeal inspired by 

 a favorite pursuit, upon a plan of mathematical and philo- 

 sophical study, embracing every topic of these enlarged 

 sciei'Ces. in their widest extent. With what succe«;s he 

 prosecuted his design, is well known to most of this audi- 

 ence. In the time which elapsed from his election to his 

 new t.ffice, to his departure for Europe, he had examined 

 and digested the writings of the principal philosophers of 

 Britain, tracing every discovery, theory, and illustration to 

 its source ; and had read, with the same attention, many of 

 the most valuab'e publications of the mathematicians and 

 philosophers of France. He had, in the same time, pre- 

 pared a full course of lectures in Natural Philosophy, both 

 theoretical and experimental, which lor copiousness, clear- 

 ness aiid exact adaptation to the purposes of instruction, 

 equalled the highest expcciations of his friends. Having 

 thus far accomplished his original design, he resolved on an 

 excursion to Europe, not so much for the sake of making 

 new acqui-itions in science, — for the knowh-dge of Europe- 

 an philosophers is found in their books, — as to visit the pla- 

 ces of pnb'ic instruction, and examine by actual inspection 

 the modes of communicating knowledge in the foreign uni- 

 versities, — to form an acquaintance with men who were dis- 

 tinguished in his own department, — and to obtain such 

 information as might enable him more fully to aid in raising 

 the scientific character of his country, and in promoting 



