February 2-2, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



205 



epoch-making period was not Sylvester's 

 first, advent in the United St.ates. The im- 

 mortal glory now belonging to the Johns 

 Hopkins University might have been antici- 

 pated by another, and with the verj- same 

 instrument. 



An adequate life of James Joseph Syl- 

 vester has never been wi-itten, and jiroba- 

 bly never will be while he lives. At Cam- 

 bridge he was most impressed by a classmate 

 of his own, the celebrated George Green, 

 who had already then produced the re- 

 markable Green's Theorem, and much of 

 the work which still stands as a founda- 

 tion stone in the edifice of modern elec- 

 trical science. As Sylvester would not 

 sign the thirty-nine articles of the Estab- 

 lished Church, he was not allowed to take 

 his degree, nor to stand for a fellowship, to 

 which his rank in the tripos entitled him. 



Sjivester always felt bitterly this religious 

 di.sbarment. His denunciation of the nar- 

 rowness, bigotry, and intense selfishness ex- 

 hibited in these creed tests was a wonderful 

 piece of oratory in his celebrated addi-ess at 

 the Johns Hopkins University. No one 

 who saw will ever forget the emotion and 

 astonishment exhibited by James Eussell 

 Lowell while listening to this unexpected 

 climax. Thus barred from Cambridge, he 

 accepted a call to America fi-om the Univer- 

 sity of Virginia. 



The cause of his sudden abandonment of 

 the University of Virginia is often related 

 by the Rev. Dr. R. L. Dabney, as follows : 

 In Sylvester's class were a pau' of brothers, 

 stupid and excruciatinglj' pompous. When 

 Sylvester pointed out one day the blunders 

 made in a recitation by the younger of the 

 pair, this individual felt his honor and 

 family pride aggrieved, and sent word to 

 Professor Sylvester that he must apologize 

 or be chastised. 



Sylvester bought a sword-cane, which he 

 was carrying when waylaid by the brothers, 

 the younger armed with a hea^'y bludgeon. 



An intimate friend of Dr. Dabney's hap- 

 pened to be approaching at the moment of 

 the encounter. Tlie younger brother step- 

 ped up in front of Professor Sylvester and 

 demanded an instant and humble apology. 



Almost immediately he struck at Sj-lves- 

 ter, knocking ofi' his liat, and then delivered 

 with his heavy bludgeon a crushing blow 

 directly upon Sylvester's bare head. 



Sylvester drew his sword-cane and lunged 

 straight at him, striking him just over the 

 heart. With a dispairing howl, the student 

 fell back into his brother's arms screaming 

 out, " I am killed I '" " He has killed me." 

 Sylvester was urged away from the sjiot by 

 Dr. Dabney's friend, and without even wait- 

 ing to collect his books, he left for New 

 York, and took ship back to England. 



Meantime a surgeon was summoned to 

 the student, who was lividly pale, bathed in 

 cold sweat, in complete collapse, seemingly 

 dying, whispering his last prayers. The 

 surgeon tore open his vest, cut open his 

 shirt, and at once declared him not in the 

 least injured. The fine point of the sword- 

 cane had struck a rib fair, and caught 

 against it, not peueti-ating. 



When assured that the wound was not 

 much more than a mosquito-bite, the dying 

 man arose, adjusted his shirt, buttoned his 

 vest, and walked oft', though still trembling 

 from the nervous shock. Sylvester was 

 made head professor of mathematics of the 

 Royal Military Academj^ at Woolwich, a 

 position which he held until the early period 

 set by the English military laws for confer- 

 ring the life-pension. 



He thus happened to be free to accept a 

 position at the head of mathematics in the 

 Johns Hopkins University at its organiza- 

 tion. With British conservatism, he stipu- 

 lated that his traveling expenses and annual 

 salary of five thousand dollars should be 

 paid him in gold, and this fixed, he came a 

 second time to America. 



The fame of his coming preceded him, for 



