268 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



Greek languages to a sufficient extent to enable him to 

 understand the meaning and origin of scientific terms, and 

 coin for himself such as he needed. French, German, and 

 Italian, he studied with much assiduity, that he might 

 read the researches of the great continental philosophers. 

 These languages, indeed, he read with considerable facility. 

 Thus prepared, he entered on the study of natural philo- 

 sophy, of which he obtained a sound knowledge ; never- 

 theless, the phenomena of electricity and magnetism had 

 ever the greatest charm for him. . . . 



* It is difficult to conceive a more unfavourable social 

 position for the formation of a scientific character than 

 that of a private soldier, — the constant and wearying 

 routine of duty, the want of privacy, the difficulty at the 

 time of which we write of obtaining a fit supply of books, 

 and the incessant temptations offered by companionship 

 and a soldier's habits ; and yet, surrounded by such diffi- 

 culties, exposed to such temptations, and in such a posi- 

 tion, did Mr. Sturgeon master the numerous branches of 

 knowledge, the possession of which gave to his researches 

 and their exposition a clearness and precision that had 

 scarcely ever been surpassed. Simple-minded and clear 

 himself, imbued with an ardent love of truth, he had an 

 utter abhorrence of scientific quackery, and never failed to 

 express his contempt for those who substituted a pretended 

 knowledge for its reality. He was exceedingly happy in 

 devising experiments and contriving the necessary appa- 

 ratus, as may be seen by referring to Dr. Frances' '' Dic- 

 tionary of Scientific Instruments," and quick in perceiving 

 the relations of the facts which he educed ; and though it 

 may be said that he never succeeded in the enunciation of 

 a great law, yet no man has contributed to science a 



