o 



2 2 Literary and Philosophical Society, 



of London publishers, a few months before his death, and 

 when inquired for afterwards was missing and has not 

 since been found. This MS. treated of the means of 

 reaching old age, and was entitled '* Longevity, by a Nono- 

 genarian." 



* After the marriages of his sons Wilson and Frederick, 

 he lived at their houses alternately, dividing his time 

 pretty equally between them. In 1867 he experienced a 

 severe affliction in the death of Wilson, his youngest 

 son, when he fixed his abode with Frederick for his 

 remaining years. His sorrow found relief in a still closer 

 devotion to intellectual pursuits, and in the society of a 

 few friends^ He soon recovered his wonted cheerfulness, 

 and never once suffered an unmanly regret for the loss of 

 his vast fortune to disturb it. 



* He died painlessly on May 3, 1871, after a lingering 

 illness. In accordance with his strict injunctions, his 

 funeral was quite private.' 



• • • • • • • 



Mr, Dyer was desirous of keeping up with the progress 

 of science, and his inclination to be fair led him to use the 

 remark quoted, ' Thus we see how difficult it is to make 

 even great men move in any path before the destined 

 time.' It is remarkable how strongly in his late years 

 this was illustrated by his own case. He could never 

 agree to the new ideas regarding the relations of Heat 

 and Force, and he read several papers discussing the 

 subject, and opposing, in the most respectful way of 

 course, the opinions of Dr. Joule, who did his best also 

 most respectfully to make the new opinions and discus- 

 sions clear, but without effect. This defect occurring in 

 men depends sometimes on the new meaning given to 



