ESTIMATION IN THE SOCIETY. 155 



what nervous, and he possessed no great facility of speech,, 

 altogether conveyed an impression of the simplicity and 

 utter absence of all affectation which had characterised his 

 life; while his fine head and the reflective intelligence of his 

 grave face accorded with the possession and long exercise of 

 the highest philosophical powers. Another thing, too, calcu- 

 lated to impress a new member, was the obvious respect,, 

 amounting to veneration, that was plainly evinced by all the 

 members present at the meeting, as was also the kindly 

 and encouraging remarks which Joule, as president, made 

 opportunity to address to the new member, either during 

 the meeting or after it was over. 



Such were the first impressions, which were only 

 strengthened by further and closer intercourse, extending 

 over seventeen years. It soon became evident that it was 

 not merely veneration arising from the fame of Joule that 

 inspired the members of the Society, but that it was an 

 attachment arising from the inherent lovability of his 

 character. Kindly, noble, and chivalrous in the extreme,, 

 and though modest and absolutely devoid of mere personal 

 ambition, yet jealous for the interests of his friends and 

 the Society in general, and, in particular, jealous in the 

 interest of everything truly scientific. Anything that 

 looked like ostentation or quackery excited Joule's indigna- 

 tion, particularly when exhibited by those possessing the 

 popular ear. On the other hand, he always noticed with 

 encouragement the efforts of those who were yet unknown,, 

 and resented any attempt at the disparagement of their 

 work — as though his own early experience had left him 

 with a fellow-feeling with those who were struggling to get 

 their views taken up. 



At this time the Vice-Presidents of the Society were 



