462 MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE, WHITINGS AND 



to find an expression for the velocity of sound, lie applies a theory 

 "wholly inapplicable in all its. parts," (the words are Sir John 

 Herschel's, but we donbt the assertion,) and obtains tbe right ex- 

 pression, confirmed in after-time. When we reflect also that his 

 analysis and the germs, at least, of his great physical discoveries 

 were all obtained by the time he reached the age of twenty-three, 

 we can only bow in awe and reverence before this intellect, which is 

 more divine than human. 



Of Newton's labours in other fields we can only speak very 

 briefly : strange to say, he was an alchemist, and devoted much time 

 to the practical pursuit of this study, keeping his furnace going 

 night and day for six weeks at a time : of the precise nature of his 

 pursuits no trace is left. He also devoted much attention to theolo- 

 gy, and concerning his opinions hereon, his biographer treats very 

 tenderly ; perhaps it would have been as well to say at once, that, 

 in common with most of the great men of that age, he approximated 

 to Arianism : several theses of his are here published for the first 

 time, but we suspect the most important are still suppressed. He 

 also published on the interpretation of the Prophecies : Coleridge 

 calls his speculations " ravings :" they do not seem to differ much in 

 character from those of other writers on that subject. Many other 

 minor works we have not space to notice, but may refer to his 

 examination of the famous text in the First Epistle of St. John, as a 

 masterpiece of classical criticism. 



In conclusion, we may notice the very singular fact that the 

 mantle of Newton's genius did not descend on any of his country- 

 men ; for nearly a century after his death, there is no Euglish name 

 enrolled on the annals of scientific fame, while in France a splendid 

 constellation of illustrious savans shone in his wake. This is some- 

 times attempted to be accounted for by the fact of the English 

 adhering to the geometrical methods of Newton, (which, however, 

 he had used only for dressing up his results for publication,) while 

 the French, discarding these, had betaken themselves to perfecting 

 the analysis he had iuvented. Sir David Brewster inclines to attri- 

 bute it rather to the want of encouragement from Grovernment to 

 Science. Neither one nor the other cause seems to us a satisfactory 

 explanation : as to the latter, English science now flourishes without 

 the fostering care of paternal Grovernment ; and, besides, the splen- 

 did endowments of the English Universities have surely offered mate- 

 rial help enough : for the former, we may remark that the tools were 

 not so much in fault as the want of workmen to handle them : what 

 can be done with Newton's geometry has been clearly enough shewn 



