534 ' BIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT 



losopher, to adopt a certain system of opinions, but by con 

 vincing him of their truth ? He had, with those who knew 

 him, the character of a sincere man, very remote from any 

 thing like art or affectation. We must therefore ascribe the 

 view which Mr Robison took of this matter, to the same 

 system of prejudices on which we have had already occa- 

 sion to animadvert. Such, indeed, was the force of those 

 prejudices, that he considered the Chemical Nomenclature, 

 the new System of Measures, and the new Kalendar, as all 

 three equally the contrivances of men, not so much interest- 

 ed for science, as for the superiority of their own nation. Now, 

 whatever be said of the Kalendar, the project of uniform 

 Weights and Measures is admitted to be an admirably contri- 

 ved system, which Britain is now following at a great distance; 

 and the New Nomenclature of Chemistry to be a real scienti- 

 fic improvement, adopted all over Europe. Many of the radi- 

 cal words may depend on false theories, and may of course re- 

 quire to be changed ; but though the matter pass away, the 

 form will remain ; the words of the language may perish, but 

 the mould in which the language was cast will never be de- 

 stroyed *. The Lectures appeared in 1803. 



The 



* The high opinion which Mr Robison elsewhere expresses of Lavoisier, is 

 verv remarkable. In his Astronomy, published a year after the Lectures, in 

 stating Hook's anticipation of the Principles of Gravitation, he concludes 

 thus : " It is worthy of remark, that in this clear and candid and modest 

 " exposition of a rational theory, Hook anticipated the discoveries of Newton, 

 as he anticipated with equal distinctness and precision, the discoveries of Lavoi- 

 sier, a Philosopher inferior perhaps only to Newton." (Elements of Mechanic 

 tal Philosophy, p. 285.) 



