BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF THE LATE REV. DR CHALMERS. 499 
view of his character to find how much he admired and respected learning in 
others. He never undervalued an attainment because he did not possess it him- 
self. He impressed his students with the value and importance of learning in 
Theology, and revered what he called the “ massive erudition” of divines of the 
English Church. In describing the peculiarities of his mental constitution, we are 
at once led to the conclusion of a remarkable predominance of one, and that is an 
extraordinary abundance of the imaginative faculty,—the power of illustrating his 
ideas, and of setting forth his subjects of discussion with never-ending variety of 
imagery, comparison, and analogy. In some of his works it seems as if he 
could not tear himself away from the pleasure of reproducing some great truth, 
which he enforces under all the different garbs and attitudes with which he 
can invest it. There is no question that this is a very effective and important 
method of handling subjects, when the particular bent of the author’s genius 
enables him to pursue it effectually, and is specially adapted for leaving a 
clear, distinct, and vivid impression upon the mind. In the case of Dr CHALMERS, 
attachment to science, and early pursuits in astronomy, chemistry, and other 
branches of physical science, gave him a great advantage in furnishing types 
for analogy and illustration. These he used on some occasions with happy 
effect. Indeed, he never lost his interest in the exact sciences; and, had the cir- 
cumstances of life been favourable to their pursuit, would, no doubt, have 
been distinguished in the branches of mathematical pursuits. His mind was 
always alive to scientific subjects. In 1838, when introduced to the present 
Bishop of Nova Scotia, he heard, with much interest, the Bishop’s description of 
the Bay of Fundy (which is in his diocese), and the enormous roll of tide com- 
ing in with a front 70 feet in height; next day Dr CHaLMErs wrote a letter to the 
Bishop, proposing the experiment of having a delicate pendulum placed on the 
shore, and to watch the effect of the mass of water upon it, as they came into the 
bay, similar to Dr MAsKELYNE’s celebrated experiment at Schehalion, to test the 
effect of gravity, but, with the advantage over Dr MAsKELynez, that the waters 
would form a homogeneous mass of matter, and the result be more striking, from 
marking the effect of the mass approaching the pendulum.* When I said, there- 
fore, that, in Dr Cuautmers, the faculty of imagination was an abounding and pro- 
minent endowment, I was far from meaning that this implied a poverty of the 
reasoning faculties, or defect in other mental qualities. On the contrary, he had 
a mind remarkably adapted for the apprehension of great principles, of broad and 
profound truths. He delighted to grasp primary and fundamental elements. 
He expatiated, with the fullest enjoyment, on reasonings of such authors as Bishop 
Buruter, Bacon, Newton. His admiration of BurLER was intense: as an ex- 
pounder of great elementary truths, he placed him in the first and highest class 
* This experiment, [ find, had been suggested by Professor Roxzison, in his Elements of 
Mechanical Philosophy, § 474. 
