26 Biography of Berzelius. 



This representation of his scientific merits would, how- 

 ever, give only a feeble idea of the whole greatness of the 

 man, were we to judge from it alone. It is rare that so 

 perfect a correspondence of mind and character is found in a 

 man as in him. That which so irresistibly attached those 

 who had the happiness to have any long intercourse with 

 Berzelius, was not merely the lofty genius visible in all 

 his researches ; it was not merely the clearness, the aston- 

 ishing copiousness of ideas, the untiring care, and the great 

 industry — the general impression which he made was that 

 of the highest perfection. It was — and every one who 

 knew him intimately will agree with me — it was at the same 

 time those characters which placed him so high as a man ; 

 it was the consideration for others, the noble friendship which 

 he evinced towards all whom he considered worthy of it, the 

 lofty disinterestedness, the extreme conscientiousness, the 

 perfect and just recognition of the merits of others ; in short, 

 it was all those traits together which spring from a worthy 

 and honourable character. These were the sentiments which 

 inspired all those who for a longer or shorter time came into 

 contact with him, especially his pupils — of whom our Aca- 

 demy contains more than all the rest of Germany — with the 

 most pious respect for his memory. 



Berzelius travelled the path of Science together with other 

 distinguished men, who likewise advanced chemistry with 

 giant steps. This was a time such as no other science has 

 yet known, for no other has grown up from its childhood to a 

 certain maturity in so incredibly short a space of time. 



Berzelius was born almost in the same year as H. Davy 

 and Gay-Lussac. However similar were the labours of these 

 three men in science, they were in other respects very dif- 

 ferent. 



Davy's brilliant discoveries, especially that of the metallic 

 nature of the alkalies, gave chemistry an extraordinary 

 impulse, and caused great enthusiasm in its pursuit. He 

 achieved great things by his discoveries, the further following 

 out of which, however, he left to others. He died in the 

 prime of life, but in a certain degree his intellectual blossom 

 was already past. Born poor, he had attained to great 



