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called forth much attention from scientific men. On his return home to 

 Colinton, in the autumn of 1827, his diary records that he is pleased " to see 

 Brewster's journal, and read the articles of mine he inserted in October last 

 on the apparent number of the stars, the heats and colds of last year, and 

 elements of the lunar eclipse, together with all the other papers which 

 I have sent, inserted, or favourably noticed." In the correspondence 

 with Brewster, the disguise of A was preserved to the close of 1828. 

 Many and curious were the attempts Sir David made to pierce behind the 

 mask and see the real face of his unknown contributor. In one of his 

 letters he says : — " We who have begun our downward course look anxiously 

 for some rising stars ; but, excepting yourself and Mr. F., I know of no 

 young men who are likely to extend the boundaries of science/' Who 

 was Mr. F. ? Was he the same as the unknown A? When at length 

 the mask was withdrawn, the welcome which the elder philosopher gives 

 to his younger fellow-labourer is highly characteristic. He expresses his 

 joy " that Scotland possesses one young man capable of pursuing science 

 with the ardour and talent of A, and that he belonged to a family for 

 which he had so much esteem and affection." He then goes on to advise him 

 to allow no professional duties to turn him from science ; he would find in 

 it a solace and delight amid the bustle and vexations of life. 



Though thus early launched into original inquiries, James Forbes was 

 still only a Student of Arts in Edinburgh University. The excitement of 

 young and successful authorship seems never for a moment to have turned 

 his head, or to have made him bate one jot the patient industry by which 

 only college classes can be turned to account. In the Moral Philosophy 

 Class, which he attended after returning from the Continent, we find him 

 preparing with great labour an essay of sixty large quarto pages for Pro- 

 fessor Wilson. The essay was on the influence and advantages of the 

 study of astronomy on the mind, and it was accompanied by scientific 

 illustrations and notes. This and other essays of the young physicist so 

 far commended themselves to the Professor of Ethics, that at the close of 

 the Session he made him Medalist in the Class, and ever afterwards re- 

 ceived him to intimate friendship. 



The month before James Forbes entered the Class of Natural Philosophy 

 an event happened which deeply impressed him. His father was removed 

 by death, and this was soon to be followed by the breaking of the old home 

 at Colinton House. This bereavement formed a turning-point in his life, 

 and deepened his already religious character. Solemnized, yet braced, he 

 entered on the Natural Philosophy Class, then taught by the celebrated Sir 

 John Leslie, in his later years. In the subjects of that Class lay his own 

 specialty, but he had never received one word of mathematical instruction 

 from any one, all his mathematics were entirely self-acquired. Yet, not- 

 withstanding this disadvantage, in the competitions with students who had 

 passed through a regular Mathematical Course he held the first place, and 

 closed the Session by easily bearing off the highest honours. While he was 



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