iv 



a Student in the Natural Philosophy Class he had the honour of being pro- 

 posed by Sir David Brewster as a Member of the Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh before he had reached his twentieth birthday. 



Though his College course may be said to have been now completed, he 

 took yet another Session, attending Sir John Leslie's Class, and the Che- 

 mistry Class of Dr. Hope each for the second time, and combining with 

 these two the study of the Law. At the close of his College life, in April 

 1830, he looks back on it, in his diary, " with peculiar satisfaction, as com- 

 prising the happiest period of his life." That summer (1830) he passed 

 his Law trials, and put on his advocate's gown, but never wore it. To his 

 great joy, having obtained the full concurrence of his family and friends, 

 he cast law for ever behind him, and, content with a small competence, 

 gave himself unreservedly to science. This resolution was not taken 

 hurriedly. But his mind once made up never faltered. At the beginning 

 of next winter he says : — " I now enter on the delightful and engrossing 

 studies, which have now, blessed be God, become my principal and legiti- 

 mate object, untrammelled by jarring occupations and conscientious scruples. 

 He then gave himself to closer study of the higher mathematics, and at the 

 same time began those experiments on heat which were afterwards to 

 result in one of his best scientific achievements. A hint of his future 

 destiny was at this time given him. He had [happened to go to hear 

 Sir John Leslie's opening lecture in that Professor's last Session but one, 

 1830-31. At the close of the lecture Sir John, who had never before 

 admitted his promising Student to any special intimacy, sent for him, and, 

 after asking him about his own studies, told him that when he (Sir John) 

 proposed going to the East last summer, he had thought of getting him 

 (James Forbes) to officiate for him, but was afraid the public might think 

 him too young. He then broke off abruptly. In exactly two years from 

 this time young Mr. Forbes, who had gone to the Continent on a long scien- 

 tific tour, was recalled by the news of Sir John Leslie's death, and that his 

 friends in Scotland had given in his name as a Candidate for the vacant 

 Chair. Then ensued a contest, not the least memorable of those many 

 contests of the same kind by which Edinburgh has made itself conspi- 

 cuous. Two things made this one especially warm, and even painful. By 

 one of those strange turns in men's destiny, Mr. Forbes's chief opponent 

 was his friend and patron, Sir David Brewster, now almost a veteran in 

 the army of science. Political feeling, too, was added. It was the era of 

 the Reform Bill, and party spirit, then running high in Scotland, as else- 

 where, entered as an element of the contest even more than it usually 

 does. Mr. Forbes, though only twenty-three, was elected by a very deci- 

 sive majority ; and, however it may have appeared at the time, the result, 

 we know, justified the wisdom of the choice. It is pleasing to be assured 

 that, whatever passing feeling the contest may have awakened, the old 

 intimacy was soon renewed, and the friendship so honourable to both 

 these distinguished men continued unimpaired till the close of their lives. 



