54 
Proceedings of the Boyal Society 
its Transactions ; and, finally, having made Scotland the country 
of his adoption, and passed the last twenty-five years of his life 
almost entirely on its soil, his remains were laid in the churchyard 
of the remote village of Portree, which had long become his sole 
residence. 
Under all these circumstances, a slight biography of Mr Necker 
peculiarly merits a place in the Proceedings of the Koyal Society. 
I shall rather endeavour to convey an idea of what our learned and 
amiable associate really was, derived from my acquaintance with 
him personally, and through bis writings, than to enumerate all the 
details of his life, which, as in the case of most literary men, was 
far from eventful. 
Louis Albert Necker was born at G-eneva on the 10th April 
1786. His father, Jacques Necker, was Professor of Botany, and 
also a councillor of state and syndic of Geneva. This Jacques 
Necker was nephew of the financier Necker under Louis XVI., and 
cousin-german of Madame De Stael. Louis Necker was therefore 
one generation farther removed from those eminent persons. His 
mother, Albertine de Saussure, daughter of the illustrious Swiss 
naturalist, was a person of unusual talent, and of the most amiable 
disposition. His attachment to her throughout her life was of the 
tenderest and most constant kind. She died in 1841. She is 
known to the public by her excellent work called “ Education Pro^ 
gressive,” and also by a biographical notice of Madame de Stael. 
Necker finished his school studies at Geneva in 1800, and entered 
the Academic^ where he followed the various courses of the higher 
studies for four years. In July 1803, in company with his father, 
he made his first journey into the Alps, commencing with Gha- 
mouni, and extending it to Zermatt. I recollect to have seen in 
the visitors’ book at Chamouni Louis Necker’s own record of this 
visit, entered in a boyish hand. 
In 1806 Louis Necker proceeded to Edinburgh (being then 
twenty years of age), for the purpose of prosecuting his studies at 
the University, and of improving his mind by foreign travel. This 
was a practice by no means uncommon amongst the educated Gene- 
vese of that date, and one which, I am glad to say, continues at the 
present time. Those who pursued medicine and the physical sci- 
ences have especially resorted to Edinburgh. The result has been 
a very friendly mutual feeling between the Genevese and the Scotch, 
