4 
foreign refources. 
mo. 
1805.] 
only object of defire, and he acquired them 
by once or twice reading. ‘Lhe books 
themfelves were then rather burdenfome to 
him than ctherwife. He accordingly made 
a contract with the bookfellersNicolovius, 
in his’ towr, to fend all new, books in 
fheets, which he read through in that 
form, and generally returned afterwards, 
But the moft prominent feature in 
Kont’s intellectual character, was the ac- 
curacy with which he analyfed the moft 
complex ideas. 
ferutiny of his intelletual eye. . What- 
ever is perceivable to others in the moral 
and phyfical world, became manifelt to 
him. He difcovered, therefore, fo eafily, 
the incongruities of other men’s fenti- 
ments, and traced, with unfpeakable pre- 
cifion, théir errors to the true fources+ 
He had likewife an aflonifhing faculty of 
unfolding the moft abflrufe principles, 
and digefting fingle and individual fenti- 
ments into a fyftematic order. Herein 
confifted the originality of hismind. All 
his philefophical conceptions flowed from 
the inexhauftible fource of his own reafon. 
The facility with which he deduced every 
thing from his own refleftions, gave him 
at length fuch an habitual familiarity with 
bimlelf, that he:could not properly enter 
into the fentiments of others. He found 
all in his own mind which anfwered his 
purpofe, and had therefore ro occafion for 
No tafk was fo hard 
for him as to leave the current of his own 
thought in order to fellow the chain of 
another's reafoning ; and when compelled 
to inveltigate the arguments of his adver. 
faries, he frequently begged of his friends 
to compare the fentiments of the former 
with his, and communicate the refults to 
him, or even to undertake the defence of 
his doctrinesin{tead of himielf. 
With all this depth of refleciiocn, Kant 
was, notwithttanding, a wit. He had fre- 
quent and fudden ftrokes of ready wit at 
hand togive a grace and interef to his 
converfatios, writings, and lectures.. He 
was a geneie! admirer of all that polithes 
and beautifies the graver topics ; and in 
his leCtures he Rudied to acquire an agree- 
able delivery with an ealy flow of words. 
His mannef of addrefs, however, was pe- 
tuliarly well adapted to the nature of - his 
\ difcourfe. 
audience to tears. 
the dry fubjetts of logic and pneumatics 
fn eafy turn that rendered them even 
Onmorality he could move his 
He knew how to give 
amufing ; but on metaphyfics he was-ab- 
ftrufe, and, for beginners, not perfeétly in- 
telligible. ‘He'wasfometimes carried, by 
@ too -great minutenels, away from the 
aiiave 
Memoirs of Inmmanue!l Kant, 
Nothing elcaped the 
\ 
359 
mam fubjett, to which he was then forced 
abruptly te return. He was alfo liable to 
be confuled by the finallet trifles, One 
day, in particular, he difcovered a. re- 
markable embarrafiment, and .confefled, 
afterwards, that one of the audience who 
‘had a coat with a button wanting, bad 
been the caufe of his difcompofure, trom 
the involuntary attraction of his eyes and 
mind to the defective quarter, 
If Kant was admirable for his talents, 
how infinitely more does,he command our: 
admiration and love for his moral quali- 
ties. The inclinations of his heart natu. 
rally impelled him to aéts of benevolence, 
philanthropy, and kindnefs ; but thefe in- 
-clinations were confolidated by fteady 
principles to the fame tendency. 
firmnels was of the mof exalted nature.— 
It was not the impulfe of the moment ac. 
quiring courage by ‘the wantof reflection. 
His was the uniform adherence to one un- 
changeable principle of right and wrong. 
He knew of no time and circumftance 
that could jufify .a deviation from what 
he had preferibed to himfelf as the line of 
propriety. The removal of pain or the 
increafe of pleafure formed no part of his 
confiderationsin the fcale of duty. 
‘The principle of ,his heart and) under- 
ftanding was, that charity was his 
bounden duty. Accordingly he practifed 
this duty to the utmoft of his power, and 
fometimes even exceeded his narrow ine 
come inthe beginning. ‘The,poor im his 
town were benefitted by the molt liberal 
yearly donations, which he made in vas 
rious forms. His own family, particu» 
larly one fitter, who, with her children, 
was in frequent diltrefs, experienced the 
kindnefs anc generofity of a brother in the 
moft feafonable moment. To his domef- 
tics, alfo, he made allowances: for their 
lives, when obliged by infirmities or other 
cauies to leave his fervice. He did not 
confine his benefactions to the circle of 
Ins acquaintance. “His .purfe was ever 
open to the relief of all deferving perfons. 
Wiat fervices his fcholars-and literary 
friends received from him, owill never be 
known to its full extent; but it iscertaia 
that he never refufed his.aflidance either 
with money, counfel, or intereit, to any 
wha afked itofhim ; and for thefe-whom 
he knew perfomaily, he was afliduovs im 
obliging. | 
He was a decided enemy to falfehoed 
of every kind, He never liked to hear an 
untruth even in jeft ;:and ai his own lan- 
guage-he was {crepulous’ to avoid vany 
thing that.couid convey atalfe idea of him- 
fit. Nothing could draw him intna tem- 
i porary 
His. 
