him; but his strong unfaltering faith in human progress, ever identified in his mind with God's on-leading, combined with his naturally buoyant and sanguine temperament, to urge him on in every direction toward the unexplored and unknown. And for every voice, howsoever low and half articulate, that professed to bring tidings from that dim realm of undiscovered glories, he had a patient and attentive ear. There were words of his great master, Coleridge, which he often quoted, and the spirit embodied in which was as if part of his own deepest nature: "There are errors which no wise man will treat with derision, lest they should be the reflection of some great truth yet below the horizon."

it failed, we are not prepared to say, for we know that the great intellectual crisis, the true genesis of mind and thought, in more than one life, dates from these lectures, and especially associates itself with Dr. Brown's share in them. Nay, we know not how much of influence may have been exercised by that bold attempt toward the now undoubtedly improved tone of popular lecturing in Edinburgh. But the lectures were appreciated rather than popular. They addressed themselves to, and found their answer from, only a comparatively limited portion of their comparatively limited audiences; and while among those they established the more firmly the conviction, that each of the young lecturers was desThe first specific step in his public career tined to great achievement, they failed of was taken in the winter of 1840-41, by the other and more sensible results. Had it delivery of a course of lectures on the Philo- been otherwise, and had other circumstances sophy of the Sciences, in association, as permitted, there was, we believe, the purwe have already intimated, with Edward pose that these courses should have been Forbes. Differently constituted in many continued and expanded, others like-minded respects as were these two minds, they had being associated with their originators. To yet much in common: deep enthusiasm, this there was little or no encouragement; high appreciation of the aims and possibili- and Edward Forbes now passed on upon his ties of science, generous ardour, and earnest, course of almost unshadowed light too early resolute devotion to their work. It would quenched; while Samuel Brown, already in not have been easy to find at that time in the firm clear purpose of his own heart comEdinburgh, perhaps anywhere, two lecturers mitted to his, now fairly entered on it, re-. animated by the spirit and pervaded by the lieved from all other distractions save those views of the younger school of inquirers, in originated by his outward circumstances. every respect more competent to the func The whole category of these circumstantion they had assumed. Each seemed spe- ces was not encouraging. cially endowed to complement the other; to can hardly be called by a milder name than supply, not the deficiencies of the other, for poverty; health by no means robust; and each within his own sphere was complete, the daring, single-handed and alone, one of but that which the other left unattempted. the most difficult and complicated problems One great object which the young aspirants that human intellect ever sought to solve. proposed to themselves was, the rescuing If to these are added the doubts and hardly popular scientific lecturing from the state concealed sneers of many a professed wellof degradation in which they conceived it wisher, we shall be better able to appreciate then to be, the elevating its whole tone and the strength of resolution, and the firmness character, and the making it the means at of faith in his own idea, which could induce once of broadly and accurately informing a young man of twenty-four to forego all the intelligence, and of aiding the entire de- else he might have won, and to enter on a velopment of its audiences. They conceived pursuit in which one thing was absolutely it possible that it might be made an agency, certain, and only one,-the toil and struggle not for the mere communication of informa- through which alone success could be attion necessarily limited and superficial, but tained, if ever attained at all. We do not for training at least many to habits of com- maintain the prudence of the step. We beparatively precise and coherent thought. lieve his life would have been a calmer, less Those who remember what such lecturing arduous, more sensibly brilliant, and longer almost universally then was,-to a great one, had he contented himself with successes degree in the hands of ignorant and super- that almost all pronounced within his easy ficial pretenders,-its highest aim with re- reach. But the world is so little likely soon gard to its auditors, apparently the whiling to want prudences enough of this kind, that away an idle hour; and little scrupling to degrade. science, and truth itself, in every possible way, to them, instead of attempting to raise them to it-will not be disposed to pronounce the attempt uncalled for. That

It included what

one such imprudence may be forgiven, or at least visited with its lighter condemnation.

This is not the place to enter into any exposition of that scientific conception which was henceforth to be the single devotion of

but from personal and intimate knowledge of the development of his thought from the very first; and the right to testify that, whatever of rashness may subsequently lie to his charge, there was no rashness here. Patiently he wrought his first conception into form as complete as could be given it, till experiment should have shed its sharp clear light upon it; and patiently and submissively accepted whatever modifications Nature herself suggested to him.

Dr. Brown's life, or any critical examination tion. Could all be fully or adequately told, of the ground on which he claimed the proba- few would refuse to recognise in him the bility of its subsistence in nature, and gave earnest and resolute inquirer as to whether himself to the task of experimentally ex- established laws had not a deeper signi hibiting that subsistence. Even were the ficance, and a more searching operation, than subject not comparatively remote from the all that had as yet been unveiled. We general reader, he himself were the only claim the right to speak here, not from adequate expounder of his thought. Nor hearsay, not even from general impression, shall we make any attempt at presenting before the reader the development of it in his own mind. This only it is bare justice to him to say, that there was from the first such a conception, crude and germ-like in its beginnings compared to what it afterwards became; carefully and severely thought out, purged, and elaborated; every available light that Analogy could supply brought to bear on it; and everything rejected from it even as a hypothesis, that seemed irreconcileable with the known facts to which it Then, unless tangible and complete sucstood related. He was not, as too many cess shall alone be held entitled to our conassumed, even among those who should have sideration, there is surely much claiming known him better, working and stumbling respect and inviting imitation in the spectablindly on in the dark: he was labouring cle thus presented. It is that of a young to reduce to the stern test of experiment a man, barely twenty-four, before whom in hypothesis adequate to reconstruct the general estimation lay brilliant and comparwhole science of atomics. And those who atively easy success wherever he might have listened to the four critical lectures on that chosen to turn; who had just given proof atomic theory, delivered in 1843,-perhaps of power admittedly unrivalled among his the most intellectual audience ever address- fellows as an expositor of the most subtle ed in Edinburgh,—will, we believe, without and difficult of all sciences-the science of one dissentient voice, bear testimony to the wonderful subtlety and reach of thought, and the severity of reasoning, and the mastery of the whole subject, then displayed. The germ of this hypothesis had been conceived several years before; it had been gradually and systematically developed in his own mind amid all his other occupations; his laboratory workings hitherto had, almost without an exception, had its practical elaboration and completion for their end; and this now became the great scientific purpose of his life, to which all else was to be held subordinate.

Methodology: on whose behalf Hamilton and Jeffrey, Chalmers and Hare, Carlyle, Christison, and Forbes, with one consent testified as warmly as words could speak, that, turn where he might, victory and fame were sure to him who of set purpose and clear anticipation chose the harder and not the easier way, and devoted himself to a work that imposed on him toils, privations, and loneliness, with success only a dim and far-off possibility. There are failures more honourable than many of the world's successes; and Samuel Brown's, even if it shall ultimately have to be written down for the world as a failure, may surely in many respects rank among these.

We have referred to this subject more at large than some perhaps will approve of, for several reasons. We believe that It is not our purpose, nor is this the place, much misapprehension exists with regard to enter into any detail of these laboratory to his conduct in connexion with it, even in labours, thenceforth carried on in great part the minds of many who knew him well. By alone, with a patience, resolution, and faith some he was considered as possessed by a not often surpassed in the annals of scienmere fancy or crotchet of the hour; to tific research, so long as strength remained others he was a mere rash innovator and to him. They were not now first begun: reckless speculator; to others again he ap- but they henceforth assumed system and peared the dupe of an unbridled imagina- form, as the self-chosen work of his life. In tion, rapt away to confound poetic fancy all his after removals from place to placewith scientific probability; and to yet oth- and these were numerous-the laboratory ers a half-mad enthusiast, in blindness and was first provided for and set up. It was ignorance striving to revive an exploded generally, we might safely say always, as dream-an alchymist, in short, attempting to its outward means and appliances, such empirically to realize metallic transmuta- as would have excited the wonder, pity, or

scorn of a first or second year's chemistry | for him. From these falls to the earth he student. But a temper buoyant and cheer- soon sprang up with strength and hope reful in its fearlessness, an inventive head and newed: and in failure itself sought and found willing hand, and a strong unfaltering will, guidance for further and more successful supplied many at least of these outward attempts. deficiencies.

While, however, thus concentrating his The life led for several years at Rosebank, first regards upon his work, and devoting Portobello, was a sufficiently strange one, himself to it with an ardour and a courage especially for one who had nothing of the there is little danger of our overstating, his hermit or of the ascete in his composition; whole nature was too active and energetic who was, on the other hand, both by natural to be capable of resting in this one partial taste and acquired habit, keenly alive to all outgoing of its activities. Within that herthe enjoyments of social intercourse, and mitage itself many an hour was givenall the refinements of social life. A two-hours not to be soon forgotten by any who storied, roughly built house, isolated within shared them-to counsel serious and even a bare and dreary-looking court; the two solemn on every highest aspect and relation largest and most eligible rooms devoted to alike of nature and of man. Especially on the laboratory, which, however, was ever some still and beautiful Sabbath_evening, overflowing and encroaching elsewhere; on the secluded country roads near Duddingscantily and rudely furnished, if we except stone, or in the retirement of its woods, or the larder, where the care of a sister had in some quiet nook of Arthur's Seat itself, made large provision of the only fare the his whole soul would outpour itself in cookery of the establishment cared to deal thoughts and words quick with power. He with-tea, sugar, salt-fish, and ship-biscuit; was no exception to the universal law, that no servant or even occasional charwoman in the deep of every nature capable of high admitted; the whole scene strongly and aim or great achievement, will be found, if always pervaded by the prevalent chemical it be but looked for aright, under some presence of the time, till the operator and phase of development or other, the religious his amateur assistants were poison-proof sentiment. This sentiment was, at this time against prussic acid itself; night full often in particular, peculiarly impatient of formal turned into day, and sleep regulated less by embodiment or expression; the inadequacy the exigencies of nature, than conformably of all such embodiments pressed heavily on with the fascinations of some prolonged and him; and he had yet to learn, what afterelaborate process :-such were a few of the experience especially of suffering taught externals amid which the young enthusiast him, that such inadequacy was but shared with laboured to accomplish his self-assigned the entire spiritual life of man; that creeds work. Not that they pressed heavily on and churches were to religious faith and dehim; if ever there was desire that cir-votional sentiment, simply what words were cumstances were more favourable, it was for to thought and emotion; the dim imperfect his work's sake far more than for his own. shadows more than the realities, the sugHis sanguine temper and buoyant spirit gestive symbols rather than the things themgrew and flourished under all this; found selves. It was this sense of inadequacy, only food for mirth amid all such incon- more than any specific amount of actual diveniences and discomforts, so far as they vergence, that at this time barred him from were merely personal. These years might identifying himself with any one formal indeed be described, not perhaps as the hap- embodiment of Christianity; but none could piest, still less the most blessed, but as the have shared these quiet hours with him, most joyous of his whole career. Hope without being at once made aware how hawas still-we do not say strong within him, bitually for him there lay at the base of all for that it remained to the very last-but truth, all knowledge, all science, the one unchilled and unchecked by any great dis- sure reality-God. Not a mere last abappointment; he felt perfectly free to give straction and fundamental generalization of himself wholly and unreservedly to his work, law, secluded within his, or rather its unand that work seemed steadily prospering, beginningness, from all direct concern or above even his most sanguine hopes. Even care for aught but the last link in the farthe bitter disappointments that too often stretching chain; but in Nature the Creator befel, when in a moment the thought and for ever fulfilling His unresting and unhastlabour of days and nights proved abortive, ing work; and for Man the Father, redeemthough they fell for the time more crush- ing and restoring from the depths of His ingly on his peculiar temperament than they own infinite love;-" God in Christ reconwould have done upon one of calmer mood, ciling the world unto Himself, not imputing had no power of prolonged discouragement to men their trespasses."

The circle of his friendships, too, had now the intelligence was communicated to him, been greatly extended, and included in it in letters that urged, in the strongest terms, more than one name from among the great- his coming forward as a candidate for the est and best of the age: too many of these chair. Though this had already been conalready passed away. Though almost whol- templated as a possibility, the advanced age ly unknown in literature, and in science re- of Professor Hope having for some time cognised chiefly as the secluded and resolute made his retirement probable, now that the devotee, his conversational powers had en- decisive step must be promptly and finally abled men like Jeffrey, Chalmers, Sir Wil- taken, he hesitated long. On the one hand liam Hamilton, and Carlyle, to identify in were the undoubted advantages accruing the young student the element common to from success: independence; a position them all, of power; they accepted him to from which he might, with a certain authorithe full as one of their own rare class-the tativeness, promulgate his scientific views. thinkers; and regarded and received him as and indoctrinate with them some at least of a valued friend. But perhaps none of all the younger and emerging minds; and adethe inmates of this epoch of his life won quate time and peculiarly favourable cirfrom and gave to him a warmer and more cumstances for carrying on his own specific affectionate regard than he to whom, nearly work. On the other hand, his researches, eight years ago, he rendered in our pages on the verification of the results of which he the last tribute of esteem and love-David foresaw that the contest, if he entered on it, Scott. Seldom, perhaps, were two natures would unfailingly be made to turn, were at the surface more unlike; and to those not in such a state of completeness as he who looked only at the surface, intimate re- would have desired ere bringing them lations between two such men would have formally before the public. Unfortunately, seemed impossible, or at least unnatural. they proved even further from this than he Yet there were some things in which they himself was aware. At last, however, he were wholly at one; each possessed by resolved to declare himself as a candidate. strong enthusiasm, steadfast purpose, defi- As he had from the first anticipated, his nite aim of life, and resolute adherence claims on all other grounds were at once through good and bad report thereto. The ignored; and his right even to present himportrait of Samuel Brown by his friend is in self as a competitor was made to rest on some respects a unique production. It por- what he had achieved in that special sphere trays the ideal of him by one who, after of research to which it was known he had years of closest association and most confi- devoted himself. We admit the rashness dential intercourse with him, on one occa- and precipitancy of much that followed; sion expressed his indignant surprise at his but let there be also recalled the deep rebeing impeached of the lightness and frivo-pentance and the life-long atonement for lity of laughter! The artist had so seen what was surely an error of judgment at the chemist through the medium of his own most, and one, too, into which he was almost saddened and morbid spirit, that in all their communion he had never recognized the singularly genial and joyous nature that, in this respect in particular, stood in such direct opposition to his own.

driven by the pressure of circumstances entirely beyond his own control. Some time previously he had drawn up two memoirs, entitled, "Experiments on Chemical Isomerism for 1840-41," which were read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh by his ever The tenor of the life we have sketched kind and generous friend, Professor Christiwas now to be broken in upon by what, in son. In these memoirs, the isomerism of more senses than one, constituted the great carbon and silicon was distinctly asserted, outward crisis of Dr. Brown's career. This and certain formulæ were given for prowhole passage of his life is one fraught with cesses experimentally illustrative of it. pain of almost every kind, and from nearly These processes, however, were manifestly every quarter; it was burdened with sad imperfect. They were complicated, and recollections for himself to the end; and we shall content ourselves with rehearsing, as briefly and dispassionately as possible, the leading facts connected with it.

difficult of performance; in more than one direction they lay open to suspicion of possible fallacy; and even in the event of silicon being obtained, they uttered no certain In the autumn of 1843, the Chair of Chem- sound as to which out of several constituent istry in the University of Edinburgh became elements might have been the source of it. vacant by the resignation, followed soon The "Two Processes for Silicon," claiming after by the death, of Dr. Hope. Dr. Brown to meet all these objections, and to present was spending a few days at Dunglass, a complete experimental proof of the transfavourite seaside retreat of the family, when mutability of carbon into silicon, was hurri

*

edly prepared and issued. It was his own | early friend and fellow-graduate, Dr. George firm belief, and that of one then working Wilson. The result of these, continued as with him more cautious, perhaps, than he long as the slightest hope of greater success himself at that time was, that these processes remained, was hardly less unsatisfactory. could at will be repeated with the same ap- They shewed, at most, an apparently anomaparent success as had frequently attended lous appearance to a small extent, of silithem. This belief, however, was too soon con; but entirely failed as to all direct shown to be a delusion. But before this, proof of Dr. Brown's proposition-the isoindeed before the publication of the Two merism of carbon and silicon. One course Processes, the case had been already, by only now remained to him-to retire from more than one name of weight in chemistry, the field; and this course he accordingly prejudged against him. "If Dr. Brown," took. His claim had been staked, as he had was the reported dictum of one of these, foreseen it would be, on this one issue; "has discovered a new force, I will admit though, from first to last, there were not the possibility of what he claims to have wanting many, not prejudiced friends, but done, but not otherwise." Another, in a calm and clear judging men, who maintained letter which was freely circulated, addressed his right to the position he had aimed at, on to a leading member of the Town-Council, grounds irrespective of this; maintained the patrons of the Chair, by clear implica that the whole character of his mind, the tion denounced him as a charlatan and im- reach and grasp of his thought, his highpostor, before even the pretence of testing toned enthusiasm, and his faculty of clear, his processes experimentally had been gone vigorous, and eloquent prelection, constithrough. The so-called charlatan took what tuted qualifications of peculiar and paracertainly had been a strange step in any one mount value for the Chair he had aspired to not fully conscious of his own integrity. occupy. And it might well have been a After the publication of his Royal Society memoir, he had applied to several of the leading chemists of our country for permission to repeat in their presence the processes there detailed. One only accepted the proposal-Professor Gregory, then of Aberdeen University; but before further arrangements could be completed, that gentleman was seized with severe and prolonged ill- One of his then, and to the last most ness. These applications were now renewed, valued friends, in recording his estimate of with special reference to the two processes, the qualifications of the young candidate, conditioned alone by the provision that, had thus written to him:-"I know not, should he succeed in satisfying the referee God only knows, whether, glorious as it or referees, they should give public attesta- (the Professorship of Chemistry) looks, it tion to his success. After several applica- might be really useful to you in the heroic tions elsewhere, Dr. (now Sir Richard) and sweet sense of use; whether I ought to Kane, then of Dublin, frankly and gene- wish it for you or not. But I do very rously came forward. To Dublin, accord- heartily wish you may get the thing which, ingly, Dr. Brown repaired in December whether it look well or ill, may be of use to 1843, still weak from the effects of a recent you. Good hap to you, and good

somewhat startling phenomenon, in the eyes of those who regarded him, at best, as a wild enthusiast whose bubble had now burst, that very few, if any, of these men now changed in the slightest degree in their regards towards him; nay, that many of them henceforth gathered round him with a yet warmer and closer regard.

and somewhat alarming accident, but san- courage with whatever hap." Knowing guine as to complete success. What there from whence, in the last resort, issues all took place we do not fully know. Six weeks disposal of outward life and circumstance, after, however, transpired the sad conclu- we may well believe that this disappointsion, that as to his principal object he had ment, with all its painful concomitants, came failed; had presented no results which the charged with purpose towards this highest distinguished referee could recognise as es- use. But we are not left to such mere genetablishing the position he had laid down. Meantime, at Edinburgh, a series of experiments had been simultaneously carrying on, under the careful superintendence of his

the trials, the weight of the silica obtained was fully *There was, however, one exception. In one of equal to what, according to Dr. Brown's hypothesis, should have been given. We refer to this, not put* There now lie before us the original jottings and ting it forward as in any sense conclusive on the calculations of one of these experiments, performed question, but as indicating at least the possibility of entirely during Dr. Brown's absence from indisposi- Dr. Brown himself having been misled, by his-hav tion, in which the apparent silicon obtained corre-ing obtained similar results, into assuming these prosponded to within less than four per cent. with the cesses to be comparatively easy of performance, and estimated carbon in the compound employed. certain of similar success.