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of this illustrious philosopher , it has left it to foreigners to do justice to his character ana his writings . Among these , there are none of the popular class whose account is more full and more eloquent than that of Bailly . The following- is selected as a specimen :
" In speaking of Newton , " says he , " who was alone and modest , who did not seek to appear , who did great things with simplicity , it is necessary to be as simple as he was , as nature whom he followed . We shall not speak of his studies ; he was born rather to
invent than to study ; he is not seeu like others , advancing by efforts and by failures . Thus Fontenelle applies to him a thought of the ancients respecting the noble river which fertilizes Egypt , the source of which was a long time unknown : Men are not permitted to see the Nile in its feeble ,
emerging state . " Newton was at mature age when lie published his immortal work . He had been revolving the subject in his mind , and maturing the truths , during twenty years . Nothing but excessive modesty could have so long prevented
his assuming such a superiority over the most distinguished men of his age . So rare a merit ought to be preserved in history . Justice requires that men should be known by their virtues ; and pride may learn by examples , that modesty is almost always inseparable from true greatness .
" Newton , more than any man , owes an apology for . his elevation ; he took a flight , so extraordinary , and returned with truths so new , that great address was necessary in those who would resist these truths .
Doubtless other discoveries were necessary to prepare the way for Newton . Particular views lead to more general ones . Hooke pronouwed the name of attraction ; he thought it was universal ; he asked what were itjs laws . As to facts and principles , Kepler had
given the laws of motion of the celestial bodies , Galileo thoseof the descent of heavy ones near the earth , Descartes had announced the centrifugal farce , Huygefls bad established its principles and variations ; such are the steps by which Newton rose . } t is thus that the mind of one jBige is formed by that of the precediasjiik But past ages had mt errors aj * well fta truths , j angular
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talent was necessary to make the discrimination , ami to call to its assistance all the parts necessary to so great a design . It is a beautiful sight to see Newton moulding the earth to its proper shape ; saying to the ticks ,
' Hitherto shall ye come , and no farther f chaining the planets to an , immoveable centre , and prescribing limits to the eccentric wanderings of comets . How elevated his rank , how
far removed from all who have preceded him in the same career ! Newton was as si&gular for the character of his mind as for its superiority ; it was pure and without alloy . Geuius , foy the most part , is ardent and passionate ; it seems to require the impulse of motion , it order to rise . That of Newton was great without passion , and tranquil without losing any of its activity * There is no appearance of effort in what he does ; he employs one truth to develope another ; . he
seems to have made use of his genius merely to transport him to the centre of nature , where all the rays of truth jneet ; he relates as a spectator what he saw .
" jHewton had acquired all his glory by the time that most men begin their career . He passed the rest of his life in civil en&ployments , in reaping the fruits of his labours , in receiving the
esteem ami admiration which w ^ re so universal . Rewards and titles were heaped upoa him , which did less honour to the raan who received , tbu-n to the nation who conferred them . The eulogy of the English will always fi&d itself connected with that of Newton .
This nation has the credit , of discerning mer it , and of rewarding it with admiration ; talent has a rank in it , and becomes the object of a durable homage . The genius of Newton ,, perhaps the most rare that any country qv $ » y age has produced , excited ft general
enthusiasm . His philosophy was that of England ; all h « r distinguished «* en were his disciples ; the whole mass of her enlightened citizens , freest ia a free country , chose him for their , chief and dictator \ and the nation rendered
him a kind of worship .. Tips great man shewed still his superiority by preserving bis modesty ; he ^ never abandoned it : the serenity of his jnind was npt disturbed by so many ^ istiAguis ^ ed suffrages : ^ he alway s ppes ^ ed his soul : he was no less f ^ mw ^ able
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Selections from " The North American Review . " 451
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1821, page 451, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2503/page/11/
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