A MODEST PHILOSOPHIC

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 8, 11 January 1899, Page 3

A MODEST PHILOSOPHIC

One day Faraday, the famous natural philosopher, was asked by the Assistant Secretary °f the Rpyai Society, Walter White, who records the talk in his ■ Jqiirnals,' if hP were writing a paper for the society.

'Np,' said he, shaking his head, T am top old.' He was then in his sixtyseventh year.-

-Too old! Why, age brings wisdom,' replied the secretary! -Yes, but one ma3 T overshoot the wisdom,' rejoined Faraday. 'You cannot mean that you have putlived your wisdom?' asked the amazed official.

'Something- like it,' answered the modest philosopher. 'My memory is gone: if I make an experiment, I forget before twelve hours are over whether the result was positive or negative. How can I write a paper while my memory is unreliable? No, I must.content myself with giving my lectures to children.'

The remark illustrates the philosopher's scientific spirit, and what is of greater value, his moral nature. He found his memory failing and his mental powers declining, and accepted the facts as auietly as he had ac-

cepted his discoveries fc munstW He uttered no complain?, SSfflft as many old nien*do atteTnT+irl which he could not aSieve P Calmly, without ostentation, he raw* up whatever work he could not cIS? on, content to lecture to the chifS vim gathered to see his hinCS pernnents a„d t p «^ feSSS tions that explained' even PS omuls the laws of chemist™S i magnetism. ."'Ys *' ***

Faraday's moral nature apheara in us freedom from pride <mil IK<B tion. He gave generous, recq^flla to the claims of his sciekfio SS poranes, made honourable mentionol his assistants, thankfully accepted "J correction, and made use oFS^? expedient, no matter how humble Ifif person who suggested, it, il'lfei make his work more effective.-. .