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Chap. 4 The next morning I delivered my letters of introduction
Chap. 4 The next morning I delivered my letters of introduction
and paid a visit to some of the principal
professors.
professors.
and among others
and among others
to M.
to M. KK——KrempeKrempe
^KrempeKrempeKrempe
^Krempe
Krempe
Professor of
& Lecturerupon Natural philosophy. He
& Lecturer& Lectureruponupon Natural philosophy. He
received me with politeness, and
received me with politeness, and
asked me several questions concerning my progress in the
sciences different branches of science appertaining to natural philosophy.
sciencessciences different branches of science appertaining to natural philosophy.
I mentioned, it is true with fear and trembling, the only authors I had ^ever read upon those subjects.
I mentioned, it is true with fear and trembling, the only authors I had ^^^ever ^ever read upon those subjects.
The professor
stared. ✗—I said that I did not mention these —✗"Have you really" said " he "spent "your
stared. ✗—I said that I did not mention these —✗"Have you really" said "" he "spent "your
time in studying such
"nonsence?"
"nonsence?"
I replied in the affirmative.
"Every
¶ "Every
minute"–
minute"–
continued M.
K—Krempe with warmth, "every instant that
KK——Krempe ^Krempe with warmth, "every instant that
"you
"you
have wasted
upon
upon
those
"books
"books
is utterly and entirely lost.
"You
"You
have burdened your
bur" memor memory with exploded
burbur" memormemor memory with exploded
"systems
"systems
and useless names. Good
"God "God where must youwhere must youwhere must youin what
desart
land ^in what
desart
desart
land have you
"lived
"lived
where no one was kind
"enough
"enough
to
enfor inform you
enforenfor inform you
"that
"that
these
fancies
fancies
which
^you^^^you^you
have
"so
"so
greedily
imbibed
imbibed
are
at le a
at leat le a
"thousand
"thousand
years
old
old
and as musty as
" your they are
" youryour they are
ancient.
ancient.
I little
expected
expected
"in
"in
this enlightened and scientific
age
age
"to
"to
find a disciple of Albertus
Mag"nusMag"nus
and Paracelsus. My dear
sir "you
sir "you
must begin your studies entirely anew." So
saying
saying
he
ste sspp ed
ste sssspp ^pp ed
aside, and
wh wrote down a list of several books
whwh wrote down a list of several books
u upon
uu upon
natural
philosophy
philosophy
which he desired me to
procure
procure
and dismissed
me
me
after mentioning that
he intendedto commen in the beginning of the
he intendedhe intendedto commento commen in the beginning of the
next
next
week he intended to commence a course of lectures upon natural philosophy
XX in its general
relations;
^XXX in its general
relations;
^X in its general
X in its general
relations;
relations;
and that M.
W. —^aldham
W. ——^^^aldham ^aldham
a
fellow professor
fellow professor
would lecture upon chemistry the alternate days
which
which
he
missed.
missed.
¶ I returned
home
home
not
dissapointed
dissapointed
for
I had long considered
I had long considered
the
the
authors useless
which
which
the professor
had so strongly reprobated – but I did not feel very much enclined to bu study those books which at his recon recommondation I had procured.
had so strongly reprobated – but I did not feel very much enclined to bubu study those books which at his reconrecon recommondation I had procured.
M.
K —rempe
K ——rempe ^rempe
was a little squat
man
man
with a gruff voice and
repulsiverepulsive
countenance and
countenance and
the
teacher
teacher
did not prepossess me in favour of his
science.doctrine. But when the neBesidessciencescience..doctrine. ^doctrine. But when the neBut when the neBesides
I had a contempt for the uses of modern
chemistrychemistrychemistrynatural
philosophy ^natural
natural
philosophy
philosophy .
.
It was very
when different
whenwhen different
when the
n masters of the science sought immortality and
nn masters of the science sought immortality and
wealthpower ;–
wealthwealthpower ^power ;–
such
views
views
although
futile
futile
were
grand;
grand;
but now
itititthe scene
^the scene
the scene
was
all changed.✗—t and the expulsionof chimera overthrew at
allall changed.✗—t and the expulsiont and the expulsionof chimera overthrew at
the
same time all greatness in the sciencethose —✗the utmostambition of enquirer
same time all greatness in the sciencegreatness in the sciencethose those ^those —✗the utmostutmostambition of enquirer
seemed to limit itself to the annihilation of those visions on which my interest in science was chiefly founded. I was required to exchange chimeras of boundless
grandeur,
grandeur,
for realities of little worth. ¶ Such were my reflections during
tw two or three days ^spent almost in solitarysolitude:twtw two or three days ^^^spent ^spent almost in ^in solitarysolitarysolitude:^solitude:
but
at as the
atat as the
ensueing
ensueing
week
commenced
commenced
I thought of the information
M r . K. —rempe
M r . K. ——rempe ^rempe
had given me concerning the
lectures,
lectures,
and although I could not consent to go and hear that little conceited fellow deliver sentences
^out of a pulpit^^^out of a pulpit^out of a pulpit
I recollected what he had said of
M r . Waldham,
M r . Waldham,
whom I had never
seen and
seen andand
as he had
been hitherto
been hitherto
out of town. ¶ Half out ofHalf out ofHalf out ofPartly from
^Partly from
Partly from
curiosity
curiosity
and partly from
idleness
idleness
I went into the lecturing
room
room
which
M r . Waldham
M r . Waldham
entered shortly after. This Professor was
a very
a very
different man from different man from the otherthe otherthe otherhis colleague^his colleague. He
was about fifty but with aspect expressive of the greatest benevolence
was about fifty but with aspect expressive of the greatest benevolence
a few
grey
grey
hars hairs covered his
harshars hairs covered his
temples
temples
but those at the back of his head were nearly black.
He
He
was
short in person
short in person
but remarkably
erect ha
erect haha
and his voice the sweetest I had ever heard. He began his lecture
with a
with a kindofby a recapitulation of the
kindkindofofby a recapitulation of the
history of
chemistry
chemistry
and
✗—remark-ed—✗ the various improvements
✗—remark-ed—✗ the various improvements
^& discoveries ✗—different—✗^^^& discoveries & discoveries ^& discoveries ✗—different—✗made
by
various ^made
made
by
various
various
men
had madehad madehad madeof
learning ^of
of
learning
learning pronoucing the names of the greatest discoverers with great warmthwith fervour.
pronoucing the names of the greatest discoverers with great warmthwith great warmthwith fervour^with fervour.
He then took a cursory view of the present state of
chemistrychemistrychemistrythe science,
^the science,
the science,
and explained many of its
termestermestermes
terms.
mademademadeAfter
making ^After
After
making
making
a few preparatory
experiments
experiments andandandhe ^he concluded with a panegyric upon
^modern chemistry^^^modern ^modern chemistry
the
words
words
of which I shall never
forget.
forget.
¶ "The ancient teachers of this
science"
science"
said he, "promised
impossibilities "and
impossibilities "and
performed nothing. The modern
"masters
"masters
promise very
little.
little.
They
" no know that metals cannot be
" nono know that metals cannot be
"transmuted
"transmuted
and that the elixir
" " vitævitævitæof life
^of life
of life
is a
mere chimæra.
meremere chimæra.
But
"these philosophers
"these philosophers
whose
eyes hands
eyeseyes hands
"appear
"appear
only made to dabble in
"dirt
"dirt
and their eyes to
pore
pore
over
"the
"the
microscope or
cruscible, "have
cruscible, "have
indeed performed miracles.
"They
"They
penetrate into the recesses of
"nature
"nature
and
show
show
how she works
"in
"in
her hiding places. They ascend into
"the heavens; –
"the heavens; ^; –
they have
discoverd
discoverd
how
"the
"the
blood circulates, and the nature
"of
"of
the air we breathe.
New They have
NewNew They have
"acquired
"acquired
new and almost unlimited
powers ,; –
powers ,,; ^; –
They^y can command the
"thunders
"thunders
of heaven,
mimick
mimick
the
"earthquake,
"earthquake,
and even mock the
"invisible
"invisible
world with its own
"shadows."
"shadows."
¶ I departed highly pleased with the professor and his lecture & paid him a visit the same evening.
I departed highly pleased with the professor and his lecture & paid him a visit the same evening.
His manners in private were even more mild
^& attractive than in public.
^^^& attractive^& attractive than in public.
For there was a certain dignity in his
manner
manner
during his
lectures which was replaced by the greatest affabityaffability and kindness in his own house.
lectures which was replaced by the greatest affabityaffabityaffability and kindness in his own house.
He heard
He heard
bymy little narration concerning my studies with attention
bybymy ^my little narration concerning my studies with attention
smiled at the names of Cornelius
Agrippa
Agrippa
and
Paracelsus X
Paracelsus X^X
but without the contempt that
Mr
Mr
Krempe had
Exexhibitedexpressed to them . ExExexhibitedexhibitedexpressed to them ^expressed to them . ^^^^^^He
said
said
that
these
these
were men to whose indefatigable zeal modern
chemnatural philosophers were indebted for most of the foundations of their
chemchemnatural ^natural philosophers were indebted for most of the foundations of their
knowledge ✗—it is not a meaner task —✗They
knowledge ✗—it is not a meaner task —✗They^^^^had ^had left to us, as an easier
task
task
to give new names, & arrange in
conected classifications
conected classifications
the facts which they
to
to
a great degree
ha vd eha vvd ^d ee
been the instruments of bringing to light. The labours of men of
genius
genius
however erroneously
directed
directed
scarcely ever
failed.
failed.
in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of
mankind. I listened to his statement which was delivered
mankind. I listened to his statement which was delivered
without
any
any
presumption & then
added
added I ended by sayingI ended by sayingI ended by saying
that his lecture had removed my
prejudice
prejudice
against modern
chemists and I requested at the same time
chemists and I requested at the same time
his advice concerning the books I ought to
procure
procure
¶ "I am
happy"
happy"
said
M r . Waldham,
M r . Waldham,
"To
"have
"have
gained a
desci desciple
descidesci desciple
and
if if your
if if your
" appil application equals your
" appilappil application equals your
ability "I
ability "I
have no doubt of your success. Chemistry is that branch of natural
"philosophy
"philosophy
in which the greatest improvements have
^been^^^been^been
& may be
made. "It
made. "It
is on that account
s that
ss that
Isl"chose
Isl"chose
it
for my peculiar
for my peculiar
study.
study.
But
"at
"at
the same
^time^^^time^time
I
did
did
not
neglect
neglect
the
"other sciences.
"other sciences.
A man would make
"a
"a
very sorry
chemist
chemist
if he
atteneded
atteneded
to that department alone. If
"your
"your
wish is
really to become
really to become
a
"man
"man
of
science
science
and not merely
"a pretty experimentalist
"a pretty experimentalist
I should
"advi cs e
"advi ccs ^s e
you to apply to every
"branch
"branch
of natural
philosophy and"Mathematics." ✗—He then gave me the list I had requested and mentioned a few machines that I ought to procure and promising that when I should have —✗
philosophy andand"Mathematics." ¶ ✗—He then gave me the list I had requested and mentioned a few machines that I ought to procure and promising that when I should have —✗¶ He then took me into his
workroomlaboratory workroomworkroomlaboratory ^laboratory
and
shewed and explained
shewed ashewed andnd explained
to me the
use
of ^the
use
use
of his various
machines✗—tel ling me —✗
machines✗—tel ling me —✗
instructing me as to ^
instructing me as to what I
shouldprocureshouldshouldprocureprocureought to
procure ^ought to
ought to
procure
procure for my privafor my privafor my priva
and promising me
a lone the use of his
a lonea lone the use of his
own
^own
own
when I should have advanced far
e enough in the
ee enough in the
study
study
not to
des der derange
des derder derange
the mir . the mmir ^ir . ^^^^mechanism. ^mechanism. He also gave me the list of books which I had
requested
requested
and I took my leave. ¶ Thus ended a day memorable
in a my lifein a my lifein a my lifeto
me^to
to
me
me for it decided my destiny.
for it decided my destiny.
