# A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Somerville, Mary

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SOMERVILLE, MARY,
The most learned lady of the age, distinguished alike for great scientific knowledge and all womanly virtues; she may well be esteemed an honour to England, her native country, and the glory of her sex throughout the world. We are told that her peculiar genius for mathematical and philosophical studies was early developed, and her natural taste directing her literary pursuits was not thwarted, but kindly encouraged by her friends. We see the happy result of these influences in the harmonious development of her mind and heart Mrs. Somerville as daughter, wife, and mother, has been a pattern of feminine gentleness, fidelity, and carefulness. The leisure which women too often waste on trifles because they are taught and encouraged through the influence of men thus to waste it, she has improved for good: the result is ​such as should make Christians in earnest to promote the intellectual cultivation of woman's mind.
This lady is a native of Scotland, and dates her birth a few years before the close of the last century. She passed the earlier period of her life, at a schoool at Musselburgh near Edinburgh, where we are told "she was distinguished only for the gentleness and unpretending character of her manners, giving no indications of those talents which have rendered her so eminent." The latent powers of her mind appear to have been developed by her first husband, a naval officer, who is said to have "taken great delight in initiating her into the mysteries of mathematics and general science."
The first work of Mrs. Somerville was undertaken by the counsel and encouragement of Lord Brougham. This was a summary of "The Méchanique Céleste" of Laplace, which she prepared for the Library of Useful Knowledge, under the title of "Mechanism of the Heavens." The work was found too voluminous for the society's publications, and therefore it was issued separately in 1831. It is a volume over 600 pages, large octavo. Its merits were acknowledged at once, and her reputation as an accomplished scientific writer established. It is said that soon after this book appeared its author met Laplace in Paris; during their conversation upon scientific subjects he remarked to her that she was the only person he knew of who seemed to take the trouble to understand his "Méchanique Céleste," except an English lady, who had translated it. Mrs Somerville must have been gratified to witness his pleasure when learning that she was the lady translator.
Mrs. Somerville's genius was highly appreciated by the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria: and to the latter, when Queen of Great Britain, the second work of this illustrious author is inscribed. The dedication marks the admirable good sense and noble views of both. The work was "The Connexion of the Physical Sciences," published in 1834: of this the "Quarterly Review" observes:—"To the 'Mechanism of the Heavens' succeeded her volume on 'The Connexion of the Physical Sciences;' unassuming in form and pretensions, but so original in design and perfect in execution as well to merit the success of eight editions, each carefully embodying all of augmentation that science had intermediately received. Though rich in works on particular sciences, and richer still in those eminent discoveries which establish the relations amongst them, yet had we not before in English a book professedly undertaking to expound these connexions, which form the greatest attainment of present science and the most assured augury of higher knowledge beyond. Mrs. Somerville held this conception steadily before her, and admirably fulfilled it. Her work, indeed, though small in size, is a true Cosmos in the nature of its design, and in the multitude of materials collected and condensed into the history it affords of the physical phenomena of the universe. In some respects her scheme of treating these topics so far resembles that since adopted by Humboldt, that we may give Mrs. Somerville credit for partial priority of design, while believing that she would be the last person to assert it for herself."
This original and extraordinary work, which learned masculine critics thus allow to exceed anything of the kind at that time extant, Mrs. Somerville claims only to have devised for the especial ​benefit of her own sex. She says—addressing the Queen, "If I have succeeded in my endeavour to make the laws by which the material world is governed more familiar to my countrywomen, I shall have the gratification of thinking that the gracious permission to dedicate my book to your Majesty has not been misplaced." We know of nothing which more charmingly illustrates the true moral elevation of feminine character than this dedication. The Sovereign Lady and the Lady Author sympathising together in an earnest effort to promote the mental cultivation of their sex. Mrs. Somerville's third and last production, "Physical Geography," in two volumes, was published in 1848. This work—"The history of the earth in its whole material organization"—is worthy to be classed among the greatest efforts of the human mind, directing its energies to the philosophy of science conjoined with moral advancement. In truth, its excellence in this respect is unrivalled. Mrs. Somerville has done more by her writings to Christianize the sciences than any living author; nor do we recollect one, except it be Sir Isaac Newton, among departed philosophers, who has approached her standard of sublime speculations on the visible creation united with childlike faith in the Divine Creator. Physical science will, henceforth, have a religious power; for, though the mind of man is not sufficiently in harmony with moral goodness to make such an advance as Mrs. Somerville has done, no more than Peter and John could see the angel at the tomb of the Saviour, yet, when they heard from the women that Christ was risen and followed in faith, the revelation of the truth was made clear to the reason of the apostles as it had first been made to the love of the devoted females; thus will philosophers follow the moral guidance of a woman. Mrs. Somerville has received many testimonials of the esteem in which her writings are held. She has been elected member of a number of philosophical societies and academies of science both in England and Germany.