The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-27 00:00:00

PROFESSOR COWPER.

The following particulars relating to the late
Prof. Cowper—who died on Sunday last—have bean cup-
plied to us by a correspondent who knew him well and
valued Dim highly :
The desth of Mr. Cowper is another and heavy item in
the account of losses which the coautry has lately sus-
' tained from the inroads of the grave. In the general eppli-
cation of science to the practical purposes of life few men
stood higher than Prof. Cowper; but his most distinguished
success was as an inventor and improver of machinery. For
the printing machine, indeed, which has bad so powerful
an effect in cheapening literature and the graphic art, and
in placing them, with their ennobling influences, within
reach of the masses of the population—Mr. Cowper accom-
plished that which Watt dad for the steam-engine .—and,
u with that yet more eminent man, while few things were
too great to daunt him with their difficulties, none were
small enough to be deemed unworthy of his notice. That,
almost everything which presented itself to his active and
fertile mind was in some way improved.
" Wth the possession of great stores of knowledge Mr.
Cowper combined, in a remarkable degree, the power of
communicating knowledge to others :—as must have been
felt by all who were fortunate enough to attend his classes
at King's College, or his more general lectures, or, indeed,
who under any circumstances, and in whatever rank of
Iffe, applied to him for mental aid, or had the pleasure of
meeting him in :society. A friend of ours, himself of no
moan 'standing either as a philosopher or a philanthropist,
lately remarked, that he wee never in Mr. Cowper's corn-
palsy without being the better for it; and this gentleman
doss not stand alone in the feeling. Mr. Cowper wee,
indeed, ever bountiful with his knowledge,—and as eager
in extending it to others as he was industrious in its ac-
quirement for himself. Not a few men of humble origin
have been enabled by his sasiatanec to raise themselves
into • sphere which they could not other% lie
have reached,—Lut where they now dud en ap-
propriate field for their talent, and in turn albeit
in the great work of dissemination. Even during the in-
tervals of his last illness Mr. Cowper was employed in pre-
paring, at the request of the principal of a college near
Bombay, a series Cl models to enable the native inhabitants
to improve their implements of husbandry and manufac-
ture—and some such work ot benevolence he had almost
always on hand.
One great cause of Prof. Cowper's success as a lecturer,
was his adoption (whenever practicable) of the Penile:lion
principle of exhibiting things themselves—instead of giving
mere descriptions, or even drawings or models. Thus, in a
lecture on the art of po•tery, he would have before his
audience a potter, with his wheel, to go through the very
process of which he was speaking a mode of proceeding
which, aided by descriptions at once lively and perspicuous,
gave unusual clearness to the ideas that he wished to im-
nart, and pleasure in their reception.
"Leaving to others the easy task of finding differenc,e
and flaws in conduct and in es ligious ',pinions' Mr. Cow-
per'. delight was, to discover in men points of symplt:iy
and accordance, and to bring into friendly co-operation on
some subjects at least those who had hitherto been separate
in all. In a word, his province was not to attack or to
destroy—but to defend and invent.
Measured by mere space of time, his life was not long;
but computed by the work which he accomplished, few
men have had a greater terns of existence than Protease!.
Cowper. We rejoice to think that his life was as happy
as it was beneficent:—and it is consolatory to add, tl.at
its termination was collected, serene, and even cheerful.-
Athensions.

ALLEGED DEATH FROM HOWEOTATIIIC 'NEAT.
MHlCT.—Yesterday Mr. Wakley held, at the Hope and
Anchor, Gloucestt r-place, Bedford New Town, an inquest
of five hours duration on the late Mrr. Morgan t Sedgwick,
aged GO, whose death was attributed to homeopathic treat-
ment. The jury having viewed the body, Mr. Walley,
previous to calling witnesses, addressing the jury, said that
he held the inquest at the expressed wish of deceased's rela-
tives and friend•, and in consequence of the medical
cite of death, which ran thus: " Marzaret &Agra& dad
from inflamm ztion of the lungs, peritoneum. and the liter;
and her death resulted from, I believe, the r.eglect of the
homeopathic attendant and general nullity of treat:nett.
Alexander Connell M'Clowelle." Mr. Willey, in COO-
tiouation, said that under these circumstances lie was com-
pelled to hold the inquest, but expressed a hope that the
jury would be solely guided in their verdict by the maples,
that would be adduced.—After hearing the evidence of the
nune, housemaid, and husband of the deceased, and also
that of the practitioner who attended her after the homeo-
pathists were dismined, the jury retired for half an hour,
and then returned the following verdict, which the fore-
man read: "Deceased died from inflammation of the lungs,
but we (the jury) are not competent enough to judge of
the medical treatment."