The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-11 00:00:00

DEATH OF SIB DAVID BEEN sm.

We learn from Edinburgh that Sir David
Brewster died last evening, at hie sot. Annie, Rowe,
near Melrose. The donned was bone at Jedbargh, to
1781, and was consequently in his 87th year. We learn
from "Men of the Time" that he was educated for the
church of Scotland, of whisk he became a licentiate ;
and in 1800 he received the honorary degree
of M.A. from the University d Edinburgh. While
studying there, Mr. Brewster enjoyed the friend-
ship of Robison, who then filled the chair of natural phi-
losophy; of Mayfair, professor of mathematics ; and of
Dugald Stewart, profaner d meal philosophy. In 1808
he undertook the editorship of the "Edinburgh Ennio-
panne," which wee only finished in 1830. In 1807 be re-
ceived the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University
of Aberdeen, and subsequently the degree of A.M. from
Cambridge, and of D.C.L. from Oxford and Durham. In
1808 he was elected • Fellow of the Royal Society of Edin-
burgh, and afterwards filled the aloes of secretary and
vice-president. Between 1801 and 1812, Dr. Brewster
devoted his attention chiefly to the study of optics, and
the results were published in • " Treaties on New Philoso-
phical Instruments," in 1813. In 1811, while writing the
article " Bunting In truments" in the " Edinburgh
Encyclopaedia," he was led (from • proposal el I
Button) to suggest the construction of a lens est
of zones of glass, each of which might be built up of several
circular segments, and to propose its application to an
apparatus connoting of lenses and mirrors, by which the
whole light of the ran could be collected into a burning
focus, or condensed into • parallel beam of light. This
beautiful invention, now in nee in nay new Without* I
in Great Britain and the colonies, was therweris nen
fully developed by him in the " Edinburgh Tranmenena."l
In 1815 Dr. Brewster received the Copley medal d the
Royal Society for his discovery of the law of the polaris-1
tion of light by Teflon" and soon after was &diminish •
fellow of that body. In 1816 the Institute el Tramps
adjudged to him half of the prize of 3,000 francs, awarded
for two of the most important discoveries made in
Europe, in any branch of scion" during the two preceding
years ; end in 1819 Dr. Brewster received from the Royal
Society the Rumford gold and silver medals, the Royal
gold and silver medals, for his discoveries on the
polarization of light, and the Keith Prize twice
for his discovery of two new finds in minerals and his
analysis of solar light. In 1816 he invented the kaleido-
scope, the patent right of which was evaded, so that the
inventor gained little beyond fame, though the large isle
of the instrument must have produced considerable profit.
He is the inventor also of the lenticular stereoscope, now
in universal use. In 1819, he, in conjunction with
Professor Jameson, established the " Edinburgh Phi-
losophical Journal," and subsequently commenced the
" Edinburgh Journal of Science," of which sixteen volumes
appeared. In 1823 the Institute of Felines elected Dr.
Brewster a corresponding member; and he received the
same honour from the Royal Academies of Russia, Prussia,
Austria, Sweden, Denmark, &c. In 1831 he proposed the
scientific meeting at York which led to the establishment
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
In 1831 Dr. Brewster received the decoration of the Hano-
verian Guelphic Order, and in 1832 the honour of knight-
hood from William IV. In 1838 Sir David Brewster was
nominated by the Crown Principal of the United Colleges
of St. Salvator and St. Leonard, St. Andrews, and in 1859
he was appointed Principal of the University of Edinburgh
by a unanimous vote of the Lord Provost, magistrates, and
council of the city. Sir David Brewster edited and wrote
various works, besides contributing largely to the Edin-
burgh, the Quarterly, and the North British Rerietes, the
Philosophical Transactions, the Transactions of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Irish Academy, Transac-
tions of the British Association, and other scientific
societies. Among his more popular works are a " Treatise
on the Kaleidoscope," a " Treatise on the Stereoscope," a
" Treatise on Optics," " Letters on Natural Magic," " The
Martyrs of Science," and " Memoirs of the Life and
Writings of Sir Inn Newton." He also recently published
" More Worlds than One," in reply to Professor Whewell's
"Plurality of Worlds." In J►nuary, 1849, Sir David was
elected one of the eight foreign associate members of the
Imperial Institute of France, vacant by the death of the
celebrated chemist M. Berzelius. Sir David received also
the Prussian Order of Merit, founded by Frederick the
Great ; and in 1855 the Emperor of France conferred upon
him the decoration of an officer of the Legion of Honour.