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

SIR DAVID BREWS7EI2.

We have to record the decease of Sir David
Brewster, one of the oldest of our scientific philo-
sophers, who, born in the last century, has contri-
buted largely to the record of the physical dis-
coveries of the pa-t sixty years—a man who, de- '
voting himself from early life 10 investigations in
the regions of experimental science, had earned the
respect of his country, from which he obtained well-
merited honour, as well as the recognition of scien-
tific bodies all over Europe and beyond the Atlantic.
He died last evening at his seat, Allerley House,
near Melrose. Sir David Brewster, D.C.L., LL.D.,
Knight of the Guelphic Order of the United King-
dom, was born at Jedburgh, in Roxburghire, on
Dec. 11, 1781. His father was rector of the grammar
school in that town, and, being devoted himself to
the Scot:ish Church, determined upon bringing
his four sons up to be ministers of that establish-
ment. Three of them entered the Church and
obtained livings. Dr. Brewster of Craig, and Dr.
Brewster of Scoonie, who were remarkable
for their piety and their superior intelligence,
have not been long deceased ; Patrick, who ably
filled the post of minister of the Abbey Church of
Paisley, died in 1859. Sir David was his father's
second son, and completed his studies, duly ob-
taining his license to preach; but the state of his
health was urged by himself as a reason for giving
up the Church, and refusing a living which was
offered him by the Duke of Roxburghe. It seems,
however, probable that his inclinations towards
scientific inquiry, which he hal commenced by ex-
periments as early as 1799, had a considerable share
iu influencing his decision. His earliest inveAiga-
Cons were on the inflection of light, and his success
at the commencement was a stimulus to further
effort, and led to his continued investigations in
this domain of physics, which lie afterwards so
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he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of
Edinburgh. At this time he was engaged in
the study of optics, and in 1811, when writing
for the " Edinburgh Encyclopaedia," he was led,
by a suggestion of Buffon's, to build a lens of
zones of glass in such a manner as to collect the
rays of light and refract them into parallel beams.
This plan has since been largely employed for
light-houses. In 1813 he published his " Trea-
tise on New Philosophical Instruments," and con-
tinued from time to time to issue memoirs and
papers upon optical subjects and questions con-
nected with the constitution and properties of light.
In 1815 he had the honour of receiving from the
hands of Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal
Society, the Copley medal for his discovery of the
law of the polarisation of light by reflection. Not
long after he was elected a member of that learned
body. In 1816 the French Institute awarded him
half of the 3,000 fr. prize for the most important
scientific discovery of the past two years. In 1819
Sir David Brewster, in connection with Professor
Jameson, started the Edinburgh Philosophical
Journal, which was continued till 1824, and from
that year was carried on by himself alone under the
title of the Edinburgh Journal of Science. In 1819
the Royal Society awarded him the Rumford and
the royal gold and silver medals for further dis-
coveries in polarisation of light. The Royal Society
of Edinburgh also twice awarded him the Keith
prize, for the discovery of two new fluids in mine-
rals, and for his analysis of solar light. It was in
1816 that he invented the kaleidoscope, for which
he took out a patent, butis proved a very unprofit-
able investment, as it was impossible to sustain
his claim against copyists. In 1825 the Institute
of France elected him a corresponding member,
and similar distinctions were sent him by the
Royal "Academies of Russia, Prussia, Austria,
Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Belgium. American
scientific bodies also sought the honour of enrolling
him among their foreign associates. In 1831 ap-
peared his "Life of Sir Isaac Newton," and in the
same year he largely assisted in realising, if he
did not originally suggest, the formation of the Bri-
tish Association at York. Iu this year he received
the Guelphic Order, and in 1832 was knighted
by his Majesty King William IV. In 1835 a
" Life of Flamsteed" was published, and in this
work appeared serious aspersions against Sir Isaac
Newton. Brewster made every effort to obtain
evidence to confute these statements, and to pub-
lish an enlarged edition of the Life of Newton. In
1837 the Hon. Newton Fellowes gave him permis-
sion to examine a large films of papers which had
belonged to and concerned Newton, and which were
at Hurstbourne Park. He went down and stayed
a week there, being ably assisted by Mr. 11. A.
Fellowes, who copied out for him many of the
papers. Some time after, Lord Portsmouth,
papers
ttltioe
request of Lord Brougham, sent all the
Sir David, they having been admirably arrangedluch
by Mr. 11. A Fellowes. At length, after much
trouble, the letters of Flamsteed wereobtaaispneerdsiaonnds
Newton was successfully cleared of the
"5 So recently
which had been cast tatppopnealriiei
edi-
tion of Newton's enlarged. dn.in ThelBo
as the last year Sir David had been again called
upon as a veteran to combat for the shade of the
departed philosopher, and events have proved that
his judgment was correct concerning the curious
forgeries of the correspondence between Newton
and Pascal. In 1832 appeared his work on " Natu-
• ral Magic," and in that year, on the decease of
Sir John Leslie, Brewster was appointed Professor
of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edin-