Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-25
Giterarp Selections.
SIR ISAAC NEWTON.

have some "memoirs and character OF
him as a private man." The desire
might still be expressed. We have no
intimacy with Newton. Few persons, If
asked to describe the character Of the
man, could say no more than this-that
he was exceedingly absent, and that he
was imperturbable almost to insipidity,
perhaps quoting as an illustration of the
latter characteristic the apocryphal story
Of the philosopher and his little dog Dia-
mond." This is net much, and yet the
half of it is incorrect. IL cOtempora-
ries Of Newton describe him as anything
but imperturaJle on certain occasions
Locke declared that he was a nice man
to deal with but " 4 E;tte too aptt raise
in himself suspicious where there is no
ground" Flamsteed always found him
insidious, ambitious, and excessively Gov
etous of praise and impatient of contra
dietion."
Winston describes him as equally i'm
patient. and of the most fearful, cautious,
and suspicious temper that ever he knew.
DAlembert gives the French idea Of him
when he SAYS: = In England people were
. content with Newton'8 being tie greatest
genius of his age; in France one would
4 have also wished him 10 be amiable." Ii
Newton was really unam!atie, It was
chiefly negative unam.s5iiity. IIewas
unsocial, he was reserved, he vas absent,
he was silent; in the course Of five years
his secretary, Humprey Newton, never
saw him laugh but once, and that once it
is impossible to comprehend why =; worst
: of all to a Frenchman, he had none of the
graces-could not, like Fontenelle, begin
Il treatise on astronomy by sa!uting a lady
anI comparing the beauty Of day to a
blonde and the beauty of nigh; to bru-
nette. The only qualities in Newton
that were positively unamiabIe were his
suspicious temper and his impatience OF
contradiction. All else was negative
Ills -vva I'll 4I4
exception of his piety and his veracity
He was good because he was passionless
and he was not loveable, because he wal
void of emotion.
Bishop Burnet says that NewtG+- nae
the ,rLitest soul he ever kne- We o"l
well believe it so. y N"'on ,, was uL.eli'
pnworIdIv. and ) unwOrldliness of th'
u""o- w. - content to pace about hi:
'i,''" val and his trim little garden from
Jiffning to night, save when he turned
out for half an hour to see if any body
would listen to him as Lucasian Professor
must have rather astonished the bustling
courtIy Scotch bishop. Then he was
pure IS Il child his niece tells us that he
broke an acquaintance of the greatest in
timacy with Figani because the Italian
chemist told him some loose story Of a
nun; Bishop Durnets remark, however
is true in 4 much more stringent sense
than this-ina much more stringent sense
than, perhaps, he ever contemp mplated.-
Newton had the whitcst svpl he ever
knew, simply because his emotional ma
ture was the sheet Of white paper which
the r?etaphysicians Of that period were
Continually .alking about.
Sir DAVID Brewster has done his best
TO prove the contrary. He even fancies
that he has discovered Sir Isaac in love
Sir Isaac il loyc,-it Is incredible-it i:
impossible. Fancy the sedate Lucasian
Professor addressing Lady Norris like
one of those fops called "pretty fellows
ghom Steele shortly afterwards satirize(
in the Taller. Can you resolve to veal
a widows habit perpetually z" he writes
g Whether your ladyship should go con
stantly in the melancholy dress of wild
ow, or flourish once more among the la
dies"-that is the question, and that i:
the style of courtship which Sir David
with his eyes open and all his brillian
optical reputation, attributes to a philoso
pher whose soul was fixed on one idea
the increase Of gravity inversely as til,
square of the distance. Sir Isaac, VIZ
make bold to say, never had athought O
love.
In comparison with Newton, Uncl
Toby's behavior to the Widow Wadma,
was the extreme of gallantry and licen
fiousness. 1t must be remembered tho
Newton was a god, and Alexander tb
Great used to say that two-he Nigh
have said three-things reminded hir
that he was mortal, and not a god
love, sleep, and food. These three thing
proved the divinity of Sir Isaac, for h
never spent thought on love, took yer
little sleep, and as for his dinner, he ne1
q cared for it and often never ate it. Fl