Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-11-19
MEMORIAL TO sIRf. NEWTON.
Inaugural Address Dy Lord Broug-
h.llll.
From the London Times, September 70


To record the names and preserve the
memory o.those whose great achievements
in science, in arts. or in arms have con.
ferred benefits and lustrc upon our kind,
has in all ages been regarded as a duty
and felt as a qualification by wise and re-
flectiny men. The desire of inspiring
an ambition to emIlata such examples
generally minglcs itself with these senti-
ments: but they cease not to operate even
in the rare instances of transcend,nt
merit, where matchless genius excludes
all possibility Of ofimitation, and nothing
remains but wonder in those who con-
template its triumphs at distance that
forblds all attempts to approach. We
are this day assembled to commemorate
him of whom the consent of nations has
declared that he is chargeable with moth
inS like a follower's exaggeraton or local
partiality. who pronounces the name of
Newton as that Of the greatest genius
ever bestowed by the bounty of Provi-
dence for instructing mankind on the
frame of the universe, and the laws by
which it is governed:
"Qui genus humanum ingenio superavit, ct
onIues
"Rcstinxit stellas exor;us uti ather,us sol.
-(Lnb)
''Tn genius who surpassed mankind as far
''as does the midday the mdni sht star =
--.tDyy9n..)
But. though scaling these lofty heights
be hopeless, yet is there some use and
much qualification in contemplating BY
what steps he assembled. Tracing his
course OF action may help others to gain
the lower cminences lying within their
reach, while admiration excited and Gu
riosl'y satisfied are frames of mind both
wholesome and pleasing. Nothing new.
it is true. can be given in narrative,
hardly anything in reflection, less still
perhaps IN comment or illustrations; but
it Is well to assemble in one view various
parts OF the vast subec with the sur
rounding rcumstancCs, whether acci.
dental or intrinsic, and to mark in pass
ing the misconceptions raised by individ.
ual Ignorance or national prejudice
which the historian OF science occasional
ly finds crossing his path. The remark
Is common and i, obvious, that the &c.
MUS of Newton did not manifest itself a,
very early age His faculties were
not. like those of some great and man,
ordinary individuals, precociously devel.
oped. Among tn. former, Clara nj
stands pre-e nlnent. Who at l6 years O
age presented to the Royal Academy ;
memoir OF great originality upon a d tfi
cult subject in the higher geometry, ane
at 8 published his great work on cures
of double curvature, composed during
TIE two preceding years. Pascal, too, a
l6, wrote an excellent treatise on comic
sections. That Newton cannot be rank
ed in this respect with those extraor.ina
ry persons is owing to the accidents
which prevented LIN from entering up
on mathematical study before his lStt
year; and then a mach greater mar c
was wrought than even the Cairant.
and the Pasc,ls displayed. His earlics
history Is involved in some obscurity
and the most celebrated Of men has. ir
this pa ticular, been compared to tn,
most celebrated Of rivers the Nile a.
if the course Of both in it's feebl,r stat,
had ben concealed from mortal ewes
We have it, however. we'll ascertaine,
that within four Years, between the age.
eighteen and twenty two. he had begnr
to study mataematic science, and hat
taken his place among its greatest mas
tiers; learnt .oI the first time the elcmcnt
OF geometry and analysis, and discover
cd calculus which entirely changed tn,
face OF the science, eifecting complete
revolution IN that and in every branch o
phllos 'phy connected with It. Before
l66l he had not rc,tl Euclid ; in I66:
he had committed to writing the methot
OF ftuxlons. AT twenty-five years o
age he had discovered the law of erayi
tatior, and lalJ the foundation of celes
tial dynamics, the science created b,
him. Before ten years had elapsed he
added to his discoveries that of the fun.
damental properties of light. So bril-.
liant course OF discovery in so short O