The Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties: Illustrated by Anecdotes, Volume 2 |
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Page 27
... residence was a house appointed for his reception by government below York - build- ings , in the neighbourhood of Westminster - bridge ; * but he found this both a very noisy place of Mottley's Life of Peter the Great . PETER THE GREAT ...
... residence was a house appointed for his reception by government below York - build- ings , in the neighbourhood of Westminster - bridge ; * but he found this both a very noisy place of Mottley's Life of Peter the Great . PETER THE GREAT ...
Page 68
... residence on his estate , and dedicated himself almost entirely to his favourite science . Some of the results of his studies , which he published , soon drew to him the attention of the learned among his countrymen ; and , at the ...
... residence on his estate , and dedicated himself almost entirely to his favourite science . Some of the results of his studies , which he published , soon drew to him the attention of the learned among his countrymen ; and , at the ...
Page 70
... residence at Prague , by the Emperor , Rodolph II ; and by this prince , who was warmly attached to science , he was provided with a second asylum , almost as splen- did as that which he had enjoyed in his native country . But he lived ...
... residence at Prague , by the Emperor , Rodolph II ; and by this prince , who was warmly attached to science , he was provided with a second asylum , almost as splen- did as that which he had enjoyed in his native country . But he lived ...
Page 71
... residence on his estate , the revenues of which were ample ; and the remainder of his life was given to scientific speculations and experiments . The sci- ence of optics was that to which he was chiefly at- tached ; and it was while ...
... residence on his estate , the revenues of which were ample ; and the remainder of his life was given to scientific speculations and experiments . The sci- ence of optics was that to which he was chiefly at- tached ; and it was while ...
Page 77
... residence in early life in a place where the renown of Galileo and his discoveries must have been on the lips of all . Boyle returned to England in 1644. Although he was yet only in his eighteenth year , he seems to have thought that ...
... residence in early life in a place where the renown of Galileo and his discoveries must have been on the lips of all . Boyle returned to England in 1644. Although he was yet only in his eighteenth year , he seems to have thought that ...
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acquaintance acquired admiration afterwards alchemy Almagest appeared applied Aristotle Arkwright artist astronomy attempt attention Bacon Belzoni burning-glasses called celebrated century character considerable contrivance cotton cultivation cylinder discovery distinguished Dollond early employed Encyclopędia Britannica engaged engine England exertion experiments extraordinary father favourite formed genius History of Lancashire honour hundred immediately improvement ingenuity instruments invention JAMES WATT JOHN DOLLOND labours learned Ledyard letter literary London machine machinery manner manufacture means mechanical ment mentioned merely mind Napier native nature never object observation obtained occasion occupied original painter painting patent person Petersburgh philosopher piston possession principal probably proceeded produced profession pursuit of knowledge racter received refracting refracting telescope regard remarked residence Royal Royal Society Russia says Scotland Sir Richard Arkwright soon steam telescope thing THOMAS PHELPS tion took vacuum vessel Watt weft writer Yakutsk
Popular passages
Page 80 - New Experiments Physico-Mechanical, touching the spring of the air and .its effects.
Page 322 - ... or perplexed with the verbiage of the dull books he perused, or the idle talk to which he listened ; but to have at once extracted, by a kind of intellectual alchemy, all that was worthy of attention, and to have reduced it for his own use, to its true value and to its simplest form. And thus it often happened that a great deal more was learned from his brief and vigorous account of the theories and arguments of tedious writers, than an ordinary student could ever have derived from the most...
Page 157 - I mention it only, as it shows the solicitude and extreme activity which he had about every thing that related to his art; that he wished to have his objects embodied as it were, and distinctly before him; that he neglected nothing which could keep his faculties in exercise, and derived hints from every sort of combination.
Page 321 - ... have been inferred from his usual occupations, and probably is not generally known, that he was curiously learned in many branches of antiquity, metaphysics, medicine, and etymology, and perfectly at home in all the details of architecture, music, and law. He was well acquainted too with most of the modern languages, and familiar with their most recent literature. Nor was it at all extraordinary to hear the great mechanician and engineer detailing and expounding, for hours together, the metaphysical...
Page 383 - I have known both hunger and nakedness to the utmost extremity of human suffering. I have known what it is to have food given me as charity to a madman ; and I have at times been obliged to shelter myself under the miseries of that character, to avoid a heavier calamity. My distresses have been greater than I have owned, or ever will own, to any man.
Page 53 - Briggs, purposely to be there when these two' so learned persons should meet. Mr. Briggs appoints a certain day when to meet at Edinburgh ; but failing thereof, the Lord Napier was doubtful he would not come. It happened, one day, as John Marr and the Lord Napier were speaking of Mr. Briggs ; ' Ah, John,' said Marchiston, ' Mr. Briggs will not now come.
Page 345 - April, 1785. This being done, I then condescended to see how other people wove ; and you will guess my astonishment when I compared their easy modes of operation with mine. Availing myself, however, of what I then saw, I made a loom in its general principles nearly as they are now made. But it was not till the year 1787 that I completed my invention, when I took out my last weaving patent, August the 1st of that year.
Page 170 - ... little indulgence to others, and a great deal of distrust of ourselves — which are not qualities of a mean spirit, as some may possibly think them, but virtues of a great and noble kind, and such as dignify our nature as much as they contribute to our repose and fortune ; for nothing can be so unworthy of a well-composed soul as to pass away life in bickerings and litigations, in snarling and scuffling with every one about us. Again and again, my dear Barry, we must be at peace with our species,...
Page 315 - Its aliment is coal, wood, charcoal, or other combustible ; it consumes none while idle ; it never tires, and wants no sleep ; it is not subject to malady when originally well made, and only refuses to work when worn out with old age ; it is equally active in all climates, and will do work of any kind ; it is a water-pumper, a miner, a sailor, a cotton-spinner, a weaver, a blacksmith, a miller, etc., etc.
Page 359 - Seathwaite, considering, as he says himself, that the annexation " would be apt to cause a general discontent among the inhabitants of both places, by either thinking themselves slighted, being only served alternately, or neglected in the duty, or attributing it to covetousness in me ; all which occasions of murmuring I would willingly avoid.