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debility；　occasioned　by　loss　of　blood　from　the　lungs；　but　after　a

few　weeks'　rest　and　change　of　air；　he　would　return　to　his　work；

saying；　〃The　water　is　rising　in　the　well　again！〃　　Though　disease

had　fastened　on　his　lungs；　and　was　spreading　there；　and　though

suffering　from　a　distressing　cough；　he　went　on　lecturing　as　usual。

To　add　to　his　troubles；　when　one　day　endeavouring　to　recover

himself　from　a　stumble　occasioned　by　his　lameness；　he　overstrained

his　arm；　and　broke　the　bone　near　the　shoulder。　　But　he　recovered

from　his　successive　accidents　and　illnesses　in　the　most

extraordinary　way。　　The　reed　bent；　but　did　not　break：　the　storm

passed；　and　it　stood　erect　as　before。



There　was　no　worry；　nor　fever；　nor　fret　about　him；　but　instead；

cheerfulness；　patience；　and　unfailing　perseverance。　　His　mind；

amidst　all　his　sufferings；　remained　perfectly　calm　and　serene。　　He

went　about　his　daily　work　with　an　apparently　charmed　life；　as　if

he　had　the　strength　of　many　men　in　him。　　Yet　all　the　while　he　knew

he　was　dying；　his　chief　anxiety　being　to　conceal　his　state　from

those　about　him　at　home；　to　whom　the　knowledge　of　his　actual

condition　would　have　been　inexpressibly　distressing。　　〃I　am

cheerful　among　strangers；〃　he　said；　〃and　try　to　live　day　by　day

as　a　dying　man。〃　（12）



He　went　on　teaching　as　beforelecturing　to　the　Architectural

Institute　and　to　the　School　of　Arts。　　One　day；　after　a　lecture

before　the　latter　institute；　he　lay　down　to　rest；　and　was　shortly

awakened　by　the　rupture　of　a　bloodvessel；　which　occasioned　him　the

loss　of　a　considerable　quantity　of　blood。　　He　did　not　experience

the　despair　and　agony　that　Keats　did　on　a　like　occasion；　（13）

though　he　equally　knew　that　the　messenger　of　death　had　come；　and

was　waiting　for　him。　　He　appeared　at　the　family　meals　as　usual；

and　next　day　he　lectured　twice；　punctually　fulfilling　his

engagements；　but　the　exertion　of　speaking　was　followed　by　a　second

attack　of　haemorrhage。　　He　now　became　seriously　ill；　and　it　was

doubted　whether　he　would　survive　the　night。　　But　he　did　survive；

and　during　his　convalescence　he　was　appointed　to　an　important

public　officethat　of　Director　of　the　Scottish　Industrial

Museum；　which　involved　a　great　amount　of　labour；　as　well　as

lecturing；　in　his　capacity　of　Professor　of　Technology；　which　he

held　in　connection　with　the　office。



From　this　time　forward；　his　〃dear　museum；〃　as　he　called　it；

absorbed　all　his　surplus　energies。　　While　busily　occupied　in

collecting　models　and　specimens　for　the　museum；　he　filled　up　his

odds…and…ends　of　time　in　lecturing　to　Ragged　Schools；　Ragged

Kirks；　and　Medical　Missionary　Societies。　　He　gave　himself　no　rest；

either　of　mind　or　body；　and　〃to　die　working〃　was　the　fate　he

envied。　　His　mind　would　not　give　in；　but　his　poor　body　was　forced

to　yield；　and　a　severe　attack　of　haemorrhagebleeding　from　both

lungs　and　stomach　（14）compelled　him　to　relax　in　his　labours。

〃For　a　month；　or　some　forty　days；〃　he　wrote〃a　dreadful　Lent

the　mind　has　blown　geographically　from　'Araby　the　blest；'　but

thermometrically　from　Iceland　the　accursed。　　I　have　been　made　a

prisoner　of　war；　hit　by　an　icicle　in　the　lungs；　and　have　shivered

and　burned　alternately　for　a　large　portion　of　the　last　month；　and

spat　blood　till　I　grew　pale　with　coughing。　　Now　I　am　better；　and

to…morrow　I　give　my　concluding　lecture　（on　Technology）；　thankful

that　I　have　contrived；　notwithstanding　all　my　troubles；　to　carry

on　without　missing　a　lecture　to　the　last　day　of　the　Faculty　of

Arts；　to　which　I　belong。〃　（15）



How　long　was　it　to　last？　　He　himself　began　to　wonder；　for　he　had

long　felt　his　life　as　if　ebbing　away。　　At　length　he　became

languid；　weary；　and　unfit　for　work；　even　the　writing　of　a　letter

cost　him　a　painful　effort；　and。　　he　felt　〃as　if　to　lie　down　and

sleep　were　the　only　things　worth　doing。〃　　Yet　shortly　after；　to

help　a　Sunday…school；　he　wrote　his　'Five　Gateways　of　Knowledge；'

as　a　lecture；　and　afterwards　expanded　it　into　a　book。　　He　also

recovered　strength　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　proceed　with　his

lectures　to　the　institutions　to　which　he　belonged；　besides　on

various　occasions　undertaking　to　do　other　people's　work。　　〃I　am

looked　upon　as　good　as　mad；〃　he　wrote　to　his　brother；　〃because；　on

a　hasty　notice；　I　took　a　defaulting　lecturer's　place　at　the

Philosophical　Institution；　and　discoursed　on　the　Polarization　of

Light。。。。　But　I　like　work：　it　is　a　family　weakness。〃



Then　followed　chronic　malaisesleepless　nights；　days　of　pain；

and　more　spitting　of　blood。　　〃My　only　painless　moments；〃　he　says；

〃were　when　lecturing。〃　　In　this　state　of　prostration　and　disease；

the　indefatigable　man　undertook　to　write　the　'Life　of　Edward

Forbes'；　and　he　did　it；　like　everything　he　undertook；　with

admirable　ability。　　He　proceeded　with　his　lectures　as　usual。　　To

an　association　of　teachers　he　delivered　a　discourse　on　the

educational　value　of　industrial　science。　　After　he　had　spoken　to

his　audience　for　an　hour；　he　left　them　to　say　whether　he　should　go

on　or　not；　and　they　cheered　him　on　to　another　half…hour's　address。

〃It　is　curious；〃　he　wrote；　〃the　feeling　of　having　an　audience；

like　clay　in　your　hands；　to　mould　for　a　season　as　you　please。　　It

is　a　terribly　responsible　power。。。。　　I　do　not　mean　for　a　moment　to

imply　that　I　am　indifferent　to　the　good　opinion　of　othersfar

otherwise；　but　to　gain　this　is　much　less　a　concern　with　me　than　to

deserve　it。　　It　was　not　so　once。　　I　had　no　wish　for　unmerited

praise；　but　I　was　too　ready　to　settle　that　I　did　merit　it。　　Now；

the　word　DUTY　seems　to　me　the　biggest　word　in　the　world；　and　is

uppermost　in　all　my　serious　doings。〃



This　was　written　only　about　four　months　before　his　death。　　A

little　later　he　wrote；　〃I　spin　my　thread　of　life　from　week　to

week；　rather　than　from　year　to　year。〃　　Constant　attacks　of

bleeding　from　the　lungs　sapped　his　little　remaining　strength；

but　did　not　altogether　disable　him　from　lecturing。　　He　was

amused　by　one　of　his　friends　proposing　to　put　him　under

trustees　for　the　purpose　of　looking　after　his　health。

But　he　would　not　be　restrained　from　working；　so　long

as　a　vestige　of　strength　remained。



One　day；　in　the　autumn　of　1859；　he　returned　from　his　customary

lecture　in　the　University　of　Edinburgh　with　a　severe　pain　in　his

side。　　He　was　scarcely　able　to　crawl　upstairs。　　Medical　aid　was

sent　for；　and　he　was　pronounced　to　be　suffering　from　pleurisy　and

inflammation　of　the　lungs。　　His　enfeebled　frame　was　ill　able　to

resist　so　severe　a　disease；　and　he　sank　peacefully　to　the　rest　he

so　longed　for；　after　a　few　days'　illness：



　　　　　　　　　　〃Wrong　not　the　dead　with　tears！

　　　　　　　　　　A　glorious　bright　to…morrow

　　　　　　Endeth　a　weary　life　of　pain　and　sorrow。〃



The　life　of　George　Wilsonso　admirably　and　affectionately

related　by　his　sisteris　probably　one　of　the　most　marvellous

records　of　pain　and　longsuffering；　and　yet　of　persistent；　noble；

and　useful　work；　that　is　to　be　found　in　the　whole　history　of

literature。　　His　entire　career　was　indeed　but　a　prolonged

illustration　of　the　lines　which　he　himself　addressed　to　his

deceased　friend；　Dr。　John　Reid；　a　likeminded　man；　whose　memoir　he

wrote：…



　　　　　　　　　　〃Thou　wert　a　daily　lesson

　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　courage；　hope；　and　faith；

　　　　　　　　　　We　wondered　at　thee　living；

　　　　　　　　　　　　We　envy　thee　thy　death。



　　　　　　　　　　Thou　wert　so　meek　and　reverent；

　　　　　　　　　　　　So　resolute　of　will；

　　　　　　　　　　So　bold　to　bear　the　uttermost；

　　　　　　　　　　　　And　yet　so　calm　and　still。〃







NOTES



（1）　From　Lovelace's　lines　to　Lucusta　（Lucy　Sacheverell）；　'Going

to　the　Wars。'



（2）　Amongst　other　great　men　of　genius；　Ariosto　and　Michael　Angelo

devoted　to　her　their　service　and　their　muse。



（3）　See　the　Rev。　F。　W。　Farrar's　admirable　book；　entitled　'Seekers

after　God'　（Sunday　Library）。　　The　author　there　says：　〃Epictetus

was　not　a　Christian。　　He　has　only　once　alluded　to　the　Christians

in　his　works；　and　then　it　is　under　the　opprobrious　title　of

'Galileans；'　who　practised　a　kind　of　insensibility　in　painful

circumstances；　and　an　indifference　to　worldly　interests；　which

Epictetus　unjustly　sets　down　to　'mere　habit。'　Unhappily；　it　was

not　granted　to　these　heathen　philosophers　in　any　true　sense　to

know　what　Christianity　was。　　They　thought　that　it　was　an　attempt

to　imitate　the　results　of　philosophy；　without　having　passed

through　the　necessary　discipline。　　They　viewed　it　with　suspicion；

they　treated　it　with　injustice。　　And　yet　in　Christianity；　and　in

Christianity　alone；　they　would　have　found　an　ideal　which　would

have　surpassed　their　loftiest　anticipations。〃



（4）　Sparks'　'Life　of　Washington；'　pp。　141…2。



（5）　Wellington；　like　Washington；　had　to　pay　the　penalty　of　his

adherence　to　the　cause　he　thought　right；　in　his　loss　of

〃popularity。〃　　He　was　mobbed　in　the　streets　of　London；　and　had　his

windows　smashed　by　the　mob；　while　his　wife　lay　dead　in　the　house。

Sir　Walter　Scott　also　was　hooted　and　pelted　at　Hawick　by　〃the

peop