Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary SomervilleSomerville, Mary
History
Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville
Somerville, Mary
Somerville, Mary, 1780-1872; Women scientists -- Great Britain -- Biography
I am much obliged to you for your kind letter which let me know of
your movements. I had not heard of them since I saw the
Fergusons.... We have been here since parliament rose, as I am not
yet at all equal to going to Brougham. My health is now quite
restored; but I shall not soon--nor in all probability ever--recover
the losses I have been afflicted with. I passed the greater part of
last winter in Provence, expecting some relief from change of scene
and from the fine climate; but I came back fully worse than when I
went. In fact, I did wrong in struggling at first, which I did to be
able to meet parliament in January last. If I had yielded at once, I
would have been better. I hope and trust they sent you a book I
published two years ago; I mean the "Dissertations," of which one is
on the "Principia," and designed to try how far it may be taught to
persons having but a very moderate stock of mathematics; also, if
possible, to keep alive the _true taste_ (as I reckon it) in
mathematics, which modern analysis has a little broken in upon.
Assuming you to have got the book, I must mention that there are
some intolerable errors of the press left, such as.... Excuse my
troubling you with these errata, and impute it to my wish that you
should not suppose me to have written the nonsense which these pages
seem to prove. By the way, it is a curious proof of university
prejudice, that though the Cambridge men admit my analysis of the
"Principia" to be unexceptionable, and to be well calculated for
teaching the work, yet, _not being by a Cambridge man_, it cannot be
used! They are far more liberal at Paris, where they only are
waiting for my analysis of the second book; but I put off finishing
it, as I do still more my account of the "Mecanique Celeste." The
latter I have almost abandoned in despair after nearly finishing it;
I find so much that cannot be explained elementarily, or anything
near it. So that my account to be complete would be nearly as hard
reading as yours, and not 1000th part as good.... I greatly envy you
Siena; I never was there above a day, and always desired to stay
longer. The language is, as you say, a real charm; but I was not
aware of the preservation in which you describe the older manners to
be. I fear I shall not be able to visit Provence, as I should have
wished this winter ... but my plans are not quite fixed. The
judicial business in Parliament and the Privy Council will also make
my going abroad after January difficult. I don't write you any news,
nor is there any but what you see in the papers. The Tory
restoration approaches very steadily, tho' not very rapidly; and I
only hope that the Whigs, having contrived to destroy the Liberal
party in the country--I fear past all hope of recovery--may not have
a war abroad also to mourn for....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account