d, therefore, to be at all encumbered 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 painful study of the originals,
and that errors and absurdities became manifest from the mere
clearness and plainness of his statement of them, which might
have deluded and perplexed most of his hearers without that
invaluable assistance.

It is needless to say, that, with those vast resources, his
conversation was at all times rich and instructive in no
ordinary degree; but it was, if possible, still more pleasing
than wise, and had all the charms of familiarity, with all the
substantial treasures of knowledge. No man could be more social
in his spirit, less assuming or fastidious in his manners, or
more kind and indulgent toward all who approached him. He rather
liked to talk, at least in his latter years, but though he took
a considerable share of the conversation, he rarely suggested
the topics on which it was to turn, but readily and quietly took
up whatever was presented by those around him, and astonished
the idle and barren propounders of an ordinary theme, by the
treasures which he drew from the mine they had inconsciously
opened. He generally seemed, indeed, to have no choice or
predilection for one subject of discourse rather than another;
but allowed his mind, like a great cyclopaedia, to be opened at
any letter his associates might choose to turn up, and only
endeavour to select, from his inexhaustible stores, what might
be best adapted to the taste of his present hearers. As to their
capacity he gave himself no trouble; and, indeed, such was his
singular talent for making all things plain, clear, and
intelligible, that scarcely any one could be aware of such a
deficiency in his presence. His talk, too, though overflowing
with information, had no resemblance to lecturing or solemn
discoursing, but, on the contrary, was full of colloqui