d his attention
alive to every one's question, his information at every one's
command. His talents and fancy overflowed on every subject. One
gentleman was a deep philologist, he talked with him on the
origin of the alphabet as if he had been coeval with Cadmus;
another, a celebrated critic, you would have said the old man
had studied political economy and _belles lettres_ all his life;
of science it is unnecessary to speak, it was his own
distinguished walk.

Lord Brougham says:

We have been considering this eminent person as yet only in his
public capacity, as a benefactor of mankind by his fertile
genius and indomitable perseverance; and the best portraiture of
his intellectual character was to be found in the description of
his attainments. It is, however, proper to survey him also in
private life. He was unexceptionable in all its relations; and
as his activity was unmeasured, and his taste anything rather
than fastidious, he both was master of every variety of
knowledge, and was tolerant of discussion on subjects of very
subordinate importance compared with those on which he most
excelled. Not only all the sciences from the mathematics and
astronomy, down to botany, received his diligent attention, but
he was tolerably read in the lighter kinds of literature,
delighting in poetry and other works of fiction, full of the
stores of ancient literature, and readily giving himself up to
the critical disquisitions of commentators, and to discussion on
the fancies of etymology. His manners were most attractive from
their perfect nature and simplicity. His conversation was rich
in the measure which such stores and such easy taste might lead
us to expect, and it astonished all listeners with its admirable
precision, with the extraordinary memory it displayed, with the
distinctness it seemed to have, as if his mind had separate
niches for keeping each particular, and with its complete
rejection of all worthless and superfluous matter, as if the
same mind had some fine machine for acting like a fan, casting
off the chaff and the husk. But it had besides a peculiar charm
from the pleasure he took in conveying information where he was
peculiarly able to give it, and in joining with entire candor
whatever discussion happened to arise. Even upon matters on
which he was entitl