Emerson was, in person, somewhat below the middle size, but firm, compact, and well made, very active and strong. He had a good open countenance, with a rud dy complexion, a keen penetrating eye, and an al.• dour and eagerness of look that was very expressive of the texture of his mind. His dress was simple and plain, or, perhaps, some might say slovenly and gro tesque ; hut Emerson was a man of independent and, therefore, was no way uneasy about the appearance he might make in other people's eyes—he knew his own value as a man, and disregarding the opinion of the superficial observer, who places all worth in out ward appearances, he claimed kindred, and wished to be ranked only with the intellectual nobility. His diet also was as plain and simple as his dress ; and his meals gave him little interruption in his studies, employ ments, or amusements. During his days of close ap plication the seldom sat down to eat, but he would take a cold pie, or meat of any kind in his hand, and reti ring with it to his place of study, he satisfied his ap petite for knowledge and food at the same time. And when his stock of groceries, or other necessaries in the article of house-keeping, run low, on Monday morning he took his wallet, which he flung obliquely across his shoulders, and set forward to the market of Darling 'ton, three miles distant, and after providing the neces sary articles, he would set himself contentedly down in some public house for the remainder of the day, and frequently for the night too, sometimes not returning home till late on Tuesday or Wednesday : he remained talking or disputing on various topics, mechanics, poli tics, or religion, according to his company. Being sel dom possessed of any stock of ale at home, he would sometimes indulge in these protracted potations at Hui. worth, and he was always remarkably exact in appor tioning each man's share of the reckoning.
His style in conversation was generally very abrupt and blunt, and often ungrammatical, and this led many people to suppose that he could not write his own pre faces ; but this was no rule to judge by, as we cannot with any degree of certainty determine how a man will write from his conversation. It will ever be a lasting reproach to the rich and great of his clay, that such a man as Emerson was suffered to end his days in obscu rity. It is true he possessed a small farm, which ren dered him in some measure independent; but his abi lities deserved greater encouragement, and it is proba ble his name would scarcely have been known in the republic of letters, but for the friendship of Air 'Mon tagu, who first recommended him to that eminent book seller Mr Nou•se, of London, who engaged him on very liberal terms, to furnish a regular course of the mathe matics for the use of students. It does not appear that
he was very anxious about literary distinctions or titles: He did not wish to be admitted a fellow of the Royal Society, because, he said, it was a hard thing that a man should burn so many farthing candles as he had done, and then have to pay so much a year for the honour of F. R. S. at his name. Emerson, like other men, had his foibles and defects. He was singular and uncouth in his dress and manners, and hasty and im petuous in his temper. But whatever failings he had, they were more than overbalanced by his virtues. He had a firm and independent mind, that could not be brought to submit to any thing mean, base, or disinge nuous ; a pure, genuine, and ardent love of truth, and a detestation of falsehood of every species. His hones ty and integrity were such, that all who knew him re posed in him the most implicit confidence, and no man could ever justly complain that Emerson had deceived him.
His abilities as a mathematician will not rank him amongst those of the first class. Though he cannot be said to have added any remarkable discovery to the sci ence, yet when we take into consideration the many valuable works which he has written, and the astonish ing progress which he made in every branch of the ma thematics, perhaps without any assistance but the exer tions of a vigorous mind, we cannot fail to regard him as a mathematician of wonderlul acquirements, and as entitled to the gratitude of posterity. He died May 21, 1782, and lies buried in the church yard at Hnr worth, at the west end of the church, against which is erected to his memory a stone, with a short Latin in scription; but his works furnish a more splendid, as well as a more durable monument to his memory and fame. For a more detailed account of the life of this celebrated mathematician, and of his works, sec his Tracts. new edition, printed in London, 1793, by F. \Vingrave. (G.)