Page:Biographies of Scientific Men.djvu/248

 body lay in state in the Jerusalem Chamber, and distinguished men from all parts of Europe came to pay their last respects to the memory of the great British philosopher. Among these was no less a person than Voltaire (1694-1778). He had the greatest admiration for Sir Isaac Newton, and of this great occasion, he wrote that "if all the geniuses of the universe should assemble, Newton would lead the band."

In the nave of the Abbey, where Kelvin lies buried, there are the graves of Newton, Darwin, Lyell, Herschel, Hunter, Livingstone, and others—a veritable "Science Corner." With the death of Lord Kelvin disappears one of the grandest figures in the history of science. His country honoured itself in recognizing his merits, and England has every reason to bewail her loss, for however rich she may be in distinguished men, she cannot fail to recognize that the loss of Lord Kelvin is an irreparable one.

Although Lord Kelvin did not care for the present-day work on electrons or fractional atoms and the crumbling of the elements, his mind was free from bias; and he viewed the brilliant researches of J. J. Thomson, Ramsay, and others with the keen eye of the philosopher.