ess and unsophisticated simplicity, is characteristic of the
man. It is dated Nov. 27, 1895, and he died a year afterwards, on Dec.
10, 1896, leaving a fortune of $10,000,000. After instituting several
small legacies, the will proceeds:

"With the residue of my convertible estate I hereby direct my
executors to proceed as follows: They shall convert my said residue of
property into money, which they shall then invest in safe securities;
the capital thus secured shall constitute a fund, the interest
accruing from which shall be annually awarded in prizes to those
persons who shall have contributed most materially to benefit mankind
during the year immediately preceding. The said interest shall be
divided into five equal amounts, to be apportioned as follows: one
share to the person who shall have made the most important discovery
or invention in the domain of physics; one share to the person who
shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement;
one share to the person who shall have made the most important
discovery in the domain of physiology or medicine; one share to the
person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most
distinguished work of an idealistic tendency; and, finally, one share
to the person who shall have most or best promoted the fraternity of
nations and the abolition or diminution of standing armies and the
formation or increase of peace congresses. The prizes for physics
and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Science in
Stockholm, the one for physiology or medicine by the Caroline Medical
Institute in Stockholm; the prize for literature by the Swedish
Academy in Stockholm, and that for peace by a committee of five
persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storthing. I declare it to be
my express desire that, in awarding these prizes, no consideration
whatever be paid to the nationality of the candidates, that is to
say, the most deserving be awarded the prize, whether of Scandinavian
origin or not."

It was Nobel's object to reward and help the pure man of science, too
much absorbed in his researches to think of drawing any industrial or
pecuniary advantages from his scientific discoveries. "I would not
leave anything to a man of action or industrial enterprise," he said
to a friend with whom he was discussing the project of his will; "the
sudden acquisition of a fortune would probably only damp the energy
and weaken the spirit of enterprise of such