e in his slashing way twice in our after joint
lives, and on both occasions he acknowledged himself overcome, by that
change of manner, and apologetic mode of continuance, which I had seen him
employ towards others under like circumstances.

I had expressed my wish to have a _thermometer of probability_, with
impossibility at one end, as 2 and 2 make 5, and necessity at the other, as
2 and 2 make 4, and a graduated rise of examples between them. Down came a
blow: "What! put necessary and contingent propositions together! It's
absurd!" I pointed out that the two kinds of necessity are but such
extremes of probability as 0 and [infinity] are of number, and illustrated
by an urn with 1 white and _n_ black {247} balls, _n_ increasing without
limit. It was frankly seen, and the point yielded; a large company was
present.

Again, in a large party, after dinner, and politics being the subject, I
was proceeding, in discussion with Mr. Whewell, with "I think"...--"Ugh!
_you_ think!" was the answer. I repeated my phrase, and gave as a reason
the words which Lord Grey[396] had used in the House of Lords the night
before (the celebrated advice to the Bishops to set their houses in order).
He had not heard of this, and his manner changed in an instant: he was the
rational discutient all the rest of the evening, having previously been
nothing but a disputant with all the distinctions strongly marked.

I have said that Whewell was gentle with his pupils; it was the same with
all who wanted teaching: it was only on an armed enemy that he drew his
weapon. The letter which he wrote to Mr. J. Smith is an instance: and as it
applies with perfect fidelity to the efforts of unreasoning above
described, I give it here. Mr. James Smith is skilfully exposed, and felt
it; as is proved by "putting the writer in the stocks."

"The Lodge, Cambridge, September 14th, 1862.

"Sir,--I have received your explanation of your proposition that the
circumference of the circle is to its diameter as 25 to 8. I am afraid I
shall disappoint you by saying that I see no force in your proof: and I
should hope that you will see that there is no force in it if you consider
this: In the whole course of the proof, though the word cycle occurs, there
is no property of the circle employed. You may do this: you may put the
word _hexagon_ or _dodecagon_, or any other word describing a polygon in
the place of _Circle_ in your proof, and the proof would be just as good a