By the death of Sir James Paget, full of years
and of well- earned honours, a noble profession loses one of its noblest figures. Born in 1814, he commenced practice in 1837, and only retired from it half-a-dozen years ago. Endowed with great natural ability and a perfect temper, he built up his reputation by tireless industry, great skill and resourceful- ness, and perhaps, above all, by the confidence reposed in his high character. As an instance of his infinite capacity for taking pains it may be noted that his gift of literary expres- sion was the result of relentless self-criticism, and that by sheer hard work he made himself the best speaker in his profession. Indefatigably industrious, he yet found time to be a thinker. (How admirable, for example, is his observa- tion in an address, afterwards printed in the Nineteenth Century, that the vital element in recreation is surprise.) The author of the notice in the Times regards him as having been overfond of compromise, but those who knew him best will demur to the accuracy of this estimate of his character. For the rest, we should not fail to notice that Sir James was a consistent believer in the cardinal doctrines of Christianity, and that his adhesion to the practice of vivi- section, in view of his highmindedness and humanity, over- bore the instinctive objections of many laymen.
Previous page
