Lorenz Oken, a Biographical Sketch, Or, in Memoriam of the Centenary of His Birth (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1883. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. In adding one more, by this translation, to the list of Biographies that now issue so abundantly from the press, the writer has no need to beg the indulgence of the reader as though he were setting before him afresh the story of a life which had in one form or another, whether at home or abroad, been already told. So far indeed is this from being the case as regards the celebrated naturalist Lorenz Oken, that unless we are content to accept as an equivalent for any further details concerning his history a mere summary of his scientific labours such as may be readily found in the columns of an Encyclopaedia, what we really know about his life may be said to amount to little or nought. However desirable it might be to learn something about the man himself, his origin and early education, the incidents of his career as determined by the times and circumstances into which his lot was cast, the nature of his disposition or temperament when brought into conflict with the trials and troubles of everyday life, we shall soon discover that as regards any source of information upon these particulars a gap has hitherto existed which, prior to the publication of the present sketch by Alexander Ecker, no one even of his own countrymen had attempted to fill up. And yet, if only for one reason involving an act of justice to Oken's memory, it was high time and befitting that this task should sooner or later be done. Reticent as most of his biographers have been upon the facts of his daily life, they have, generally speaking, made some passing allusion to the fact of Oken having incurred more than once the displeasure of the German governments by his liberal political opinions, and so been driven to seek an asylum of refuge ...