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Mr. Faraday's introduction to Sir H. Davy.--A renewed correspondence on the subject of the Gunpowder Manufactory.--Davy obtains permission from Napoleon to visit the Continent.--He embarks in a Cartel from Plymouth.--Is arrested at Morlaix.--Arrives at Paris.--Visits the Louvre.--His extraordinary conduct upon that occasion.--Inspects the Colossal Elephant, and is introduced to M. Alavair, its architect.--The discovery of the dungeons of the Bastile.--Davy's interesting letter to M. Alavair.--He attends a meeting of the Institute.--Is visited by all the principal savans of Paris.--The adventure which befell Lady Davy in the Thuilleries' Garden.--Anniversary dinner of the Philomatic Society.--The junior Chemists of France invite Davy to a splendid entertainment.--How far Davy is entitled to be considered the discoverer of the true nature of Iodine.--Napoleon's unlucky experiment with the Voltaic battery.--Davy is presented to the Empress Josephine.--An account of the Court ceremony at Malmaison.--Remarks on the conduct of Davy during his visit to Paris.--He quits the capital of France, and proceeds by way of Lyons, to Montpellier.--Is assisted in experiments on sea-weed by M. Berard.--Crosses the Alps.--Arrives at Genoa.--Institutes experiments on the Torpedo.--Visits Florence, and accomplishes the combustion of the diamond, by the great lens in the cabinet of Natural History.--Experiments on Iodine.--He examines the colours used by the Ancients.--Visits all the celebrated Philosophers of Italy and Switzerland, with whom he works in their laboratories.--Returns to England 1

Collieries of the North of England.--Fire-damp.--The dreadful explosion at Felling Colliery described.--Letters from the Bishop of Bristol to the Author.--A Society is established at Bishop-Wearmouth for preventing accidents in coal mines.--Various projects for ensuring the miner's safety.--The Reverend Dr. Gray, the present Bishop of Bristol, addresses a letter to Sir H. Davy, and invites his attention to the subject.--Sir H. Davy's reply.--Farther Correspondence upon the possibility of devising means of security.--Sir H. Davy proposes four different kinds of lamp for the purpose.--The Safe-lamp--The Blowing-lamp--The Piston-lamp--The Charcoal-lamp.--His investigation of the properties of fire-damp leads to the discovery of a new principle of safety.--His views developed in a paper read before the Royal Society on the 9th of November 1815.--The first Safety-lamp.--Safety-tubes superseded by Safety-canals.--Flame Sieves.--Wire-gauze lamp.--The phenomenon of slow combustion, and its curious application.--The invention of the Safety-lamp claimed by a Mr. Stephenson.--A deputation of Coal-owners wait upon Sir H. Davy, in order to express to him the thanks of the Proprietors for his discovery.--Mr. Buddle announces to Dr. Gray the intention of the Coal-trade to present him with a service of plate.--The Resolutions are opposed, and the claims of Stephenson urged, by Mr. W. Brandling.--A dinner is given to Sir Humphry, at which the plate is presented to him.--The President and Council of the Royal Society protest against the claims still urged by Mr. Stephenson's friends.--Mr. Buddle's letter in answer to several queries submitted to him by the Author.--Davy's Researches on Flame.--He receives from the Royal Society the Rumford Medals.--Is created a Baronet.--Some observations on the apathy of the State in rewarding scientific merit.--The Geological Society of Cornwall receives the patronage and support of Sir Humphry 58

Sir Humphry Davy suggests a chemical method for unrolling the ancient Papyri.--He is encouraged by the Government to proceed to Naples for that purpose.--He embarks at Dover.--His experiments on the Rhine, the Danube, the Raab, the Save, the Ironzo, the Po, and the Tiber, in order to explain the formation of mists on rivers and lakes.--His arrival and reception at Naples.--He visits the excavations at Herculaneum.--He concludes that it was overwhelmed by sand and ashes, but had never been exposed to burning matter.--He commences his attempt of unrolling the Papyri.--His failure.--He complains of the persons at the head of the department in the Museum.--He analyses the waters of the Baths of Lucca.--His return to England.--Death of Sir Joseph Banks.--He is elected President of the Royal Society.--Some remarks on that event.--He visits Penzance.--Is honoured by a public dinner.--Electro-magnetic discoveries of Oersted extended by Davy.--He examines Electrical Phenomena in vacuo.--The results of his experiments questioned.--He enquires into the state of the water, and a?riform matter in the cavities of crystals.--The interesting results of his enquiry confirm the views of the Plutonists 160

The Liquefaction of Chlorine Gas first effected by Mr. Faraday, and witnessed by the Author.--Sir H. Davy continues the investigation.--His paper on the application of Liquefiable Gases as mechanical agents.--Other probable uses of these bodies.--He proposes several methods to prevent the fumes which arise from Smelting-furnaces.--Importance of the subject.--His Letters to Mr. Vivian.--The Government solicit the advice of the Royal Society on the subject of protecting the Copper Sheathing of Ships from the action of sea-water.--Sir H. Davy charges himself with this enquiry.--He proposes a plan of protection founded on Voltaic principles.--His numerous experiments.--He embarks on board the Comet steam-vessel bound to Heligoland, in order to try his plan on a vessel in motion.--He arrives at Mandal, lands, and fishes in the lakes.--The Protectors washed away.--He teaches the inhabitants of Christiansand to crimp fish.--He remains a few days at Arendal.--A Norwegian dinner.--The Protectors are examined and weighed.--Results of the experiment.--The steam-vessel proceeds up the Glommen.--He visits the great waterfall.--Passes into Sweden.--Has an interview with the Crown Prince of Denmark, and afterwards with Prince Christian at Copenhagen.--He visits Professor Oersted.--He proceeds to Bremen to see Dr. Olbers.--Returns to England.--His third paper read before the Royal Society.--Voltaic influence of patches of rust.--A small quantity of fluid sufficient to complete the circuit.--He receives from the Royal Society the Royal Medal.--The Progress of Voltaic discovery reviewed.--The principle is of extensive application.--The Author's researches into the cause of the solution of Lead in spring water.--An account of the numerous trials of Protectors.--Failure of the plan.--Report of the French on the state of the protected frigate, La Constance.--Dr. Revere's new plan of Protection 208

Sir H. Davy's Paper on the Phenomena of Volcanoes.--His experiments on Vesuvius.--Theory of Volcanic action.--His reception abroad.--Anecdotes.--His last Letter to Mr. Poole from Rome.--His paper on the Electricity of the Torpedo.--Consolations in Travel, or the Last Days of a Philosopher.--Analysis of the work.--Reflections suggested by its style and composition.--Davy and Wollaston compared.--His last illness.--Arrival at Geneva.--His Death 341

A GENERAL REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE, AND OF THE REVOLUTIONS PRODUCED IN ITS DOCTRINES BY THE DISCOVERIES OF SIR HUMPHRY DAVY 415

THE LIFE OF SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, BART. &c. &c.

It is said of Bergman, that he considered the greatest of his discoveries to have been the discovery of Scheele. Amongst the numerous services conferred upon Science by Sir Humphry Davy, we must not pass unnoticed that kind and generous patronage which first raised Mr. Faraday from obscurity, and gave to the chemical world a philosopher capable of pursuing that brilliant path of enquiry which the genius of his master had so successfully explored.

See Note at page 42, vol. i.

The circumstances which first led Mr. Faraday to the study of chemistry, and by which he became connected with the Royal Institution, were communicated to me, by himself, in the following letter.

TO J. A. PARIS, M.D.

MY DEAR SIR, Royal Institution, Dec. 23, 1829.

You asked me to give you an account of my first introduction to Sir H. Davy, which I am very happy to do, as I think the circumstances will bear testimony to his goodness of heart.

When I was a bookseller's apprentice, I was very fond of experiment, and very averse to trade. It happened that a gentleman, a member of the Royal Institution, took me to hear some of Sir H. Davy's last lectures in Albemarle Street. I took notes, and afterwards wrote them out more fairly in a quarto volume.

My desire to escape from trade, which I thought vicious and selfish, and to enter into the service of Science, which I imagined made its pursuers amiable and liberal, induced me at last to take the bold and simple step of writing to Sir H. Davy, expressing my wishes, and a hope that, if an opportunity came in his way, he would favour my views; at the same time I sent the notes I had taken at his lectures.

The answer, which makes all the point of my communication, I send you in the original, requesting you to take great care of it, and to let me have it back, for you may imagine how much I value it.

You will observe that this took place at the end of the year 1812, and early in 1813 he requested to see me, and told me of the situation of assistant in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution, then just vacant.

At the same time that he thus gratified my desires as to scientific employment, he still advised me not to give up the prospects I had before me, telling me that Science was a harsh mistress; and, in a pecuniary point of view, but poorly rewarding those who devoted themselves to her service. He smiled at my notion of the superior moral feelings of philosophic men, and said he would leave me to the experience of a few years to set me right on that matter.

Finally, through his good efforts I went to the Royal Institution early in March of 1813, as assistant in the Laboratory; and in October of the same year, went with him abroad as his assistant in experiments and in writing. I returned with him in April 1815, resumed my station in the Royal Institution, and have, as you know, ever since remained there.

I am, dear Sir, very truly yours,

M. FARADAY.

The following is a note of Sir H. Davy, alluded to in Mr. Faraday's letter:

TO MR. FARADAY.

SIR, December 24, 1812.

I am far from displeased with the proof you have given me of your confidence, and which displays great zeal, power of memory, and attention. I am obliged to go out of town, and shall not be settled in town till the end of January: I will then see you at any time you wish.

It would gratify me to be of any service to you. I wish it may be in my power.

I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant,

H. DAVY.

I must now recall the reader's attention to the affair of the gunpowder manufactory, to which some allusion has been already made. It is far from my wish to intrude upon the public any account of a private transaction; but the circumstances to which I must refer are already well known, and I believe, moreover, that they have been the subject of misrepresentation.

The letters I shall introduce appear to me highly interesting; and by the warmth of feeling with which they repel the bare suspicion of his prostituting science to the acquisition of wealth, to develope a feature in his character too important to be omitted in a memoir of his life.

From the following letter, it would appear that Davy's alarms, with respect to his responsibilities, were first awakened by a sight of the labels, in which his name was introduced.

I am here bound to state, from a careful examination of all the original documents, that his name was introduced in the very words which he suggested, and which I have at this moment before me in his own handwriting:--so differently, however, does the same sentence strike the eye in print and in manuscript, that an author frequently does not recognise his own composition.

TO JOHN GEORGE CHILDREN, ESQ.

MY DEAR CHILDREN, Rokeby, July -- 1813.

I am very sorry you did not come to Cobham, as the party was very pleasant.

I have written to Mr. Burton by post, giving two forms. I shall do you more good if these are adopted than I can now; and I wish them to be adopted speedily, as it may otherwise get abroad that I have nothing to do with the powder, and that my name is used in a manner which does not meet my approbation.

A fair statement will do the manufacture good. Misapprehension will do it much harm.

I am now at Rokeby; we shall be in a few days at Braham Castle, Lord Mackenzie's, near Dingwall, where we shall stay for a week. After that we shall go to the Marquis of Stafford's, Dunrobin, near Goldspie.

I am, my dear Children,

Very truly and affectionately yours,

H. DAVY.

TO THE SAME.

MY DEAR CHILDREN, Edinburgh, July 22.

I wrote to you from Rokeby. I expressed my feelings respecting the gunpowder. I have been in extreme harass and anxiety from the idea of the use of my name, without the proper explanation, and I certainly expected that no use would have been made of it without my sanction. I never saw the label for the canister till it came to me upon one of them, and I immediately expressed that I was not satisfied with it.

Every feeling of friendship and affection prompts my wishes to be useful to you; I have not the same relations to Mr. Burton.

I am very sorry to give you any trouble on this business, but I am sure you cannot wish me to remain in a state of anxiety; and all the friends with whom I have consulted think it absolutely necessary for my reputation, that, when my name is used, a clear statement should be given of the true nature of the connexion.

I think it will be more useful to you, and increase your influence and power in the partnership, if my assistance is stated as given to you, and to you only--in this way: "RAMHURST GUNPOWDER, manufactured by Messrs. Burton, Children, and Co. after an improved process, founded upon experiments and investigations made by Sir H. Davy, and communicated by him to Mr. J. G. Children, under whose immediate superintendence the gunpowder is made."

I have fully made up my mind on this matter: and if you approve of the above form, I will state it to be the only one to which I will consent.

If the gunpowder is called Sir H. Davy's powder, it must be stated in all cases where my name is used, that it is so called in honour of my discoveries in chemistry, and because I have given my gratuitous assistance in making the experiments and investigations on which the process is founded.

I have resolved to make no profit of any thing connected with science. I devote my life to the public in future, and I must have it clearly understood, that I have no views of profit in any thing I do. I am, my dear Children,

Very affectionately yours,

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