MICHAEL FARADAY, D.C.L., F.R.S.

MR. DAVIES GILBERT, who was the early friend and patron of Sir Humphry Davy, and subsequently President of the Royal Society, is said to have remarked that "the greatest discovery Davy ever made was the discovery of Michael Faraday." Certainly no circumstance reflects more honour on the name of the discoverer of the metallic bases of the alkalies and earths, than the disinterested patronage which he bestowed on the bookseller's apprentice when he was struggling to enter into the service of Science.

Michael Faraday was the son of a smith; he was born at Newington, on the 22nd September, 1791. The limited means of his parents did not allow of their extending the education of the young Michael, beyond that afforded by a common day-school in the neighbourhood. Here he was instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and he picked up, from such books as fell in his way, so much information of a general character, as deeply interested him, and induced a fondness for reading, at the same time as it quickened those habits of careful observation which appear to have been of natural growth in this young philosopher. When thirteen years of age, Michael Faraday was apprenticed to Mr. Riebau, of Blandford Street, a bookseller and binder. The desire of the boy to be amongst books appears to have led to this arrangement; and some scientific treatises falling into his hands, kindled in him that spirit of scientific inquiry, which has led him onward to those brilliant results, which add lustre to the history of British Science.

We are informed that thus early, in the intervals of business, which were few, he made an electrifying machine with a glass phial, and that subsequently he succeeded in constructing one with

a proper cylinder. With this instrument he made himself familiar with all the phenomena of this Force then known, and discovered the extent of the field of inquiry opening before him. Mr. Dance, who frequented Mr. Riebau's shop, was a Member of the Royal Institution, and being interested in the intelligence and industry of the apprentice, he took him to hear some of Davy's lectures. But this important event in the life of the philosopher is best described in his own words, taken from a letter to Dr. Paris, written in 1829:

"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 Humphry 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

*"To Mr. Faraday. December 24th, 1812.-Sir, 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."

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."

The duties of an assistant in a laboratory where Davy, Wollaston, and others were busy in original researches, or in examining the discoveries made by Continental and British chemists, at a time when science progressed rapidly, left Faraday but little time for any inquiries of his own. This was, however, the period of his apprenticeship as an experimental philosopher, and zealously did he cultivate those divisions of knowledge which have aided him in the maturity of his fame.

The progress of an experimentalist is to be marked only by his discoveries. In the quiet of the laboratory there would be but few incidents which would add colour to the portrait of the true philosopher.

In 1820 Mr. Faraday published his discovery of that interesting substance the chloride of carbon, and in that year Ersted announced his great discovery of the relation of electricity and magnetism. In the October of the same year Faraday commenced his investigations on this subject, with which his name must be for ever connected; and in a paper dated September 11, 1821, he published his discovery of " New Electro-Magnetic Motions," and added thereto "A Theory of Magnetism," in the 'Quarterly Journal of Science.' In 1823 the condensation of chlorine into a liquid was first effected by our young chemist, and an account of his experiments published in the Philosophical Transactions,' with a note by Davy, "On the Condensation of Muriatic Acid Gas into the liquid form." In this year the English chemist was elected Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of Paris.

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We have been informed that the only feeling of anything approaching to jealousy shown by Davy towards Faraday, was exhibited in connection with this discovery of the condensation of the gases, and sundry papers by Davy show how deeply he was interested in the problem which had been solved by Faraday.

Davy is said to have discouraged the idea of recommending Faraday for election into the Royal Society, and certain it is, that he was elected a Fellow on the 8th January, 1824, mainly through the instrumentality of the late Richard Phillips, the chemist, who