Year: 1872

I2mo pp l76. Macmillan q Co.


Although Professor Faraday's distinguished career
has received many appropriate tributes at the hands
Of Do Ia Rive, Tyndall. Dr. Bence Jones, and other
admirers of his genius aud character, the present
biography is by no means q superhuous work, ana
win be gratefully welcomed as lucid record OF one
Of the ablest and most interesting sef-taueht men
Of tho nineteenth century 1t is founded mainly on
the personal "reminiscences Of the writer, but Is en-
rched with materials that had been previously col
,eeted and with information derived from
documents hitherto unpublished Mr.. Glad
stone is master of an easy and graceful nara
tive style He modestly keeps himself in the back
ground, and places the subject of his sketch ID q
,onspiouous and favorable light. His memoir is
written with warm personal feeling no less than
with just appreciation of the position OF taradaY
as man of science. tits intended for popular read
ing and aims TO do justice to the admirable person.
al qualities of the subject, which are quite as re-
markable as his philosophical discoveries


NJ, Faraday was the son Of a journeymau black
smith and was born in the beginning of the last de-
cade of the past century His early life was stepped
in poverty When thirteen years old, he became
errand boy to a bookseller, who afteryard took him
as an apprentice This situation gave him an insight
into books. and awakened love Of reading In his
youthful mind. His first intellectual food was de-
rived from Watts's Improvement of the Mind
Mrs Marcets Conversations on Chemistry, ana
the article on Electricity" in the Encyclopedia
Britannica" besides occasional taste OF lighter
reading in Miss Burneys once celebrated novels de
carly began TO amuse himself with chemistry. His
first experiments were performed with cheap cleo
trieal machine made out of glass phial, which Is
now treasured up among the ouriosites OF the hOyS
institution Soon after he was taken by one OF lhe
customers of the shop TO hear the lectures OF sir
Humphry Davy who was then IN the zenith OF MS


1.rNaN Narya ovarlU N
brilliant professor and taking copious notes OF the
lactpres which he subsequently wrote ont in
onarto volume. On the completion Of his apprentice
shin he became a journeyman bookbnder, but ne
had disagreeable employer and longed for emanci-
patton from the distasteful service.


About that time. Sir Humphry Davy met with an
accident to one of his eyes while experimenting WIN
ahiehy explosive liquid. lie was of course unable
10 write and young Faraday made bold to apply for
the place of his amanuensis "Davy' IL seems,
called with the letter one Of his fuends-at that
time honorary inspector of the models ana appara-
tus-and said 'Pepys, what am to do Here Is a
letter from a young man named Faraday; he has
leen attending my lectures, and wants me TO give
him employment at the Royal lnstitutlon-iohat can
Idor Dor replied Pepys; put him to wash bottles;
if he is good for anything no will do it directly
he refuses, be is good for nothing No, no. re-
piled Davy we must try him with something better
than that.


Sir Humphry, accordingly, wrote kind reply
and had AN interview with the young man on the
rubiect He gave him little encouragement adj
vsing him to stick to his business as science was
harsh mistress and poorly rewarded those who de-
voted themselves to her service. He however, ac-
eepted his offer and received him into hls employ
mont as assistant in the laboratory as well as
amanuensis which latter function he continued to
fulfill but a short time He was intrusted with the
charge of the instruments and apparatus, and
among other things he put in o1der the
mineIalogcal collection. The change in hls enr
ployment excited fresh eanestness in the pur'
suit of knowledge. Seven months after his ap
pointment he was invited by Sir Humphry Davy to
,ecompany him on an excursion to the Continent


He accepted the proposal and Travelled for eighteen
months about France, Italy, and Switzerland, re
turning through the Tyrol Germany, and Holland
His impressions from the novel scenes IN which h'
was placed are vividly described in his letters.
have not forgot" he writes to a friend and never
shall forget the ideas that forced on my mind
in the first DAYS To me- who had lived all my day:
of remembrance in London, city surrounded by
fat green country, hin mountain, end 9
stone rock for though had abstract ideas OF the
things and could say rock and mountain, and
would talk of them, yet l had no perfect ideas
Conceive then the astonishment, the pleasure, and
the information which entered my mind in the

tions Of the earth first exposed TO my view
and where / first saw granite limestone, &C, in
these places and in those forms where the ever
working and all-wonderful hand of nature had
placed them. Mr.. Ben. it is impossible you can
conceive my feelings and 1t is as impossible for me
10 describe them. The then presented a new
source of information and interest; and on ap-
preaching the shore of France, with what eager
ness and how often. my eyes directed TO the
South When arrived there, thought myself in an
unciYilized countTy for never before nor since have
seen such wretched beings as at Morlaix." The
year aud half spent in foreign travel was like a
liberal education 10 Faraday. His university was
Eurore and his professors the master by
whom he was employed, and the illustrious
men whom the renOwn of DavY introduced
10 the travellers, 1t made him personally
known 70 many scientific foreigners at a time when
there was little intercourse between Great Britain
and the Continent. He thus became associated
with the French Academy of Sciences while still
young, his works found welcome all over Europe,
and several of the most eminent representatives Of
foreign science became his intimate friends Upon
his return from Europe, he renewed his engagement
at the Royal Institution. His occupations during
this period were multifaTious enough We must
picture him to ourselves as a young g-looking man of
about thirty years Of age, well made, and neat in
his dress his cheerfuness of disposition often break
ing out in short crispy laugh but thoughtful
enough when something important is to be done.
He has TO prepare the apparatus for Brande's lee
tures, and when the hour has arrived be stands
the right of the Professor and helps him to produce
the strange transformations of the chemical art.
Aud cOnjurOrs indeed the two appear in the eyes of
the youth on tho left who waits upon them, then
the laboratory assistant now the well Unknown au-