CHAPTER III.

Count Rumford negotiates with Mr. Underwood on the subject of Davy's appointment to the Royal Institution. Terms of his engagement communicated in a letter to Mr. Gilbert.-Davy arrives, and takes possession of his apartments.—He receives various mortifications.—He is elected a member of the Tepidarian Society.-Is appointed Lecturer instead of assistant. He makes a tour in Cornwall with Mr. Underwood.-Anecdotes.-His Poem on Spinosism.-His letter to Mr. Gilbert, communicating a galvanic discovery. He commences his first grand course of lectures. His brilliant success.-A letter from Mr. Purkis.-Davy's style criticised.-His extraordinary method of experimenting.-Davy and Wollaston compared as experimentalists.-The style of Davy as a lecturer and a writer contrasted.

It may be readily supposed that the prominent situation held by Davy at IT Bristol, as well as the merited celebrity of his writings, must have rendered his name familiar to all the leading philosophers of the day. It were vain, therefore, to enquire through what channel the echo of his fame first reached the ear of Count Rumford; it is sufficient to state that Mr. Underwood, a gentleman ardently attached to science, and devoted to the interests of the Royal Institution, was amongst the first to urge the expediency of inviting him to London as a public lecturer. Mr. Underwood, in a letter lately addressed to me from Paris, says, "In consequence of several conversations with Count Rumford, on the subject of Davy's superior talents, and the advantages that would accrue to the Institution from engaging him as a lecturer, the Count

Amongst other celebrated chemists who had become acquainted with Davy at Bristol, and subsequently spoken of his extraordinary genius, was Dr. Hope. He informs me that Count Rumford had applied to him to find some chemist who would undertake the office of lecturer at the Institution; but that he failed in discovering such a person as he could, with propriety, introduce; some time afterwards, however, he became acquainted with Davy, and having soon perceived his talents, recommended him without any hesitation to the patronage of the Count. This circumstance, combined with several others, no doubt might have had its influence in deciding the fate of Davy.

called upon me on the 5th of January 1801, having received from the managers of the Institution full powers to negotiate upon the subject. On this occasion, however, I thought it advisable to introduce the Count to Mr. James Thomson, as being the more eligible person to treat in behalf of Davy, not only on account of his greater intimacy with him, but because, not being a proprietor, he was unconnected with the interests of the Institution."

Mr. Thomson, who saw the prospect of honour and emolument thus opened for his friend, after a satisfactory interview with Count Rumford, immediately wrote to Davy, with an earnest recommendation that he should, without loss of time, come to town, and conclude an arrangement thus auspiciously commenced.

Davy, with his characteristic ardour, answered the letter in person. He was introduced to the managers, and the preliminary arrangements were soon completed; the nature of which is disclosed by Davy himself in the following letter to Mr. Gilbert.

Hotwells, March 8, 1801.

I CANNOT think of quitting the Pneumatic Institution, without giving you intimation of it in a letter; indeed, I believe I should have done this some time ago, had not the hurry of business, and the fever of emotion produced by the prospect of novel changes in futurity, destroyed to a certain extent my powers of consistent action.

You, my dear Sir, have behaved to me with great kindness, and the little ability I possess you have very much contributed to develope; I should therefore accuse myself of ingratitude, were I to neglect to ask your approbation of the measures I have adopted with regard to the change of my situation, and the enlargement of my views in life.

In consequence of an invitation from Count Rumford, given to me with some proposals relative to the Royal Institution, I visited London in the middle of February, where, after several conferences with that gentleman, I was invited by the Managers of the Royal Institution to become the Director of their laboratory, and their Assistant Professor of chemistry; at the same time I was assured that, within the space of two or three seasons, I should be made sole Professor of Chemistry, still continuing Director of the laboratory.

The immediate emolument offered was sufficient for my wants; and the sole and uncontrolled use of the apparatus of the Institution, for private experiments, was to be granted me.

The behaviour of Count Rumford, Sir Jospeh Banks, Mr. Cavendish, and the other principal managers, was liberal and polite; and they promised me any apparatus that I might need for new experiments.

The time required to be devoted to the services of the Institution was but short, being limited chiefly to the winter and spring. The emoluments to be attached to the office of sole Professor of Chemistry are great; and, above all, the situation is permanent, and held very honourable.

These motives, joined to the approbation of Dr. Beddoes, who with great liberality has absolved me from my engagements at the Pneumatic Institution, and the strong wishes of most of my friends in London and Bristol, determined my conduct.

Thus I am quickly to be transferred to London, whilst my sphere of action is considerably enlarged, and as much power as I could reasonably expect, or even wish for at my time of life, secured to me without the obligation of labouring at a profession.

The Royal Institution will, I hope, be of some utility to society. It has undoubtedly the capability of becoming a great instrument of moral and intellectual improvement. Its funds are very great. It has attached to it the feelings of a great number of people of fashion and property, and consequently may be the means of employing, to useful purposes, money which would otherwise be squandered in luxury, and in the production of unnecessary labour.

Count Rumford professes that it will be kept distinct from party politics; I sincerely wish that such may be the case, though I fear it.* As for myself, I shall become attached to it full of hope, with the resolution of employing all feeble powers towards promoting its true interests.

my

So much of my paper has been given to pure egotism, that I have but little room left to say any thing concerning the state of science, and the public mind in town; unfortunately, there is little to say. I have heard of no important discoveries. In politics, nothing seems capable of exciting permanent interest. The stroke of poverty, though severely felt, has been a torpedo, benumbing all energy, and not irritating and awakening it, as might have been expected.

* In England, politics so constantly mix themselves up with all our institutions, while science unfortunately finds so few disciples and patrons in the ranks of aristocracy, that every new society is viewed with jealousy and party spirit. Johnson says, in his Life of Addison" It has been suggested that the Royal Society was instituted soon after the Restoration, to divert the attention of the people from public discontent."-P.

Here, at the Pneumatic Institution, the nitrous oxide has evidently been of use. Dr. Beddoes is proceeding in the execution of his great popular physiological work, which, if it equals the plan he holds out, ought to supersede every work of the kind.

I have been pursuing Galvanism with labour, and some success. I have been able to produce galvanic power from simple plates, by effecting on them different oxidating and de-oxidating processes; but on this point I cannot enlarge in the small remaining space of paper.

Your remark concerning negative Galvanism, and de-oxidation, is curious, and will most probably hold good.

It will give me much pleasure to see your mathematical Paper* in the Philosophical Transactions, but it will be, unfortunately, to me the pleasure of blind sympathy, though derived from the consciousness that you ought to be acting upon, and instructing the world at large.

It will give me sincere pleasure to hear from you, when you are at leisure. After the 11th I shall be in town-my direction, Royal Institution, Albemarle Street. I am, my dear friend, with respect and affection,

Yours,

HUMPHRY DAVY.

The first notice of Davy's name, in the Minute Book of the Royal Institution, occurs in the Report adopted at a Meeting of the Managers, on Monday the 16th of February 1801.

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Resolved-That Mr. Humphry Davy be engaged in the service of the Royal Institution, in the capacities of Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry, Director of the Laboratory, and Assistant Editor of the Journals of the Institution, and that he be allowed to occupy a room in the house, and be furnished with coals and candles; and that he be paid a salary of one hundred guineas per annum."

On the 16th of March 1801, after reporting that "a room had been prepared and furnished for Davy," the Minute proceeds to state that " Mr. Davy had arrived at the Institution on Wednesday the 11th of March, and taken possession of his situation."

It is a curious fact, that the first impression produced on Count Rumford by Davy's personal appearance, was highly unfavourable to the young philosopher, and he expressed to Mr. Underwood his great regret at having been He alludes to some calculations connected with light, and the imponderable fluids.

influenced by the ardour with which his suit had been urged; and he actually would not allow him to lecture in the Theatre, until he had given a specimen of his abilities in the smaller lecture-room. His first lecture, however, entirely removed every prejudice which had been formed; and at its conclusion, the Count emphatically exclaimed “Let him command any arrangements which the Institution can afford." He was accordingly, on the very next day, promoted to the great Theatre.

Davy's uncouth appearance and address subjected him to many other mortifications on his first arrival in London. There was a smirk on his countenance, and a pertness in his manner, which, although arising from the perfect simplicity of his mind, were considered as indicating an unbecoming confidence. Johnson, the publisher, as many of my readers will probably remember, was in the custom of giving weekly dinners to the more distinguished authors and literary stars of the day. Davy, soon after his appointment, was invited upon one of these occasions, but the host actually considered it necessary to explain, by way of apology, to his company, the motives which had induced him to introduce into their society a person of such humble pretensions. At this dinner a circumstance occurred, which must have been very mortifying to the young philosopher. Fuseli was present, and, as usual, highly energetic upon various passages of beauty in the poets, when Davy most unfortunately observed, that there were passages in Milton which he could never understand. Very likely, very likely, Sir," replied the artist

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in his broad German accent, "but I am sure that is not Milton's fault." On the 7th of April, he was elected a member of a society which consisted of twenty-five of the most violent republicans of the day; it was called the " Tepidarian Society," from the circumstance of nothing but tea being allowed at their meetings, which were held at Old Slaughter's Coffee House in Saint Martin's Lane. To the influence of this society, Mr. Underwood states that Davy was greatly indebted for his early popularity. Fame gathers her laurels with a slow hand, and the most brilliant talents require a certain time for producing a due impression upon the public; the Tepidarians exerted all their personal influence to obtain an audience before the reputation of the lecturer could have been sufficiently known to attract one.

Although the acquaintance between Davy and Count Rumford commenced so inauspiciously, they very soon became friends, and mutually entertained for each other the highest regard.

Davy's improved manners and naturally simple habits, at this period, were