Michael Faraday, His Life and Work

by Silvanus P. Thompson

Dear B——,—In a letter of above twelve pages I gave answers to your question respecting my situation. It was a subject not worth talking about, but I consider your inquiries as so many proofs of your kindness and the interest you take in my welfare, and I thought the most agreeable thanks I could make you would be to answer them. The same letter also contained a short account of a paper written by Sir Humphry Davy on ancient colours, and some other miscellaneous matters.

SECRET OF MORTIFICATION.

I am quite ashamed of dwelling so often on my own affairs, but as I know you wish it, I shall briefly inform you of my situation. I do not mean to employ much of this sheet of paper on the subject, but refer you to the before-mentioned long letter for clear information. It happened a few days before we left England, that Sir H.’s valet declined going with him, and in the short space of time allowed by circumstances another could not be got. Sir H. told me he was very sorry, but that, if I would do such things as were absolutely necessary for him until he got to Paris, he should there get another. I murmured, but agreed. At Paris he could not get one. No Englishmen were there, and no Frenchman fit for the place could talk English to me. At Lyons he could not get one; at Montpellier he could not get one; nor at Genoa, nor at Florence, nor at Rome, nor in all Italy; and I believe at last he did not wish to get one: and we are just the same now as we were when he left England. This of course throws things into my duty which it was not my agreement, and is not my wish, to perform, but which are, if I remain with Sir H., unavoidable. These, it is true, are very few; for having been accustomed in early years to do for himself, he continues to do so at present, and he leaves very little for a valet to perform; and as he knows that it is not pleasing to me, and that I do not consider myself as obliged to do them, he is always as careful as possible to keep those things from me which he knows would be disagreeable. But Lady Davy is of another humour. She likes to show her authority, and at first I found her extremely earnest in mortifying me. This occasioned quarrels between us, at each of which I gained ground, and she lost it; for the frequency made me care nothing about them, and weakened her authority, and after each she behaved in a milder manner. Sir H. has also taken care to get servants of the country, ycleped lacquais de place, to do everything she can want, and now I am somewhat comfortable; indeed, at this moment I am perfectly at liberty, for Sir H. has gone to Naples to search for a house or lodging to which we may follow him, and I have nothing to do but see Rome, write my journal, and learn Italian.

But I will leave such an unprofitable subject, and tell you what I know of our intended route. For the last few weeks it has been very undecided, and at this moment there is no knowing which way we shall turn. Sir H. intended to see Greece and Turkey this summer, and arrangements were half made for the voyage; but he has just learned that a quarantine must be performed on the road there, and to do this he has an utter aversion, and that alone will perhaps break up the journey.

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Since the long letter I wrote you, Sir H. has written two short papers for the Royal Society—the first on a new solid compound of iodine and oxygen, and the second a new gaseous compound of chlorine and oxygen, which contains four times as much oxygen as euchlorine.

The discovery of these bodies contradicts many parts of Gay-Lussac’s paper on iodine, which has been very much vaunted in these parts. The French chemists were not aware of the importance of the subject until it was shown to them, and now they are in haste to reap all the honours attached to it; but their haste opposes their aim. They reason theoretically, without demonstrating experimentally, and errors are the result.

* * * * *

I am, my dear Friend, yours ever and faithfully,
M. Faraday.

The equivocal position thus forced upon Faraday by the hauteur of Lady Davy nearly caused a contretemps during the stay at Geneva, which lasted from the end of June, 1814, to about the middle of September. Bence Jones’s account, derived from Faraday himself, is as follows:—Professor G. de la Rive, undazzled by the brilliancy of Davy’s reputation, was able to see the true worth of his assistant. Davy was fond of shooting, and Faraday, who accompanied them, used to load Davy’s gun for him, while De la Rive loaded his own. Entering into conversation with Faraday, De la Rive was astonished to find that the intelligent and charming young man whom he had taken hitherto for a domestic was really préparateur de laboratoire in the Royal Institution. This led him to place Faraday, in one respect, on an equality with Davy. Whilst they were staying in his house, he wished them to dine together at his table. Davy, it is said, declined, because Faraday acted in some things as his servant. De la Rive expressed his feelings strongly, and ordered dinner in a separate room for Faraday. A rumour spread years after that De la Rive gave a dinner in Faraday’s honour: this is not so, however.