And more of reverence in us dwell,
That mind and soul according well
May make one music as before,
But vaster."
He sought to make knowledge grow from more to more, but it is to be recollected that he never for one more moment swerved from his faithful adherence to his Church. In all his research among physical phenomena he was never led to doubt, as some have done, the truth of that religion in which he always maintained a sincere and beautiful faith; his religion was, indeed, always a something far above his science, a something sacred and of moment to himself, as a single soul. We saw in his reply to his wife on his formally entering the Sandemanian Church shortly after his marriage, what was his attitude on this question. It was, as he had said, a matter between himself and his God; and thus we find in what he has written but very little about his religion, although one or two of his letters to relations, where he has been directly appealed to, breathe the sincere and earnest devotion of the man, and his true Christian spirit. His whole life was, however, a practical expression of his religious faith; as is shown to us by what has been said or written by all who came in contact with him.
The following tribute to his memory from Monsieur Dumas is yet one further proof of the universal feeling which his friendship inspired, "I do not know whether there is a savant who would not feel happy in leaving behind him such works as those with which Faraday has gladdened his contemporaries, and which he has left as a legacy to posterity; but I am certain that all those who have known him would wish to approach that moral perfection which he attained to without effort. In him it appeared to be a natural grace, which made him a professor, full of ardour for the diffusion of truth, an indefatigable worker, full of enthusiasm and sprightliness in his laboratory, the best and most amiable of men in the bosom of his family, and the most enlightened preacher among the humble flock whose faith he followed.
"The simplicity of his heart, his candour, his ardent love of the truth, his fellow interest in all the successes, and ingenuous admiration of all the discoveries of others, his natural modesty in regard to what he himself discovered, his noble soul—independent and bold—all these combined gave an incomparable charm to the illustrious physicist.
"I have never known a man more worthy of being loved,—of being admired,—of being mourned. Fidelity to his religious faith, and the constant observance of the moral law, constitute the ruling characteristics of his life.... There is more than one useful lesson to be learnt from the proper study of this illustrious man, whose youth endured poverty with dignity, whose mature age bore honours with moderation, and whose last years passed gently away surrounded by marks of respect and tender affection."
Several stories are told that illustrate the constant habit of experimenting which seemed to be innate in Faraday's mind, and also show how simple were the means which he often adopted to attain a required end. An example of the latter is given us by Sir Frederick Arrow in describing a visit which he, as one of the Committee of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, paid, to observe the Dungeness electric light, in June 1862. The committee accompanied Faraday, who had always been a most energetic worker in the cause of the Trinity House.
"We dined," says Sir Frederick Arrow, "I think at Dover, and embarked in the yacht from there, and were out for some hours watching it, to Faraday's great delight—(a very fine night)—and especially we did so from the Varne lightship about equi-distant between it and the French light of Grisnez, using all our best glasses and photometers to ascertain the relative value of the lights; and this brings me to my story. Before we left Dover, Faraday, with his usual bright smile, in great glee showed me a little common paper-box, and said, 'I must take care of this; it's my special photometer,'—and then, opening it, produced a lady's ordinary black shawl pin—jet, or imitation perhaps—and then, holding it a little way off the candle, showed me the image very distinct; and then putting it a little further off, placed another candle near it, and the relative distance was shown by the size of the image. He lent me this afterwards when we were at the Varne lightship, and it acted admirably; ever since I have used one as a very convenient mode of observing, and I never do so but I think of that night and dear good Faraday, and his genial happy way of showing how even common things may be made useful."