The proper treatment of Faraday's discoveries could of course only be undertaken by one who was himself a scientist; the technicalities of the laboratory and the lecture-theatre would be somewhat out of place in a book such as this, which but aims at presenting in a popular form the facts in connection with the life of one of the greatest of England's scientists--one of the best of her sons. It may, however, here be pointed out that to those who would become acquainted with the details of Faraday's scientific work, with particulars of his numerous experiments, a delightful introduction has been afforded by Professor Tyndall, who in his little work on _Faraday as a Discoverer_, has summarised much of the great man's work, and explains in a clear and delightful manner much about the experiments which were undertaken and the discoveries which were made by his illustrious predecessor and friend. It is of interest to notice here what discovery of Faraday it is which Tyndall selects as the greatest--it is the discovery of electro-magnetism, of which he says: "The beauty and exactitude of the results of this investigation are extraordinary. I cannot help thinking while I dwell upon them, that this discovery of magneto-electricity is the greatest experimental result ever obtained by an investigator. It is the Mont Blanc of Faraday's own achievements. He always worked at great elevations, but a higher than this he never subsequently attained." The following impromptu lines with reference to Faraday's great discovery of magneto-electricity were written by Herbert Mayo:-- "Around the magnet Faraday Was sure that Volta's lightnings play, But how to draw them from the wire? He drew a lesson from the heart.-- 'Tis when we meet, 'tis when we part, Breaks forth th' electric fire." Of this same subject Tyndall wrote shortly after Faraday's death:--"Seven and thirty years have passed since the discovery of magneto-electricity; but, if we except the _extra current_, until quite recently nothing of moment was added to the subject. Faraday entertained the opinion that the discoverer of a great law or principle had a right to the 'spoils'--this was his term--arising from its illustration; and guided by the principle he had discovered, his wonderful mind, aided by his wonderful ten fingers, overran in a single autumn this vast domain, and hardly left behind him the shred of a fact to be gathered by his successors." This indeed is a quality which has been insisted upon by all who have as fellow scientists treated of the work which was done by Michael Faraday,--this quality, that is, of completion, of thoroughness in finishing that which he had commenced; he seemed to become aware almost as though by intuition of the full meaning of a discovery, and of its true bearing with regard to previous knowledge.