Transcriber's note: This book was published in two volumes, of which this is the first. The second volume was released as Project Gutenberg ebook #45395, available at http:www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45395. Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. Please see the end of this Project for further notes. [Illustration] Sir Thos. Lawrence pinxt. W. H. Worthington sculpt. H. Davy Engraved by permission of the Council of the Royal Society from the original painting. London, Published by Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley 1831. THE LIFE OF SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, BART. LL.D. LATE PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, FOREIGN ASSOCIATE OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, &c. &c. &c. BY JOHN AYRTON PARIS, M.D. CANTAB. F.R.S. &C. FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. MDCCCXXXI. LONDON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY, Dorset-street, Fleet-street. TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, DUKE OF SUSSEX, K.G. D.C.L. _&c. &c. &c._ PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY; THESE MEMOIRS OF A PHILOSOPHER WHOSE SPLENDID DISCOVERIES ILLUMINED THE AGE IN WHICH HE LIVED, ADORNED THE COUNTRY WHICH GAVE HIM BIRTH, AND OBTAINED FROM FOREIGN AND HOSTILE NATIONS THE HOMAGE OF ADMIRATION AND THE MEED OF GRATITUDE, ARE, BY THE GRACIOUS PERMISSION OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, DEDICATED WITH SENTIMENTS OF PROFOUND RESPECT, BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. The reflecting portion of mankind has ever felt desirous of becoming acquainted with the origin, progress, habits, and peculiarities of those whom the powers of genius may have raised above the plane of intellectual equality; but neither the nature of the information, nor the extent of the detail that may be necessary to satisfy so laudable a curiosity, can ever be estimated by any common standard, since it is not in our nature to contemplate an object of admiration, but with reference to our own predilections and sympathies; and hence every reader will form a scale for himself, according to the degree of interest he may feel for the particular character under review. The Poetical enthusiast, who could not sufficiently express his gratitude on being told that Milton wore shoe-buckles, would very probably not have given 'four farthings,' as Gray says, to know that the shoes of Davy were tanned by catechu; and yet if the relative value of this information were fairly estimated, it must be admitted that the former is a matter of barren curiosity, the latter, a fact of some practical utility. In a word, we very naturally connect the man with his works, and we care not to extend our acquaintance with the one, but in proportion as we have derived pleasure from the other.