The Royal Institution: Its Founder and First ProfessorsJones, Bence
History
The Royal Institution: Its Founder and First Professors
Jones, Bence
Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829; Royal Institution of Great Britain; Rumford, Benjamin, Graf von, 1753-1814; Young, Thomas, 1773-1829
Writing to his daughter again from Munich, January 22, 1803, Rumford
says he is unsettled there, and therefore that he cannot conveniently
have her with him, but that at a future time, not far distant, he will
attempt it. He spoke of the style in which he was living, having his
servants, the Aichners, with him, with his carriages. While he was at
Munich he was joined by Madame Lavoisier.
Sir C. Blagden wrote to Sir Joseph Banks:
Paris, October 15, 1802.
As a good occasion of making the journey to Paris presented itself,
I left Munich about a week sooner than I originally intended, and
have now been some days in this capital.
Count Rumford was in very good health, and proposed to spend the
winter at Munich; he was going into a magnificent house, or rather
palace, lent him by one of the nobility, an old friend, in which
he meant to give concerts as he used to do. The Elector continued
to treat him with the most marked distinction, but he did not seem
to be engaging in any public business. Indeed, the country was
rather in a state of alarm, on account of the menacing appearances
of the Emperor, who evidently wants part of Bavaria as a further
compensation to the Grand Duke. The Count’s opinion when I quitted
him was that he should be in Paris next spring, and thence return
to England.
Two months later Sir C. Blagden said: ‘The Count finds the climate of
Mannheim much milder and more suitable to his constitution than that
of Munich, which is really sharp and trying.’ And afterwards he wrote
regarding the French Institute:
Count Rumford has been removed from the third class to the first, a
change which I believe he very much desired. In consequence there
is now only one vacancy to be filled up in the first class, and I
think that Volta will be the man chosen at the next election.
Unless we are all sent away by the war, I shall probably stay near
a fortnight longer than the 5th of April.
The Count expects to be in England some time in the summer. He is
very busy making experiments on heat, and says his new-invented
instruments have already put him in possession of several new and
interesting facts.
Sir C. Blagden wrote to Rumford’s daughter from London, August 8, 1803:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account