A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND LABOURS OF THE LATE

SIR HUMPHRY DAVY.

13estoNo that of discovering and recording the circumstances that may have produced in an eminent philosopher a propensity for a par- ticular line of pursuit, there does not appear to be any utility in minutely inquiring into the details of his early history. No one can deny the powerful and commanding influence of our first impressions ; and the acute observer of character will, in the course of his pursuit, continually develope traits that are referable only to such a source ; even as, in the magical colouring of REMERANDT'S pictures, the prac- tised eye readily recognizes the chiar'-oscuro of his father's mill, in which the artist passed his earliest days. But circumstances, however happily combined, although they may direct, can never create genius : it is true that COWLEY, as he himself relates, became a poet by read- ing SPENSER'S Fairie Queen, which he accidentally discovered in the window of his mother's apartment ; and it is equally true, that Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS had the first fondness of his art excited by the perusal of RICHARDSON'S Treatise,—it is possible that, without such accidents, the one might never have courted the Muses, nor the other won the favour of the Graces ; but still, COWLEY and REYNOLDS never could have shone dimly under any circumstances ; for true genius is a mind of general powers, accidentally determined in some particular direction. So was it with DAVY; his mind was as vigorous as it was original, and no less logical and precise than it was daring and comprehensive ; nothing was too mighty for its grasp, nor too minute for its observation,—like the trunk of the elephant, it could tear up the oak of the forest, or pluck the acorn from its branch. That circumstances in early life should have directed such energies to the advancement of a science that requires for its successful cultiva- tion all the aids of novel and bold, and yet patient and accurate re- search, is one of those fortunate coincidences, to which we can never allude without feelings of exultation and triumph.

We have thought it necessary to define the degree of importance which we attach to the history of the early days of a philosopher, that our readers may be put in possession of the motives by which we are induced to withhold details, which the garrulous disciples of the Bos- avellian school regard as the very pith and marrow of biography. Sir HUMPHRY DAVY was born at Penzance in Cornwall, in the year 1779. His father enjoyed a small patrimony, amply competent for the supply of his limited desires. His profession, therefore, of a carver in wood, was pursued by him rather as an object of amuse- ment, than of necessity, although in the town and neighbourhood of Penzance there remain many specimens of his art ; and the writer of

the present article has seen several chimney-pieces curiously em.. bellished by his chisel. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to,

witness his son's eminence ; but from his widow, who has only lately descended to the tomb, full of years and respectability, this boon was. not withheld : she witnessed his whole career of usefulness and

honour, and happily closed her eyes before her maternal fears could have been awakened by those signs of premature decay, which long. since excited in his friends, and in the friends of science, an slam which the recent deplorable event has fatally justified.

DAVY, having received the rudiments of a classical education under Dr. CARDEW, of Truro, was placed with a respectable professional gentleman of the name of TONKIN, at Penzance, in order that he might acquire a knowledge of the profession of a surgeon and apothecary. His master, however, soon became dissatisfied with his new pupil: instead of attending to the duties of the surgery, HUMPHRY was rambling along the sea-shore, and often, like DEMOSTHENES, declaiming against the wind and waves, in order to overcome a defect in his voice, which, although only slightly perceptible in his maturer age, was when a boy extremely discordant ;—instead of preparing' the medicines for the doctor's patients, he was experimenting in the garret, and upon one occasion he produced an explosion that put the doctor and all his phials in jeopardy. " This boy Humphry is in- corrigible—I plainly foresee that no good awaits him—idleness is the root of all evil,"—such were the continual exclamations of the dissa- tisfied apothecary. At length a negotiation between the parents and master commenced, with a view of releasing the parties from their engagement : the boy was "idle and incorrigible"—the master relent-

less—but the parents reasonable and indulgent, and we believe that HUMPHRY returned home. It is, however, but fair to state, that DAVY always entertained the highest respect for Mr. TONKLN, and never spoke of him but in terms of affectionate regard.

We shall here pause in our narrative, for the purpose of introduc- ing to the notice of our readers a few anecdotes, which will not only serve to illustrate the early character of DAVY, but to exhibit in their origin and growth several of those prominent peculiarities which dis- tinguished him in after life. That he was a boy of decision and courage, may be inferred from the fact of his having, upon receiving a bite from a dog, taken his pocket knife, and, without the least hesi- tation, cut out the part, on the spot. The gentleman front whom the

author received this anecdote, oh-served, that he had frequently heard

him declare his disbelief in the existence of pain, if the energies of the mind were directed to counteract it ; but he added, that he very

shortly afterwards had an opportunity of witnessing a practical refu- tation of this doctrine, for upon being bitten by a fish, Sir HUMPHRY roared out most lustily.

It is not difficult to, understand how it happened, that a person, endowed with the genius and sensibilities of Davy, should have had his mind directed to the study of mineralogy and chemistry, when we consider the nature and scenery of the country in which accident had planted him. Many of his friends and associates must have been

connected with mining speculations ; skyrts, cross courses, locks, &e.

were words familiarized to his ears ; and his native love of inquiry could not have long suffered such terms to remain as unmeaning

sounds. Nor could he wander along the rocky coast, nor repose for a moment to contemplate its wild scenery, without being invited to geological inquiry by the genius of the place ; for, were we to per- sonify that science, it would be impossible that a more appropriate

spot should be selected for her local habitation and favoured abode. " How often when a boy," said Sir HUMPHRY to the writer of the

present article, upon his showing him a view of Botallack Mine, " have I wandered about those rocks in search after new minerals, and when tired, sat down upon those crags, and exercised my fancy in anticipations of scientific renown."

Such scenery also, in one who possessed a quick sensibility to the sublime forms of Nature, was well calculated to kindle that enthu- siasm, so essential to poetical genius, We accordingly learn that DAVY drank of the waters of Helicon at a very early age, and composed a poem on the Land's End ; in which he powerfully describes the mag-

nificence of its convulsed scenery, the ceaseless roar of the ocean, the wild shrieks of the cormorant, and those "caves, where sleep the haggard spirits of the storm." As far as we can learn, the first original experiment performed by him at Penzance, was for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of the air contained in the bladders of sea-weed. His instruments, how- ever, were of the rudest description, manufactured by himself out of the motley materials which fell in his way : the pots and pans of the kitchen were appropriated without ceremony, and even the phials and gallipots of his master were without the least remorse put in requisition. While upon this subject, we may relate the following anecdote. A French vessel having been wrecked near the Land's End, the surgeon landed, and became acquainted with the subject of our memoir ; and in return for some kind offices, presented him with his case of sur- gical instruments. The conteats were eagerly turned out and exa-

mined ; not, however, with any professional view of their utility, but in order to ascertain how far they might be convertible to philoso- phical purposes. The old-fashioned and clumsy clyster-apparatas

was viewed with exultation, and seized with avidity. What violent changes, what reverses, may not be suddenly effected by a simple accident ! so says the moralist—behold an illustration : in the brief space of an hour, did this long-neglected and unobtrusive machine, emerging from its obscurity and insignificance, figure away, in all the pomp and glory of a complicated piece of pneumatic ap- paratus. The most humble means may undoubtedly accomplish the highest objects,—the filament of a spider's web has been used to measure the motions of the stars ; but that a worn-out clyster-pipe should have thus furnished the first philosopher of the age with the only means of inquiry within his reach, certainly affords a whimsical

illustration of our maxim. Nor can we pass over these circum- stances without observing, how materially they must have influenced the subsequent success of DAVY as an experimentalist : had he in

the commencement of his career been furnished with all those appli- ances which he enjoyed at a later period, it is more than probable

that he might never have acquired tharwonderful tact of manipula- tion, that ability of suggesting expedients, and of contriving appa- ratus, so as to meet and surmount the difficulties which must con- stantly arise during the progress of the philosopher through the unbeaten tracks and unexplored regions of science. In this art DAVY certainly stands unrivalled ; and, like his prototype SCHEELE, he was unquestionably indebted for his address to the circumstances to which we have alluded ;—there never, perhaps, was a more striking exem- plification of the adage that "Necessity is the parent of invention."

The next prominent eircuinStance in DAVY'S life, was his intro- duction to Mr. DAVIES Gli3DY, (now Mr. GILBERT) the present dis-

tinguished and popular President of the Royal Society. The manner in which this happened furnishes another curious instance of the power of mere accident in altering our destinies. Mr. GILBERT'S attention was, from some trivial cause, attracted to the young chemist, as he was carelessly lounging over the gate of his father's house. A person in the company of Mr. GILBERT observed, that the boy in question was young DAVY, who was much attached to chemistry.

"To chemistry !" said Mr. GILBERT; "if that be the case, I must have some conversation with him:' Mr. GILBERT, who, as we all

know, possesses a strong perception of character, soon discovered ample proofs of genius in the youth ; and therefore offered him the use of his library, or any other assistance that he might require for the pursuit of his studies. Another circumstance also occurred, which

afterwards contributed to introduce DAVY to notice. Mr. GREGORY WATT, who had long been an invalid,.was recommended by his phy-

sicians to reside in the West of England ; and he accordingly went to Penzance, and lodged with Mrs. DAVY. We may readily suppose, that two kindred spirits would not be long in contracting an acquaint- ance and friendship. Before the formation of the Geological

Society of London, which has been 'the means of introducing more rational and correct views in the science over which it presides,

geologists were divided into two great parties,—Neptunists and Plu- tonists ; the one affirming that the globe was indebted for its form and arrangement to the agency of water, the other to that of fire. It so happened that the Professors of Oxford and Cambridge ranged them- selves under opposite banners ; Dr. BEDDOES was a violent and un- compromising Plutonist, while Professor HAILSTONE was as decided

a Neptunist. The rocks of Cornwall were appealed to as affording sup- port to either theory ; and the two Professors, who, although adverse in opinion, were united in friendship, determined to proceed together to the field of dispute, each hoping that he might thus convict the other of his error. The geological combatants arrived at Penzance; and DAVY became known to them, through the medium of Mr. GILBERT. Mr. WATT was also enthusiastic in his praise; and it so happening that at that time Dr. BEDDOES had just established his Pneumatic Institution at Bristol, and required an assistant in his laboratory, the situation was offered to Davy, and by him eagerly accepted.

In addition to the recommendations we have mentioned, Dr. BED- DOES received from DAVY himself a testimony of his genius which greatly prepossessed the Professor in his favour ; this was an essay, in which was propounded a new theory of heat and. light. Such were the circumstances that first extricated DAVY from the obscurity of his native town, and paved the way to an eminence which but very few philosophers in this or any other country have been able to attain.

(To BE CONTINUED.)