



Produced by Chris Curnow, Mary Akers and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)







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.

In like manner, very different estimates will be formed of the
degree of praise due to a distinguished philosopher, because the
few who are deeply imbued with a knowledge of the science he may
have adorned and enlightened must not only appreciate the value
of his labours, but understand the difficulties which opposed
the accomplishment of them, before they can arrive at a sound
decision upon the question: and here again the judgment of the
most scientific may be unfortunately warped; it may be corrupted
by secret passions or sinister influences; be distorted by the
prejudices of education and habit, or unduly biassed by invincible
prepossessions.

No man ever soared, like an eagle, to the pinnacle of fame,
without exciting the envy and perhaps the hatred of those who
could only crawl up half-way; while, on the other hand, where
no rivalry can exist, the splendour of such an ascent will
captivate the bystander, and by exciting intemperate triumph and
unqualified admiration, change without diminishing the sources of
erroneous judgment, and substitute adulation for calumny. Under
such circumstances, an allusion even to the common frailties of
genius becomes offensive; the biographer is called upon for the
delineation of a perfect man; but the world is satisfied with
nothing short of 'a faultless monster;' and yet, while they would
