PROFESSOR FARADAY.

Press, Volume XII, Issue 11575, 23 November 1867, Page 3

PROFESSOR FARADAY.

I The world of science lost on Sunday, August 2-5, one of its most assiduous and enthusiastic members. The life of Michael Faraday had been spent from early manhood in the single pursuit of* scientific discovery, and though his years extended to seventy-three, he preserved to the end the freshness and vivacity of youth in the exposition of his favourite subjects, coupled with a measure of -simplicity which youth never attains. His perfect mastery of the branches of physical knowledge he cultivated, aud the singular absence of personal display which characterized everything he did, must have made him, under any circumstances, a lecturer of the highest rank ; but as a man of science he was gifted with the rarest felicity of experimenting, so that the illustrations of his subjects seemed to answer with magical ease to his call. It was this peculiar combination which made* his lectures attractive to crowded audiences in Albemarle street for so many years, and which brought, Christmas after Christmas, troops of young people to attend his expositions of scientific processes and scientific discovery with as much zest as is usually displayed in following lighter amusements. Faraday was born in the neighbourhood of London in the year 1791. He was one of those men who have become distinguished in spite of every disadvantage of origin and of early education, and if the contrast between the circumstances of his birth and of his later worldly distinction be not so dazzling as is sometimes seen in other walks of life, it is also true that his career was free from the vulgar ambition and uneasy strife after place and power which not uncommonly detract from the glory of the highest honours. His father was a smith, and he himself, after a very imperfect elementary education, was apprenticed to a bookbinder named Riebau, in Blandford street. He was, however, already inspired with the love of natural science. His leisure was spent in the conduct of such chymical experiments as were within his means, and he ventured ou the construction of an electrifying machine, thus foreshadowing the particular sphere of his greatest future discoveries. He was eager to quit trade for the humblest position as a student of physical science, and his tastes becoming known to a gentleman who lived in his master's neighbourhood, he obtained for him admission to the chymical lectures which Sir Humphry Davy, then newly knighted aud in the plenitude of his powers, was delivering at the Royal Institution. This was in 1812. Faraday not only attended the lectures, but took copious notes of them, which he carefully rewrote and boldly sent to Sir Humphry, begging his assistance in his desire " to escape from trade and enter into the service of science." The trust in Davy's kindliness which prompted the appeal was not misplaced. Sir Humphry warmly praised the powers shown in the notes of his lectures, and hoped he might be able to meet the writer's wishes. Early in IS 13 the opportunity came. The post of assistant in the laboratory in Albemarle street became vacaut, and Sir Humphry offered it to Faraday, who accepted it with a pleasure which can be easily imagined, and thus commenced in March, 1813, the connection between Faraday and the Royal Institution which only terminated with his life. Faraday became very soon firmly attached to Davy. The only instance of a suspension—for it was a suspension and not a breach— of his connection with the Royal Institution occurred from October, 1813, to April, LSIS, during which time he accompanied Sir Humphrey as his scientific assistant and secretary, in his travels on the Continent. His life after his return was devoted uninterruptedly to his special studies. In 1821, while assisting Davy in pursuing the investigation of the relations between electricity and magnetism, first started by Oersted, he made the brilliant discovery of the convertible rotation of a magnetic pole and an electric current, which was the prelude to his wonderful series of experimental researches in electricity' These investigations procured him the honour of being elected corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences in 1823, and fellow of the Royal Society in 1825. In 1827 he published hi« first

work, a volume on "Chymical Manipulation ;" and in 1829 he was appointed chymical lecturer at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, a post he held, in conjunction with his duties at tho Royal Institution, for many years. In 1831 his first paper appeared in the " Philosophical Transactions" on the subject of electrieitv, describing his experimental studies of the science, and from that time for many years the " Transactions " annually contained papers by Faraday, giving the method and results of his investigations. These papers, with some others contributed to scientific journals on the same subject, were subsequently collected at different intervals, in. three volumes, under the title of " Experimental Researches in Electricity." The first volume appeared in 1839, and contained the contributions to the " Philosophical Transactions "up to that date. The second volume was published in 1841, and the third in 1855. It is not too much to say that by the experiments thus described Faraday formed the science of electricity. He established the identity of the forces manifested in the phenomena known as electrical, galvanic, and magnetic ; he ascertained with exactness the laws of its action ; he determined its correlation with the other primal forces of the natural world. While he was still pursuing the brilliant career of investigation which thus proved so successful, the chair of Chymistry was founded at the Royal Institution in 1833, and Faraday was naturally appointed the first Professor. In 1535 he was recommended by Lord Melbourne for a pension of £300 a year, in recognition of his great distinction as a discoverer. From that time his career has been one of increasing honour. Oxford conferred on him an honorary degree upon the first occasion of the meetirfg of the British Association at the University. He was raised from the position of Corresponding member to be one of the eight foreign Associates of the Academy of Sciences. He was an officer of the Legion of Honour, and Prussia and Italy decorated him with the crosses of different orders. The Royal Society conferred on him its own medal and the Romford medal. In 1858 the Queen most graciously allotted to him a residence at Hamp-ton-court, between which and Albe-marle-street he spent the last years of his life, and where he peaceably died.