Life of Sir Humphry Davy. 583 



of having mistaken the gate of ivory for that of horn. To the biographer, 

 the work is of the highest interest and valu, by confirming in a remark- 

 able manner the opinion so frequently expressed in the course of these 

 memoirs, with respect to the diversified talents of Sir Humphry Davy ; 

 and above all by elucidating that rare combination of imagination with 

 judgment, which imparted to his genius its most striking particularities/ 



Davy's latter days were cheered by the affectionate attentions of 

 Mr. James Tobin, his godson, who was the companion of his 

 travels. He resided at Rome for some months, but declined re- 

 ceiving any visitors ; his only solace was to have some one reading 

 to him light works of interest, which was continued even during 

 his meals. As soon as the account of his having sustained another 

 paralytic seizure reached Lady Davy, who was in London, she 

 hastened to join him, and reached Rome in about twelve days. 

 Dr. John Davy, on receiving intelligence of his brother's imminent 

 danger, came to him from Malta : he only partially recovered from 

 this attack, and though there appeared some faint indications of 

 reviving power, his most sanguine friends scarcely ventured to 

 indulge a hope that his life would be much longer protracted. With 

 that restlessness characteristic of his disease, he became extremely 

 desirous of removing from Rome to Geneva. His friends were 

 anxious to gratify his wish, and travelling by easy stages he reached 

 Geneva at three o'clock on the 28th of May, accompanied by Mr. 

 Tobin and his servant, Lady Davy having preceded him to make 

 arrangements for his reception. At four o'clock he dined, ate heartily 

 and was unusually cheerful, he drank tea at eleven, and retired to 

 rest at twelve. His servant, who slept in his room, was very shortly 

 called to attend him, he desired his brother might be summoned, 

 and he expired at a quarter before three without a struggle. 



The public authorities of Geneva honoured his remains with a 

 public funeral after the custom of Geneva, which was attended on 

 foot by the magistrates, the professors, and the English residents at 

 Geneva. A tablet has been placed to his memory in Westminster 

 Abbey, by his widow, but, as yet, no national monument has been 

 devised to commemorate the service he has rendered to science, 

 his country, and mankind. It is said that the inhabitants of Pen- 

 zance and its neighbourhood are about to raise a pyramid of massive 

 granite to his memory, on one of those elevated spots where he 

 delighted in his boyish days to commune with the elements. 



* The fame of such a philosopher as Davy,' says his Biographer, ' can 

 never be exalted by any frail memorial which man can raise. His monu- 

 ment is in the great Temple of Nature, his chroniclers are Time and the 

 Elements. The destructive agents which reduce to dust the urn, the 

 statue, and the pyramid, were the ministers of his power, and their work 

 of decomposition is a perpetual memorial of his intelligence.' 



Though this analysis of Dr. Paris's work has run out to an un- 

 reasonable length, we must indulge in the quotation of his judicious 

 comparison of the characters of two illustrious philosophers; it is an 

 acceptable enlargement of their intellectual portraits so ably drawn 

 by Dr. Henry. 



2 Q 2 



