482 Dr. A, W. Hofmann [April 11, 



Having gone thus far, you may think that it is fully time for me to 

 make my bow. But I venture, even at this late hour, to dwell for a 

 moment on the moral of the story which I have told you, though you 

 may feel disposed to consider this story rather a highly coloured one. 



The material which I had to condense, I might almost say to force, 

 into the short space of an hour, has been overwhelming; and whilst 

 explaining the formation of the various substances which I had to 

 describe, whilst illustrating their properties by experiraenf, I have 

 scarcely had time to glance at the history of our subject. This history 

 is not without interest. You readily perceive that a branch of industry 

 like the one I have endeavoured to sketch could not possibly have risen 

 like Minerva from the head of Jupiter — a sudden inspiration happily 

 realized. The time, the toil, the thought of a host of inquirers were 

 necessary to accomplish so remarkable an achievement. You cannot 

 expect me at this late hour to examine minutely into this part of the 

 subject, but I must not take leave of you without alluding to some 

 facts which cannot fail to rivet the lively interest of the Members 

 of this Institution. Let me tell yon then that Mauve and Magenta 

 are essentially Royal Institution colours; the foundation of this new 

 industry was laid in Albemarle Street. Benzol, which I have so 

 repeatedly mentioned, — benzol, which may be looked upon as the 

 raw material, capable, under the influence of chemical agents, of 

 assuming such wonderful shapes, — benzol is the discovery of our great 

 master, may I not add of our kind friend, Mr. Faraday. This volume, 

 *The Philosophical Transactions for 1825,' contains the description of 

 his experiments. In 1825, thirty-seven years ago, the laboratory of 

 the Royal Institution witnessed the birth of this remarkable body. 

 Yesterday, under the auspices of Mr. Anderson, I invaded the same 

 laboratory, a diligent search was made, and in my hand I hold the 

 trophies of our expedition, the original specimens of benzol which 

 Mr. Faraday prepared. In thus reminding you of one of the early la- 

 bours of Mr. Faraday, — which, owing to the number and vastness of his 

 subsequent discoveries, appears almost to have escaped from his memory 

 like a tradition of years gone by, — I have opened a glorious page 

 in the glorious history of the Royal Institution. Benzol has furnished 

 us Mauve and Magenta, but it has done much more than this. 

 Ever since chemistry became endowed with this wonderful body, benzol 

 has been the carrier of many of the leading ideas in our science. In 

 the hands of Mitscherlich, Zinin, Gerhardt and Laurent, in the hands 

 of Charles Mansfield — never to be forgotten by his friends — and 

 many others, benzol has been a powerful lever for the advancement 

 of chemical science. Benzol and its derivatives form one of the most 

 interesting chapters in organic chemistry, the progress of which is 

 intimately allied with the history of this compound. 



But what has the history of benzol to do with the moral of Mauve and 

 Magenta ? Well, ladies and gentlemen, ask Mr. Faraday ; ask him what 

 in 1825 was his object in examining benzol. I have perhaps no right to 

 answer this question in Mr. Faraday's presence ; but I venture to 

 say that we owe his remarkable inquiry to the pure delight he felt 



