56 MR. J. P. JOULE ON THE LIFE AND WRITINGS 



his first wife he married, in 1829, Mary Bromley, of Shrews- 

 bury, by whom he had a daughter, who died in infancy. 



Being called into foreign service soon after his marriage 

 with his first wife, he made the first systematic efforts for the 

 improvement of his mind. While in Newfoundland he was 

 first directed to the contemplation of electrical phenomena, 

 on the occasion of a terrific thunderstorm. His interest in the 

 works of nature being thus excited, he prepared himself for 

 their study, by teaching himself reading and writing and the 

 elements of grammar. A sergeant in the artillery possessed 

 a tolerable library of books, to which the generous owner 

 gave him constant access. It was his practice when he came 

 off guard at night to take from his knapsack the book and 

 candle he generally carried there, and to spend that time in 

 reading which by the other soldiers was devoted to repose. 

 He was thus able to devote a considerable time to mathe- 

 matics, and to the study of the dead and living languages. 

 To these he added optics, and various other branches of 

 natural philosophy. He also found time to acquire various 

 mechanical arts, such as that of lithography, in which he 

 attained afterwards considerable proficiency. 



Notwithstanding his love of these pursuits he did not ne- 

 glect, while in the army, his trade as a shoemaker, and the 

 excellence of his workmanship caused him to be employed in 

 this capacity by most of the officers of the corps. After 

 leaving the army he followed this avocation in Lancaster, 

 until, at the instance of his wife, whose relations resided at 

 Woolwich, he returned thither, and began to prosecute with 

 renewed assiduity his favourite intellectual studies. 



The difficulties he encountered in his strivings after scientific 

 truth at this time, will be best understood by quoting his own 

 words from a manuscript I have by me. He says : — " After 

 leaving the service of the Royal Artillery in 1 820, and as my 

 slender finances presented opportunities, I turned my attention 

 to scientific inquiries, and to the construction of some of those 



