MICHAEL FARADAY 249 



lectures at the Royal Institution. Thenceforth he developed 

 the resolution to get out of business life, the manner of 

 thought of which he hated, and devote himself entirely to 

 science, which he loved. 



At this time he wrote a request, in 1812, to the president 

 of the Royal Society, asking for any scientific employment, 

 no matter how menial, but this letter remained unanswered. 

 With the aid of a book and practice on his own account, he 

 had learned perspective drawing, and in the same way he 

 made progress in all sorts of branches of learning by using 

 the leisure time allowed him by his master. 



How great was his progress both in manner of thought 

 and in power of expression, is shown by very long letters, 

 still preserved, which he exchanged with a somewhat 

 younger friend who had had a school education. In the 

 meantime he had written out neatly the lectures given by 

 Davy, and illustrated them with drawings in a quarto note- 

 book, and this he sent to Davy with the request to give him 

 some kind of employment in his laboratory. 



He quickly received a favourable answer. Davy imme- 

 diately asked the advice of one of the governors of the Royal 

 Institution as to what could be done with the petitioner. 

 'Let him wash bottles,' said the governor. 'If he is any 

 good he will accept the work; if he refuses, he is not good 

 for anj^hing.' This course was followed, although Davy 

 immediately saw that the young man appeared to be fit for 

 something better. This decided Faraday's fate. He re- 

 mained his whole working life in the Royal Institution, 

 18 1 3-1 858, first as Davy's assistant with a weekly wage, and 

 finally as his successor. 



No more suitable teacher of science could have been found 

 for Faraday than Davy, who was undoubtedly more closely 

 allied to him in mind than all other great men of science, as 

 we see when we pass them in review. What a piece of good 

 fortune that these two should have been contemporaries in 



