462 The Faraday Centenary. [June 17, 



THE FAKADAY CENTENARY.* 



Wednesday, June 17, 1891. 



H.E.H. The Peince of Wales, K.G. F.K.S. Vice-Patron, 



in the Chair. 



There were also present — The Duke of Northumberland (President), 

 Lord Morris, Sir William Thomson (Pres. R.S.), Sir George Stokes, 

 M.P. Sir William Grove, Count Tornielli (the Italian Ambassador), 

 Sir Frederick Leighton, Sir James Crichton Browne, Sir Joseph 

 Lister, Sir Frederick Abel, Sir William Bowman, Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, Sir Henry Roscoe, M.P. Sir Somers Vine, Sir Frederick 

 Bramwell, Professor Dewar, and Professor Horsley. 



The Prince of Wales opened the proceedings with the following 

 address : — 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — ^I can well remember that two-and-twenty 

 years ago I had the high privilege of presiding at a meeting here. That 

 meeting was a very large one, and included many of the most eminent 

 scientific men of the day. Among those present on that occasion, I 

 remember, were the illustrious chemist, Professor Dnmas, Sir Edward 

 Sabine, Sir Roderick Murchison, Sir Henry Holland, a very old per- 

 sonal friend of mine. Dr. Bence Jones, Mr* Warren de la Rue, and 

 many others, who 1 regret to say have now passed away. The object 

 of our meeting on that occasion was to select a suitable memorial to 

 the memory of the great Faraday, the eminent chemist and philosopher, 

 who, I may say, was also the founder of modern electricity. As you 

 are well aware, the fine statue by Foley, which is in the hall below, 

 was, we thought, a suitable memorial to that great man. As for 

 myself personally, 1 feel proud to think that in the days of my boy- 

 hood my brother and myself used to attend his chemical lectures here 

 about Christmas time, and I shall ever remember the admirable and 

 lucid way in which he delivered those lectures to us who were mere 

 boys, and gave us a deep interest in chemistry, which we kept up for 

 many years, and which I had the opportunity of practising at the 

 "University of Oxford. I can only regret that I have not since had 

 the time to pursue that interesting science. To-day is a memorable 

 day, for this year we celebrate the centenary of the birth of that great 

 man ; and we all of us have reason to feel grateful that two such 

 eminent men as Lord Rayleigh and Professor Dewar should have 

 consented to give lectures on the work of the great Faraday. I have 

 only now to beg Lord Rayleigh to give us his address. 



Lord Rayleigh said that the man whose name and work they were 



* Michael Faraday, born 22nd September, 1791. 



