440 Professor Tyndall [May 3, 10, and 17, 



tliis gate, a great bell to be rung in case of ceremonious visits." 

 Long after this event Rumford's daughter commented on it thus : — 

 " It seems there had been an acquaintance between these parties of 

 four years before the marriage. It might be thoufjht a long space 

 of time for perfect acquaintance. But, ' ah Providence ! thy ways 

 are past finding out.' " 



In a letter written to his daughter two months after his marriage, 

 he describes their style of living as really magnificent ; his wife as 

 exceedingly fond of company, in the midst of which she makes a 

 splendid figure. She seldom went out, but kept open house to all the 

 great and worthy. He describes their dinners and evening teas, 

 which must have been trying to a man who longed for quiet. He could 

 have borne the dinners, but the teas and tlieir gossip annoyed him. In- 

 stead of living melodious clays, his life izraclually became a discord ; and 

 on the 15th of January, 1806, he confides to his daughter, as a family 

 secret, that he is " not at all sure that two certain persons were not 

 wholly mistaken in their marriage, as to each other's characters." The 

 denouement hastened ; and on tlie first anniversary of his marriage he 

 writes thus to his daughter : — "My dear child. This being the first 

 year's anniversary of my marriage, from what I wrote two mouths 

 after it you will be curious to know how tilings stand at present. I 

 am sorry to say that experience only serves to confirm me in the 

 belief that in character and natural propensities Madame de Rumford 

 and myself are totally unlike, and never ought to have thought of 

 marrying. We are besides, both too independent, both in our senti- 

 ments and habits of life, to live peaceably togetlier, — she having been 

 mistress all her days of her actions, and I, with no less liberty, leading 

 for the most i)art the life of a bachelor. Very likely she is as much 

 disaffected towards me as I am towards her. Little it matters with me, 

 but I call her a female dragon, — simply by that gentle name ! We 

 have got to the pitch of my insisting on one thing and she on 

 another." 



On the second anniversary of his marriage, matters were worse. 

 The quarrels between him and Madame had become more violent and 

 open, and having used the word quarrels to his daughter, he gives the 

 following sample of them : — " I am almost afraid to tell you the story, 

 my good child, lest in future you should not be good ; lest what I am 

 about relating should set you a bad example, make you passionate, 

 and so on. But I had been made very angry. A large party had 

 been invited I neither liked nor approved of, and invited for the 

 Bole purpose of vexing me. Our house being in the centre of the 

 garden, walled around, with iron gates, I put on my hat, walked down 

 to the porter's lodge, and gave him orders, on his peril, not to let any 

 one in. Besides, I took away the keys. Madame went down, and 

 when the company arrived, she talked with them, — she on one side, 

 they on the other, of the high brick wall. After that she goes and 

 pours boiling water on some of my beautiful flowers." 



Six months later on, the sounds of lamentation and woe are con- 



