3809.) 
soy, in this instance, as on former occa- 
sions, was unwilling that he should be 
supposed capable of stopping at any 
cause, less than the energy of the divinity, 
** Attraction, (said he) so capable of elu- 
cidating the phenomena of nature, was 
but the agent of the supreme intelligence, 
who, whether the dust was scattered in 
the wind, or the planets carried round the 
sun, was still the governor, whose wisdom 
preserved, in their harmonious order, the 
vast system of the world.” He next ex- 
plained the theories of Stahl and Leavoi- 
sier, particularly with regard to combus- 
tion, and shewed in what their difficulties 
consisted, all of which he thought might 
be obviated by introducing the positive 
and negative principle, the former ever 
attaching itself to inflammable matter, 
and the negative to oxygen. Sulphur, 
and phosphorus, which ull within a few 
months had been regarded as simple bo- 
dies, he had decomposed, and sliould be 
able to shew, by decisive experiments, that 
they consisted of oxygen, hydrogen, and a 
certain basis. Charcoal had yielded to an- 
alysis, and proved to be composed of ‘the 
carbonaceous principle aud hydrogen: the 
diamond likewise was now found not to be 
pure carbon, but consisted of the carbo- 
naceous principle and oxygen ; and plum- 
bago also he thought must be referred to 
the carbonaceous principle with a small 
portion of iron. Hence he was led to 
speak of the importance of the discovery 
of the new metals, Potasium and Sodaum, 
and of the still mere important results to 
chemistry, which these bodies were likely 
“to produce. ‘He had in the last course 
only exhibited these metals in very small 
portions; hereafter he should be able to 
gratify the audience with specimens in 
large quantities. As soon as he had made 
known his discoveries, the chemists in 
France and Sweden immediately repeat- 
ed his experiments, and hit upon a dif- 
ferent method of decompesing the alka- 
lies by which the new metals were ob- 
tained more abundantly, than by means 
of the voltaic battery. 
Mr. Davy next referred to the decom- 
position of ammonia, the base of which, 
if we did not misunderstand him, would 
combine with mercury, and in the pro- 
portion of only the +5456 part would 
render that metal solid, and by this ope- 
ration reduce the specific gravity from 
thirteen, (that of mercury) to three, the 
specific gravity of the compound. The 
boracic and fluoric acids, have been de- 
Proceedings of Learned Societies, 
559 
composed by Mr. Davy, but at present, 
the muriatic acid has not yielded to the 
powers of his apparatus, though he fully 
expected it shortly would. That the 
bowels of the earth contained various ores 
of metals, had been long ascertained, but 
it was reserved for the discoveries of the 
present year to prove, that the different 
earths on which we daily walk, are also 
the repository of metallic bodies; of these 
he had decomposed four, namely, lime, 
magnesia, strontites, and barytes, all of 
which had produced «metallic bases. 
From these circumstances he was led to 
conclude, that the two grand principles 
ever operating in nature, are the inflam- 
mable and the oxygeneous. These he 
said, will account for all the phenomena 
of ‘volcanoes, and other subterraneous 
fires. 
In adverting to the results which he 
had anticipated from the voltaic battery, 
and which had more than answered his 
expectations, he was proud to state that 
it had originated in the private munifi- 
cence of a few enlightened men, and li- 
beral patrons of science. -The sum of 
twenty thousand fraucs had been devoted 
by the court of France for a similar pur- 
pose: but the idea of a subscription in 
this country was no sooner started, than 
it was cordially embraced ; aud in a short 
time, the liberality of individuals had 
raised a larger sum, than, in France, was 
furnished from the National Treasury, 
and by Imperial command. Wence he 
must notice the utility of public institu- 
tions to the progress of science. The 
promotion of philosophical discovery was 
attended with mach labour, and no profit 
to the student. {It demanded, not only 
his time and attention, but an expence 
whick was not often within his reach. 
The man of letters required no such ap- 
paratus to pursue his enquiries: his in= 
strument was his niind: the whole moral 
world was its subject. In the fine arts, 
whoever had attainéd fame, was sure of 
obtaining fortune also. To the experi- 
mental philosopher no such objects were 
presented, fortune could not be his aime: 
His reputation might be established after 
his death, but till then his authority must 
be questionable. He had, however, a 
consolation of a nobler kind; the con- 
viction that he was devoted to the cause 
of truth; thathe had enlarged the human 
intellect, and in developing the laws of 
nature, he demonstrated the wisdom and 
benevolence by which it was governed. 
WER- 
