Roi/al Sociely. ^^ 



school, in Penzance, he advanced to eastern tales and legends, so 

 that many contemporaries remember standing round him with de- 

 lialn, whilst he repeated, varied or invented fiction for their annise- 

 m^ent The gradation from this habit to measured poetry was 

 natural and easy. The grand objects of nature laid hold on his 

 ima<rination ; and we have from his pen, at an age not much further 

 advanced, a poem on St. Michael's Guarded Mount, equal, if not 

 superior, to any of the numerous tributes paid to that magnificent 

 promontory, equally interesting to the antiquary, to the geologist, 

 and to the admirers of scenery at once rugged and sublime. Faint- 

 ing, about the same time, became also a favourite amusement ; 

 and specimens, indicative of no common genius, may now be seen 

 at the Royal Institution, where they illustrated his admirable, 

 and admired Lectures, , , • , 



These attempts at painting become doubly and trebly interesting 

 on another account. Some of his contemporaries have expressed 

 to me their belief, that experiments instituted for the purpose ot 

 preparing colours, first directed Davy to the pursuit of chemistry. 

 Notwithstanding these various avocations, his advancement in school 

 learning at Truro, under Dr. Cardew, in whose praise as a master 

 too much cannot be expressed, was equal to that ot his most able 

 companions ; and Davy returned to the house of his benefactor at 

 Penzance, with sufficient acquirements, and with sufficient means 

 derived from his father, for executing his favourite plan of studymg 

 at Edinburgh, and there procuring a Medical degree. The execution 

 was, however, delayed by the advice and authority of iAIr. lonkin, 

 who recommended a preparatory medical education at Penzance. 

 It was finally abandoned, 1 believe, at the Royal Institution. _ 



In a work composed on the bed of sickness, and when all rational 

 hope of a permanent recovery had ceased, the origina genius of his 

 youth agaiii burst forth ; a spirit which had bestowed on his Lec- 

 tures an eloquence and an interest to be derived from no other 

 sources. No one can read Sahnonia without having feelings ex- 

 cited similar to those of the writer; no one, reading it, could form 

 any other opinion than that of its author having devoted the whole 

 of his time to the exclusive cultivation of natural history and of 

 elegant literature. . ^ , . 



The poetic bent of Davys mind seems never to have left him. 

 To that circumstance I would ascribe the distinguishing features m 

 his character, and in his discoveries :— a vivid imagination sketching 

 out new tracts in regions unexplored, for the judgement to select 

 those leading to the recesses of abstract truth. 



Having characterized Davy by poetic genius, I would yentuie 

 to ascribe minute accuracy, even in the merest trifles, as the dis- 

 tinction of Wollaston, and almost universal acquirements as the 

 characteristic of Young. While in soundness of judgement com- 

 bined with general ability of the highest class, no discriminations 



''^On^ecurring to the list of deaths in the preceding year, many 

 N.S. Vol.7. No. 37. Jan. 1830. G other 



