“Str Humphry Davy. 219 
at the very moment when they first set their foot on the territory of 
any science. Bacon had projected his great work, the Instauration 
of the Sciences, before he was twenty two years old; Newton had 
made the greater part of his grand discoveries previous to his twenty 
fourth year; and Leibnitz, though considerably advanced in life 
when he began the study of mathematics, had scarcely commenced, 
when he made his great discovery of the infinitesimal calculus,* 
These experiments on sea-weed, introduced young Davy to the 
notice of Dr. Beddoes, who was about forming an Institution at Bris- 
tol, for experiments on the medical properties of the gases, of the vir- 
tues of which in certain diseases, especially those of the lungs, the 
Doctor had conceived the most sanguine hopes ; since, being receiv- 
ed into the system by respiration, they were susceptible of an appli- 
cation to organs which were inaccessible to grosser medicines, while 
one of them at least, oxygen, exhibited properties most friendly to an- 
imal life. Young Davy gave an earnest of the lofty independence of 
his mind, by stipulating that the entire control of the pneumatic insti- 
tution should be submitted to him. It does not appear that with all 
his youthful ardor and enthusiasm, he was ever deluded by the vis- 
ionary notions of his patron; while the Institution furnished by its 
novelty t favorable opportunity for the development of his powers. 
We now find our young philosopher fairly embarked in the career 
which he was to pursue for life. We are not informed what it was 
that drew off his attention from the study of the medical profession, 
to which he had purposed to devote himself ; still we cannot but con- 
jecture, that it was the admiration kindled in his youthful bosom al- 
ready panting for distinction, at the splendid honors that were achiev- 
ed by Scheele and Black and Priestley and Lavoisier. We have 
seen some examples, and read of many more, where early genius was 
determined to some particular pursuit, in which it afterwards attained 
to great eminence, by some incident trifling in itself perhaps, but still 
such as to arrest the admiration of the young aspirant. Thus De- 
mosthenes first conceived his passion for eloquence, on hearing: the 
orator Callistratus, and witnessing the applauses with which his per- 
formance was rewarded. ‘Tycho Brahe resolved to deyote his life 
to astronomy in consequence of his witnessing, when - child, sacle 
eclipse of the sun, and being smitten with admiration for a science 
which could thus penetrate into the secrets of futurity. We do = 
regard the genius in such cases as created, but as developed. ¢ 
* Playfair, Diss. II. Part 2. p. 9. 
