Sir Humphry Davy. 243 
itself had never been investigated. The inquiries of our philosopher 
on this point, evince how much an original and inventive genius may 
find to exercise its powers, even in subjects that seem to have been 
entirely settled and exhauste 
After the year 1812, Sir Humpley does not appear to have exer- 
~ eised the vocation of a chemist professionally ; but his attention was 
immediately recalled to the subject, whenever any new discovery of 
importance was announced. ‘Thus, in 1813, soon after the discov- 
ery of Iodine, he happened to be at Paris, “receiving (says Dr: 
Ure) amid the political convulsions of France, the tranquil: homage 
due to his genius.” Two able chemists, Messrs. Clement and De 
sormes, had investigated some of the properties of this singular sub- 
stance, but had come to no decisive conclusions respecting its natures 
Dr. Ure informs us,* that the English philosopher penetrated at once, 
with intuitive sagacity, the mystery which hung over it, while he and 
M. Gay-Lussac set out about the same time, and with equal ardor, 
to investigate its relations to other bodies, .that is, to ascertain its na- 
ture. In finding its relations to such chemical agents as oxygen, hy+ 
drogen, and potassium, it soon became evident, that it was a body!of 
the same class with oxygen and chlorine ; and so- much strength was 
thus acquired by Davy’s views respecting the nature of chlorine, that, 
as we have already remarked, scarcely a chemist of an age a 
ger hesitated to embrace them. i PR 
Tn 1820, the discoveries of Mr. Oersted of Copenhagen, respecting 
the connexion between magnetism and electricity, opened 
field for original research, and Sir Humphry appeared again among 
the foremost to explore it.t Thus, while he seemed to have retired 
from the profession of a chemist, yet in every thing ‘that appertained 
to the enlargement of the science, he resumed his labors so effectual- 
ly, that his authority was still quoted oftener than that of _— 
other man 
By the death of ‘Bir Joseph Banks, in 1820, sk pecnidenoy of the 
Royal Society became vacant. The pontifical throne, or the regal 
diadem, could hardly present to the ecclesiastical or aan aspirant 
a nobler prize, than the chair of Newton presents to” the philosopher 
or the scholar. Of the manner in which Sir Humphry oe wee 
placed in it, we are furnished with the following account.{ * —- 
of 
ees 2 
4 ik 
* Dictionary of Chemistry, Art. Iodine. 
t Phil. Trans. 1821, pp. 7 t Month. Mag. 1. 333. 
