FARADAY. 461 



opposition to the election of Faraday to the Royal 

 Society is, I am persuaded, to be ascribed. 



These matters are touched upon with perfect candour, 

 and becoming consideration, in the volumes of Dr. 

 Bence Jones ; but in ' society ' they are not always so 

 handled. Here a name of noble intellectual associations 

 is surrounded by injurious rumours which I would will- 

 ingly scatter for ever. The pupil's magnitude, and 

 the splendour of his position, are too great and absolute 

 to need as a foil the humiliation of his master. Brothers 

 in intellect, Davy and Faraday, however, could never 

 have become brothers in feeling; their characters were 

 too unlike. Davy loved the pomp and circumstance of 

 fame ; Faraday the inner consciousness that he had 

 fairly won renown. They were both proud men. But 

 with Davy pride projected itself into the outer world ; 

 while with Faraday it became a steadying and dignifying 

 inward force. In one great particular they agreed. 

 Each of them could have turned his science to immense 

 commercial profit, but neither of them did so. The 

 noble excitement of research, and the delight of dis- 

 covery, constituted their reward. I commend them to 

 the reverence which great gifts greatly exercised ought 

 to inspire. They were both ours ; and through the 

 coming centuries England will be able to point with 

 just pride to the possession of such men. 



The first volume of the f Life and Letters ' reveals 

 to us the youth who was to be father to the man. 

 Skilful, aspiring, resolute, he grew steadily in know- 

 ledge and in power. Consciously or unconsciously, the 

 relation of Action to Reaction was ever present to 



