156 HENRY DEACON 



It was whilst spending his days at the 

 bench in the Galloway's shop, that he attracted 

 the notice of the master who gave tone and 

 colour to his whole future career. At the 

 Royal institution "the greatest experimental 

 philosopher the world has ever seen," was 

 engaged in his vast and profound researches. 

 Michael Faraday was an intimate friend of the 

 Deacon family ; he noticed the bright boy and 

 drew him to his side, gave him access to his 

 laboratory, and encouraged him to apply 

 himself, as far as his time permitted, to 

 chemical and physical science, becoming his 

 tutor, directing and superintending his studies 

 and experiments. 



During the boyhood which he spent in 

 London, Henry Deacon lived in the sunshine 

 of the splendid genius of Faraday. The 

 influence of this contact is manifest in the 

 mental development of the pupil as well as in 

 the character and peculiar features of his 

 life-work. Faraday was no mere experi- 

 menter. Professor Tyndall says of him : 

 1 'Faraday has been called a purely deductive 

 philosopher. A greal deal of nonsense is, I 

 fear, uttered in this land of England about 

 induction and deduction. Some profess to 

 befriend the one, some the other, while the 



