430 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



now hard to avoid magnifying this error. But had Fara- 

 day died or ceased to work at this time, or had his sub- 

 sequent life been devoted to money -getting, instead of to 

 research, would anybody now dream of ascribing jealousy 

 to Davy? Assuredly not. Why should he be jealous? 

 His reputation at this time was almost without a parallel: 

 his glory was without a cloud. He had added to his other 

 discoveries that of Faraday, and after having been his 

 teacher for seven years, his language to him was this: "It 

 gives me great pleasure to hear that you are comfortable 

 at the Eoyal Institution, and I trust that you will not 

 only do something good and honorable for yourself, but 

 also for science." This is not the language of jealousy, 

 potential or actual. But the chlorine business introduced 

 irritation and anger, to which, and not to any ignobler 

 motive, Davy's opposition to the election of Faraday to 

 the Royal Society is, I am persuaded, to be ascribed. 



These matters are touched upon with perfect candor 

 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 sur- 

 rounded by injurious rumors which I would willingly 

 scatter forever. The pupil's magnitude, and the splen- 

 dor 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 pro- 

 jected itself into the outer world; while with Faraday it 

 became a steadying and dignifying inward force. In one 



