FARADAY. 405 



is intoxicated with hope. The impetuosity of his char- 

 acter was then unchastened by the discipline to which 

 it was subjected in after years. The very strength of 

 his passion proved for a time a bar to its advance, sug- 

 gesting, as it did, to the conscientious mind of Miss 

 Barnard, doubts of her capability to return it with ade- 

 quate force. But they met again and again, and at each 

 successive meeting he found his heaven clearer, until 

 at length he was able to say, ' Not a moment's alloy of 

 this evening's happiness occurred. Everything was 

 delightful to the last moment of my stay with my com- 

 panion, because she was so/ The turbulence of doubt 

 subsided, and a calm and elevating confidence took its 

 place. ' What can I call myself/ he writes to her in a 

 subsequent letter, * to convey most perfectly my af- 

 fection and love for you? Can I or can truth say more 

 than that for this world I am yours? ' Assuredly he 

 made his profession good, and no fairer light falls upon 

 his character than that which reveals his relations to 

 his wife. Never, I believe, existed a manlier, purer, 

 steadier love. Like a burning diamond, it continued 

 to shed, for six-and-forty years, its white and smoke- 

 less glow. 



Faraday was married on June 12, 1821; and up to 

 this date Davy appears throughout as his friend. Soon 

 afterwards, however, disunion occurred between them, 

 which, while it lasted, must have given Faraday intense 

 pain. It is impossible to doubt the honesty of con- 

 viction with which this subject has been treated by 

 Dr. Bence Jones, and there may be facts known to him, 

 but not appearing in these volumes, which justify his 

 opinion that Davy in those days had become jealous of 

 Faraday. This, which is the prevalent belief, is also 

 reproduced in an excellent article in the March num- 

 ber of ' Fraser's Magazine.' But the best analysis I can 



