402 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



a considerable thickness of silk and leather.' It was 

 this same substance that blew out the eye of Dulong. 



Over and over again, even at this early date, we can 

 discern the quality which, compounded with his rare 

 intellectual power, made Faraday a great experimental 

 philosopher. This was his desire to see facts, and not 

 to rest contented with the descriptions of them. He 

 frequently pits the eye against the ear, and affirms the 

 enormous superiority of the organ of vision. Late in 

 life I have heard him say that he could never fully 

 understand an experiment until he had seen it. But 

 he did not confine himself to experiment. He aspired 

 to be a teacher, and reflected and wrote upon the method 

 of scientific exposition. 'A lecturer,' he observes, 

 ' should appear easy and collected, undaunted and 

 unconcerned : ' still ' his whole behaviour should evince 

 respect for his audience.' These recommendations were 

 afterwards in great part embodied by himself. I doubt 

 his ' unconcern,' but his fearlessness was often manifested. 

 It used to rise within him as a wave, which carried both 

 him and his audience along with it. On rare occasions 

 also, when he felt himself and his subject hopelessly 

 unintelligible, he suddenly evoked a certain recklessness 

 of thought, and, without halting to extricate his bewil- 

 dered followers, he would dash alone through the jungle 

 into which he had unwittingly led them ; thus saving 

 them from ennui by the exhibition of a vigour which, 

 for the time being, they could neither share nor com- 

 prehend. 



In October 1813 he quitted England with Sir Hum- 

 phry and Lady Davy. During his absence he kept a 

 journal, from which copious and interesting extracts have 

 been made by Dr. Bence Jones. Davy was considerate, 

 preferring at times to be his own servant rather than im- 

 pose on Faraday duties which he disliked. But Lady 



