II 



EARLY LIFE IN LONDON 4* 



sufficient classic, or had a Lancashire accent, or that 

 I didn't grow a moustache, and that in short I would 

 not serve his purpose. 



I here reproduce a photograph of Sir Henry 

 Holland which I took at the Royal Institution on 

 May 6th, 1864, by the magnesium light. 



In 1850 I first made the acquaintance of Brodie, 

 afterwards professor of chemistry at Oxford, by means 

 of a letter of introduction from Lady Coltman, the 

 widow of the judge. Brodie had recently married 

 and lived in Albert Road, and had fitted up the lower 

 part of his house as a laboratory. He was working 

 then on graphitic acid and graphite, and I was much 

 interested in the results of his experiments. He and 

 I became fast friends, and I often visited him in after 

 years at Oxford, where he lived at Cowley House on 

 the banks of the Cherwell, and where I had ample 

 opportunity of admiring his high scientific attainments 

 and his large-hearted and liberal views, especially with 

 regard to university and scientific education views 

 which are clearly shown in the following letters : 



COWLEY HOUSE, OXFORD. 



February 2$>th, 1872. 

 MY DEAR ROSCOE, 



I have never thanked you for your beautiful specimens 

 of the compounds of vanadium, which I found in the labora- 

 tory on my return here in January, and which you were kind 

 enough to send me. I am much obliged to you for them. 



You may know that I am about, before long, to resign my 

 professorship here, of which I find the work, especially in the 

 way of lecturing, to be rather more than I have strength for. 

 It really should be known that this professorship is open to 

 all the world without any limitation whatever, and there is 

 the strongest feeling in the University in favour of the appoint- 

 ment of the most competent person who will come forward 

 for it, irrespective of all other considerations. The professor 

 Js appointed by a board, who are pretty certain also to .take 



