424 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



In October, 1813, lie quitted England with Sir Hnmpliry 

 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, pre- 

 ferring at times to be his own servant rather than impose 

 on Faraday duties which he disliked. But Lady Davy 

 was the reverse. She treated him as an underling; he 

 chafed under the treatment, and was often on the point 

 of returning home. They halted at Q-eneva. De la Rive, 

 the elder, had known Davy in 1799, and, by his writings 

 in the "Biblioth^que Britannique, " had been the first to 

 make the English chemist's labors known abroad. He 

 welcomed Davy to his country residence in 1814. Both 

 were sportsmen, and they often went out shooting to- 

 gether. 



On these occasions Faraday charged Davy's gun while 

 De la Rive charged his own. Once the Oenevese phi- 

 losopher found himself by the side of Faraday, and, in 

 his frank and genial way, entered into conversation with 

 the young man. It was evident that a person possessing 

 such a charm of manner and such high intelligence could 

 be no mere servant. On inquiry De la Rive was some- 

 what shocked to find that the soi-disant domestique was 

 really preparateur in the laboratory of the Royal Institu- 

 tion; and he immediately proposed that Faraday thence- 

 forth should join the masters instead of the servants at 

 their meals. To this Davy, probably out of weak defer- 

 ence to his wife, objected; but an arrangement was come 

 to that Faraday thenceforward should have his food in 

 his own room. Rumor states that a dinner in honor of 

 Faraday was given by De la Rive. This is a delusion; 

 there was no such banquet; but Faraday never forgot the 



