138 COUNT RUMFOKD. 



king of Basan, Bishop Watson proposed to Tom Paine 

 the problem to determine the bulk to which a human 

 body may be augmented before it will perish by its own 

 weight. As regards the projected Institution, Rumford 

 surely had passed this limit, and by the ponderosity of 

 his scheme had ensured either the necessity of change 

 or the certainty of death. In such an establishment 

 Davy was sure to be an iconoclast. He cared little for 

 models — not even for the apparatus with which his own 

 best discoveries were made, but incontinently broke it 

 up whenever he found it could be made subservient to 

 further ends. 



The 4 Journal of the Royal Institution' was established 

 at this time, and published under Rumford's direction. 

 No private advertisements were to appear in it, but it was 

 to be sold for threepence when its contents amounted 

 to eight pages, and for sixpence when they amounted to 

 sixteen. The experiments and experimental lectures of 

 Davy were then attracting attention. Rumours of the 

 young chemist reached Rumford through Mr. Under- 

 wood and Mr. James Thompson. At Rumford's request 

 Davy came to London. His life at the moment was 

 purely a land of promise, but Rumford had the sagacity 

 to see the promise, and the wisdom to act upon his in- 

 sight. Nor was his judgment rapidly formed ; for several 

 interviews, doubtless meant to test the youth, preceded 

 his announcement to Davy, on February 16, 1801, of the 

 resolution of the Managers, ' That Mr. Humphry Davy 

 be engaged in the service of the Royal Institution, in 

 the capacity of Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry, Direc- 

 tor of the Chemical Laboratory, and Assistant Editor of 

 the Journals of the Institution ; and that he be allowed 

 to occupy a room in the house, and be furnished with 

 coals and candles, and that he be paid a salary of 100 

 guineas per annum.' Rumford, moreover, held out to 



