43 



men was inclined to idealize his friend, and to hold and 

 express unduly derogatory opinions of those he was not in 

 sympathy with. During his long and eminent scientific 

 career he knew and corresponded with nearly all of the 

 world's great chemists and geologists, and of course his 

 acquaintance was intimate with the scientists of this country 

 and Canada, who lived during the latter half of the century. 

 When adopted into the Society of the Lynx, a very exclu- 

 sive Roman body, the members of which are known under 

 the pseudonym of some departed scientist, he took the name 

 of Sir Humphrey Davy, but Faraday was his model and 



uple. Faraday's unselfish devotion to science and his 

 voluntary surrender of gain and of a life of ease and wealth, 

 which would have rewarded the pursuit of technical chemis- 

 try and physics, in order that he might devote himself with- 

 out distraction to the investigation of pure science, excited 

 Hunt's emulation. At the same time, the beautiful serenity 

 of Faraday's disposition and the purity and steadfastness of 

 his religious convictions appealed strongly to Hunt's deeper 

 feelings. Hunt was a guest at Dumas' breakfast table, \vhen 

 a letter from Faraday was delivered, which, as it was written 

 in Knglish, none but Hunt could read and interpret. It was 

 the acceptance by Faraday of the highest honor the Emperor 



leon could bestow on him, the Commandership <>t tin- 

 Legion of Honor, a distinction conferred rarelv except for 

 distinguished military services. Napoleon when he was an 

 in Kimland had known intimately and admired pro- 

 found Iv tin- single-minded philosopher, and now through 

 Dumas, the -jreatest Kivneli chemist and a Senator, he thus 



essed liis appreciation of his work and charaeicr. 1 

 'a reply was eouehed in the most respectful though almost 

 affectionate language, and ended with a devout wish, that the 

 Almighty would guide his old friend amidst the dill'ieu 

 which now beset his path such a prayer as he might have 

 uttered in the little Sandimanian c<> . hieli h. 



:-aday was Hunt's hero of science, and Newton 



