vi PKEFACE. 



owes its origin entirely to Eumford, and would certainly 

 have failed but for Davy. Moreover, it will be seen that 

 before Faraday came there, it had been the home of Dr. 

 Grarnett and of Dr. Thomas Young ; Dr. Dalton had 

 lodged and lectured for weeks there ; Sydney Smith, 

 Coleridge, Sir James Smith, Dibden, Dr. Crotch, 

 Campbell, Landseer, Opie, and Flaxman had also 

 lectured there ; Sir Joseph Banks and Mr. Cavendish 

 had been managers, and Dr. Wollaston and Dr. Jenner 

 had been members. 



I have searched everywhere to find new or forgotten 

 facts about the Institution. 



For the sketch of the founder I owe much to the 

 Eev. Dr. Gr. E. Ellis, of Boston, who has lately written 

 the Life of Eumford for the American Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences. I have found many despatches and 

 letters relating to Eumford in the manuscripts of the 

 American War now in the library of the Eoyal Insti- 

 tution, and in the unpublished correspondence of Sir 

 Joseph Banks, in the archives of the Foreign Office, 

 and in the State Paper Office. 



Not the least strange fact in the history of this 

 original man is that during his life he received no 

 thanks for all that he did for the Eoyal Institution. 

 Moreover at the present time he is scarcely known as 

 the finder of Davy and the founder of that place where 

 very many of the greatest scientific discoveries of this 

 century have been made. 



