THOMAS ANDREW KNIGHT, ESQ. 47 



ing myself with inquiries in natural history, and I hope, in the 

 spring, to make some inquiries respecting the transmigrations 

 of some of the anglers' water-flies. 



"The Gardens of the Zoological Society are flourishing, 

 and there are a good many animals collected there. 



" The political bark, left by Mr. Canning without a pilot, 

 seems quite wrecked ; and I believe there will be some diffi- 

 culty in building another. The country is in a very critical 

 state ; there certainly never was a moment in which less 

 political talent appeared ; but I am writing on a subject which 

 every body seems to be alike ignorant of, and the business is, 

 I fear, in hands weak in talent though strong in influence. 

 I am, my dear Sir, 



" Very sincerely your obliged friend, 



" H. DAVY." 



The full measure of distress brought on Mr. Knight by his 

 bereavement, cannot be known unless it be mentioned, that in 

 consequence of expressions open to ambiguous interpretation 

 used by Mr. Payne Knight in his will, an amicable law-suit 

 had already been commenced with all parties interested., in order 

 that the right succession to his estates might be determined. 



The death therefore of his son, to whom the property would 

 unquestionably have descended, made this already painful posi- 

 tion tenfold more distressing to him ; and though the happy 

 disposition of his mind to look on the bright,, rather than the 

 dark side of the prospect, supported him through the remainder 

 of his life, the uncertainty in which he continued even to his 

 death, as to the power of disposing of his estates, was often a 

 source of anxiety and grief to him. 



Before Sir Humphry Davy quitted England for the last time, 

 he published a fourth edition of his Lectures on Agricultural 

 Chemistry, which he dedicated to Mr. Knight; and thus 

 announced it in a letter written on the eve of his departure, 

 May 20th, 1828. 



f It was my ardent wish to pay you a visit before I left 



