626 Life of Count Rumford. 



bers declare that they would set their faces against any discovery 

 which did not originate among themselves. 



" The Count displayed extraordinarily spirited conduct and 

 firmness in refusing the French the passage of the city of 

 Munich. He used often to dwell with much pleasure on hav- 

 ing been the means of bringing forward two celebrated char- 

 acters, the Bavarian general Wreden and Sir Humphry Davy, 

 the former originally a lawyer, or a land steward, and possessing 

 great military dispositions ; Count Rumford, then Minister of 

 War to the Elector of Bavaria, gave him a commission: and the 

 latter was recommended to him when he had the direction of 

 the Royal Institution, by Mr. Underwood, and was made lec- 

 turer on Chemistry. 



"The climate of France agreeing with him far better than 

 that of Bavaria, he received permission of the King of Bavaria 

 to reside there ; and his half-pay as lieutenant-general in his 

 service, and pension of retreat as minister of his late father 

 [uncle], were regularly paid him, amounting to about twelve 

 hundred pounds sterling per annum. It was this which pre- 

 vented his return to England, as Bonaparte would not, in that 

 case, have allowed his vassal, the King of Bavaria, to have 

 paid the Count. 



" When Bavaria joined in the coalition for the emancipation 

 of Europe, it was agitated in Bonaparte's council to send the 

 Count away. However, as it was proved that he scarcely ever 

 stirred out of his house, he was allowed to remain. 



" The German, French, Spanish, and Italian languages were as 

 familiar to the Count as the English, both in speaking and writ- 

 ing. His only recreations were playing at billiards against him- 

 self for want of one to play with, and walking in his garden, of 

 which he was very fond, though ignorant of botany, and even 

 of the common names of the commonest plants. He was very 

 fond of chess, at which he played well, but rarely enjoyed this 

 pleasure, as he said that after a few minutes' play his feet be- 

 came like ice and his head like fire. He drew with great skill 

 the designs of his own inventions, but of painting and sculpture 

 he had no knowledge and little feeling ; nor had he any taste 



