Sir Humphry Davy. ^33 



which savors a little of haughtiness, " After the preceding statement 

 of facts, Mr. Murray, 1 should conceive, will be induced to renounce 

 his conclusion ; and I should likewise imagine, that this gentleman 

 in future will be more cautious in his assertions, and criticisms on the 

 labors of others."* Mr. Murray, in his next paper, shews that 

 Doctor Davy had admitted the fad in controversy which he had be- 

 fore steadily denied ; and that what the Doctor had advanced to ac- 

 count for it in conformity with his theory, was a series of hypotheses 

 unsupported by proofs, and then adds, — " he therefore, I trust, will 

 in future be more cautious in his assertions, and in calling in question 

 the results of the experiments of others. "f 



But we are not aware that Sir Humphry Davy was ever betrayed 

 into any want of courtesy, although he was assailed at different times 

 by Gay Lussac and Thenard, by Dalton, by Murray, by Berzelius, 

 and by many others. Nor have the records of science often exhib- 

 ited such uniform modesty, in the pretensions of those who have ex- 

 tended its boundaries. When the occasion calls upon him to allude 

 to his own discoveries, he speaks of them as things which he had the 

 good fortune to discover. When circumstances demand the applica- 

 tion of a new name, as that of Chlorine, his language is. After con- 

 sulting several eminent men, I have ventured to propose this name. 

 It was probably this modesty in asserting his claims, (so characteristic 

 of true greatness,) this respectful regard to the feelings and rights of 

 others, which has made the world so freely acquiesce in his praises, 

 and preserved him from that envy which is so apt to be displayed to- 

 wards eminent cotemporaries. 



In the progress of the dispute between Murray and Davy, each 

 party seemed several times, both in his own opinion and in that of 

 lookers-on, to have fairly laid his adversary ; but to their surprise, 

 the latter soon returned to the attack only invigorated by the blow. 

 Every man of science, whichever side he may have taken in this dis- 

 cussion, must rejoice that it was conducted by two such champions 

 as Davy and Murray ; for had either of them encountered almost any 

 common man, he would have established his own views too soon ;- — 

 if he had been in an error, he would have led the world astray ; or 

 if right, he would have had no occasion, as in the present instance, 

 to encompass this dgctrine with such a panoply of arguments. 



^ Nicholson's Journal, XXXIX. 32. t Nicholson's Journal, XXX. 230. 



Vol. XVII.»»No. 2. 3 



