Sir Humphry Davy. 243 



itself had never been investigated. The inquiries of our philosopher 

 on this point, evince how much an original and inventive genius may 

 find to exercise its powers, even in subjects that seem to have been 

 entirely setded and exhausted. 



After the year 1812, Sir Humphry does not appear to have exer- 

 cised the vocation of a chemist professionally ; but his attention was 

 immediately recalled to the subject, whenever any new discovery of 

 importance was announced. Thus, in 1813, soon after the discov- 

 ery of Iodine, he happened to be at Paris, " receiving (says Dr. 

 Ure) amid the political convulsions of France, the tranquil homage 

 due to his genius." Two able chemists, Messrs. Clement and De- 

 sormes, had investigated some of the properties of this singular sub- 

 stance, but had come to no decisive conclusions respecting its nature. 

 Dr. Ure informs us,* that the English philosopher penetrated at once, 

 with intuitive sagacity, the mystery which hung over it, while he and 

 M. Gay-Lussac set out about the same time, and with equal ardor, 

 to investigate its relations to other bodies, that is, to ascertain its na- 

 ture. In finding its relations to such chemical agents as oxygen, hy- 

 drogen, and potassium, it soon became evident, that it was a body of 

 the same class with oxygen and chlorine ; and so much strength was 

 thus acquired by Davy's views respecting the nature of chlorine, that, 

 as we have already remarked, scarcely a chemist of the age any lon- 

 ger hesitated to embrace them. 



In 1820, the discoveries of Mr. Oersted of Copenhagen, respecting 

 the connexion between magnetism and electricity, opened another new 

 field for original research, and Sir Humphry appeared again among 

 the foremost to explore it.f Thus, while he seemed to have retired 

 from the profession of a chemist, yet in every thing that appertained 

 to the enlargement of the science, he resumed his labors so effectual- 

 ly, that his authority was still quoted oftener than that of almost any 

 other man. 



By the death of Sir Joseph Banks, in 1 820, the presidency of the 

 Royal Society became vacant. The pontifical throne, or the regal 

 diadem, could hardly present to the ecclesiastical or political aspirant 

 a nobler prize, than the chair of Newton presents to the philosopher 

 or the scholar. Of the manner in which Sir Humphry Davy was 

 placed in it, we are furnisHed with the following account.J " Sev- 



* Dictionary of Chemistry, Art. Iodine. 



1 Phil. Trans. 1321, pp. 7 and 425. . \ Month, Mag. 1. 333, 



