118 



and her love of poetry. Among- many and consummate accomplish- 

 ments, her poetical talent \^-as perhaps her most remarkable gift. 

 Lord and Lady Compton travelled in Italy, and the houses \\-hich 

 they successively occupied in that beautiful land were the centres 

 of attraction for refined and intelligent travellers. Lord Compton 

 also interfered actively and effectively on behalf of some of the un- 

 fortunate Italians who fell under the severe measures of authority 

 both in LombEQ'dy and at Naples. For years Italy was the favourite 

 residence of this excellent English family, and for years they might 

 be pointed out to foreigners with pride as representatives of the British 

 Aristocracy. But the greatest of all domestic calamities was im- 

 pending. In 1830 Lord and Lady Northampton, who had succeeded 

 to the honours of the family in 1828. were residing at Rome, when 

 by a most sudden and overwhelming calamity he found himself a 

 widower. Lord Northampton removed his family to England at 

 once, and at his noble seat of Castle Ashby he devoted himseh' to the 

 education of his children, and the cultivation of literature and 

 science. 



In 1830 he joined this Society, and his connexion with it is un- 

 doubtedly one of the most remarkable features of his Hfe. When the 

 Duke of Sussex resigned the Presidency, the feeling was general 

 that he was a fit person to succeed his Royal Highness. Though 

 his scientific attainments might not be profound, he was an ardent 

 lover of science, and testified his love by gathering ai^ound him all 

 those v,-ho had distinguished themselves in its various departments. 

 He w^as elected President in November 1838, and annually re-elected 

 until November 1848. During his term of office, with few excep- 

 tions, he was always in his place at the Meetings of the Council, and 

 his attention to the business that came on, fairness, and good humour, 

 were worthy of all praise. 



The Soirees which he gave in his capacity of President were at- 

 tended by all the rank and science in the country ; and their in- 

 fluence upon the world generally was of the happiest nature. Perhaps 

 we may regard the labours of men of science respecting magnetism, 

 and especially the establishment of a connected system of ma.gnetic 

 observations over the greater part of the earth's surface, as one of 

 the principal subjects which employed the Royal Society during his 

 Presidentship ; and the applications of Lord Northampton to the 

 government on this subject were assiduously made and were always 

 favourably received. 



Lord Northampton had paid especial attention to geology and 

 mineralogy. He vras the discoverer of a new mineral in the lava of 

 Vesuvius, which was after him named Comptonite. He commu- 

 nicated to the Geological Societj" a description of the Basaltic Rocks 

 of the Isls of Mull, vrith which place, so remarkable both by its 

 scenery and its geology, he vvas especially connected : and at a later 

 period (in 1838) he made to the Geological Society another com- 

 munication on Spirolites in Chalk and Chalk flints, the objects so 

 distinguished being extremely minute organic fossils. 



The British Association for the Advancement of Science was one 



